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Performance Optimized · Datasheet

Performance Optimized Wedge Wide Sealed Triple 8" Enclosure JL Audio 8W7AE · Triple 8" Sealed enclosure

Net volume
0.875 cu ft per driver, 2.62 cu ft total, after both dividers and JL Audio's published 0.060 cu ft displacement per driver
Max mounting depth
6.83 in required; 4.42 in clearance above the motor against the raked rear panel
External dimensions
40 in W × 13 in at the seat face H × 17.07 in at the base D
Front baffle
1.5 in double baffle, outer layer machined as a flush recess
Buy at Audio IntensityFactory-direct, ships from Tullahoma
  • Best For: Triple JL Audio 8W7AE SUV Cargo-Floor Builds
  • Net Volume: 0.875 cu ft per Driver (2.62 cu ft Net Total)
  • Driver Match: Three JL Audio 8W7AE (Single 3 Ohm), matched
  • Construction: 3 Chambers | 40" Wide Wedge | V-Groove/Dado | Double 1.5" Baffle | 3 Terminal Cups

Spec of record

Technical specifications

SpecificationValue
SeriesProline X Performance Optimized Wedge Wide
Compatible DriverJL Audio 8W7AE, quantity 3, matched. Direct fit
ConfigurationTriple 8 inch sealed wedge, 3 chambers, 1 driver per chamber
Mounting PositionSUV cargo floor, raked face against the rear seat back
Firing DirectionRearward toward the liftgate. Not a down fire design
External Width40 in
External Height13 in at the seat face
External Depth17.07 in at the base, tapering to 12.34 in at the top
Internal Volume, Gross2.92 cu ft total
Internal Volume, Net Acoustic0.875 cu ft per driver, 2.62 cu ft total, after both dividers and JL Audio's published 0.060 cu ft displacement per driver
Driver Mounting Depth6.83 in required; 4.42 in clearance above the motor against the raked rear panel
Alignment Per Driver8W7AE-3 Qtc 0.796, fc 45.9 Hz, F3 41.4 Hz anechoic
Woofer Openings3 at 6.940 in
Woofer LayoutOne row across the face
Frame Outer Diameter8.504 in
Fs / Qts / Qes / Qms35.2 Hz / 0.610 / 0.650 / 9.500
Vas / Sd / Xmax17.4 L / 245 cm2 / 19 mm
Driver Power Handling500 W RMS per driver, 1500 W RMS for the set of 3 (thermal rating)
Recommended Amplifier300-430 W RMS per driver, 900-1,290 W RMS for the full set, at 9 ohms
Parameter SourceJL Audio published specifications
MaterialLangboard Elite MDF
ConstructionCNC cut, V-groove and dado joinery
Panel Thickness0.75 in
Front Baffle1.5 in double baffle, outer layer machined as a flush recess
Internal BracingTwo full-height 3/4 in dividers
Driver MountingThreaded inserts, stainless machine screws included
Terminal CupsThree Proline X ABS and carbon fiber composite, on the rear panel, one per chamber, pre wired 12 gauge OFC
Acrylic InsertGloss black acrylic baffle insert standard
DampingLight polyfill wall lining in every chamber, does not alter acoustic volume
CarpetPlush black
Shipping Weight70 lb
Warranty1 Year Limited
Built InTullahoma, Tennessee

Modelled response

Performance in this enclosure

Net airspace
0.875
cu ft per driver
System Qtc
0.80
sealed
Half power
41.4
Hz · F3
Xmax at
354
W RMS per driver · no filter
With 25 Hz subsonic
430
W RMS per driver · +21%
Amplifier, per driver
300–430
W RMS recommended
This enclosure holds 0.875 cu ft net per driver. In it the JL Audio 8W7AE-3 runs a system Qtc of 0.80 with half power at 41.4 Hz, and the cone reaches its 19.0 mm travel limit at 354 W per driver, below the driver’s 500 W thermal rating, so travel is what stops you here, not heat. Run a subsonic filter at 25 Hz and that becomes 430 W per driver — +76 W, or 21 percent more power for the same 19.0 mm of travel.

00Sizing the amplifier

Every wattage on this panel is per driver. This cabinet holds three, so the amplifier feeds all three at once.

Per driver 300–430 W RMS  ×  3 drivers  =  full set 900–1,290 W RMS at 9 ohms
Look for a mono amplifier rated 900–1,290 W RMS at 9 ohms, the load the set wires to most easily. Travel sets the top here, not heat: past 430 W per driver the cone runs beyond Xmax even with the subsonic set, under the driver’s 500 W thermal rating. The top of the range needs the 25 Hz subsonic filter set; without it, keep each driver under 354 W, where the cone reaches Xmax unfiltered. Below the bottom of the range it will play, just with less headroom; above the top you are buying power the drivers cannot use.

01Is it a sealed driver?

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

EBP = Fs ÷ Qes = 54.2
SEALED 0–50 TRANSITION 50–100 PORTED 100–150 0 50 100 150 Single 3 Ohm 54.2
Single 3 Ohm · EBP 54.2
At 54.2 the 8W7AE-3 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

0.875 cu ft against a 17.4 L Vas.

α = Vas ÷ Vb = 0.70  ·  Fc = Fs√(α+1) = 46 Hz  ·  Qtc = 0.80
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 +6 +0 -6 -12 -18 -24 FREQUENCY · Hz LEVEL · dB −3 dB
Single 3 Ohm · Qtc 0.80, Fc 46 Hz, F3 41.4 Hz
The box lifts resonance from 35.2 Hz free-air to 46 Hz and half power lands at 41.4 Hz, anechoic, before any cabin gain. Figures are JL Audio’s published parameters; Qes and Qms reproduce the printed Qts. This cabinet holds three drivers in three separate sealed chambers of 0.875 cubic feet each, the volume plotted here.

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 19.0 mm — and a bigger one once a subsonic filter stops it wasting travel below the passband.

PXmax = 354 W per driver unfiltered  →  430 W per driver with a 25 Hz subsonic
20 30 50 70 100 150 200 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 FREQUENCY · Hz CONE TRAVEL · mm PAST LINEAR TRAVEL · Xmax 19.0 mm 354 W reaches Xmax here
Single 3 Ohm · 354 W, no filterSingle 3 Ohm · 430 W with subsonic at 25 Hz, 24 dB/octXmax 19.0 mm one-way
Every trace touches the limit and no further, because each is drawn at the exact power that puts that coil on 19.0 mm. Unfiltered that is 354 W per driver, reached first at 21 Hz. It sits under the 500 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 430 W per driver before hitting the same 19.0 mm. That is 21 percent more amplifier for the price of one filter setting.
ParamValueUnitNote
Fs35.20Hzfree-air resonance
Qts0.610Single 3 Ohm
Vas17.40Lequivalent compliance
Sd245.0cm²effective piston area
Xmax19mmone-way linear travel
Pe500Wcontinuous RMS
SPL82.5dB1 W / 1 m, derived from T/S

Driver parameters as published by JL Audio 8W7AE-3 published specifications. Curves computed against this enclosure’s actual net airspace.

From the shop floor

Installer's take

Start with the size. 0.875 cubic feet per driver puts the 8W7AE at Qtc 0.796, resonance 45.9 Hz, half power 41.4 Hz anechoic. That is JL Audio's number, not ours: the cabinet is built to the maker's recommended sealed size. Butterworth on these figures wants 1.79, which on this platform means deeper than the 23 in platform allows. It is a small lift near resonance, 0.2 dB above flat.

Measure the base depth, not the top. This cabinet is 17.07 in deep where it meets the floor, 12.34 at the top, 40 wide and 13 tall. In an SUV the 40 has to clear between the rear wheel wells at floor height, the base depth is measured from the seat back with the seat upright and latched, and the 13 has to clear the cargo cover.

All three terminal cups are on the rear panel, and the rear panel is the face that goes against the seat back. Wire all three before the box goes in, with enough slack to slide it into place; once the raked face is against the seat you cannot reach them.

Impedance. 8W7AE-3: wire for 9 ohms (the three in series), the load most monoblocks are built to deliver full power into; 1 ohm is the other clean option (the three in parallel). Work the load out before you buy the amplifier, not after.

Power. Size the amplifier for the set, not one driver: 300 to 430 W RMS per driver is 900 to 1,290 W RMS across all 3 at 9 ohms. On this driver travel sets the top, not heat: Xmax arrives at 430 W per driver with a 25 Hz subsonic, under the 500 W rating. Set the 25 Hz subsonic to use the top of that range; without it keep each driver under 354 W.

JL Audio's Qes and Qms reproduce the printed Qts within 3 percent, so the alignment rests on a self-consistent set.

Polyfill is in as a wall lining in every chamber. Do not add more: it makes the box act larger and walks Qtc off 0.80.

Before you order

Questions

Does this fit the JL Audio 8W7AE, and its coil versions?

Yes. Each opening is cut to 6.940 in for the 8.504 in frame, and the 6.83 in deep motor clears the raked rear panel with 4.42 in to spare. Coil versions of the JL Audio 8W7AE share the frame, cutout and mounting depth, so any of them drops in. The alignment on this page is computed on the 8W7AE-3 parameters.

Run three matched drivers, same model and same coil, so every chamber sees the alignment on this page.

Why 0.875 cubic feet per driver, and what alignment does it target?

On JL Audio's published Fs 35.2 Hz, Qts 0.610 and Vas 17.4 liters, 0.875 cubic feet per driver gives Qtc 0.796, system resonance 45.9 Hz and half power 41.4 Hz.

The cabinet is sized to the maker's recommended sealed size, 0.88 cubic feet per driver, to keep it realistic for a cargo floor. Maximally flat would need 1.79 cubic feet per driver; this size trades a little low end for a compact box and a small lift near resonance, 0.2 dB above flat.

What amplifier power should I run, and how should I wire it?

JL Audio rates the 8W7AE at 500 watts RMS per driver. Recommended amplifier: 300 to 430 W RMS per driver, 900 to 1,290 W RMS for the full set of 3. Travel, not heat, sets the top: the cone reaches Xmax at 430 W per driver with a 25 Hz subsonic set, under the 500 W rating. The top of that range needs the 25 Hz subsonic; without it keep each driver under 354 W.

Each 8W7AE-3 has a single 3 ohm voice coil. The three in parallel present 1 ohm; in series, 9 ohms. Check the result against your amplifier's minimum stable impedance before powering up.

Will it fit my SUV?

It is 40 inches wide, 13 tall and 17.07 deep at the base, tapering to 12.34 at the top. Measure between the rear wheel wells, the floor depth with the seat upright, and the height under your cargo cover.

The raked face goes against the seat back and the woofers fire toward the liftgate.

Why are all three terminal cups on the back?

Each driver has its own sealed chamber, and the center chamber has no side wall to take a cup. Putting all three on the rear panel gives a matching set, one cup per chamber.

Wire them at the amplifier end; there is no cross-chamber wiring inside the cabinet.

What is the expected low-frequency extension?

Anechoic F3 is 41.4 Hz per driver with system resonance at 45.9 Hz.

Those figures exclude cabin gain. An SUV cabin adds real output below about 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 in every chamber, and the quantity is chosen so it does not change the acoustic volume.

Do not add more. Packing a sealed box makes it behave as though it were larger, which moves the alignment away from 0.875 cubic feet per driver.

Are the drivers included?

No. This is an enclosure only. You receive the cabinet finished in plush black carpet with the gloss black acrylic baffle insert, three pre-wired terminal cups on the rear panel, the polyfill lining in place, threaded inserts and stainless machine screws.

Bring three matched JL Audio 8W7AE drivers. The cabinet is cut direct fit to them, not a general purpose 8 inch box.

Same series, same size

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