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Post by boomzilla on Jan 5, 2020 10:03:28 GMT -5
All pawn shops (and even some thrift shops) in town are stuffed with big (and dirt-cheap) "pro" woofer cabinets. Some have blown drivers - others work fine. But in the tradition of "Pro" gear, the cabinets (normally sealed) have drivers intended to roll off at 40 to 55 Hz. Apparently, this is sufficient for most live music.
The idea occurs to me (being the cheapskate that I am), that I could buy two of the same make/model "pro" subs (12 to 18 inch) and then sell the drivers to recover most of the cost. I could then select new drivers (Parts Express? Monoprice? Musician's Friend?) that would allow the sealed driver / box combo to go much, much lower in frequency response.
In favor of this idea is that (beyond the cost of the drivers) it would be virtually free, and would satisfy my jones for sub-sonic organ pedal tones when I wanted them. I could also use a far higher quality amp than would normally be found in a subwoofer plate-amp.
Against is the fact that most pro boxes are upholstered with black rug (ugly), and probably aren't the best braced. It would also take judicious shopping (and some luck) to find replacement woofers that performed as I wished for the exact volume of the sub boxes.
How feasible is this idea?
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jan 5, 2020 10:11:46 GMT -5
Not really feasible unless you get really lucky. A subwoofer enclosure is an integral part of the system and needs to be designed for the driver to attain proper performance. Tossing a couple woofers into a box and hoping for the best usually leads to disappointment.
If you want genuine sub-sonic performance you're going to have to actually build something optimized for it, and it ain't cheap.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jan 5, 2020 10:25:09 GMT -5
Do you have an attic or coat closet in your listening space? The easiest way to attain high-dbSPL subsonics in a listening room is installing an architectural IB system. Lots of resources on the webz and I've done a dozen of them for people if you need guidance. Budget a couple grand to get started.  |
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Post by boomzilla on Jan 5, 2020 10:45:58 GMT -5
Alas - no such spaces in the listening room (or adjacent to it). There is a second floor upstairs, so the ceiling of the downstairs listening room is the floor of the upstairs bedroom. All walls of the listening room are also walls of adjacent rooms (or external brick veneers) with no enclosures or closets of any other rooms touching the listening room walls.
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jan 5, 2020 10:53:28 GMT -5
Alas - no such spaces in the listening room (or adjacent to it). There is a second floor upstairs, so the ceiling of the downstairs listening room is the floor of the upstairs bedroom. All walls of the listening room are also walls of adjacent rooms (or external brick veneers) with no enclosures or closets of any other rooms touching the listening room walls. Well that just makes it more difficult, but not impossible. In any case, you need a purpose-built system, not some woofers tossed into an existing enclosure. |
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Post by boomzilla on Jan 5, 2020 11:05:24 GMT -5
Were I planning on staying in this house, a built-in would make sense. But since we're planning on moving...
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Post by 405x5 on Jan 5, 2020 11:30:57 GMT -5
Last night my wife and I enjoyed the nearly immortal performance delivered by the Velodyne HGS 18.
The soundtrack was the Master Audio from my 3D copy of TOP GUN. And those jets never fail to astound.
I paid those guys ONCE in 2001, and saved more money, time and aggravation for all these years rather than agonizing over how to reinvent the wheel.
Velodyne hit the mark with that subwoofer, and everything they tried to do to it afterward took away from what it was.
Maybe that’s why they got lost into self driving technology??
Bill
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Post by vcautokid on Jan 5, 2020 11:34:38 GMT -5
Believe or not, might be easier to just buy one ready made. Already optimized for cabinet, amplifier etc. There is quite a bit of tuning, some math involved in getting your cubic measurements relative to the driver you want to use. Lots of books out there. The Howard Sams book on speakers is a good one. I am sure someone has posted some on Subwoofer DIY out there. YouTube has some folks DIY Subwoofers for some ideas. The driver is your most key part. Crossover and plate amp is easy. I don't know anything on the specifics of your "pro" cabinets you speak of. If doing it right, the driver maybe the most single expensive part. Frankly really should be too. You want a nice cast aluminum basket that will keep its form. Not some cheap a$$ stamp steel basket. ficaraudio.com/ right here in Las Vegas NV. is making some killer drivers. They used to supply SVS. Don't if that is happening anymore to cut costs. But these are amazing drivers. Do your research. You should be in no hurry to do this right. You may want to also look at a cabinet maker that make a subwoofer cabinet if sawdust and wood aren't your thing. It ain't mine that is for sure. A vendor I cannot remember is good. Pricey, but good. You are doing this right so money is in play here. You want to do this once and right. As an amp crossover you may want to look at the Crown XLS amps. Powerful, cool running, made to run 24/7. Has a built in crossover network too! Just use the mono bridge mode too and one Speakon output connection to you sub cabinet. Use any speaker wire you want. Run low level unbalanced or balanced 1/4 inch or XLR to the Crown amp. It is up to you. How far you want to take this is up to you. If you can't afford to do it right DIY, buy one ready made and be happy. Because custom DIY is fun but a pain in the a$$ too sometimes. Your money, your choice, your call. |
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DYohn
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Post by DYohn on Jan 5, 2020 11:40:01 GMT -5
I have used Fi Audio woofers many time: excellent performance for high-power applications. Acoustic Elegance or B&C are my current go-to brands.
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Post by Gary Cook on Jan 5, 2020 18:40:18 GMT -5
Despite what the "audiophiles" might claim, pro sub woofer cabinets tend to be very solidly made (there are exceptions of course). They have to be moved from gig to gig, often several times a day, so they are very rarely "flimsy" and most roady's are not exactly gentle with them. What I have done in the past is to choose a quality driver, check out the manufacturers recommended cabinet specs, and then go shopping for a pro cabinet that matches those dimensions. For example my DIY sub cabinet is almost an exact copy of a 140 litre Marshall bass guitar cabinet (sans amp).
Cheers
Gary
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