Subs: Little Boxes, Big Pipes

peted · 28th April 2003, 06:58 PM

Some general comments wanted please folks to better understand how different types of subs work & sound...

Considering the sonic differences between

a) a cute little diminutive cube-like box sub and

b) a full tuned pipe system like (for example) Nelson's El-Pipo.

Obviously the box usually has the vote on grounds of size, convenience etc. and is why so many are sold to the masses - why would we use a big pipe instead? (Apart from just looking dead cool and to fill a room, that is!).

(I think): The little boxes work by severely overdamping the driver at all freqencies (at the expense of efficiency I imagine)while the pipe specifically damps it at it's Fs (physics dictates the length). I'd expect these two different systems to behave differently - perhaps affecting the 'speed' of the resultant sub - ability to cope with fast transients - e.g. a drum? And then I'm also thinking wouldn't a big 12"-18" driver have a problem with fast transients anyway?

Any offers please...

Pete

SY · 28th April 2003, 07:09 PM

If a woofer were "fast," it would be a tweeter. If you've set the system up properly, there's no reason a woofer would ever have to cope with a transient; the "fast" part is handled by the upper drivers. You just want to woofer to move when it's supposed to move, stop moving when it's supposed to stop, and have low distortion.

mikee12345 · 28th April 2003, 11:15 PM

whether a el-pipo damps a speaker,depends o n the driver specs itself.

it wont sound bad if its the correct volume for it.

it isnt a 1/4wave pipe as far as i know,its just a ported box made from a tube.

a small cube has higher frequency resonances clsoe together.

a pipe has a long wall,making a low resonance(box resonance) which you dont normaly want

28th April 2003, 06:58 PM	#1
peted diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: U.K. - S. Oxon	Subs: Little Boxes, Big Pipes Some general comments wanted please folks to better understand how different types of subs work & sound... Considering the sonic differences between a) a cute little diminutive cube-like box sub and b) a full tuned pipe system like (for example) Nelson's El-Pipo. Obviously the box usually has the vote on grounds of size, convenience etc. and is why so many are sold to the masses - why would we use a big pipe instead? (Apart from just looking dead cool and to fill a room, that is!). (I think): The little boxes work by severely overdamping the driver at all freqencies (at the expense of efficiency I imagine)while the pipe specifically damps it at it's Fs (physics dictates the length). I'd expect these two different systems to behave differently - perhaps affecting the 'speed' of the resultant sub - ability to cope with fast transients - e.g. a drum? And then I'm also thinking wouldn't a big 12"-18" driver have a problem with fast transients anyway? Any offers please... Pete

28th April 2003, 07:09 PM	#2
SY diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Austin, TX Blog Entries: 1	If a woofer were "fast," it would be a tweeter. If you've set the system up properly, there's no reason a woofer would ever have to cope with a transient; the "fast" part is handled by the upper drivers. You just want to woofer to move when it's supposed to move, stop moving when it's supposed to stop, and have low distortion. __________________ "...we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel loneliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.” - Christopher Hitchens 1949-2011

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28th April 2003, 11:15 PM	#3
mikee12345 diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NZ	whether a el-pipo damps a speaker,depends o n the driver specs itself. it wont sound bad if its the correct volume for it. it isnt a 1/4wave pipe as far as i know,its just a ported box made from a tube. a small cube has higher frequency resonances clsoe together. a pipe has a long wall,making a low resonance(box resonance) which you dont normaly want

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