new subwoofer design with 1hz-30hz +/-4db

[Johnd]

Master & Commander and SpiderMan 2 were quite something to experience with this device.

I'll bet...I can only imagine. I thought I was happy with my Paradigm Servo15 v.2 until I started reading this thread...no wait, I still am.

If it's truly that impressive, others will want to mimic the design. And if any sort of mass production ensues, the price invariably drops. In the meantime, this type of innovation can only help spur more innovation and better technology. Imagine if the same leaps and bounds are made in subwoofers in the next five years that were made in the last five years.

 

[Johnd]

First allmost all music will never ever get anywhere close to this low, secondly, for the majority, you CANT HEAR IT, only feel it. 20-30hz audibly is more than far enough, but then you would really get away from audibly creating the sound then going force air movement and vibration creation.

Yes, I think that's why Mark Seaton referred to two movies (M&C & Spiderman), as opposed to any musical pieces. The audible range of only a few instruments has been measured below 30 Hz (I think it's 26.5 for a piano). So this development has nothing to do with jazz improvisation and orchestral masterpieces, but everything to do with further experiencing some movies (or small portions thereof). This is to say nothing of the woeful inadequacies of the innacuracy of the current design (for music vs. movies). Perhaps further development will not only make it more affordable, bout also more accurate.

 

[j_garcia]

All sound creates some sort of vibration.

All sound IS vibration....

What I was getting at, is why all this fuss about getting AUDIBLY lower??? First allmost all music will never ever get anywhere close to this low, secondly, for the majority, you CANT HEAR IT, only feel it. 20-30hz audibly is more than far enough, but then you would really get away from audibly creating the sound then going force air movement and vibration creation.

Again, not sure what point it is you are trying to make. Let's step back and ask - have you ever heard a sub that truly goes below 20Hz? Do that, even with music, and you will get what I'm talking about. "Only" feel it? That is what makes the sound realistic if the content actually goes that low. It isn't ABOUT HEARING IT, it is about FEELING that vibration. The perception of that vibration is what gives you the sense that an explosion, or plane flying by, or T-rex stomping on the ground, is realistic. We aren't just talking about music here...but for that matter, I have plenty of music that has content into the mid to low 20s and I can tell you that having a sub that is very capable of massive output also lends a lot of reinforcement to music that doesn't have content that low.

 

[Tomorrow]

All sound IS vibration.....

All everything is vibration.

 

[mike c]

The benefit to the listening experience was significant and something I think is worth persuing. Heck, the experience spurred me to go back to an idea I had sketched up before but not gotten around to building up yet. I personally think there are other ways to get a good likeness to this device in closed rooms without spending >$10k. We'll see soon enough.

Being "worth it" is a matter of perspective. If you had a crawl space, basement or attic adjacent to a theater, this would have no intrusion to your space and be simple enough to install or have Bruce's team install for you. The big boxes shown in the pictures above were used to convert a hotel doorway (of connecting rooms) to a baffle/manifold for a demo at an audio show. The manifold is needed with ~3 bends and a bunch of fiberglass to attenuate the self noise of the motor and the blades.

Master & Commander and SpiderMan 2 were quite something to experience with this device.

that good huh. you're right ... we spend so much more on subwoofers to get from 20hz to 15hz ... I'd say that was pretty cheap to drop a further 10hz

 

[billnchristy]

I just thought about it, my room would be perfect for one of these. I have a storage space under the stairs that opens to the garage and is walled off to the HT room.

Wall off the Garage side, insulate and brace that beast and you have an enclosure just about the size of the one shown.

Not gonna do it, actually gonna put a mini fridge and wine chiller in there, mounted flush, but it would be cool!

 

[greenjeens]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned pipe organ music? I suspect this kind of music is geared towards a live performance to appreciate.

Or what turntable rumble would finally sound like?

I've been trying to find the lowest frequency that a pipe organ can reproduce.
WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL PIPE ORGAN
"Lowest note is CCCC whose frequency is 16 cycles per second which is C below the lowest note on the piano."

I found no mention of the SPL, but suspect it is very high and difficult to reproduce with just about any other kind of equipment?

I don't know if this organ plays any lower but it has a 64' pipe, compared to the normal 32'.
http://www.acchos.org/html/introduction/highlights.html

"This "high-octane" version of the Toccata in d Minor used everything available except the big 50" and 100" reeds, but added the 32' Bombardon and the 64' Diaphone Profunda in the Pedal."
http://www.acchos.org/mp3/toccata.mp3

My 12" sub was "flapping" around pretty slowly, with no audible volume. Maybe I'll make a recording to play on my HT 15" Velodyne to see what will happen. Many frequencies will likely still be to low to get any audible sound out of the bigger sub.

It's interesting that both the Rotary Subwoofer and Pipe organs, both use large electric fans and blowers to move a lot of air.

Just for fun.
394 HP Blower start up and shut down.
http://www.acchos.org/mp3/blowers.mp3

-
Dave