Does a woofer handle more power in a sealed or vented enclosure?
When we speak of power handling related to the enclosure, we are referring to mechanical power handling (excursion). Assuming the same driver in two identical sized enclosures, one sealed and the other vented, the following statements are true: • Power handling at higher frequencies is very similar in both enclosures • Power handing near vented enclosure FB (tuning freq.) is better in the vented enclosure • Power handling at very low frequencies (below vented FB) is better in the sealed enclosure It’s difficult to give a definitive answer for the power handling question as the conditions vary widely. However, the resonant mechanical system formed by the vent and the enclosure does, in most cases, increase power handling greatly in the usable bass range.
