13 factors you should consider before designing a speaker enclosure

Loudspeaker enclosure design is one of the most important factor that affects the quality of the sound radiated from a speaker

Without a properly designed enclosure even a hd recording sounds  unpleasant

Let us discuss
Things we should consider before designing a speaker enclosure

1.The volume of the enclosure affects the quality of sound and transient response of the system
2. The volume of the enclosure is related to the speaker T/s parameters
3. Small enclosures cause unwanted boost in higher mid range frequencies
4. Air tight enclosures produce better performance
5. Different frequency ranges require different enclosure types and volume
6. Sealed systems produce good sound quality and transient response.
7. Ported enclosures increases the efficiency and powerhandling
8. Enclosures for small diameter speakers (typically 3- 5 inches) need more careful design than enclosures for size above 8 inch.
9. An enclosure designed for two way or satellite may not work well for a subwoofer
10. Theoritical calculations may fail sometimes in enclosure design
11. Damping materials may be necessary to minimize the effect of standingwaves
12. Large speakers and powerful subwoofers need adequate bracing
13. The quality of sound improves with qood quality enclosure material

And finally enclosures can be classified into three categories (these are based on my approach in designing)

    Category 1. Enclosure for small sized speakers (typically diameter less than 6.5 inches)
    Category 2. Enclosure for medium sized speaker (8 inch to 12 inch speakers)
    Category 3. Enclosure for large size speakers (size above 12 inches)

Each category has a different designing strategy. And calculations vary based on each category.

For more info see magic enclosure volumes