im making a sub box for two 12s and im wondering if it would be better to port it or not

 

Depends on the subs you got, and the type of music you listen to.
Usually big boomy bass(rap)=ported
where tighter bass(techno)=sealed

 

^^ Thats a bit general.
It really comes down to tuning. Are you going to run those two 12's in a Z? You may have some difficulties with the volume of the enclosure as well as the length of the car as far as tuning goes.

If it is a Z, I would be inclined to either go single 12" ported or sealed or maybe two 12's sealed at the very most. It does also depend on the sub a bit as well as the power you are feeding it/them. If you build a box that is about .9-1.2 cubic feet sealed for just about any single 12" sub out there then chances are you are going to get some pretty decent, accurate bass. Multiply that by two and you have a much bigger box and of course, more bass.

If you run a single 12" sub and port the box (built to spec of course and tuned somwehere between 36-40 hertz) then you will usually get a lot more output out of it than a sealed enclosure. Typically the box will be bigger (1.3-2 cubic feet or so for most subs plus port displacement). Placement is also pretty key. For example, putting the subs right behind the seats in the 'no man's land' then you will find that, for the most part, your bass will 'appear' to be lacking considering your box volume and parameters. The reason for this is because the bass wave is just too long for your ears to properly 'hear' it. If you are about three feet in front of the window then it'll be nice and loud.

I am currently running a single 10" in a 1.25 cubic foot ported enclosure tuned to 38 hertz. The sub is facing rearward and the sub pokes up at the very back of the trunk. Designing it this way has given the listener the 'illusion' that the bass is extremely loud right at your head. On a sensor it hits around 143 DB. It is built entirely with sound quality in mind as well.

 

this is my first time building a box so i dont really know anything but how would i tune it to a certian amount of hertz? and im putting them in a van for now and im looking to get a Z soon

 

What kind of van is it and where will the box be going?
What subs are you running? What amp?
What kind of music do you listen to?

 

its a 2000 chevy express, yes i know its a rapist van but its our third car they will be going in the trunk and the subs are 2 12in kicker comp and the amp is an alpine m500 and i listen to most kinds of music like alternative hiphop techno, im pretty open to most kinds except country

 

I would find a local car audio specialty shop so you can hear the differences in the boxes with and w/o ports... as well as different styles of porting. I have a Bandpass box and love it, but thats me

 

you do not have enough room to run 2 each 12 ported in a z

1 each 10, 12, 15 ported yes

2 each 12 pretty much sealed

i use 1 each 15" ported , it is very loud

 

For those two subs you can do a 3.6 cubic foot enclosure with two ports at 4" X 10". That'll get you about 40 hertz and should pound pretty loud.

 

thank you these all helped