Subwoofer Advice - looking for a pair on a low budget

[highfigh]

Not all car sub drivers are suitable for home use, particularly for large rooms. You'd need to model the sub with the t/s parameters thru some software like winisd or bass box pro....

Why not? They can often be heard two (or more) blocks away. Modeling should be done, regardless of the application. In the mid-'90s, we used TermPro, which is a predecessor to BassBoxPro- Wayne Harris is behind both programs. We used it for all kinds of applications and I built some subs for home- they worked great. One of the differences between home theater/stereo and car audio is that car subs usually use a higher QTs because it has to punch through vehicle and road noise. Make it more smooth and many car subs work fine in a home.

 

[lovinthehd]

Why not? They can often be heard two (or more) blocks away. Modeling should be done, regardless of the application. In the mid-'90s, we used TermPro, which is a predecessor to BassBoxPro- Wayne Harris is behind both programs. We used it for all kinds of applications and I built some subs for home- they worked great. One of the differences between home theater/stereo and car audio is that car subs usually use a higher QTs because it has to punch through vehicle and road noise. Make it more smooth and many car subs work fine in a home.

Yep some will be suitable, some won't. I have a couple based on the Infinity 1262 myself. Many just don't dig deep enough for HT applications, some won't have sufficient output.

 

[Fried Chicken]

I think I've found what I want: MartSubs

The material is available to buy here:

Roundover MartySubs v2.1 15" Flat Packs

MartySubs Roundover Series v2.1 are the same easy-to-assemble flat packs as before, but now include a flat bottom (in place of the U-shaped feet) for folks who want to veneer the entire exterior and/or turn their subs on the side and have a clean finished appearance! (As a result of this...

shop.gsgad.com

I'm going to try to find schematics or something to see if I can simply cut these myself from Baltic Birch

 

[ryanosaur]

I think I've found what I want: MartSubs

The material is available to buy here:

Roundover MartySubs v2.1 15" Flat Packs

MartySubs Roundover Series v2.1 are the same easy-to-assemble flat packs as before, but now include a flat bottom (in place of the U-shaped feet) for folks who want to veneer the entire exterior and/or turn their subs on the side and have a clean finished appearance! (As a result of this...

shop.gsgad.com

I'm going to try to find schematics or something to see if I can simply cut these myself from Baltic Birch

There is a whole thread on them over at AVS. They've been standardized now, to a certain extent. But if you can dive into the Marty Thread, you'll see all kinds of designs that cropped up.

 

[lovinthehd]

Good starting point for the Marty series https://www.avsforum.com/threads/martysub-faq.1648673/

 

[lovinthehd]

I think I've found what I want: MartSubs

The material is available to buy here:

Roundover MartySubs v2.1 15" Flat Packs

MartySubs Roundover Series v2.1 are the same easy-to-assemble flat packs as before, but now include a flat bottom (in place of the U-shaped feet) for folks who want to veneer the entire exterior and/or turn their subs on the side and have a clean finished appearance! (As a result of this...

shop.gsgad.com

I'm going to try to find schematics or something to see if I can simply cut these myself from Baltic Birch

Yeah there's tons on the Marty subs like I linked just now.....just gotta dig thru it for the box/driver combo you want (there are various "Marty" versions to address such)

 

[Fried Chicken]

There is a whole thread on them over at AVS. They've been standardized now, to a certain extent. But if you can dive into the Marty Thread, you'll see all kinds of designs that cropped up.

I did see this. It's very long and can be difficult to follow, but I'll probably dig into it as I go to sleep and see what I find. I have *all* the woodworking tools, so I can take the money saved from fabrication and spend it on really high quality cabinet material (baltic birch plywood, or maybe walnut, maple, idk).

 

[ryanosaur]

I did see this. It's very long and can be difficult to follow, but I'll probably dig into it as I go to sleep and see what I find. I have *all* the woodworking tools, so I can take the money saved from fabrication and spend it on really high quality cabinet material (baltic birch plywood, or maybe walnut, maple, idk).

Stick with the Baltic Birch if you can. Structurally, for Subs, it is the best choice.

 

[Fried Chicken]

Stick with the Baltic Birch if you can. Structurally, for Subs, it is the best choice.

How come? I could maybe even make it with baltic birch harwood, but if plywood really is the best, I could just go with that.

 

[ryanosaur]

How come? I could maybe even make it with baltic birch harwood, but if plywood really is the best, I could just go with that.

I know we discussed this before... The Baltic Birch and it's thin regular and void free plies will offer the best quality Bass Cabinet. MDF is also popular. Both of these will resist the tendancies of real wood product to expand, contract, bend, twist or warp. I get that you have skills and I am not questioning that.
The key thing with Audio Cabinets is that you need them to stay solid and sealed. Even a ported cabinet needs to have NO AIR LEAKS in the corners or cutouts where drivers or connectors go.
The nice thing about BB Ply is that it is lighter than MDF by roughly 1# per sq.ft (last time I checked) and the solid ply structure won't surprise you with strange resonance or rattles.
Some of the other cabinet grade Plywood is used by people. It is perhaps less desirable do to the presence of more irregularities in its structure.
In the end, it is your build. I just want to steer you toward the best success.

 

[Verdinut]

I know we discussed this before... The Baltic Birch and it's thin regular and void free plies will offer the best quality Bass Cabinet. MDF is also popular. Both of these will resist the tendancies of real wood product to expand, contract, bend, twist or warp. I get that you have skills and I am not questioning that.
The key thing with Audio Cabinets is that you need them to stay solid and sealed. Even a ported cabinet needs to have NO AIR LEAKS in the corners or cutouts where drivers or connectors go.
The nice thing about BB Ply is that it is lighter than MDF by roughly 1# per sq.ft (last time I checked) and the solid ply structure won't surprise you with strange resonance or rattles.
Some of the other cabinet grade Plywood is used by people. It is perhaps less desirable do to the presence of more irregularities in its structure.
In the end, it is your build. I just want to steer you toward the best success.

Ordinary plywood is not recommended for speaker enclosures, because it could have voids and it's not dense enough to have the reduced resonance that HDF, MDF or BB plywood have. If you find the baltic birch plywood too expensive, then you should opt for MDF or preferably HDF to build your subwoofer cabinet(s).

 

[ryanosaur]

Ordinary plywood is not recommended for speaker enclosures, because it could have voids and it's not dense enough to have the reduced resonance that HDF, MDF or BB plywood have. If you find the baltic birch plywood too expensive, then you should opt for MDF or preferably HDF to build your subwoofer cabinet(s).

No complaint from me on that... I agree completely. A bunch of the Dev builders were using Aruco (sp?) and other cabinet-grade plywood and reporting no problems. Definitely not my choice.

 

[Verdinut]

No complaint from me on that... I agree completely. A bunch of the Dev builders were using Aruco (sp?) and other cabinet-grade plywood and reporting no problems. Definitely not my choice.

Danley Sound Labs use baltic birch plywood to build their commercial subwoofer cabinets. Here is one of their beasts:

https://www.danleysoundlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DTS-10-spec-sheet.pdf

 

[ryanosaur]

Danley Sound Labs use baltic birch plywood to build their commercial subwoofer cabinets. Here is one of their beasts:

https://www.danleysoundlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DTS-10-spec-sheet.pdf

I like their builds.
JTR /RTJ uses Baltic Birch, too

 

[Fried Chicken]

I know we discussed this before... The Baltic Birch and it's thin regular and void free plies will offer the best quality Bass Cabinet. MDF is also popular. Both of these will resist the tendancies of real wood product to expand, contract, bend, twist or warp. I get that you have skills and I am not questioning that.
The key thing with Audio Cabinets is that you need them to stay solid and sealed. Even a ported cabinet needs to have NO AIR LEAKS in the corners or cutouts where drivers or connectors go.
The nice thing about BB Ply is that it is lighter than MDF by roughly 1# per sq.ft (last time I checked) and the solid ply structure won't surprise you with strange resonance or rattles.
Some of the other cabinet grade Plywood is used by people. It is perhaps less desirable do to the presence of more irregularities in its structure.
In the end, it is your build. I just want to steer you toward the best success.

I get it, I'm just curious about the reasoning. I'm also all ears, not sticking my foot in the ground or wanting to argue for the sake of arguing.

Would something like this make an ideal subwoofer:

?

 

[ryanosaur]

Would something like this make an ideal subwoofer?

Something like what? Baltic Birch Plywood? MDF? Those are the standards. Other materials may work, but I would advise against.
If you want to experiment and try a different material, I would argue that you should at least test out the build first using the known quantity.

 

[Fried Chicken]

Something like what? Baltic Birch Plywood? MDF? Those are the standards. Other materials may work, but I would advise against.
If you want to experiment and try a different material, I would argue that you should at least test out the build first using the known quantity.

Oh, I put an inline link in there, must have gotten lost due to shitty web fonts, 1s let me edit the post

 

[shadyJ]

Oh, I put an inline link in there, must have gotten lost due to shitty web fonts, 1s let me edit the post

Steel would be fine. 'Ideal' is an odd notion here because even braced MDF is good enough for an enclosure. I don't think that thick steel would have an advantage. I doubt that you would see any measurable performance gains, at least without extremely sensitive equipment in a laboratory setting.

 

[Fried Chicken]

For the life of me I can't find actual designs/schematics/plans for a MartySub. Only the prebuilt option which, while very tempting, still pushes up the budget beyond what I feel I can do myself.

 

[lovinthehd]

For the life of me I can't find actual designs/schematics/plans for a MartySub. Only the prebuilt option which, while very tempting, still pushes up the budget beyond what I feel I can do myself.

Thought I posted it up before, but the martyfaq thread at avsforum should at least have links to a few....and there's this one separate thread (and others, including the original marty threads) https://www.avsforum.com/threads/mini-marty-cut-sheet.3131438/