Performance Optimized · Datasheet

Performance Optimized Wedge Sealed Dual 10" Enclosure | PowerBass XL-1044 Dual 10" Sealed enclosure

Net volume
1.50 cu ft total, 0.75 per driver
Max mounting depth
5.2500 in required
Cutout
9.3125 in
External dimensions
32.00 in W × 15 in at the seat face H × 13.15 in at the base D
Front baffle
1.5 in, double baffle
Buy at Audio Intensity
  • Best For: Dual PowerBass XL-1044 Trunk-Fit Builds
  • Net Volume: 0.75 cu ft per driver (0.85 cu ft Gross)
  • Alignment: Qtc 0.637, fc 49.1 Hz, F3 55.0 Hz
  • Driver Match: XL-1044
  • Impedance: single 4 ohm coil
  • Construction: Dual Chamber | Rear-Firing Wedge | V-Groove/Dado | Double 1.5" Baffle | Threaded Inserts

Technical specifications

SpecificationValue
SeriesProline X Performance Optimized Wedge
Compatible DriverPowerBass XL-1044, quantity 2. Direct fit
ConfigurationDual 10 inch, dual 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 Width32.00 in
External Height15 in at the seat face
External Depth13.15 in at the base, tapering to 7.69 in at the top
Internal Volume, Gross1.71 cu ft total, 0.85 per chamber
Internal Volume, Net Acoustic1.50 cu ft total, 0.75 per driver
AlignmentQtc 0.637, fc 49.1 Hz, F3 55.0 Hz anechoic
Driver Cutout9.3125 in
Driver Mounting Depth5.2500 in required
Power Handling700 watts RMS total across the pair
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 BracingFull chamber divider
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
Weight44.6 lb
Warranty1 Year Limited
Built InTullahoma, Tennessee

Performance in this enclosure

Net airspace
0.75
cu ft per chamber
System Qtc
0.64
sealed
Half power
55.0
Hz · F3
Xmax at
107
W RMS · no filter
With 25 Hz subsonic
151
W RMS · +42%
Amplifier
350
W RMS recommended
This enclosure holds 0.75 cu ft net per chamber. In it the PowerBass XL-1044 runs a system Qtc of 0.64 with half power at 55.0 Hz, and the cone reaches its 8.0 mm travel limit at 107 W, below the driver’s 350 W thermal rating, so travel is what stops you here, not heat. Run a subsonic filter at 25 Hz and that becomes 151 W — +45 W, or 42 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 = 70.4
SEALED 0–50 TRANSITION 50–100 PORTED 100–150 0 50 100 150 XL-1044 70.4
XL-1044 · EBP 70.4
At 70.4 the XL-1044 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

0.75 cu ft against a 36.3 L Vas.

α = Vas ÷ Vb = 1.71  ·  Fc = Fs√(α+1) = 49 Hz  ·  Qtc = 0.64
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 -6 -12 -18 -24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB −3 dB
XL-1044 · Qtc 0.64, Fc 49 Hz, F3 55.0 Hz
The box lifts resonance from 29.8 Hz free-air to 49 Hz and half power lands at 55.0 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 = 107 W unfiltered  →  151 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 107 W reaches Xmax here
XL-1044 · 107 W, no filterXL-1044 · 151 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 107 W, reached first at 20 Hz. It sits under the 350 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 151 W before hitting the same 8.0 mm. That is 42 percent more amplifier for the price of one filter setting.
ParamValueUnitNote
Fs29.80Hzfree-air resonance
Qts0.387XL-1044
Vas36.31Lequivalent compliance
Sd363.1cm²effective piston area
Xmax8mmone-way linear travel
Pe350Wcontinuous RMS
SPL85.4dB1 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. 0.75 cubic feet net is PowerBass's own published sealed airspace for the XL-1044 and we cut to it exactly, which lands at Qtc 0.637. PowerBass publishes 0.790 at the same volume, so there is no argument to have about the alignment.

F3 lands at 55.0 Hz anechoic. That is high for a 10 inch, and it is the driver rather than the cabinet: at a Qts of 0.387 the XL-1044 is past the knee for sealed loading, so no sealed box gets it much below 61 Hz. Adding volume makes it worse, not better. If you want the deepest sealed 10 inch in this range, the XL-1244 reaches 46.2 Hz.

On impedance: Each driver is a single 4 ohm voice coil. A pair is 2 ohms in parallel or 8 ohms in series. Two ohms is the usual choice and almost every monoblock is stable there.

Measure the base depth. This cabinet is 13.15 inches deep at the trunk floor, 7.69 at the top, and 32.00 wide. The floor dimension is what decides whether it goes in.

Questions

Will this enclosure fit the XL-1044 exactly?

Yes. The baffle is CNC cut to 9.3125 in for the XL-1044's published cutout and the cabinet clears its 5.2500 in mounting depth. Threaded inserts are pressed in at every mounting location so the driver bolts to metal, not to MDF.

Why 0.75 cubic feet net per driver?

It is PowerBass's published sealed recommendation for the XL-1044. In it the driver runs Qtc 0.637 with fc at 49.1 Hz and F3 at 55.0 Hz. PowerBass publishes Qtc 0.790 and F3 47 Hz for the same airspace, so our numbers and theirs agree.

What amplifier power should I run, and what impedance?

The XL-1044 is rated 350 watts RMS each, so 700 across the pair. Each driver is a single 4 ohm voice coil. A pair is 2 ohms in parallel or 8 ohms in series. Two ohms is the usual choice and almost every monoblock is stable there. Aim for roughly 489 to 700 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 700 watts on tap that matters.

What is the expected low-frequency extension?

F3 lands at 55.0 Hz anechoic. That is high for a 10 inch, and it is the driver rather than the cabinet: at a Qts of 0.387 the XL-1044 is past the knee for sealed loading, so no sealed box gets it much below 61 Hz. Adding volume makes it worse, not better. If you want the deepest sealed 10 inch in this range, the XL-1244 reaches 46.2 Hz. Qtc is 0.637, 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.

Are the drivers included?

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

Other Performance Optimized models