Decware "House Wrecker" driver selection

[Jockeylad]

Hi

I am new to this site, found it while browsing, and what an excellent site it is!

I'm looking at building Decware's "House Wrecker" sub cabinet with either 2 x 15" or 4 x 15".

Decware recommend drivers with an fs around 20 Hz, and a Qts less than .38 and a minimum VAS of 10 cubic feet.

I mainly listen to music with heavy deep bass and sometimes use it for HT. I'm hoping to get some serious bass around 25Hz and decent, yet reduced, response down to 18Hz'ish. Room size is approx 20' x 15'.
I am considering using the Acoustic Elegance AV15-H sub driver. Being from England, I have not come across this manufacturer before, but I have read some good reports on the internet. Has anyone on this forum used Acoustic Elegance sub drivers before, and if so, what do you think of them? Also where can I purchase them from in the US that will post to England?

Intended Cabinet: http://www.decware.com/newsite/hwk15.htm

Considering what I am after performance wise, does anyone know of any better design suggestions than this (ported or band pass)? I already have various horn designs for elsewhere.

Cheers
Russell

[Bill poster]

what internal size enclosure for an 8" approximately?

[sreten]

Hmmm......

A minimum Vas is specified, that is clueless, as is the whole design.
Get a good box simulator and design your own subwoofer properly.
there are lots of sites that tell you how to do this, e.g. :
http://www.subwoofer-builder.com/

One really good 15" will beat that design hands down, and be
a fair bit smaller, you simply don't need PA driver SPL's in the
home, or the inevitable lack of deep extended bass they give.

rgds, sreten.

[planet10]

I think that an appropriate box designed with the actual driver's TSP will handily outperform a generic box like the Decware.

John & Nick's AE drivers are some of the best there are. They are all based on early work Nick did while Llamba existed.

dave

[tinitus]

Originally Posted by planet10

John & Nick's AE drivers are some of th ebest there are.
dave

hey Dave, notice that Russel is a UK/EU member

Sreten, you might be right about the 15"

In a few days I expect to receive a new 15" model from Monacor, i suppose a StageLine product
nothing fancy, and only about 100EUR
medium high Qts, so I expect it will do ok in H-frame dipole
nice and easy, I hope

[Jockeylad]

sreten

"One really good 15" will beat that design hands down, and be
a fair bit smaller, you simply don't need PA driver SPL's in the
home, or the inevitable lack of deep extended bass they give."

I think you may be right on the cabinet design. Sometimes it can be too easy(and lazy) to fall for buying off the shelf designs, based on loose TSP's.

That said, I have been looking around for a few weeks for the right drivers/manufacturers and reading up on forum comments etc. Having not built any speakers for some 17 years now, one can say it's been a while, but I've lost touch with who's who in the driver market etc.
Recently I've got the bug again to build some DIY speakers, and being a little older and hopefully wiser, a real nice set both acoustically and asthetically.
I mentioned Acoustic Elegance as a possible driver option. Being from Britain, which driver manufacturer/s can you recommend from this side of the pond that are up there with the best these days?
Regards
Jockeylad

[sreten]

Hi,

I really don't know, not being a subwoofer fiend.

But I'd look at :
RSS390HF-4 - Dayton High Fidelity Subwoofer 15 inch - Europe Audio
In a sealed box, only vented if you want very silly low extension.
Two boxes properly placed will give smmother bass than one.
Around 100L each well stuffed should do the job very well.
200L each tuned to 18Hz vented, but IMO you be better off
with (a) subamplifier(s) with some variable low bass boost.

Forget about bandpasses if you c/o low, they are waste of time and space.

Going for the Daytons as I know they are well designed with
very low distortion characteristics, lots of clean low bass.

rgds, sreten.

[MaVo]

"Forget about bandpasses if you c/o low, they are waste of time and space."

Why?

[Jockeylad]

sreten
I already have amplified subs and they're pretty good, but in order to get subs of any real decent quality I'll have to spend minimum £600+ each, and this can go up into the £thousands. I occasionally, when the wife and children are out, like listening to my favourite tracks pretty loud, and find that by using subs for the bottom end, I can ease up on the bass on my mains. I listen to all kinds of music, sometimes loud sometimes low and chilled, but I like knowing I have the flexibility. I also use them as part of my HT setup.
The main thing is that I'm well capable and up for the challenge of building them, but apprehensive about getting it wrong design/performance wise, and subsequently feeling deflated with my efforts. I am willing to give it a go, and thats why I'm on here asking for advice from people who may be able to help me avoid simple school boy errors.
So, based on my original post, I'm after design ideas that will give good smooth n distorted response down to 18Hz'ish. Any advice is appreciated and will be looked into.
By the way sreten, thanks for the link to the Dayton's they do look as though they are what I'm after.

[tinitus]

http://bmsspeakers.com/fileadmin/bms...2010-03-18.pdf

that one will play loud

but there also PrecisionDevices, made in UK
some "force" them down with EQ