Alpine Electronics' ultra-compact subwoofer

Alpine Electronics has developed a subwoofer solution for automobile enthusiasts who value space as much as bass. The subwoofer provides the same low frequency performance of a 12-inch model, but in a compact 100mm deep unit that can snugly fit in sports cars, SUVs and saloons.

The subwoofer solution contains two 165mm speakers, with a combined total of 200g of moving mass, which have long throw and deliver extreme magnetic force. Alpine used Parametric Acoustic Modeling software from ITI plc to analyze the enclosure’s performance. Unlike traditional modeling software, PAM treats an acoustic enclosure as an arrangement of waveguides with distributed parameters, which allows it to accurately track the behavior of acoustic waves even after numerous reflections. This allows designers to optimize cone excursion, frequency response, group delay, and transient behavior.

“Traditional subwoofer enclosures need to move large volumes of air to be effective, therefore they tend to be bulky,” says Alpine’s OEM business manager Keith Price. “Our solution allows us to offer excellent bass in vehicles that couldn’t afford to sacrifice such a large package volume to the subwoofer.”

The technology is the latest in a line of compact subwoofers that Alpine has developed to solve package or weight issues. These include the DLP subwoofer that can be fitted in the passenger footwell, or horn subwoofer for under seat applications.