RW 12D loose part

[mcatake]

I bought this sub new and owned for years. Sounds great. However, on the rare occasion i move it i would hear something move inside. Finally took apart and found it’s this black tube (sorry don’t know technical name for it) loose inside. See photos. It looks like it has screw holes and is supposed to attach rear top and back but it’s too short. It slips into the front bottom but not fastened in any way. Appears to be caulk but doesn’t do anything. See photos. Is this normal? Should i do anything to fasten the bottom front to hold in place? 
thanks! keith

[Peter P.]

It looks like a three-piece port tube, and two pieces have separated at the caulk.

 

Are you saying if you couple the two pieces together where they don't currently meet, that the part with the screw holes "floats" and doesn't secure to that back of the cabinet? Photos of the outside of the cabinet where the port is located, would help.

[billybob]

Yes looks like a port. Would secure at rattle.

[mcatake]

29 minutes ago, Peter P. said:

It looks like a three-piece port tube, and two pieces have separated at the caulk.

 

Are you saying if you couple the two pieces together where they don't currently meet, that the part with the screw holes "floats" and doesn't secure to that back of the cabinet? Photos of the outside of the cabinet where the port is located, would help.

Yes, if i couple together at lower front, the rear top is about 1.5” from the top and back. Maybe it’s supposed to be that way and my only problem is lower front is not being secured by the caulk. Here is outside photos

[jason str]

Leaks rob performance.

 

Goober it up with a good silicone sealant and let cure.

[Peter P.]

One end of that tube should terminate at the outside of the cabinet. The "inside" end (the end with the screw holes, I'm guessing) needs to remain open inside the cabinet.

It takes the back wave energy of the subwoofer and vents it to the outside, through the tube. The result is increased output level and slightly lower low end cutoff frequency response.

 

I was hoping you'd show us a picture of the end of the tube that terminates outside the cabinet, and a picture of the inside of the cabinet so we could see the relationship of the backside of the woofer to the unscrewed end of the tube.

 

Edit: I found photos of the sub. It looks like the port terminates to the outside at the lower edge of the front panel. Here's a description of the port, from Klipsch:

 

"Exclusive Corner Port™ Technology allows the subwoofer’s port tube to be as long as possible without bending, minimizing turbulence that can cause port noise and distortion. It also allows the enclosure to be tuned to a lower frequency than would otherwise be possible to create deeper bass from a smaller cabinet. Another important element is a corner-shaped flange at the port’s internal opening, which amplifies the benefits of a longer port."

 

So the inner end of the tube travels in a diagonal inside the cabinet. The inner end of the tube is not blocked or pressing against the wall so it can receive the back wave of the woofer and transfer the energy outside.

 

Resecure the tube where the caulked sections have separated, make sure the inside opening of the tube is not blocked, and your subwoofer should work better and not rattle when you move it.