

Performance Optimized · Datasheet
Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HF Box: Sealed 12" Wedge Enclosure Single 12" Sealed enclosure
- Net volume
- 1.75 cu ft after the brace and the driver displacement
- Max mounting depth
- 5.75 in required; 2.62 in clearance above the motor against the raked rear panel
- External dimensions
- 29.50 in W × 15 in at the seat face H × 14.52 in at the base D
- Front baffle
- 1.5 in double baffle, outer layer machined as a flush recess
- Best For: Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HF Trunk-Fit Builds
- Net Volume: 1.75 cu ft (1.85 cu ft Gross)
- Driver Match: Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HF (RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm))
- Construction: Rear-Firing Wedge | V-Groove/Dado | Double 1.5" Baffle | Threaded Inserts Installed
Spec of record
Technical specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Series | Proline X Performance Optimized Wedge |
| Compatible Driver | Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HF (RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm)), quantity 1. Direct fit |
| Configuration | Single 12 inch, single chamber sealed wedge |
| Mounting Position | Trunk or cargo area, tall face against the rear seat back |
| Firing Direction | Rearward into the trunk. Not a down fire design, no feet included |
| External Width | 29.50 in |
| External Height | 15 in at the seat face |
| External Depth | 14.52 in at the base, tapering to 9.06 in at the top |
| Internal Volume, Gross | 1.85 cu ft |
| Internal Volume, Net Acoustic | 1.75 cu ft after the brace and the driver displacement |
| Driver Mounting Depth | 5.75 in required; 2.62 in clearance above the motor against the raked rear panel |
| Alignment, RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) | Qtc 0.640, fc 39.7 Hz, F3 44.3 Hz anechoic |
| Alignment, RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm) | Qtc 0.774, fc 38.2 Hz, F3 35.2 Hz anechoic |
| Woofer Opening | 11.10 in, cut for Dayton's frame |
| Frame Outer Diameter | 12.36 in |
| Bolt Circle | 11.61 in, Dayton spec; threaded inserts pre-installed |
| Driver Displacement | 0.092 cu ft, estimated; Dayton publishes none |
| RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) Fs / Qts / Qes / Qms / Vas | 24.2 Hz / 0.39 / 0.45 / 2.83 / 84.1 L |
| RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm) Fs / Qts / Qes / Qms / Vas | 22.2 Hz / 0.45 / 0.54 / 2.5 / 97.2 L |
| Driver Sd | 515 cm2, Dayton spec |
| Xmax | 14.3 mm, one-way, as Dayton publish it |
| Driver Power Handling | 400 W RMS |
| Wiring Options | Dayton sells the RSS315HF as RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm): the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) is a single 4 ohm coil, a 4 ohm load; the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm) is a single 8 ohm coil, an 8 ohm load. A parallel load at or under 1 ohm needs an amplifier rated for it. |
| Parameter Source | Dayton Audio spec sheet |
| Material | Langboard Elite MDF |
| Construction | CNC cut, V-groove and dado joinery |
| Panel Thickness | 0.75 in |
| Front Baffle | 1.5 in double baffle, outer layer machined as a flush recess |
| Internal Bracing | Windowed brace, dadoed to the shell |
| Driver Mounting | Threaded inserts pre-installed at Dayton's bolt circle; stainless machine screws included |
| Terminal Cups | One Proline X ABS and carbon fiber composite, side mounted, pre wired 12 gauge OFC |
| Acrylic Insert | Gloss black acrylic baffle insert standard |
| Damping | Light polyfill wall lining, does not alter acoustic volume |
| Carpet | Plush black |
| Shipping Weight | 51 lb |
| Warranty | 1 Year Limited |
| Built In | Tullahoma, Tennessee |
Modelled response
Performance in this enclosure
01Is it a sealed driver?
Efficiency bandwidth product places the motor before anything else is decided.
02What the box does to it
1.75 cu ft against an 84.1 L Vas.
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 14.3 mm — and a bigger one once a subsonic filter stops it wasting travel below the passband.
| Param | Value | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fs | 24.20 / 22.20 | Hz | free-air resonance |
| Qts | 0.390 / 0.450 | RSS315HF-4 / RSS315HFA-8 | |
| Vas | 84.10 / 97.20 | L | equivalent compliance |
| Sd | 514.7 / 506.7 | cm² | effective piston area |
| Xmax | 14.3 | mm | one-way, as Dayton publish it |
| Pe | 400 | W | continuous RMS |
| SPL | 86.1 | dB | 1 W / 1 m, derived from T/S |
Driver parameters as published by Dayton Audio spec sheet. Curves computed against this enclosure’s actual net airspace.
From the shop floor
Installer's take
1.75 cubic feet: Qtc 0.640 on the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and Qtc 0.774 on the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm), F3 44.3 Hz on the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and 35.2 Hz on the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm).
The 5.75 inch motor clears the raked back with 2.62 to spare; the airspace sets the rest of the cabinet.
Dayton's spec sheet holds together on every check I run. Displacement is the one figure they do not give, so it is estimated.
Inserts are pressed at Dayton's bolt circle, so the driver bolts straight in. Sealed, so leave the polyfill as it is and run it at 400 watts or under per driver.
Before you order
Questions
Does this fit the Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HF, and will any other 12 inch fit?
The Reference RSS315HF, yes, in both coil versions. The baffle is cut to 11.10 in for Dayton's 12.36 in frame. The 5.75 inch motor clears the cabinet with 2.62 inch to spare.
Any other 12, no. The airspace is engineered around the Reference RSS315HF's own Qts and Vas, and a different woofer that happened to drop into the hole would not see the alignment printed on this page.
Why 1.75 cubic feet, and what alignment does it target?
1.75 cubic feet net on Dayton's published figures: the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) reads Qtc 0.640 with resonance at 39.7 Hz and half power at 44.3 Hz, and the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm) reads Qtc 0.774 with resonance at 38.2 Hz and half power at 35.2 Hz. One cabinet serves both coils, built to the volume that keeps both closest to maximally flat. That is spread either side of maximally flat: the lower-Q coil a little drier, the higher-Q coil a little punchier.
Cabinet gain in a vehicle lifts the bottom end further, so in the car this reads deeper than the anechoic figures.
What amplifier power should I run, and how should I wire it?
Dayton rates the Reference RSS315HF at 400 watts RMS, so target 280 to 400 watts RMS at the final load.
Dayton sells the RSS315HF as RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm): the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) is a single 4 ohm coil, a 4 ohm load; the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm) is a single 8 ohm coil, an 8 ohm load. A parallel load at or under 1 ohm needs an amplifier rated for it. Confirm your amplifier's minimum stable impedance first.
Why the wedge angle, and why rear-firing into the trunk?
The seat-side face carries a 20 degree rake that matches the lean of a factory rear seat back, so the cabinet sits flush against it and the cargo space in front stays usable. The baffle is the vertical trunk-lid-side face, so the driver fires rearward into the trunk cavity.
The trunk acts as an acoustic extension for the sealed box, and the cabin adds real output below 50 Hz, so in-vehicle response runs deeper than the anechoic 44.3 Hz on the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and 35.2 Hz on the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm) on this page.
Why is the front baffle double-layered?
The baffle is two bonded 3/4 inch sheets, 1.5 inches through. A single 3/4 inch panel flexes under the pressure a 12 inch woofer puts on it at 400 watts, which smears output and works the driver loose over time; the second layer stiffens the face and gives the mounting hardware twice the material to bite.
The outer layer is machined as a flush recess to Dayton's 12.36 inch frame, so the driver bolts to the inner layer and sits flush with the gloss black acrylic insert.
What is the expected low-frequency extension?
Anechoic F3 is 44.3 Hz on the RSS315HF-4 (single 4 ohm) and 35.2 Hz on the RSS315HFA-8 (single 8 ohm). The lower-Q coil rolls off gently with F3 above fc; the higher-Q coil carries a small lift near resonance.
Those figures exclude cabin gain. In a car the cabin's transfer function adds real output below 50 Hz, so in-vehicle response runs deeper than the numbers above.
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 walks the alignment away from the 1.75 cubic feet this cabinet was built to.
Is the driver included, and are the threaded inserts installed?
No driver. This is an enclosure only. You receive the cabinet finished in plush black carpet with the gloss black acrylic baffle insert, one side-mounted pre-wired terminal cup, the polyfill lining already in place, and stainless machine screws, with the threaded inserts already pressed.
The inserts are pressed at the shop on Dayton's published bolt circle for the Reference RSS315HF, so the driver bolts straight in. The Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HF is purchased separately, and the cabinet is cut direct fit to it, not a general purpose 12 inch box.
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