DIY Sub

[awesomebase]

Well, I've been reading more and more about DIY projects with speakers and subs. While I'm confident that I can produce something good, my strengths are more on the woodworking side than the "audio" side. That being said, I thought a good first project would be to work on a good subwoofer. I'm sure I can do a good surround sound speaker system for much less than what I can buy online, but I'm concerned about properly tuning the system (since I'm a novice at XOs and SPL meters), and since it is difficult to find consistent info on good speaker design.
I like the idea of building a good subwoofer cabinet and was wondering if anybody had info on a) a good software program for designing the cabinet to measure interior volume, etc., b) some wiring basics for running two drivers off of one amplifier to have a dual-driver cabinet, and c) the costs/benefits of ported vs. non-ported designs and how to calculate the port diameter, length, etc. to get a properly designed subwoofer. I don't intend on using anything enormous, but most likely will settle on two 12" drivers.
Also, I guess if people have recommendations on good 12" drivers for the sub, that would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

[j_garcia]

Getting it right is a lot more complicated than it may seem. You won't have to design a x-over exactly, because you can get an amp that has an adjustable one, but box tuning can be quite important to getting it to sound right.

I would actually recommend starting with a pre-designed kit. You can build your own box (to spec), and make it look however you like. Take a look at these: http://www.gr-research.com/drivers/sub_pr.htm The guy that sold me his Tempest just built one of these and it looks very nice, with that end table look to it. With the cost of the drivers and an amp, building the box yourself, the total cost could be quite low, probably under $500.

 

[droeses58]

I woud take j. garcia's advice but, if you really want to try something yourself I would suggest downloading Winisd , it will help with the size of box needed for any particular driver. Also consider a sealed design for the first project they are much easier than a ported design.