Performance Optimized · Datasheet

Performance Optimized Wedge Sealed 12" Enclosure | PowerBass XL-1244 Single 12" Sealed enclosure

Net volume
1.25 cu ft
Max mounting depth
5.7500 in required
Cutout
11.0625 in
External dimensions
28.06 in W × 15 in at the seat face H × 12.65 in at the base D
Front baffle
1.5 in, double baffle
Buy at Audio Intensity
  • Best For: PowerBass XL-1244 Trunk-Fit Builds
  • Net Volume: 1.25 cu ft (1.38 cu ft Gross)
  • Alignment: Qtc 0.714, fc 46.6 Hz, F3 46.2 Hz
  • Driver Match: XL-1244
  • Impedance: single 4 ohm coil
  • Construction: Rear-Firing Wedge | V-Groove/Dado | Double 1.5" Baffle | Threaded Inserts

Technical specifications

SpecificationValue
SeriesProline X Performance Optimized Wedge
Compatible DriverPowerBass XL-1244, quantity 1. Direct fit
ConfigurationSingle 12 inch, single chamber sealed wedge
Mounting PositionTrunk or cargo area, tall face against the rear seat back
Firing DirectionRearward into the trunk. Not a down fire design, no feet included
External Width28.06 in
External Height15 in at the seat face
External Depth12.65 in at the base, tapering to 7.19 in at the top
Internal Volume, Gross1.38 cu ft
Internal Volume, Net Acoustic1.25 cu ft
AlignmentQtc 0.714, fc 46.6 Hz, F3 46.2 Hz anechoic
Driver Cutout11.0625 in
Driver Mounting Depth5.7500 in required
Power Handling400 watts RMS
ImpedanceSingle 4 ohm voice coil
MaterialLangboard Elite MDF
ConstructionCNC cut, V-groove and dado joinery
Panel Thickness0.75 in
Front Baffle1.5 in, double baffle
Internal BracingWindowed C brace
Driver MountingThreaded inserts at every mounting location, stainless machine screws included
Terminal CupsOne Proline X ABS and carbon fiber composite, side mounted, pre wired 12 gauge OFC
DampingLight polyfill wall lining, does not alter acoustic volume
CarpetPlush black
Weight39.4 lb
Warranty1 Year Limited
Built InTullahoma, Tennessee

Performance in this enclosure

Net airspace
1.25
cu ft per chamber
System Qtc
0.71
sealed
Half power
46.2
Hz · F3
Xmax at
112
W RMS · no filter
With 25 Hz subsonic
150
W RMS · +33%
Amplifier
400
W RMS recommended
This enclosure holds 1.25 cu ft net per chamber. In it the PowerBass XL-1244 runs a system Qtc of 0.71 with half power at 46.2 Hz, and the cone reaches its 8.0 mm travel limit at 112 W, below the driver’s 400 W thermal rating, so travel is what stops you here, not heat. Run a subsonic filter at 25 Hz and that becomes 150 W — +37 W, or 33 percent more power for the same 8.0 mm of travel.

01Is it a sealed driver?

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

EBP = Fs ÷ Qes = 59.5
SEALED 0–50 TRANSITION 50–100 PORTED 100–150 0 50 100 150 XL-1244 59.5
XL-1244 · EBP 59.5
At 59.5 the XL-1244 sits in the transition band, not the sealed band. That is not a mismatch: a transition motor works in either alignment, and sealed buys a smaller box and a gentler roll-off at the cost of some low-end output. Stage 02 shows what this airspace actually does with it.

02What the box does to it

1.25 cu ft against a 66.4 L Vas.

α = Vas ÷ Vb = 1.88  ·  Fc = Fs√(α+1) = 47 Hz  ·  Qtc = 0.71
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 -6 -12 -18 -24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB −3 dB
XL-1244 · Qtc 0.71, Fc 47 Hz, F3 46.2 Hz
The box lifts resonance from 27.5 Hz free-air to 47 Hz and half power lands at 46.2 Hz, anechoic, before any cabin gain.

03The 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 8.0 mm — and a bigger one once a subsonic filter stops it wasting travel below the passband.

PXmax = 112 W unfiltered  →  150 W with a 25 Hz subsonic
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 0 4 8 FREQUENCY · Hz CONE TRAVEL · mm PAST LINEAR TRAVEL · Xmax 8.0 mm 112 W reaches Xmax here
XL-1244 · 112 W, no filterXL-1244 · 150 W with subsonic at 25 Hz, 24 dB/octXmax 8.0 mm one-way
Every trace touches the limit and no further, because each is drawn at the exact power that puts that coil on 8.0 mm. Unfiltered that is 112 W, reached first at 20 Hz. It sits under the 400 W the driver can take thermally, so the enclosure sets the ceiling, not the voice coil. The dashed traces are the same driver behind a subsonic filter at 25 Hz, 24 dB/oct: stopping the cone wasting travel below the passband lets it take 150 W before hitting the same 8.0 mm. That is 33 percent more amplifier for the price of one filter setting.
ParamValueUnitNote
Fs27.50Hzfree-air resonance
Qts0.421XL-1244
Vas66.37Lequivalent compliance
Sd490.9cm²effective piston area
Xmax8mmone-way linear travel
Pe400Wcontinuous RMS
SPL86.6dB1 W / 1 m, derived from T/S

Driver parameters as published by powerbassusa.com. Curves computed against this enclosure’s actual net airspace.

Installer's take

This one is straightforward. 1.25 cubic feet net is PowerBass's own published sealed airspace for the XL-1244 and we cut to it exactly, which lands at Qtc 0.714. PowerBass publishes 0.850 at the same volume, so there is no argument to have about the alignment.

F3 lands at 46.2 Hz anechoic, before any cabin gain.

On impedance: This is a single 4 ohm voice coil, so one driver is simply a 4 ohm load. There is no series or parallel decision to make.

Measure the base depth. This cabinet is 12.65 inches deep at the trunk floor, 7.19 at the top, and 28.06 wide. The floor dimension is what decides whether it goes in.

Questions

Will this enclosure fit the XL-1244 exactly?

Yes. The baffle is CNC cut to 11.0625 in for the XL-1244's published cutout and the cabinet clears its 5.7500 in mounting depth. Threaded inserts are pressed in at every mounting location so the driver bolts to metal, not to MDF.

Why 1.25 cubic feet net?

It is PowerBass's published sealed recommendation for the XL-1244. In it the driver runs Qtc 0.714 with fc at 46.6 Hz and F3 at 46.2 Hz. PowerBass publishes Qtc 0.850 and F3 44 Hz for the same airspace, so our numbers and theirs agree.

What amplifier power should I run, and what impedance?

The XL-1244 is rated 400 watts RMS, so 400 across the driver. This is a single 4 ohm voice coil, so one driver is simply a 4 ohm load. There is no series or parallel decision to make. Aim for roughly 280 to 400 watts at the final wired impedance.

How does a wedge enclosure improve the sound in a trunk installation?

The angled seat-side face matches the roughly 20 degree lean of a factory rear seat, so the cabinet sits flat against it instead of leaving a wasted triangle. The vertical trunk-lid-side face carries the driver, firing rearward into the trunk cavity, which acts as an acoustic extension into the cabin.

Why is the front baffle double-layered?

The baffle is two bonded 3/4 inch sheets, 1.5 inches through. A subwoofer pushes as hard against its mounting surface as it does against the air, and a single 3/4 inch panel flexes under that load. With 8 mm of one-way travel and 400 watts on tap that matters.

What is the expected low-frequency extension?

F3 lands at 46.2 Hz anechoic, before any cabin gain. Qtc is 0.714, so the rolloff is clean rather than peaked. These figures are anechoic and exclude cabin gain, which in most vehicles adds real output below 40 Hz.

Do I need to add polyfill or damping?

No. Polyfill is already installed as a light wall lining to control internal reflections, and the quantity is chosen so it does not change the acoustic volume. Do not add more. Packing a sealed box with fill makes it behave as though it were larger, which on this driver moves Qtc down and F3 up.

Is the driver included?

No. This is an enclosure only. You receive the cabinet finished in plush black carpet, with threaded inserts at the driver position, stainless machine screws, one side-mounted pre-wired terminal cup and the polyfill lining already installed.

Other Performance Optimized models