Rythmik or DIY

[Sylar]

I have been exploring the option of sub for a while now. Mostly been recommended Rythmik, and have shortlisted it... just havent decided on the model yet. Since FV12 is not available for a while now, i briefly considered F12, and now have been wondering how about DIY?

I understand that I could get 2 powerful subs for the price of one quite easily. However, What about the quality of sound...tight and accurate, can I expect DIY to get me anywhere near the quality of the likes of Rythmik which is known for tight and accurate bass.
If possible, I would also like to know what risks & challenges would I face in building one of high quality, especially considering am a first timer.

pls bear with me....Am a total noob here since my first time even exploring.

 

[Steve81]

I have been exploring the option of sub for a while now. Mostly been recommended Rythmik, and have shortlisted it... just havent decided on the model yet. Since FV12 is not available for a while now, i briefly considered F12

What are you looking for in a subwoofer? There is a pretty big difference between a F12 and the FV12 in terms of what they're meant to accomplish. How large of a room do you have (in cubic feet; sealed room or open to other areas)? What is the primary purpose of the subwoofer (music vs movies?) What volume levels do you desire?

I understand that I could get 2 powerful subs for the price of one quite easily. However, What about the quality of sound...tight and accurate, can I expect DIY to get me anywhere near the quality of the likes of Rythmik which is known for tight and accurate bass.

Given that Rythmik sells their drivers, amplifiers, and provides plans, I would assume it's possible to meet their sound quality via DIY. It is also certainly possible to exceed the performance of a Rythmik product via DIY.

If possible, I would also like to know what risks & challenges would I face in building one of high quality, especially considering am a first timer.

The most obvious risk is that if you don't like the results of what you build, you can't just return it like a F12 or FV12. There's also the possibility of errors that end up costing $$$ (error in cutting for example). Nonetheless, if you feel comfortable in a woodworking shop and can follow plans such as the Rythmik DIY plans, I wouldn't expect it to be a huge challenge.

 

[Send Margaritas]

I have been exploring the option of sub for a while now. Mostly been recommended Rythmik, and have shortlisted it... just havent decided on the model yet. Since FV12 is not available for a while now, i briefly considered F12, and now have been wondering how about DIY?

I understand that I could get 2 powerful subs for the price of one quite easily. However, What about the quality of sound...tight and accurate, can I expect DIY to get me anywhere near the quality of the likes of Rythmik which is known for tight and accurate bass.
If possible, I would also like to know what risks & challenges would I face in building one of high quality, especially considering am a first timer.

pls bear with me....Am a total noob here since my first time even exploring.

I had the same dilemma. I got two of these kits (Dayton Audio RS1202K 1000 Watt Dual 12" Subwoofer Kit 300-766) with no regrets. For now, I sprayed them black. I'll do veneer in the future. These suckers can make pictures move on the wall two floors up, and sound very clean. I view them as a very good value for the investment. It took about 45 min. to prep and paint each, a night to dry, and another hour each to assemble. It doesn't require a great deal of skill to build. They sound clean, tight, powerful and blend nicely in both music and HT. I'm running them with the gain at 6/10ths and +0 on EQ at the receiver. (They are large, with 1" and 2" MDF braced construction. You'll need a room with room for them. Built, they each weigh in at 170+ lbs.)

 

[Sylar]

Room size is just 14x12x10, might move onto a 14x20x10 in future.
Music 75, movies 25

Not sure if I would just like to get the Rythmik drivers and their amp. The FV12 sub costs me as much as FV12 DIY, might as well get the sub.

 

[j_garcia]

You could always do a DIY Rythmik They offer the components and plans.

 

[Sylar]

You could always do a DIY Rythmik They offer the components and plans.

thanks for the reply
but i notice that the cost of driver and amp comes to like 600 in itself. what do i gain here, might as well get the sub from rythmik, right?
if costs were much cheaper than it would make sense to get one and try build it myself.

if i understand it right, even for DIY you would recommend the rythmik provided driver and amp itself over and above anything else.

 

[j_garcia]

The F12 is $874, so $599 is a good deal if you can build your own box; as in, you don't have to buy the tools to do it because you already have most or all of them. If the box will be a problem or you have to have it built by someone else, then yes it likely becomes easier to buy it complete. The key to this being less expensive is you being able to build the cabinet yourself for less.

No, I don't recommend Rythmik over everyone else, but I have heard the DS1200 built by Darien here and it sounded quite good.

 

[Steve81]

if i understand it right, even for DIY you would recommend the rythmik provided driver and amp itself over and above anything else.

Not necessarily; Rythmik happens to provide a convenient option since they provide the plans, drivers, and amplifiers that when put together, should be fairly comparable to the complete Rythmik subwoofers you're look at.

If you want some other ideas though, and to get an idea of what DIY can get you, I'd look around here:

Data-Bass

If I were to ever try my hand at DIY, I'd probably look at building a couple of these:
Data-Bass

 

[Sylar]

The F12 is $874, so $599 is a good deal if you can build your own box; as in, you don't have to buy the tools to do it because you already have most or all of them. If the box will be a problem or you have to have it built by someone else, then yes it likely becomes easier to buy it complete. The key to this being less expensive is you being able to build the cabinet yourself for less.

it wont cost me much to build a box. I can get it done for cheap by a carpenter over here.
I could maybe just experiment by just building the box and seeing how it comes out.

I also noticed that the 15 inch DS1500 has not much of price difference from DS1200 - $640

 

[Sylar]

Not necessarily; Rythmik happens to provide a convenient option since they provide the plans, drivers, and amplifiers that when put together, should be fairly comparable to the complete Rythmik subwoofers you're look at.

thanks for the replies

how would it compare with this

 

[Steve81]

how would it compare with this

Versus the sealed 12" DIY job I posted? Apples and iguanas. Looking at the modeling, it looks to be capable of reasonable output, though not earth shaking. The numbers they got for 400 watts of input seem to place its output capability roughly on par with something like a SVS PB12-NSD, although at what distortion levels its achieving said output is another story entirely; the PB12's output is intentionally limited to keep distortion to very low levels.

 

[Sylar]

Versus the sealed 12" DIY job I posted? Apples and iguanas. Looking at the modeling, it looks to be capable of reasonable output, though not earth shaking. The numbers they got for 400 watts of input seem to place its output capability roughly on par with something like a SVS PB12-NSD, although at what distortion levels its achieving said output is another story entirely; the PB12's output is intentionally limited to keep distortion to very low levels.

not quite sure i followed you
do you mean to say that it could be a lot cleaner with lower if i use rythmik provided kit?

 

[Steve81]

not quite sure i followed you
do you mean to say that it could be a lot cleaner with lower if i use rythmik provided kit?

Just stating that (to me) the Dayton DIY is an unknown quantity in terms of overall performance. Output capability seems clear enough, but there's a lot more to subwoofer performance than just SPL.

 

[GranteedEV]

Two x JBL W15GTI
One x Crown XLS 2500

You'll never look back. Though eventually you'll get a second Amp.

 

[Sylar]

Two x JBL W15GTI
One x Crown XLS 2500

You'll never look back. Though eventually you'll get a second Amp.

do you have a design for this..for a sealed sub?

anything special about this amp that is any different from a BASH amp...say 300W

 

[Steve81]

anything special about this amp that is any different from a BASH amp...say 300W

About 2000 watts difference

 

[darien87]

I built my Rythmik sub a few years ago in a carport with a Black & Decker Workmate, minimal tools and some glue. It wasn't an ideal situation but the sub performs well. It's not so great in the looks department though. But if you're any good at painting or staining I'm sure you can do a lot better than I did.

It was my first DIY experience and if I had the chance to do it over again I would do some things differently but I would certainly recommend the kit to others.

I also have another DIY CSS sub powered by a Behringer EP4000. I love both subs and would whole-heartedly push you towards the DIY route. The satisfaction you get with building something yourself and having it shake the walls and scare your neighbors can't be expressed.

 

[Sylar]

About 2000 watts difference

lol
but, for my room size (12x14 current to 20x14 in future) and for a sealed sub i dont see why i would need anymore than 500W amp...even a 300 W should probably do well...make 2 subs instead of 1.

I built my Rythmik sub a few years ago in a carport with a Black & Decker Workmate, minimal tools and some glue. It wasn't an ideal situation but the sub performs well. It's not so great in the looks department though. But if you're any good at painting or staining I'm sure you can do a lot better than I did.

It was my first DIY experience and if I had the chance to do it over again I would do some things differently but I would certainly recommend the kit to others.

I also have another DIY CSS sub powered by a Behringer EP4000. I love both subs and would whole-heartedly push you towards the DIY route. The satisfaction you get with building something yourself and having it shake the walls and scare your neighbors can't be expressed.

I dont have any experience either....since it is pretty cheap to get work done here, i could get the box build first and see if i am satisfied with it then maybe purchase the amp. For that i presume, i would need to decide which design and driver-amp combo.

 

[Steve81]

but, for my room size (12x14 current to 20x14 in future) and for a sealed sub i dont see why i would need anymore than 500W amp...even a 300 W should probably do well...make 2 subs instead of 1.

How much power you need depends on the driver and the enclosure, as well as how loud you want it. If you're thinking about a smallish sealed subwoofer, you're probably going to want a fair amount of amplifier power to back it up as well as a pretty robust driver to absorb said power. Here's a comparison of a vented enclosure versus a ported enclosure; same driver and amplifier power.

Data-Bass

Data-Bass


Also FWIW, as may be obvious, a standalone amplifier will give you a lot more flexibility than a plate amplifier. Much easier to switch out if you want to upgrade later.

 

[darien87]

Here are some pics

Rythmik

CSS sub

Do it man, you'll love it! Once you go DIY you won't want to buy commercial again.