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Performance Optimized · Datasheet

Performance Optimized Down Fire Wide Sealed 12" Shallow Sub Enclosure Prodigy NB3-12 · Single 12" Sealed enclosure

Net volume
1.028 cu ft after displacement and the brace
Max mounting depth
3.375 in
External dimensions
41 in W × 6.4375 in in the down fire position H × 14 in D
Front baffle
1.5 in double baffle, outer layer machined as a flush recess
Buy at Audio IntensityFactory-direct, ships from Tullahoma
  • Alignment: 1.028 cu ft net. Qtc 0.689, Fc 51.4 Hz, F3 52.8 Hz
  • Down Fire Wide: 41"W x 14"D x 6.4375"H in down fire position, excludes the 1.75" standoffs (installed height 8.1875"). Stands lower than the standard 30 x 15 at 7.625"
  • Height set by: airspace; 2.31" of clearance above the motor
  • Driver: Prodigy NB3-12D4 (DVC 4 ohm), 800W RMS, 11mm Xmax at 70% BL, 3.375" mounting depth, 3.0" voice coil
  • Build: Langboard Elite MDF, V-groove and dado, 1.5" double baffle with flush outer recess, windowed U-brace, 12g OFC side-mounted terminal cup

Spec of record

Technical specifications

SeriesProline X Performance Optimized Down Fire Wide
Compatible DriverProdigy NB3-12D4 (DVC 4 ohm), quantity 1. Direct fit
Enclosure TypeSealed, down fire, floor coupled
Intended FitmentLong, low spaces where height or depth is the limit and 41 in of run is available
Firing DirectionDown firing. Feet ship uninstalled, so front or up firing is also possible
Chamber ConfigurationSingle chamber, windowed U-brace, one side-mounted terminal cup
External Width41 in
External Depth14 in
External Height6.4375 in in the down fire position, excludes standoffs
Installed Height8.1875 in including the 1.75 in standoffs
Dimension ReferenceAll external dimensions measured in down fire position
Standard 30 x 15 Version7.625 in tall, 1.02 cu ft net
Internal Volume, Gross1.166 cu ft
Internal Volume, Net1.028 cu ft after displacement and the brace
Height Set ByAirspace; 2.31 in clearance above the motor
AlignmentQtc 0.689, Fc 51.4 Hz, F3 52.8 Hz anechoic
Woofer Opening10.875 in (10 7/8)
Mounting Depth Required3.375 in
Frame Outer Diameter12.25 in
Driver Displacement0.13 cu ft
Mounting Hardware8/32 Threaded Inserts | Stainless Steel Machine Screws Included
Recommended Power600-800 Watts RMS (Prodigy Rated: 800W RMS Continuous)
MaterialLangboard Elite 3/4 in MDF
JoineryV-groove and dado, CNC cut on ShopSabre routers
Front Baffle1.5 in double baffle, outer layer machined as a flush recess
Internal BracingWindowed U-brace, dadoed to the shell
Corner ProfileSquare (Down Fire series standard)
Terminal CupOne Proline X ABS and carbon fiber composite, side mounted, pre-wired 12 gauge OFC
Standoffs1.75 in, included, shipped uninstalled
DampingPolyfill installed as a light wall lining
CarpetPlush black
Bundle OptionsEnclosure only (bring your own NB3-12D4)
Warranty1 year limited (enclosure)
Built InTullahoma, Tennessee, USA

Modelled response

Performance in this enclosure

Net airspace
1.028
cu ft per chamber
System Qtc
0.69
sealed
Half power
52.8
Hz · F3
Xmax at
497
W RMS · no filter
With 25 Hz subsonic
643
W RMS · +29%
Amplifier
800
W RMS recommended
This enclosure holds 1.028 cu ft net per chamber. In it the Prodigy Audio NB3-12 runs a system Qtc of 0.69 with half power at 52.8 Hz, and the cone reaches its 11.0 mm travel limit at 497 W, below the driver’s 800 W thermal rating, so travel is what stops you here, not heat. Run a subsonic filter at 25 Hz and that becomes 643 W — +145 W, or 29 percent more power for the same 11.0 mm of travel.

01Is it a sealed driver?

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

EBP = Fs ÷ Qes = 58.6
SEALED 0–50 TRANSITION 50–100 PORTED 100–150 0 50 100 150 D4 58.6
D4 · EBP 58.6
At 58.6 the NB3-12 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

1.028 cu ft against a 29.7 L Vas.

α = Vas ÷ Vb = 1.02  ·  Fc = Fs√(α+1) = 51 Hz  ·  Qtc = 0.69
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 -6 -12 -18 -24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB −3 dB
D4 · Qtc 0.69, Fc 51 Hz, F3 52.8 Hz
The box lifts resonance from 36.2 Hz free-air to 51 Hz and half power lands at 52.8 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 11.0 mm — and a bigger one once a subsonic filter stops it wasting travel below the passband.

PXmax = 497 W unfiltered  →  643 W with a 25 Hz subsonic
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 0 4 8 12 FREQUENCY · Hz CONE TRAVEL · mm PAST LINEAR TRAVEL · Xmax 11.0 mm 497 W reaches Xmax here
D4 · 497 W, no filterD4 · 643 W with subsonic at 25 Hz, 24 dB/octXmax 11.0 mm one-way
Every trace touches the limit and no further, because each is drawn at the exact power that puts that coil on 11.0 mm. Unfiltered that is 497 W, reached first at 20 Hz. It sits under the 800 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 643 W before hitting the same 11.0 mm. That is 29 percent more amplifier for the price of one filter setting.
ParamValueUnitNote
Fs36.20Hzfree-air resonance
Qts0.485D4
Vas29.66Lequivalent compliance
Sd535.5cm²effective piston area
Xmax11mmone-way linear travel
Pe800Wcontinuous RMS
SPL85.4dB1 W / 1 m, derived from T/S

Driver parameters as published by prodigyaudio.com product page; Sd derived from Vas and Cms; published Fs runs below what their own Cms and Mms imply. Curves computed against this enclosure’s actual net airspace.

From the shop floor

Installer's take

The NB3-12 is the one to point people toward when they want 12 inch displacement and have almost no height. 3.375 inches of mounting depth, 800 watts RMS, 11mm of one-way Xmax, an 80 ounce ferrite motor and a full 3.0 inch four-layer coil. In the wide box it drops to 6.4375 inches tall.

Height was solved to the airspace: 6.4375 tall holds 1.028 net, against 1.02 in the standard box, and the motor clears the lid with 2.31 inches to spare. Same air, lower box.

Acoustically it is an easy driver to build for. At 1.028 net it lands at Qtc 0.689 with Fc at 51.4 Hz and F3 at 52.8 Hz, essentially maximally flat.

A 10.875 inch cutout in a cabinet this short means the double baffle is doing real structural work. Dual 4 ohm wires to 2 ohms or 8 ohms on a single driver. Target 600 to 800 watts RMS.

Measure installed height, not cabinet height: 6.4375 on its own, 8.1875 with the 1.75 inch feet on. The standard 30 by 15 is still the pick if you do not have 41 inches of run.

Before you order

Questions

Why is this cabinet 41 inches wide instead of 30?

Because it trades length for depth and height. The standard Performance Optimized Down Fire platform is 30 wide by 15 deep; this one is 14 deep, 1 inch shallower, and 41 long. Spreading the airspace along 11 more inches lets the cabinet stand 6.4375 inches tall instead of 7.625.

Fourteen inches of depth is the practical minimum, since a 12 inch frame needs about 13 inches of baffle. If your space is long and low rather than deep or tall, this is the shape that fits.

How does this compare to the standard 30 x 15 NB3-12 enclosure?

Same driver, different shape. The standard cabinet is 30 by 15 by 7.625 inches and holds 1.02 cubic feet net. This cabinet is 41 by 14 by 6.4375 inches and holds 1.028 cubic feet net.

The airspace is effectively the same, so the driver behaves the same way in either. Choose the standard box when length is limited; choose this one when height or depth is the limit and you have 41 inches of run.

What alignment does this cabinet produce with the NB3-12?

At 1.028 cubic feet net the NB3-12D4 lands at Qtc 0.689, Fc 51.4 Hz and a predicted anechoic F3 of 52.8 Hz, computed from Prodigy's published Fs 36.2 Hz, Qts 0.485 and Vas 29.665 liters.

That is effectively the maximally flat sealed alignment. A vehicle cabin adds rising gain below roughly 60 Hz, so firing into the floor, in-car response extends below the anechoic figure.

How do I wire this enclosure and what power should I run?

One side-mounted Proline X terminal cup, pre-wired in 12 gauge OFC. The NB3-12D4 is dual 4 ohm, so wire the coils in parallel for 2 ohms or in series for 8 ohms at the driver.

Prodigy rates it at 800 watts RMS continuous. Target 600 to 800 watts RMS and confirm your amplifier is stable at the load you wire.

Where is the terminal cup located on a down fire enclosure?

Side mounted. Every Proline X Performance Optimized enclosure uses a side mounted terminal cup, whether standard, wedge or down fire, which keeps the connection accessible with the baffle facing the floor. The cup is our Proline X ABS and carbon fiber composite unit, recessed, with stainless hardware, copper ring terminals and pre-wired 12 gauge OFC.

Why are the corners square instead of radiused?

Down Fire cabinets are built with square corners as a series standard. The 3 inch top down corner radius used on other Proline X alignments does not apply here. A down fire box is a low, long platform that sits flat against a floor or cargo deck, and square corners maximize usable internal volume for a given footprint while keeping the cabinet stable on its mounting surface.

How is this enclosure built?

V-groove and dado joinery, CNC cut on ShopSabre routers from Langboard Elite MDF. Every panel joint is a machined interlocking groove that locks the panels before adhesive is applied, which keeps the cabinet airtight under sustained pressure cycling. The front baffle is a 1.5 inch double layer, the outer layer machined as a flush recess around the 10.875 inch cutout.

A windowed U-brace stiffens the long panels, and polyfill is installed as a light wall lining. Do not add more fill; packing a sealed box makes it act larger and moves the alignment off the 1.028 cubic feet it was built to. Assembled and inspected in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Is the Prodigy NB3-12 subwoofer included with this enclosure?

No. This listing is for the enclosure only. Bring your own Prodigy NB3-12D4, which is a dual 4 ohm driver. The cutout and mounting depth are direct fit.

Same series, same size

Other Performance Optimized models