Car audio subwoofer in the house?

[Sassafras LLC]

I've got a stereo integrity sql15 in a custom ported enclosure tuned to 26hz. It's been in my sound quality car for the past year. I'm looking to you yank this fairly large enclosure out of my trunk. I have zero space back there. I'm curious what something like this would sound like in my medium size man cave in the basement. The enclosure is very well built. It's a slot port. I would use this mainly for listening to music. Any suggestions for a potential cheap class d amplifier? The subwoofer is rated at 1200 watts.

 

[everettT]

Behringer makes inexpensive amps with DSP available if you need digital crossovers or DSP. No reason that the SI driver can't be used in home use, you're just gonna give up a little bit of the ultra low with that tunning.

 

[panteragstk]

You can model that driver to see what sort of box would work well in home. SI is big in the DIY home sub community, so no worries there. Your current box might work, but you might get more out of the driver with a better box.

 

[lovinthehd]

Makes me wonder if @ryanosaur ever built subs with his SQL15s for home use. I have several SI HT18D2s myself.

 

[isolar8001]

Back in the early 90's/late 80's, I used car subs I built in-house all the time. (I sold and built car sub systems).
Used a Luxman power amp and a car electronic crossover powered by a 12 volt adapter.
A sub is a sub.
Really wasn't much available in the home market back then.....

 

[Sassafras LLC]

You can model that driver to see what sort of box would work well in home. SI is big in the DIY home sub community, so no worries there. Your current box might work, but you might get more out of the driver with a better box.

Get more out of the driver with the better box? This enclosure was built by an SQ competitor world champion that owns the best car audio shop in Knoxville Tennessee. The enclosure was built specifically for that driver to get the absolute best out of it. I don't know if it will work well for home theater or just in the house in general but in the car it sounds phenomenal.

 

[lovinthehd]

Get more out of the driver with the better box? This enclosure was built by an SQ competitor world champion that owns the best car audio shop in Knoxville Tennessee. The enclosure was built specifically for that driver to get the absolute best out of it. I don't know if it will work well for home theater or just in the house in general but in the car it sounds phenomenal.

Same box isn't necessarily ideal for both spaces....assuming the car box is trying to take advantage of the cabin gain differences. You can model your own subs with software like winisd or bass box pro....

 

[Sassafras LLC]

Same box isn't necessarily ideal for both spaces....assuming the car box is trying to take advantage of the cabin gain differences. You can model your own subs with software like winisd or bass box pro....

I have a sealed enclosure as well for this subwoofer. I wonder if it would sound good for music. I'd probably give it a little more power too.

 

[panteragstk]

Get more out of the driver with the better box? This enclosure was built by an SQ competitor world champion that owns the best car audio shop in Knoxville Tennessee. The enclosure was built specifically for that driver to get the absolute best out of it. I don't know if it will work well for home theater or just in the house in general but in the car it sounds phenomenal.

Moot point if it isn't in a car. I'm sure that box is bad a$$ in your vehicle, but it might not be right for this driver in a home setting.

As I said before, SI is popular in the diy community, so you can probably find folks that have modeled that driver for use in an enclosure meant for home use.

There are some folks around here that could do it as well.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Moot point if it isn't in a car. I'm sure that box is bad a$$ in your vehicle, but it might not be right for this driver in a home setting.

As I said before, SI is popular in the diy community, so you can probably find folks that have modeled that driver for use in an enclosure meant for home use.

There are some folks around here that could do it as well.

That’s exactly right. SI makes some of the best subwoofer drivers available. But context wins. Just like this combination was built for a specific vehicle, so should it be for HT. In fact, I’d be willing to bet in the right box he’d get much more extension and prob not lose much if any midbass. Question is how big is the room, and how big should the enclosure be?

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I have a sealed enclosure as well for this subwoofer. I wonder if it would sound good for music. I'd probably give it a little more power too.

It should sound very good for music. But as the sealed enclosure spec’d for performance in your car? Probably was, so a slightly larger one could add some extension and efficiency. Those two things are usually mutually exclusive but I’d guess the sealed enclosure is probably pretty small.

 

[lovinthehd]

FWIW the SQL15 apparently may have some discrepancies in t/s parameters for modeling, too. @ryanosaur can hopefully advise.

 

[ryanosaur]

FWIW the SQL15 apparently may have some discrepancies in t/s parameters for modeling, too. @ryanosaur can hopefully advise.

Many of his Drivers are reportedly all over the place.
Mine are no different.
Some say the differences aren't enough to really worry about fine tuning performance...
However, at least on mine there are some significant variations that have admittedly reduced my zeal in building these out... that and the still astronomical cost of BB Ply.
*shrugs

 

[TLS Guy]

I have a sealed enclosure as well for this subwoofer. I wonder if it would sound good for music. I'd probably give it a little more power too.

Although a car driver, this models very well in a ported box.

The sealed alignment assumes car cab gain.

If you are going to use this driver in the home, I would strongly recommend a ported enclosure.

The sealed will need a lot of Eq and power.

We had a request on this driver previously and so I had the models on file.

 

[Sassafras LLC]

Although a car driver, this models very well in a ported box.

The sealed alignment assumes car cab gain.

If you are going to use this driver in the home, I would strongly recommend a ported enclosure.

The sealed will need a lot of Eq and power.

We had a request on this driver previously and so I had the models on file.

From the looks of it, my current enclosure would work in home audio. It's right at 4 cubic foot and the port is tuned to 26 HZ.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

From the looks of it, my current enclosure would work in home audio. It's right at 4 cubic foot and the port is tuned to 26 HZ.

It would work, but I would personally want a lower tune.

 

[TLS Guy]

From the looks of it, my current enclosure would work in home audio. It's right at 4 cubic foot and the port is tuned to 26 HZ.

That looks close, however ported enclosures are super critical in terms of all dimensions. Try it and see what happens. What are your port dimensions? Also that enclosure does not look adequately braced.

 

[TLS Guy]

It would work, but I would personally want a lower tune.

That is not the way it works. You can not tune to any frequency you feel like. The T/S parameters determine the tuning. If you pick a frequency out of the air, you will have a mistuned enclosure.

 

[Sassafras LLC]

That looks close, however ported enclosures are super critical in terms of all dimensions. Try it and see what happens. What are your port dimensions? Also that enclosure does not look adequately braced.

This enclosure is built like a brick poop house. The box alone which is Baltic Birch weighs about 85 lb.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

That is not the way it works. You can not tune to any frequency you feel like. The T/S parameters determine the tuning. If you pick a frequency out of the air, you will have a mistuned enclosure.

For sure. I don’t know what FS is so kinda spoke outta turn. Generally speaking though, I would not want a 26hz tune. Especially for HT. So if that driver allows, which I assume it does, 18-20hz would be much better. IMO.
I would also choose ported. As I know you would too.