Alpine develops thin subwoofer to generate bass in restricted automotive space
Alpine Electronics, the in car multimedia specialist, has developed a novel subwoofer that offers the possibility to offer excellent low frequency performance in vehicles that couldn’t previously accommodate a bulky, square enclosure. Sports cars, SUVs and saloons could benefit from bass performance that equates to that of a traditional 12” subwoofer yet only measures some 100mm deep.
“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.”
As consumer demand increases for great sound reproduction in the car, vehicle manufacturers are looking for ways to offer performance using any available package space. The solution from Alpine can be installed in an area 100mm deep. This has been achieved through the development of a specific pair of 165mm speakers that have a long throw and deliver extreme magnetic force. The two units combined, offer the equivalent of 200g of moving mass, approximately the same as a bulky traditional 12” unit. An additional option is to combine the amplifier in the unit reducing wiring complexity.
