Looking for a good sub driver and box for a 150 watt amp

[siggie]

I'm interested in this sub/box combo to dip my toe into speaker building:

link

(Dayton 12" Reference HO driver and 1.5 cubic foot cabinet)

I have an old Rotel RB-951 Mark II amp that is rated at 150 watts bridged.

link

Any thoughts on whether my amp is sufficient to run this sub?

Or, does anyone have a suggestion for a good combo for me to drive with my Rotel?

It seems all sub amps are Class D these days. Is Class D power somehow different, or will my amp drive any speaker that can be driven by a 150 watt class D amp?

Sorry for all the questions. Thanks for any input.

Siggie

[stads77]

I believe the HO subs are designed for small boxes, but lots of power is needed to get them good output. The HF version though is designed to work with much less power in a larger box. I think the HF would be better suited for your amp unless you need a small box design. The peerless xls is also a good sub with minimal watts, but it also will not have good output in the lower regions.

[Andrew Robinson]

Go get yourself a Crown XLS DriveCore Series 1000 amp for like $300. In bridge mono it dishes out over a 1,000 Watts if memory serves me. Perfect for passive subwoofer use. I used one on a passive B&W sub just as a test with excellent results. Plus, the amp has all sorts of crossover-like features etc. The XLS Series amps in the 1500, 2000 and 2500 models are good too, but they're actually better suited for main loudspeakers whereas the 1000 is idea -and cheaper -for sub use. IMHO.

Here is my review of the XLS DriveCore amps from Crown.

[DYohn]

You can use any amp you want to drive any speaker you want. The only reason a lot of subwoofers are using Class D amp is because they are very efficient and small for the amount of power they produce. There is nothing about Class D that makes it any better or worse for a sub than a standard Class A/B amp. So go ahead, build your system, power it with the amp you have. If you decide it is not enough them buy something larger.

[siggie]

Jul 5, 2013 10:48:07 GMT -5 Andrew Robinson said:

Go get yourself a Crown XLS DriveCore Series 1000 amp for like $300. In bridge mono it dishes out over a 1,000 Watts if memory serves me. Perfect for passive subwoofer use. I used one on a passive B&W sub just as a test with excellent results. Plus, the amp has all sorts of crossover-like features etc. The XLS Series amps in the 1500, 2000 and 2500 models are good too, but they're actually better suited for main loudspeakers whereas the 1000 is idea -and cheaper -for sub use. IMHO.

Here is my review of the XLS DriveCore amps from Crown.

The Crown Amp looks sweet, and if I had one in my basement, I'd definitely use it over the Rotel! Since I don't I guess I'll look into a more efficient driver.

Siggie

[ocezam]

Jul 5, 2013 10:52:06 GMT -5 DYohn said:

You can use any amp you want to drive any speaker you want. So go ahead, build your system, power it with the amp you have. If you decide it is not enough them buy something larger.

This is good advice.

Jul 5, 2013 10:48:07 GMT -5 Andrew Robinson said:

Go get yourself a Crown XLS DriveCore Series 1000 amp for like $300. In bridge mono it dishes out over a 1,000 Watts if memory serves me.

This is the amp I'd buy if you're not happy with your present one.

[stads77]

Jul 5, 2013 10:48:07 GMT -5 Andrew Robinson said:

Go get yourself a Crown XLS DriveCore Series 1000 amp for like $300. In bridge mono it dishes out over a 1,000 Watts if memory serves me. Perfect for passive subwoofer use. I used one on a passive B&W sub just as a test with excellent results. Plus, the amp has all sorts of crossover-like features etc. The XLS Series amps in the 1500, 2000 and 2500 models are good too, but they're actually better suited for main loudspeakers whereas the 1000 is idea -and cheaper -for sub use. IMHO.

Here is my review of the XLS DriveCore amps from Crown.

I just picked up a Crown XLS 1000 for $165 locally, couldn't resist. I also just bough PE's Dayton 18" HO driver and knockdown 4 cu.ft. cabinet. I am anxious to find out how it performs paired with the Crown compared to the Epik Empire I just sold. I couldn't help but try out the premade mdf, because last time I build a 15" subwoofer cabinet, the mdf dust was just a royal mess in my garage.

[garym]

Jul 23, 2013 8:46:38 GMT -5 stads77 said:

. . . because last time I build a 15" subwoofer cabinet, the mdf dust was just a royal mess in my garage.

Man, you said it. Just finished a pair of MTMs (build post shortly). Vacuumed up all the dust. Then, when applying finish, kept finding particles in the coat. Sand down, re-coat. More particles. Aaargh! Finally realized it was drifting down from the garage rafters and ceiling. Finally took the speakers outside to finish them.

[ocezam]

Jul 23, 2013 8:46:38 GMT -5 stads77 said:

I just picked up a Crown XLS 1000 for $165 locally, couldn't resist. I also just bough PE's Dayton 18" HO driver and knockdown 4 cu.ft. cabinet. I am anxious to find out how it performs paired with the Crown compared to the Epik Empire I just sold. I couldn't help but try out the premade mdf, because last time I build a 15" subwoofer cabinet, the mdf dust was just a royal mess in my garage.

I built my own sub with that driver:
emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/29748/18-subwoofer
I think you'll find the Dayton out performs the Epik, but not by a lot. The Epik is a pretty good sub, but you can't point to it and say "I built that" either.

[siggie]

Just to update my situation, I sold my Rotel amp and bought an Ultra Sub 12 on ebay. The Ultra Sub 12 sounds 100 times better than the Bic Formula sub it replaced. It made a bigger improvement to my system than any other single piece of gear.

Siggie

[ocezam]

Jul 31, 2013 9:55:04 GMT -5 siggie said:

Just to update my situation, I sold my Rotel amp and bought an Ultra Sub 12 on ebay. The Ultra Sub 12 sounds 100 times better than the Bic Formula sub it replaced. It made a bigger improvement to my system than any other single piece of gear.
Siggie

Sweet! Glad your happy.


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