Amp for In Ceiling Sub

[SamNZ]

Hi, I'm putting in a home theatre/sound system into what is essentially a new build and I would like to get in ceiling speakers and subs. I have ceiling joists which are about 265mm high and 300mm apart which limits which subs will fit. I've been looking at the klipsch 5802 but I'm not overly keen on shelling out for the amp which klipsch say "must" be used with it. Can I use another power amp which has the same specs (300w into 8 ohms) for way less? It seems that most manufacturers of in wall/ceiling subs do this same thing with their amp/subs.

I should also mention that this setup is mostly for music and to get things out of the way in my house so I'm not overly worried about the full on technical aspects of the sound

 

[KenM10759]

I'm confused. You state "not overly concerned about the full on technical aspects of the sound" yet are planning on mostly music with an "all ceiling" speaker system.

Perhaps if it is mostly music you should be far more concerned.

If for some reason you cannot use traditional stand mount of floor standing speakers you could at least use in-wall speakers and be far better for the quality of sound.

 

[lovinthehd]

The amp may have a particular high pass filter or low end boost in its dsp, but you could probably do fine with a pro style amp that includes dsp if so (like a Behringer iNuke DSP series amp). I wouldn't put any speakers in the ceiling myself except perhaps a sub, maybe surround speakers but not the mains....another vote for in-wall if possible.

 

[SamNZ]

Thanks I have looked at the iNuke and thought it would be a good match. As far as in walls go, I have concrete block walls, space is at a premium and management (my better half) won't deal well with floor speakers so here I am. My thinking is that while I have an exposed ceiling, I can pre wire for as much as I can and then down the line if I hate the in ceiling deal it's much easier to add floor speakers or something.

 

[rojo]

Thanks I have looked at the iNuke and thought it would be a good match. As far as in walls go, I have concrete block walls, space is at a premium and management (my better half) won't deal well with floor speakers so here I am. My thinking is that while I have an exposed ceiling, I can pre wire for as much as I can and then down the line if I hate the in ceiling deal it's much easier to add floor speakers or something.

So build out drywall a few inches out from the cinder blocks. Or you could use a masonry bit and drywall anchors to mount wall brackets for bookshelf speakers. Anything to do something other than ceiling speakers for your front stage! If concerned about running wires up / down the wall, just use Wiremold or some other cable management.

You could build a subwoofer or two into risers for your seating if you aren't keen on ceiling subs.

 

[KenM10759]

Just curious, but have you ever taken your spouse to a friend's home who has a good but modest looking surround system and have her watch a movie or listen to music? Even my wife who is also one who didn't care for even my previous stand mount speakers and swears she can't tell the difference in speaker sound quality was impressed enough with out son's system that I got what I wanted at home.

 

[SamNZ]

Ok so I have possibly explained my setup wrong here. I have a tiny house - a cottage if you will. I have just built a mezzanine floor upstairs which is open at one end (into the main area downstairs) and will be a place to hang out and watch tv etc. I would like speakers in the ceiling of the mezzanine to provide music for downstairs - the living room and kitchen. Along with these I will add a couple more speakers upstairs for the tv etc. I would also like the option of adding an outdoor speaker or two via music cast or speaker wire. So as you can hopefully appreciate, I am not after a home theatre system so much as one which has lots of channels (probably 7.2) and is reasonably controllable so I'm not overwhelmed by sound when I dont want to be. I have researched (and still am) the best way to do this. Currently I am leaning towards volume controls for my in ceilings (so when I watch a movie/tv upstairs they don't add weird sound) and the zone 2 can be for outside. I am really good at DIY building and am in the process of renovating the whole house so I have already considered on walls, brackets, drywall etc. Am I better off with individual volume controls in each space (and do these just hook into my speaker wires?) or something like a channel selector which seems unnecessary and overly complicated?

 

[KenM10759]

You are describing a public address system with perhaps better speakers than most and individual volume controls. This is not what a "7.2" system is all about.

You should look into even a wireless system, which is more popular today in PA systems.

 

[lovinthehd]

Ok so I have possibly explained my setup wrong here. I have a tiny house - a cottage if you will. I have just built a mezzanine floor upstairs which is open at one end (into the main area downstairs) and will be a place to hang out and watch tv etc. I would like speakers in the ceiling of the mezzanine to provide music for downstairs - the living room and kitchen. Along with these I will add a couple more speakers upstairs for the tv etc. I would also like the option of adding an outdoor speaker or two via music cast or speaker wire. So as you can hopefully appreciate, I am not after a home theatre system so much as one which has lots of channels (probably 7.2) and is reasonably controllable so I'm not overwhelmed by sound when I dont want to be. I have researched (and still am) the best way to do this. Currently I am leaning towards volume controls for my in ceilings (so when I watch a movie/tv upstairs they don't add weird sound) and the zone 2 can be for outside. I am really good at DIY building and am in the process of renovating the whole house so I have already considered on walls, brackets, drywall etc. Am I better off with individual volume controls in each space (and do these just hook into my speaker wires?) or something like a channel selector which seems unnecessary and overly complicated?

Sounds like a whole house system is what you're after rather than a 7.2 receiver. If you're good at diy why on earth would you buy a klipsch 5802 instead of building a custom sub yourself? DIY is where its at for subs particularly!

 

[SamNZ]

I've thought about building a sub and I've emailed a couple of companies to try and get volume specs for particular drivers. What sort of receiver runs a whole house system? I like the features (such as music cast/equivalent) and the amount of hdmi inputs that AVRs seem to have. To be honest I'm getting way further down the rabbit hole than I can be bothered with. The other issue I have is that I'm in New Zealand and stuff here is way more expensive than the states but I can't buy things like amps from the states because they use different A/C mains power.

 

[lovinthehd]

You can calculate your own volume specs with the T/S parameters of the driver and a program like winisd or something like this http://www.diyaudioandvideo.com/Calculator/SpeakerBoxEnclosure/. Try the diy speakers/subs subforum here, or on avsforum.com and someone can perhaps model a box for you for the driver you want, too.

With some avrs and multiple zones (my avr has 4) you might be able to do what you want, but likely will need the addition of external power amps to have it do what you want.

 

[SamNZ]

So I've delved into DIY subs and they look fun but as always more questions arise. I don't mind building a ported or sealed sub and reading the forums it seems ported has an advantage from a power standpoint. I'm thinking about this driver http://www.daytonaudio.com/index.ph...s265hf-8-10-reference-hf-subwoofer-8-ohm.html
My other question is that when I use the calculator above, I get a much bigger volume than the dayton website recommends both for sealed and ported.
My final question is can I build the port any shape (slotted/round etc) as long as the internal volume of the port is the same? I like the look of slotted ports but the calculator spat out a round one.
I'm hoping old mate TLS Guy sees this because he seems like the guru...

 

[SamNZ]

So I'm building my sub box and I'm just wondering if I have enough holes in the bracing? Also how much packing/stuffing should I put in (it is a sealed sub)? Please excuse the rough finish, it is hidden so I haven't made it super nicely.