Audioholics Reviews their first DIY Subwoofer, the CSS SDX12 Sealed Kit!

annunaki

annunaki

Moderator
Are there any plans for a DIY 3-way with the SDX12 that you know of? I'd be very interested.
You could probably swap it in place of the SDX10 in Javad Shadzi’s Enthraal’s.


I am sure there are other designs it would work with too.
 
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santodx5

Audiophyte
Hi Guys,

I just joined this forum. I would love to learn more about DIY sub drivers.

In your opinion, what is the best 12" and 15" DIY sub driver available now? My amp can do up to 2000w per channel.

I am using 4 DIY rockford fosgate T1D215 at the moment.

Thank you
 
Verdinut

Verdinut

Audioholic Spartan
Hi Guys,

I just joined this forum. I would love to learn more about DIY sub drivers.

In your opinion, what is the best 12" and 15" DIY sub driver available now? My amp can do up to 2000w per channel.

I am using 4 DIY rockford fosgate T1D215 at the moment.

Thank you
What is the sub to be used for? If it is to be used in a home environment, Parts-Express have enclosure packages using a Dayton RSS390HF-4 driver, which can handle a peak power of 1000 watts. As a matter of fact, I am using 3 of those in my HT system. This is a very smooth driver having a low distortion, which will operate well in an 8 to 9 net cf ported box for best performance:
 
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santodx5

Audiophyte
What is the sub to be used for? If it is to be used in a home environment, Parts-Express have enclosure packages using a Dayton RSS390HF-4 driver, which can handle a peak power of 1000 watts. As a matter of fact, I am using 3 of those in my HT system. This is a very smooth driver having a low distortion, which will operate well in an 8 to 9 net cf ported box for best performance:
Yes HT and music. I am not confidence with Parts express component. I am looking at the best sub woofer driver!

Btw what app do u use to measure distortion? Any tutorial? I have never done it, I do have smaart for XO/alignment and EQ.
 
Verdinut

Verdinut

Audioholic Spartan
Yes HT and music. I am not confidence with Parts express component. I am looking at the best sub woofer driver!

Btw what app do u use to measure distortion? Any tutorial? I have never done it, I do have smaart for XO/alignment and EQ.
You don't seem to know much about loudspeakers. Dayton subwoofers are among the best drivers for a DIY project. I have been building speakers for more than 50 years and I know what I am talking about. I know how a loudspeaker is built and performs.

The people who gave bad reviews on the subwoofer I recommended to you, lack the knowledge and don't know how to build a speaker enclosure. Just don't believe all the bullshit that is published on websites and on Youtube.

Edit: I don't have to measure distortion and I don't hear it with the Dayton subwoofers. Yes I have equipment to test loudspeakers. I use the Dayton DATS testing equipment and the OmniMic software to test speakers and frequency response. This equipment is reliable and precise:

I also use BassBox 6 Pro for designing enclosures and Harristech X-Over Pro for building precise passive crossovers.
 
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lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
Hi Guys,

I just joined this forum. I would love to learn more about DIY sub drivers.

In your opinion, what is the best 12" and 15" DIY sub driver available now? My amp can do up to 2000w per channel.

I am using 4 DIY rockford fosgate T1D215 at the moment.

Thank you
What's wrong with the current subs' performance? I look to Stereo Integrity drivers myself for diy. Just having a high wattage is meaningless in and of itself, altho it may come into play if using a sealed box more than a ported box. Nothing wrong with Dayton offerings either.
 
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santodx5

Audiophyte
What's wrong with the current subs' performance? I look to Stereo Integrity drivers myself for diy. Just having a high wattage is meaningless in and of itself, altho it may come into play if using a sealed box more than a ported box. Nothing wrong with Dayton offerings either.
I may want to add 2 subs in the future, I am looking for better driver.

Stereo Integrity looks insane! 76mm XMAX? I want to find 12"/15" drives as bigger will not fit in my room.

Any other recommendation?

Thanks
 
lovinthehd

lovinthehd

Audioholic Jedi
I may want to add 2 subs in the future, I am looking for better driver.

Stereo Integrity looks insane! 76mm XMAX? I want to find 12"/15" drives as bigger will not fit in my room.

Any other recommendation?

Thanks
I like 18"s. :) There used to be a few more smaller driver options at SI but due to circumstances of its owner, not so much now.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
I may want to add 2 subs in the future, I am looking for better driver.

Stereo Integrity looks insane! 76mm XMAX? I want to find 12"/15" drives as bigger will not fit in my room.

Any other recommendation?

Thanks
Do the SQL-15s from Stereo Integrity. Dual 4-ohm VCs wired in parallel for a 2-ohm load per driver.
Call it a day.
 
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santodx5

Audiophyte
I like 18"s. :) There used to be a few more smaller driver options at SI but due to circumstances of its owner, not so much now.
HST-18/HS-24 is doable if I use sealed enclosure.

Do you have freq response of above drivers in main listening position or near field?
 
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Verdinut

Verdinut

Audioholic Spartan
Yes HT and music. I am not confidence with Parts express component. I am looking at the best sub woofer driver!

Btw what app do u use to measure distortion? Any tutorial? I have never done it, I do have smaart for XO/alignment and EQ.
If you are looking for lower distortion, IMO you should build a ported box. Vented designs, as they are more efficient than the sealed type, don't require EQ boost to produce the lower frequencies which increases driver distortion.
 
3db

3db

Audioholic Slumlord
Thank you for the write up. Does this kit come up with its own plate amp or do they have recommendations on one.
 
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squeedle

Enthusiast
@Matthew J Poes , in the article you said you like to run your L+R mains with no high-pass, and then you use a 4th order low pass on the sub around 100Hz? Am I reading that right? Wouldn't that produce a huge bump around 100Hz where anything lower is notably louder than anything above?
 
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