Ricci Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 It's been kind of dead around here and I'm sure that a lot of you may not have seen this yet, so I figured I'd start a post about my custom sub I had built. It's pretty unique, so it may be of interest. Here are the components. 1 RE Audio XXX 18 driver 1 Crown CE4000 1 Rane PE17 Design goals. 1. Make the best use of the XXX's displacement capabilities to get huge output down low with a vented cabinet. 2. Use the patented PowerPort system to get enough port area and a low enough tune. Also prove or disprove the claims of the powerport system. 3. Make good use of the available location for the sub. 43"Wx 24D" height was not a limiting factor. 4. The finished sub must look good since it was to be out in the open and too big to be hidden. I ended up deciding on a 25 cu ft enclosure tuned to 11hz with a 10" diameter port having a 36" straight length, 1.5" flares on each end, a 3.5" flow rod, a 17" flow disc at each end, and a disc to baffle spacing of 3.25". That leaves an actual useable port area equivalent to a 9.4"dia vent. The dimensions were to be 42"W x 22" D x 71" overall. The construction is baltic birch ply doubled up where the 80lb driver mounts, with extensive internal bracing and cabinet lining. Due to the weight detacheable handles, and casters were used. The input is a speakon connector. The finish is bubinga veneer with solid bubinga inlaid corners. Construction took a few months and was done by FunkyWaves Audio in BC Canada. Unfinished cabinet Finished cab Here is a pic for size reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InnerTuber Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Impressive, nice looking work Wonder if that would fit in my car???? Next time don't glue your hands to the bar ... Then the sub won't eat as much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Very nice. Have you fired it up yet? How does it compare to subs you've had in the past? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricci Posted July 14, 2008 Author Share Posted July 14, 2008 That's my friend just hamming it up for the picture. I'm the guy on the left. We had just got done bringing it up 3 steps and into the house. Not easy. How does it compare to subs I've had in the past?...It doesn't. I'm coming from a pair of Velodyne CT150's I've had for years (servo 15" 350w ported) They sounded great and got loud for music, but really dropped off below 25hz. I still have them I just moved them to a music/videogame only system. This sub makes the pair of Velo's sound like woofers instead of subwoofers. Above 35hz they are pretty comparable, but once you get below 30hz it's no contest at all and just produces output and VLF like the Velo's never could. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacksonbart Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I hope you nailed down all the furnishings. Wow!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 You know for a second I thought you photo shopped that one to be funny... Oh My Goodness that things is HUGE!!!!!! And your thoughts on the finished product? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 I bet the ear is not too happy...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 Not too happy ! [] I saw this sub on a forum...where? [] Seriously,I am very happy the world of subwoofer fanatics is growing. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IndyKlipschFan Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I really hope those wheels will support the weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundbound Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Beautiful! Wow! That's a sub! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNRabbit Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Beautiful! What's the finished weight& how does it sound?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricci Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 Hah! This is old news to TheEar and Mike H. They keep tabs, those 2 Canadians. The finished weight is maybe 380lbs??? I'm guessing. That's about what it felt like. Definitely over 3 bills. It sounds like...thunder, trains, explosions and giant machinery. Seriously the amount of low bass this thing can put out is very impressive and it makes things sound realistic and closer to what they should. There is bass that was completely un-noticed before. I'm talking about really deep stuff. It's impressive and sounds good with music and your average 20-50hz movie kabooms too. I was watching Constantine at -5db from reference last night with the sub set 5db hot with some friends and family. They are all very impressed with the sound and the bass. They thought it was crazy what the sub was doing (loafing basically) and kept saying WOW did you hear that?! This was all with standard action movie bass parts. Nothing really low at all. Then when Constantine went to hell to find the sister there was a very deep isolated tone amidst the rest of the higher bass stuff. It was a completely different kind of bass that shook everything in a force of nature kind of way with pulses. The looks I got then! There were about 3 or 4 parts like that in the movie. Here's a few more pics...This is the simulated response of the system. This is the 3d concept renderings of the enclosure. This is a cut away of the port concept rendering.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael hurd Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 My guess is the finsihed weight is north of 400 pounds for sure. The output... for sure is "X" rated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 you two canadians up north really need some subwoofer therapy..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLSamuel Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 A beast of a subwoofer - and quite attactive too. Very impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricci Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Thanks for the compliments guys. It is definitely huge and a sub like this is not for everyone, but the placement makes it not so bad. Looks like a chunk of rich bubinga wall. I'll try to get some room response graphs as soon as I get my new laptop up and running with REW. I'll try to get some in room max output #'s too, but that has proved difficult. I've got to have the house to myself and it takes a bit of time and cajones too. Here's a pic showing the internals of the cabinet bracing... The internal port structure... This is the port mouth under the baseplate. The port is 10" diameter. Here's a view into the port. You can make out the flowguide at the other end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Ok ,I will trade you for my JL.,Well maybe LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Ok ,I will trade you for my JL.,Well maybe LOL Certainly out displaces the jl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 []The two JL drivers displace ~12L at best. The single RE XXX 18" displaces ~11L easy plus the port...make that ~30L plus at tuning. Now for music...I take a Gotham any day.For HT the big ported RE XXX beats the Gotham into the pavement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricci Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 Yes there's no comparison in the displacement department. The XXX has a bit over 13L of displacement which is way more than the 2 Gotham drivers, or just about anything else for that matter. For perspective 3 JL 13w7's have almost exactly the same peak displacement as 1 XXX18. They would of course have the upper hand in the higher bass range where displacement is not everything. This sub does reference levels with the brutalist bass fest movies with no problem. I usually watch movies at -10 or -5db from reference if I'm really listening loud, so basically this thing is just coasting in the comfort zone the majority of the time, which is the way it should be. I'm sure the Gotham will also provide more bass than most of us can comfortably use normally ( It should for $8K or whatever[]). I would like to hear one some day. Arthur, I picked up my 3rd XXX driver from UPS center yesterday. My goal is to get one more when I come across a deal for a total of 4. The other 2 that I currently have are going to be used in sealed boxes, so I can see how they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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