Dipole Woofer Page

[BAM]

This is a web page chronicling a guy's Linkwitz PHOENIX-style dipole subwoofer design. It looks extremely slick and if I weren't a dipole skeptic this is the sort of thing I would aspire to with my own design. It even integrates a plate amplifier!

http://sho.mystarband.net/BBContent/BBBass.html

[navin]

why dipole skeptic?

[BAM]

It seems to me like an extremely inefficient way to produce bass. Everything I have been taught tells me that a dipole radiator will not be able to produce the same amount of bass as easily and cheaply as a sealed box, reflex box, bandpass box, transmission line, aperiodic box, MAPD box, infinite baffle, basshorn, Acoustic Wane Cannon, or other types of Assisted Resonance box that isolates the back wave from the driver. Now, I have never actually heard a dipole bass system but I believe an assisted resonance subwoofer can outperform it in quantity while matching it blow for blow in quality.

[AndersZ]

A dipole sub is not about quantity, it's about quality. The point is to skip any kind of resonance and stored energy while at the same time utilise the dipole radiation to minimize standing waves.

Try it and see for yourself

Anders

[Dommi]

Hy Bam,
I also use Di Pole bass with my Prometheus system, because the bass is better. First i used a sealed Box with one aktive and one passive speaker. The problem was that the bass seems to be deeper in Frequency, but it wasen't. It was only that he had less precision and so the bass semms to muble. Now with dipole the frequency is about 25 Hz and is verry verry precise.
On my Homepage you can see the Dipole integrated to my Prometheus system ( by the way a verry verry cheap loudspeaker system, but sounds better than the most of this expensive High End-LS !! )

Regards

Dommi

[Raka]

There are times like this, when I'd love to speak german...

[ThorstenL]

Konnichiwa,

Originally posted by BAM
It seems to me like an extremely inefficient way to produce bass. Everything I have been taught tells me that a dipole radiator will not be able to produce the same amount of bass as easily and cheaply as a sealed box, reflex box, bandpass box, transmission line, aperiodic box, MAPD box, infinite baffle, basshorn, Acoustic Wane Cannon, or other types of Assisted Resonance box that isolates the back wave from the driver.

You are absolutely right. But getting a certain amount of output at a given frequency tells very little of the actual story.

Originally posted by BAM
Now, I have never actually heard a dipole bass system but I believe an assisted resonance subwoofer can outperform it in quantity while matching it blow for blow in quality.

Funny thing you know. I once designed a Dipole Sub for a friend where it was considered essential due to dipole nature of mid & Treble. Using quite inexpensive 18" Pro-Audio drivers and inexpenbsive 500VA PA Amplifier Modules these 22" Cubes produce a quantity AND quality of bass I have yet to hear from conventional subwoofers in a similar size.

Admittedly, using dual 18" Woofers with > 100db TS derived sensitivity for the pair and and +27dbW power applied to the pair of drivers with a Qt over 0.5 and a sub 30Hz resonance helps tremendously in minimising the applied EQ and thus maximising SPL Capacity.

In short, these are some MEAN mother subs and they sound a lot cleaner and offer much faster in room LF decay (making individual notes much more distinct) than ANY monopole sub.

MAYBE some really big, bricked in Horns will outperform them, but at a tremendous amount of work....

Sayonara

[Dommi]

@ Raka
Hy, it's not neccssery to speak german.
I can give you a small summary about my Page. I'll try to give tips about buying and using Hifi and High End. Most of the persons don't know about some manufacturer which produce verry good High End for a verry fair price. They can mail me what they will spend for Hifi, and i try to find a good manufacturer. I also try to give some tips using Hifi accessories like Spikes or power distribution ecc. ecc.

If you want further informations don't hesitate to mail me

regards

Dommi

[Raka]

Originally posted by Dommi
@ Raka
Hy, it's not neccssery to speak german.

If you want further informations don't hesitate to mail me

regards

Dommi

Thank you very much