Performance Optimized · Datasheet

Performance Optimized Down Fire Ported 10" Enclosure | JL Audio 10TW3 Single 10" Ported enclosure

Net volume
1.28 Cubic Feet
Tuning
35.0 Hz
Max mounting depth
3.268 Inches (JL Audio Spec)
Cutout
9.606 Inches (JL Audio Spec)
External dimensions
31 Inches W × 7.75 Inches H × 15.00 Inches D
Front baffle
Down Firing - Driver Fires Toward Floor
Buy at Audio Intensity
  • Alignment: 1.28 cu ft net vented at 35.0 Hz. F3 28.8 Hz anechoic, 4.17 dB passband ripple
  • Driver: JL Audio 10TW3 -D4, 400 W RMS, 15.2 mm Xmax, 32.30 Hz Fs
  • Build: Proline X V-groove and dado joinery, L-wrap slot port with a faceted 90 degree bend, double-layer 1.5" baffle, side-mounted terminal cup
  • Cabinet: 31" W x 15.00" D x 7.75" H measured in down fire position, 9.50" tall installed on its feet, square corners, ships dry

Technical specifications

SeriesProline X Performance Optimized Down Fire
Driver-Specific FitmentJL Audio 10TW3 -D4 (Dual 4 Ohm)
Enclosure TypePorted | Down Fire Geometry | Floor-Coupled
Baffle ConfigurationDown Firing - Driver Fires Toward Floor
External Width31 Inches
External Depth15.00 Inches
External Height7.75 Inches (Cabinet Only)
FeetIncluded - 1.75 Inch Standoff, Required For Down Fire Operation
Installed Height9.50 Inches (7.75 Cabinet Plus 1.75 Feet) - MEASURE AGAINST THIS, NOT THE CABINET HEIGHT
Dimension ReferenceAll External Dimensions Measured In Down Fire Position
Internal Volume (Gross)1.39 Cubic Feet
Internal Volume (Net After Displacement)1.28 Cubic Feet
Port TypeL-Wrap Slot | One Folded Wall | Single Faceted 90 Degree Bend
Port Tuning (Fb)35.0 Hz
Port Channel3.25 x 6.25 Inches (20.3 Square Inches)
Port Path Length27.58 Inches (Centreline)
Port Mouth Area22.1 Square Inches (2.50 Inch Corner Chamfer)
Port Air Velocity16.5 m/s At Tuning (17.0 m/s Chuff Threshold)
Predicted F328.8 Hz (Anechoic)
Passband Ripple4.17 dB (Anechoic)
Subsonic Filter28 Hz High-Pass, 24 dB/Octave - REQUIRED On A Vented Enclosure
Driver Fs32.30 Hz
Driver Qts0.620
Driver Qes / Qms0.660 / 11.350
Driver Vas19.800 Liters / 0.699 Cubic Feet
Driver Sd365.0 Square Centimeters
Driver Mms231.00 g
Driver BL25.40
Driver Re9.0 Ohm
Driver Xmax15mm (One-Way)
Driver Displacement0.02 Cubic Feet (Published by JL Audio)
Driver Sensitivity82.1 dB
Driver Power Handling400 Watts RMS
Driver Overall Diameter10.512 Inches (JL Audio Spec)
Mounting Depth Required3.268 Inches (JL Audio Spec)
Cutout Diameter9.606 Inches (JL Audio Spec)
Woofer Ring11.500 Inch OD, Bonded Under The Baffle In A Machined Recess
MaterialLangboard Elite 3/4" MDF
ConstructionShopSabre CNC / Windowed Brace Between Cutout And Port Terminus
JoineryV-Groove and Dado (CNC-Cut)
Front Baffle ConstructionDouble-Layer 1.5" MDF | Outer Layer Flush Recess, Driver Mounts To Inner Layer
Corner ProfileSquare (Down Fire Series Standard)
Mounting Hardware8 x #8-32 Hurricane Nuts Fitted (16 Positions Cut For Driver Orientation) | Stainless Steel Machine Screws Included
Voice Coil ConfigurationDual 4 Ohm
Terminal CupProline X ABS/Carbon Fiber Composite | Side Mounted | 12g OFC Pre-Wired
DampingNone - Ships Dry. Polyfill Detunes A Ported Enclosure
Recommended Power280-400 Watts RMS (JL Audio Rated: 400W RMS)
Carpet FinishPlush Black
Bundle OptionsEnclosure Only (Bring Your Own JL Audio 10TW3)
Warranty1-Year Limited (Enclosure)
ManufacturedTullahoma, Tennessee, USA

Performance in this enclosure

Net airspace
1.28
cu ft
Tuning
35.0
Hz · Fb
Half power
28.8
Hz · F3, anechoic
Xmax at
1755
W RMS · 28 Hz subsonic
With NO filter
343
W RMS · unfiltered
Port
16.5
m/s at the mouth

01Is this driver right for a ported box?

Efficiency bandwidth product places the motor before anything else is decided.

EBP = Fs ÷ Qes = 48.9
SEALED 0–50 TRANSITION 50–100 PORTED 100–150 0 50 100 150 EBP 48.9
JL Audio 10TW3-D4 · EBP 48.9
Under 50 the raw number leans sealed. The JL Audio 10TW3-D4 reads 48.9, so this is a ported build against the grain of its own EBP: it works because the alignment is tuned for in-car response rather than for an anechoic curve, and because the cabinet holds port area and volume the driver can actually use.

02What the box does to it

1.28 cu ft net against a 19.8 L Vas, vented at 35.0 Hz.

Fb = 35.0 Hz  ·  F3 = 28.8 Hz  ·  passband ripple 4.17 dB
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 −6 −12 −18 −24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB −3 dB Fb 35.0
JL Audio 10TW3-D4 · Fb 35.0 Hz, F3 28.8 Hz
Anechoic, before any cabin gain, with the 28 Hz subsonic filter already applied. The vent takes over below 35 Hz and the cone stops doing the work there, which is what holds travel down at the bottom of the passband.

03Perceived Ported vs Sealed

This cabinet, 1.28 cu ft net vented at 35.0 Hz, against the 0.50 cu ft sealed Down Fire we build for this driver (PO 10-S DF TW3).

Ported Fb 35.0 Hz  ·  the 0.50 cu ft sealed box runs Qtc 0.96, Fc 50 Hz
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 −6 −12 −18 −24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB +8.3 dB at 36 Hz
Ported · this cabinet, 1.28 cu ft, Fb 35.0 HzSealed Down Fire we build, 0.50 cu ft, Qtc 0.96
Shaded blue is where the ported alignment is louder for the same power, orange where the sealed one is. The sealed curve is the 0.50 cu ft sealed Down Fire we build for this driver (PO 10-S DF TW3), not this cabinet with the port blocked: two different boxes, because that is the choice a buyer actually has. Across 25 to 60 Hz the vent is worth 8.3 dB at its widest and 6.0 dB on average. This is the anechoic picture, which is not what you hear in a car.

04Real World Ported vs Sealed

The same two boxes with cabin gain applied, 45 Hz corner, 18 dB ceiling.

Flatness across 25–60 Hz: ported 4.4 dB spread, the 0.50 cu ft sealed box 2.1 dB
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 −6 −12 −18 −24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB +8.3 dB at 36 Hz
Ported, in-car · 4.4 dB spreadSealed Down Fire we build, 0.50 cu ft, in-car · 2.1 dB spread
Cabin gain lifts both boxes by the same amount, so the gap between them does not change: what changes is the shape each one ends up with. A car pressurises below roughly 45 Hz, which fills in the sealed box's shallower rolloff and over-drives it where the ported box is already flat. Across 25 to 60 Hz, the band kick and bass fundamentals occupy, this alignment holds 4.4 dB of spread against 2.1 dB for the 0.50 cu ft sealed Down Fire we build for this driver (PO 10-S DF TW3). The sealed curve is flatter on paper; the ported one trades that for output. The two alignments converge at the bottom of the band rather than crossing cleanly, so there is no meaningful subsonic advantage either way here. Cabin gain here is a house assumption, not a measurement of your vehicle.

05The watts that reach Xmax (in this enclosure)

Travel scales with the square root of power, so there is one wattage that puts the cone exactly on JL Audio's published 15.2 mm. The two traces are the same cabinet with the subsonic filter switched on and switched off.

PXmax = 1755 W with a 28 Hz subsonic  ·  343 W with none  →  the filter is worth 5.1×
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 0 4 8 12 16 FREQUENCY · Hz CONE TRAVEL · mm PAST LINEAR TRAVEL · Xmax 15.2 mm 1755 W reaches Xmax here
1755 W · subsonic at 28 Hz, 24 dB/oct343 W · no subsonic filterXmax 15.2 mm one-way, published
Each trace touches the limit and no further, because each is drawn at the exact power that puts the cone on 15.2 mm. With a 28 Hz subsonic that takes 1755 W, reached first at 27 Hz. Take the filter away and the same cabinet reaches 15.2 mm on 343 W — the filter is worth 5.1× the safe power. A vent unloads the cone below tuning, so there is nothing holding it once the box stops loading: on a sealed build a subsonic filter is an improvement, here it is required equipment. The unfiltered trace is still rising where this chart stops at 20 Hz, so treat 343 W as a bound rather than a floor. Every wattage on this page is a MECHANICAL limit, not an electrical one. It is the power at which the cone runs out of linear travel in this cabinet, and nothing more. What the voice coil can dissipate as heat is a separate ceiling set by the driver, not by the box — JL Audio rate this one at 400 W RMS, and that is the number that binds first here: heat stops you before travel does, so treat 400 W as the ceiling and the travel figures above as headroom. Final wired impedance, amplifier output and how long you hold the level are all electrical questions this graph does not answer.

Installer's take

3.27 inches with 15.2 mm of one-way travel. That combination is the whole argument for this driver over the TW1 sitting next to it. The TW1 is 4.37 inches deep and moves 10 mm; this is a full inch shallower and moves half again as far.

It has the better raw material too. 32.3 Hz against the TW1's 41.5, 19.8 litres of Vas against 10.3, and 365 square centimetres of cone against 268. On paper this should not be the shallower of the two, and yet it is.

The bill arrives as ripple. 4.17 dB is the widest of any JL cabinet here. That is what packing this much motor into 3.27 inches does, and I could flatten it by tuning lower and giving up volume, which would throw away the reach that made the driver interesting. So I have not.

In-car it lands at 4.5 dB. Mid-pack, better than the TW1's 5.5.

Dual 4 ohm: 2 ohms parallel or 8 ohms series. Subsonic at 28 Hz. Ships dry.

Questions

Why is this enclosure tuned to 35.0 Hz?

1.28 cubic feet vented at 35.0 Hz reaches an anechoic F3 of 28.8 Hz. A 32.3 Hz resonance with 19.8 litres of Vas is a considerably more capable starting point than the TW1's 41.5 Hz and 10.3 litres, and the extra cone area helps too: 365 square centimetres against the TW1's 268. Tuning is chosen for in-car response rather than for an anechoic curve: a vehicle adds roughly 12 dB per octave below about 45 Hz, so a box tuned very low reinforces a region the cabin is already reinforcing and leaves 40 to 60 Hz thin. In this cabinet that lands at 4.4 dB of in-car spread across 25 to 60 Hz, which is where kick and bass fundamentals live.

Does this enclosure ship with polyfill?

No, and on this build in particular do not add any. Every sealed Proline X enclosure ships with polyfill pre-installed; a ported one must not, because damping material changes the effective volume the port is tuned against. The port on this cabinet is cut to 27.58 inches of centreline path for 35.0 Hz. Stuff it and you move the tuning without shortening the port, which gives you a mistuned box rather than a bigger-sounding one. The 4.17 dB passband you are paying for depends on it staying dry.

Do I need a subsonic filter?

Yes, at 28 Hz, 24 dB per octave. Below tuning a vented box stops loading the cone and excursion runs away toward DC. With the filter in place this cabinet puts the JL Audio 10TW3 at 48 percent of its usable travel at full rated power; without it there is no meaningful number to quote, because the excursion curve does not converge. On a sealed build a subsonic filter is an improvement. Here it is required equipment.

How much power can I run?

JL Audio rate the 10TW3 at 400 W RMS and that is the thermal ceiling. The figures on the Performance Graphs tab are a different quantity: they are mechanical limits, the power at which the cone reaches the end of its linear travel in this specific cabinet. Here the cone sits at 48 percent of usable travel at the driver's own rating, so heat is what stops you, not travel. Final wired impedance and amplifier output are separate questions again.

Would a sealed box be better for me?

The two alignments converge at the bottom of the band on this driver rather than crossing cleanly, so there is no meaningful subsonic advantage either way. Above 25 Hz the vent is the louder of the two for the same power. The Performance Graphs tab plots this cabinet, 1.28 cubic feet vented at 35.0 Hz, against the 0.50 cu ft sealed Down Fire we build for this driver (PO 10-S DF TW3), so you can judge it yourself.

What is the L-wrap port and why does it matter?

It is a slot port formed by one folded wall: a leg down the long side of the cabinet past the woofer ring, one faceted 90 degree bend, and a leg across the end opening through a chamfered corner. On this cabinet that is 27.58 inches of centreline path and 20.3 square inches of channel, exiting a 22.1 square inch mouth. Air leaves at 16.5 metres per second at tuning against a 17.0 threshold, and the channel runs at 43 percent of its turbulence limit. One wall and one bend rather than a serpentine's three means less wall area inside the box, fewer joints to leak, and one place for flow to separate instead of three.

How is this enclosure built?

V-groove and dado joinery in 0.75 inch Langboard Elite MDF with a double-layer 1.5 inch baffle. The driver mounts to a 11.500 inch ring bonded under the baffle in a machined recess, carrying eight #8-32 hurricane nuts so it threads into steel rather than MDF. A windowed brace sits 2.91 inches clear of the cutout edge and 1.97 inches clear of the port terminus; the window is not weight saving, a solid panel there would split the cavity and make the box a bandpass. Walls seat into dados in both the lid and the baffle. Square corners, plush black carpet, side-mounted terminal cup.

Is the 10TW3 included?

No. This is an enclosure only, cut and folded for the JL Audio 10TW3 specifically. The 9.606 inch cutout, the 3.268 inch mounting depth allowance and the 1.28 cubic foot alignment all come from JL Audio's published parameters for this exact driver, and the port is sized against its Xmax and power rating. It is not a universal box with a 10 inch hole in it. Bring your own driver.

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