Jump to content

Roboklipsch's DIYSG 4cft ported build using Legacy EF 15" Driver


RoboKlipsch

Recommended Posts

On 10/18/2016 at 2:11 PM, eng-399 said:

The boxes look great! Can't wait to hear what you think of them once you get them going. I had a nasty humm through out my speakers and subs. The way I fixed them and there's many way to do it... was I daisy chained a 14 gauge wire to each of my audio components in my rack. I stripped the end of the wire installed a spade fitting on the end of it and screwed it into a screw on each sub amp going all the way up to both surge protectors. As soon as I did that the humm was completely gone. Maybe try that. I had thread on Avsforum with pictures on how I did.51f24f0946ec82f744ba2f286d1669e1.jpge06d7706c565ec16548db175e42b22c2.jpg

Must resist.... Must resist making a comment about this.......Must resist

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/18/2016 at 4:11 PM, eng-399 said:

The boxes look great! Can't wait to hear what you think of them once you get them going. I had a nasty humm through out my speakers and subs. The way I fixed them and there's many way to do it... was I daisy chained a 14 gauge wire to each of my audio components in my rack. I stripped the end of the wire installed a spade fitting on the end of it and screwed it into a screw on each sub amp going all the way up to both surge protectors. As soon as I did that the humm was completely gone. Maybe try that. I had thread on Avsforum with pictures on how I did.51f24f0946ec82f744ba2f286d1669e1.jpge06d7706c565ec16548db175e42b22c2.jpg

 

Rather than having current run through your component cables it is now running through the ground cables you installed greatly reducing noise.

 

One past thread about the subject here.

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites








Must resist.... Must resist making a comment about this.......Must resist




I read that thread along with a lot other threads including one that's going right now from my buddy Pete on Avsforum. To fix my problem is to buy better cables there's a certain rca to xlr cable that can be bought (I'll find out which one and post) to quiet it down. I have 5 external amps in my setup and don't want to buy all new cables so I followed advise from a friend that designs speakers from diysg that lives by me and it worked so I went that route.

All my outlets are grounded by a separate ground wire going into each outlet 2-20 amps and one 15 amp outlets with 3 ground wires going from my panel to my HT room rack outlets. I also checked my ground outside my house that feeds my panel and that was fine to. There's several was to fix a humm I like my idea and haven't had a problem since I did it. I'm open to hear any suggestions on a cheap fix though[emoji3]
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since Derrick asked I will summarize my thoughts:

I have a hum + I think it is a ground loop + I'll add more ground wires = success = you got lucky. That is wonderful for you. Will this always work? No is the engineering and scientific answer to that question.

I do not know any more about eng-399's equipment than what we see in the pictures but it looks like there are both balanced and unbalanced equipment hooked together with who knows what kind of interconnects all installed in a metal rack. Is the rack grounded? Are all component chassis electrically tied to the rack? This is only the beginning of many questions that need clarification to fix this scientifically.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, babadono said:

Since Derrick asked I will summarize my thoughts:

I have a hum + I think it is a ground loop + I'll add more ground wires = success = you got lucky. That is wonderful for you. Will this always work? No is the engineering and scientific answer to that question.

I do not know any more about eng-399's equipment than what we see in the pictures but it looks like there are both balanced and unbalanced equipment hooked together with who knows what kind of interconnects all installed in a metal rack. Is the rack grounded? Are all component chassis electrically tied to the rack? This is only the beginning of many questions that need clarification to fix this scientifically.

 

Start a new thread on the subject, happy to add my input and maybe others will join in.

 

Seems silly to continue this here unless the O.P. is OK with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since Derrick asked I will summarize my thoughts:

I have a hum + I think it is a ground loop + I'll add more ground wires = success = you got lucky. That is wonderful for you. Will this always work? No is the engineering and scientific answer to that question.

I do not know any more about eng-399's equipment than what we see in the pictures but it looks like there are both balanced and unbalanced equipment hooked together with who knows what kind of interconnects all installed in a metal rack. Is the rack grounded? Are all component chassis electrically tied to the rack? This is only the beginning of many questions that need clarification to fix this scientifically.

Great post! I agree with what your saying there's so many variables involved and everyone's setup is different which makes everyone's situation hard to trouble shoot but it can be fix and resolved in the end. That's what I like about these forums everyone jumps in and helps and all you have to do is check off each one at a time when you have problems until you find it and correct it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perfectly valid to discuss here or elsewhere!  

 

I had a ground loop problem for about an hour, after which I simply plugged things back into the outlet that doesn't have the hum :)

My theory was being lucky is better than being good..I got lucky the first time finding a good outlet and will just use it until I have problems....

 

Review of the Legacy 15" Subs still to come!  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Hard to believe it's been over a month that I have had these subs!  It's also almost exactly a year ago that I took the plunge into the Klipsch world, starting with some items from Best Buy.  My oh my, if the Klipsch marketing team is watching, I am most certainly a positive case for the Black Friday discounts at Best Buy as a lead-in to a lifetime Klipsch owner :)

 

In less than a year, let's review what subs I've gone through:

- 20 years of a Bose system, specs, unknown

- Klipsch R-10SW (spec'd to 34hz)

- Yamaha YST-315 (spec'd to around 40hz)

- Klipsch RSW-15 (spec'd to 19hz)

- DDJ Deathstar 8cft ported cabs (spec'd to around 16hz)

- Legacy Xtreme 4cft ported cabs (spec'd to around 21hz)

 

LOL looking back it's hard to believe it all happened in just one year.   I am, quite simply, a bass head that forgot to go for one of his dreams, which was to have a great home theater.  Looking back upon the year, I couldn't be happier with where I have ended up.

 

The drivers are monsters, and the cabinets they fit into, after so much work, look really nice.   They polished up beautifully and are actually at the point I could wax them for the final shine.  I think I'll take some time over the next week to do that, and show the final picks, inside, of what these things look like in good lighting :)

 

On a side note, I did have a chance to polish them a few times using the newer Meguiar's polishes I purchased.  I am, in a past life, a high-end automotive detailer.  Since those days Meguiar's developed newer polishes and waxes.  For anybody interested, the new polishes work just fine, I would recommend them. The new Ultimate Wax, however, imo, does not work as well as the classic Gold 100% Pure Carnuba Wax.  I used all the items on both my cars.  The bottom line is, the new Ultimate Wax goes on and off easier than any wax I've ever used, but the end result is not as nice as the 100% pure carnuba.

 

I figured when I built these subs, they would be nearfield subs I put behind the couch.  But as I considered the room layout and the appearance of the subs, I realized they would look and perform best in the front of the room, with the monster subs in the back where bass reenforcement is strongest.  By having the big dogs in the back pulling the lowest tones, I could have more flexibility with the fronts.  

 

In-room, the Legacy subs have a natural roll-off at around 16hertz, as opposed to around 14hertz for the larger Ultimax subs.  This is no matter what HPF is set, whether 21, 20, 18 16...I have it set currently to around 18 just "because".   They seem to have great output until around 13/14hertz, as opposed to say 10/12 with the Ultimaxes.

 

When you consider the differences in these subs designs -- an 18" Ultimax in an 8cft ported enclosure -- vs a 15" Legacy in a 4cft ported enclosure....that to me seems a pretty nice trade-off.  Don't have the space for 8cft refrigerators?  Well, a 4cft box can do it, with the right driver.  

 

With the exception of the difference in box size and capability...the subs work imo equally well.  That's a big compliment imo, as the Ultimax driver costs about 70% more than the buyout for the Legacy's.  

 

What started as a simple build turned into a much more detailed finish...but that is merely for appearance.  At this point, I am VERY happy I took the time to veneer them and make them look presentable in a living room.  The flexibility to use these in many possible rooms over the years is very nice.  What also started as a, hmmm, I wonder if I would like some nearfield subs quickly turned into a realization of what 4 subs could do together.

 

4 subs, in the 4 corners layout, provides an amazing amount of SPL with minimal input.  Dialing in 4 subs is trickier than I thought it would be at first, and is part of the reason I waited to write a review.   Once I REALLY dialed in the delays and got them in sync, OMG the sound of the response was at least 2x as good as before.  Although studies have indicated 2 subs is the 90% point, and the next 2 subs are say the last 10%...I disagree.  In my room, 4 subs took it from a great, deep sound, to a balanced, punch on demand monster that can and will attack and disappear at will.  It was shocking to learn what CEC had said about the bass shakers -- he doesn't need them.    I understand it now...even though I have them, and still will use them with a real action adventure such as Jurassic World.  

 

I'm listening to music channels right now as I take a break from work.  I have never done this, but just turned the sub up from -8.5 where it's normally set to +8.   That's a 16db increase.   No lights are coming on with jamming tunes.   Not a bit of problem reproducing it.   Let's switch to a Rap station....Busta Rhymes....effortless.  Monster punch...good harmonics.   

 

My real focus is Home Theater.  I've put these subs through at least a dozen great hits.  Gravity is always a favorite of mine just to get a sense of it, and the Legacy's are beautiful.   Perhaps my favorite demo (and one of my favorite movies) is Fight Club.  It has it all with regards to bass - huge bass drops, EDM-type music, massive sound effects, and possibly the single greatest demo scene in cinema history.  Chapter 9, the "imaginary" plane crash, is the most dynamic scene I have ever witnessed in theater.  I simply cannot listen to that scene louder than -18db!  The system can handle it, I saw one light flashing a bit, but the actual volume of that dynamic increase is so severe I can't do it.  

 

If anybody has made it through the plane crash scene at full reference, please note it here and kudos to you!  I'm not sure it's possible without a hearing problem.  

 

Last night I watched Hot Fuzz, lol.  LOL again.  And again, that was quite a silly English-style comedy.  But if you haven't seen it...you missed one of the most bass happy movies I've ever seen.  It's as if a little kid (me) got to do the sound, and every time anything happens - a door is closed, a shoe takes a step, a head is turned, there's a monster wooshing sound of bass, lol!  

 

And then there's Transformers.  If you really want to feel home theater, it's tough to beat any of those movies.  The Legacy's were fantastic, booming as needed, blasting and pounding away.  Captain America movies were excellent as-well for subs.  

 

While I could (and often do) write forever, I'll say this -- I couldn't be happier to have built them, they are everything I hoped for and more, and look real nice to boot.  I highly recommend doing a build of your own, if you haven't yet had the pleasure.

 

My latest "add" to my theater, is actually some treatments, which are as mind-blowing as getting new speakers and subwoofers.  But, that's for another thread, and another day.  

 

Thanks to everyone who read my thread, and participated and helped.  It was a real joy and I hope to read other threads like this one here in the Klipsch forum going forward :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...