kappa 12 vq

[Moutee]

I've read the recommendation for the Shiva X several times before. Maybe I'm overlooking something, or I'm just plain dense, but is using the Shiva going to result in a noticable loss in performance? I've heard that the Kappa 12 build is comparable to the PB13 Ultra.

 

[WmAx]

I've read the recommendation for the Shiva X several times before. Maybe I'm overlooking something, or I'm just plain dense, but is using the Shiva going to result in a noticable loss in performance? I've heard that the Kappa 12 build is comparable to the PB13 Ultra.

Moutee... if you want the guaranteed consistent and high performance that the Kappa 12VQ is sure to offer in avaserfi's design, then watch eBay, and I'm in a week or two you will come across a mint condition used Kappa 12VQ or two.

It's a shame Infinity discontinued the driver, but it seems pure sound quality is not the objective of most car audio enthusiasts. They simply want 'loud' drivers, and it's easy to find a 'louder' driver (albeit that 'loud' comes with lots of distortion... ).

-Chris

 

[Moutee]

Thanks for the prompt response, Chris; I'll keep my eyes open. I agree about the following statement. Some friends of mine fall into that category.

 

[lsiberian]

Thanks for the prompt response, Chris; I'll keep my eyes open. I agree about the following statement. Some friends of mine fall into that category.

Also check craigslist.

 

[Guiria]

With the Kappa discontinued and the Shiva-X no longer available I've been looking for another driver that might fit the bill.

What about Creative Sound Solutions new TRIO12? It seems like it may make a pretty good replacement if you are not into being patient and waiting to find one on eBay. I'd appreciate some other input on the said subwoofer.

Specs can be found here.

At 139 + shipping it is not a bad deal at all IMO... but I'm sure there will be some other opinions

I'm tossing around the idea of selling my Dayton RS center channel with DM crossover since I have no space for the beast and building stereo subs meaning I would have to sell my Kappa Perfect 12VQ and buy two new drivers or hold out and shop around to find another Kappa Perfect 12VQ.

 

[TLS Guy]

With the Kappa discontinued and the Shiva-X no longer available I've been looking for another driver that might fit the bill.

What about Creative Sound Solutions new TRIO12? It seems like it may make a pretty good replacement if you are not into being patient and waiting to find one on eBay. I'd appreciate some other input on the said subwoofer.

Specs can be found here.

At 139 + shipping it is not a bad deal at all IMO... but I'm sure there will be some other opinions

I'm tossing around the idea of selling my Dayton RS center channel with DM crossover since I have no space for the beast and building stereo subs meaning I would have to sell my Kappa Perfect 12VQ and buy two new drivers or hold out and shop around to find another Kappa Perfect 12VQ.

I would hold on to your kappa 12 VQ

Here is the Creative solutions Trio 12 sealed. Volume does not take into account driver volume or bracing.

The above alignment is pretty much suitable for a car sub not HT.

The Creative Solutions Trio 12 optimal vented alignment is more promising.

 

[WmAx]

Let's make this clear: not many drivers are designed to have linear, low distortion motors. Most are designed to simply play 'loud', and at the expense or motor linearity at medium and higher excursion levels.

One solution to have a small size, yet very powerful subwoofer, is to use the Dayton 15" RS high fidelity driver. Use two per cabinet. In isobaric configuration(this means using the drivers, coupled in a short tunnel, one in front of the other, or by clam shell mounting them, front to front(but this is ugly - I encourage the short tunnel method. This will halve driver VAS, allowing a relatively small cabinet size. Using 4 cubic foot, with a slot port 11" wide x 3.5" high x 59" long, you will have a cabinet about the same total size as the 12" Kappa Perfect, but with even more SPL capability, and comparable SQ at all SPL levels. The Dayton RS HF subs have very high quality motors, making this an extremely high performance subwoofer system. These 15" drivers are roughly 160 each, I believe. So, $320 for the 'driver' to make one cabinet, or in quanity of 4, the price goes down a bit, to 150 per driver, so 600 dollars for drivers to make a 'pair' of the subs. The subs are 4 Ohms, so in pairs, you can wire them to be either 2 Ohms or 8 Ohms. Using the Behringer Ep2500/Ep4000, use in stereo mode, and you will have over 1000 clean watts per channel at 2 Ohm per channel. Plenty of power to knock dishes out of the kitchen cabinets.

-Chris

 

[T2T]

I have a 12" VQ sitting on my bench not being utilized. It's in good condition - not much use. $90 + shipping (from Virginia). It is the dual voice coil version - and, from what I can tell, is slightly more efficient than the single voice coil version that was made.

 

[TLS Guy]

Let's make this clear: not many drivers are designed to have linear, low distortion motors. Most are designed to simply play 'loud', and at the expense or motor linearity at medium and higher excursion levels.

One solution to have a small size, yet very powerful subwoofer, is to use the Dayton 15" RS high fidelity driver. Use two per cabinet. In isobaric configuration(this means using the drivers, coupled in a short tunnel, one in front of the other, or by clam shell mounting them, front to front(but this is ugly - I encourage the short tunnel method. This will halve driver VAS, allowing a relatively small cabinet size. Using 4 cubic foot, with a slot port 11" wide x 3.5" high x 59" long, you will have a cabinet about the same total size as the 12" Kappa Perfect, but with even more SPL capability, and comparable SQ at all SPL levels. The Dayton RS HF subs have very high quality motors, making this an extremely high performance subwoofer system. These 15" drivers are roughly 160 each, I believe. So, $320 for the 'driver' to make one cabinet, or in quanity of 4, the price goes down a bit, to 150 per driver, so 600 dollars for drivers to make a 'pair' of the subs. The subs are 4 Ohms, so in pairs, you can wire them to be either 2 Ohms or 8 Ohms. Using the Behringer Ep2500/Ep4000, use in stereo mode, and you will have over 1000 clean watts per channel at 2 Ohm per channel. Plenty of power to knock dishes out of the kitchen cabinets.

-Chris

Chris, here is the box I think you have in mind.

Of course the tunnel and displacement of the rear driver and bracing are going to add a cu. ft. or more to the final volume. So this likely would end up an enclosure of around 5 cu.ft.

I have done a smaller cabinet design for these drivers in isobarik parallel configuration. It has no ripple and sacrifices little in terms of F3.

The volume of the tunnel, rear driver and bracing would likely make the final volume around 3 cu. ft. The vent velocity is a little high at 24 M/sec, but it might be difficult to make a longer slot vent in an enclosure this small. However to lower vent air velocity to 18 m/sec requires a vent of these dimensions. Hv = 2 in, Wv = 10 in, Lv = 82.25 in

Of course people need to be aware, that isobariks take twice the amp power for equivalent spl. However if there is a lot of power available, spl. will be adequate.

Like you I strongly recommend a tunnel to link the drivers.

It is best if the drivers are back to back and wired out of phase, but that will add a little more volume. That however provides best driver linearity.

 

[TLS Guy]

Non isobarik

I thought I would publish the non isobarik box for this driver.

This box will be about the same performance as the box and about 0.5 cu. ft. bigger than the box Chris described. However sensitivity will be 3 db higher.

So if you go isobarik you have the expense of two drivers, more complex construction and loose half the amp power powering the concealed driver, for not a great reduction in volume.

The smaller isobarik box does reduce the volume of the box at the expense of an increase of F3 from 17.3 Hz to 21.7 Hz which on my view with room gain will not be audible.

 

[Guiria]

TLS, would you mind adding an isobarik configuration to your subwoofer page using the Dayton RSS390HF-4. That is the 15" model. You have the standard sealed and slot vent configurations for the 15" but seeing the isobarik along side the 12" model would be excellent.

 

[Guiria]

Let's make this clear: not many drivers are designed to have linear, low distortion motors. Most are designed to simply play 'loud', and at the expense or motor linearity at medium and higher excursion levels.

One solution to have a small size, yet very powerful subwoofer, is to use the Dayton 15" RS high fidelity driver. Use two per cabinet. In isobaric configuration(this means using the drivers, coupled in a short tunnel, one in front of the other, or by clam shell mounting them, front to front(but this is ugly - I encourage the short tunnel method. This will halve driver VAS, allowing a relatively small cabinet size. Using 4 cubic foot, with a slot port 11" wide x 3.5" high x 59" long, you will have a cabinet about the same total size as the 12" Kappa Perfect, but with even more SPL capability, and comparable SQ at all SPL levels. The Dayton RS HF subs have very high quality motors, making this an extremely high performance subwoofer system. These 15" drivers are roughly 160 each, I believe. So, $320 for the 'driver' to make one cabinet, or in quanity of 4, the price goes down a bit, to 150 per driver, so 600 dollars for drivers to make a 'pair' of the subs. The subs are 4 Ohms, so in pairs, you can wire them to be either 2 Ohms or 8 Ohms. Using the Behringer Ep2500/Ep4000, use in stereo mode, and you will have over 1000 clean watts per channel at 2 Ohm per channel. Plenty of power to knock dishes out of the kitchen cabinets.

-Chris

Besides reducing VAS by 1/2 does isobarik offer other performance benefits, ie lower resonance?

 

[TLS Guy]

TLS, would you mind adding an isobarik configuration to your subwoofer page using the Dayton RSS390HF-4. That is the 15" model. You have the standard sealed and slot vent configurations for the 15" but seeing the isobarik along side the 12" model would be excellent.

Here is the Dayton RSS390HF-4 15" driver in isibarik configuration drivers in vented isobarik configuration.

Volume is around 4.5 cu. ft, however the speaker tunnel and bracing will probably add at least another cu. ft. making Vt, somewhere around 5.5 cu.ft. I suspect.

The port for this driver is long. I have modeled it with a vent velocity of 20 m/sec, a shade high. The vent is 5.5 ft. long and I was reluctant to make it longer in a box that size. Port resonance will be around 200 Hz. These are the port dimensions to get vent velocity just below 18 m/sec. Hv = 3 in, Wv = 11 in, Lv = 72.57 in. Port resonance is 180 Hz.

I will answer your second question in this most. Only VAS changed, it is halved. The power output is the same as for a single driver obviously, but the power consumption is doubled for the same spl. So the only advantage is reduction in enclosure volume.