Help! Diy Sub Questions

[kmlance]

OK, I posted a thread about subs a few days ago and got some great opinions on kits, etc. I cruised the internet looking for info.... I came to one conclusion. There is no great answer!
I like the "sonotube" subs. SVS, etc. I would like to build one. That part looks straight forward enough. But the question is....

What kind of driver to use????

I am a young punk. I have a car stereo that will make your ears bleed. The drivers I use are 12"Audiobahn Alum. The pound and are fairly efficient.

Can I use "car" drivers in a tube sub???? These drivers are CHEAP, they hold up to varied conditions and seem to be very well made.

I figure a 12" aluminum cone high-excursion driver, in a "sonotube" setting should only need 500W of power, the question is.... would it sound good???

I do not have the software to calculate this.... Any help is appreciated!

Just for the record, i am laid of so my $$ is the reasosn I am even looking at this option. My JBL ps-d112 left he sub-less!

 

[gregz]

'fraid I know very little about sonotube, but I do know that car subs and home subs are often interchangeable.

The real differences lie in the parameters of the subs and how they're made to be used. Some car subs are made to fit in very small boxes and be very efficient at 45Hz. Others are made to go real low, but take bigger boxes to do it and aren't as efficient.

What this means is that your Audiobahn will dictate what kind of enclosure you put it in for good performance.

Keep looking for sonotube formulas or online calculators, and plug in the theil-small parameters of your Audiobahn. You'll know the answer pretty soon if the box volume comes out negative or the size of a house!

 

[kmlance]

thank you

Thanks for the info. I have to do something, not having a SUB has ruined HT for me!!!

 

[WmAx]

If you are intent on using the Audiobahn unit, it appears more than satisfactory for home use(-3db @ 20Hz). Here is a theoretical plot uisng the factory T&S parameters(note this is using the 2003 AlumQ parameters. If you have a different model year of this sub, they may differ:

4 ft^3 volume, 14.5" L x 4" I.D. round vent(0.147 mach)

Black line is theoretical response in an open space. Red dashed line is theoretical maximum SPL response considering excursion specification. All of this assumes (1) open space or anechoic environment (2) linear behaviour of the motor and suspension as power input increases. Neither 1 or 2 is realistic. However, if using this in a corner loading situation, it will likely produce more then enough SPL for your HT setup given you have a sufficient amplifier. If you are concerned with sound quality, pleae consider using a parametric equalizer with the subwoofer to remove room-induced response peaks. The Behringer Feedback Destroyer is about $120 USD and will be suitable for this purpose.

-Chris

OK, I posted a thread about subs a few days ago and got some great opinions on kits, etc. I cruised the internet looking for info.... I came to one conclusion. There is no great answer!
I like the "sonotube" subs. SVS, etc. I would like to build one. That part looks straight forward enough. But the question is....

What kind of driver to use????

I am a young punk. I have a car stereo that will make your ears bleed. The drivers I use are 12"Audiobahn Alum. The pound and are fairly efficient.

Can I use "car" drivers in a tube sub???? These drivers are CHEAP, they hold up to varied conditions and seem to be very well made.

I figure a 12" aluminum cone high-excursion driver, in a "sonotube" setting should only need 500W of power, the question is.... would it sound good???

I do not have the software to calculate this.... Any help is appreciated!

Just for the record, i am laid of so my $$ is the reasosn I am even looking at this option. My JBL ps-d112 left he sub-less!