christjared Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 Does anyone else use DIY subs here? What are the benifits of using a sub like this? What are you using for the subwoofer? Amp? Im currently looking to update my subs. I have two 12" Kicker XPL's drivin by an old(and I mean old) Aiwa receiver that powers out at 120watts rms x 2 @ 8ohms(probably more since my subs are 4ohm). If anyone has tried this let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpg Posted November 12, 2004 Share Posted November 12, 2004 I run subs that I build, and so does formica (if he sees this topic). A couple others do as well, I think, but I don't remember. The first DIY sub I ran was an Adire DPL12 in a sealed enclosure. It was very good for music with fast bass-drum action, and had a very large amount of slam, but less sustain. This is partly because of the amp I was using it with- a Nady Audio XA-1100 pro power amp. It can put out 300WPC into 8-ohms, 450WPC into 4-ohms, 730WPC into 2-ohms, or 1100WRMS into 4-ohms bridged (peaks into the couple of kW). It can draw up to 40A from its power source, to give an idea of its power... My new DIY sub uses a Blueprint Drivers 1503 (15") in a ~5 cubic foot vented box, EBS alignment. The driver has 26mm Xmax (one way), but can travel as much as 38mm one way without bottoming. This means just short of 3" peak-to-peak travel. Plus, it weighs 50 pounds on its own with no box... the thing is massive. It really does well in home theater... it is bottomless. Look into the Adire , Dayton, and maybe the Blueprint lines of drivers if you are looking to build a new sub. Acoustic Visions sells all of these for pretty good prices. I bought mine there and am very happy with the service. If I were you, I would definitely look into class-D amplifiers for the power solution. I will soon be upgrading my inefficient class-AB amp to a much more efficient 1000W class-D design. Every light in my room dims when I am watching a bass-heavy movie. Good luck. heh Its all a downward spiral of spending more money from now on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scp53 Posted November 13, 2004 Share Posted November 13, 2004 i have gone partly diy with a dayton sub kit. VERY well built driver and sounds great. but there are many other good manufacturers. what will it be used for. music and/or movies?? how much do you care about quality?? i mean is spl more important or is SQ more important?are both important? how big is the room and what are your mains?? answer these questions so we can better help you. and as for a amp, like tpg stated class d is the way to go. scp53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christjared Posted November 13, 2004 Author Share Posted November 13, 2004 If I do plan on a DIY sub it will be used for music and HT. Allthough I listen to more music than movies. I would like to use it for SPL purposes with a little SQ thrown in there. My main speakers are Klipsch KG4's and will so have my new Harman Kardon AVR-130. The room size varries each year. Durring the summer months I'm at home in my basement which is ruffly 25x16 duing the school year my dorm room is 10x15. So I need something to fill my basement when I move home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pako Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I'll try and upload some pictures today. The two sub boxes I built are down fireing, ported and tuned enclosures. The material is 3/4" Hi-Density Partical board with 1/8" oak door skin. Internal is 1.5 cu ft which is spec'd out for that particular speaker. The ports are 4" diameter sch40 PVC at about 6" long if memory serves me correctly. I then put on false doors to make them look more like end tables instead of subs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Here is my custom subwoofer: http://webpages.charter.net/bcm00re/custom_speakers/subwoofer.jpg I drive it with an external Sonance amp. I think DIY/custom subwoofer setups are cheaper partly becuase you are doing the construction instead of paying someone else to do it. Thus this option generally gives you a better subwoofer (compared to pre-made models) for a set specific cost OR the same performance for less (compared to pre-made models). Building a customer subwoofer allows you to build it in a shape or size that best fits your needs (see how mine exactly fits in my pre-existing alloted space). It also allows you to make the important design decisions on what driver, enclosure design, amplifier to use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfogg Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 I have a pair of DIY subs as well. Each sealed encloser is about 6'^3 with a pair of JBL Sub1500 drivers in each enclosure. I drive them with a Crown K2. Shawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pako Posted November 18, 2004 Share Posted November 18, 2004 Here is the image of the DIY subs. I built both of these in high school wood shop, oh.... 12 years ago. I run both of these subs off of a NIKKO receiver. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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.