So DIY Audio Folks, what Car Audio Subwoofers do you guys like to use in your HT or home stereo setups????
Car Subwoofers have good RMS and peak ratings, are easily available, and usually less expensive than comparable home audio subs, and there's many here that like to DIY them.
I like Sealed Box for SQ, and small size, but recommend ANY car subwoofer regardless of box size or type.
We get mention here often of car subs to use at home, so I wanted to make a thread that is easy for folks to browse to get some ideas...........
Subwoofers I like or have experienced....
Sony XS-L120P5W - 12 inch 5 Side Cone 350W RMS 1200W MAX. Worked GREAT and sounded clean and deep in a 1.25cu ft box.
Subwoofer I'd like to try:
Lanzar 1232D - 12 inch 1100W RMS 2200W MAX, 3 inch voicecoil dual 2-ohm coils (4 or 1 ohm) high QTS and designed for small box
SO folks, what subs do you like, and what subs peak your interest?
Car Subwoofers have good RMS and peak ratings, are easily available, and usually less expensive than comparable home audio subs, and there's many here that like to DIY them.
I like Sealed Box for SQ, and small size, but recommend ANY car subwoofer regardless of box size or type.
We get mention here often of car subs to use at home, so I wanted to make a thread that is easy for folks to browse to get some ideas...........
Subwoofers I like or have experienced....
Sony XS-L120P5W - 12 inch 5 Side Cone 350W RMS 1200W MAX. Worked GREAT and sounded clean and deep in a 1.25cu ft box.
Subwoofer I'd like to try:
Lanzar 1232D - 12 inch 1100W RMS 2200W MAX, 3 inch voicecoil dual 2-ohm coils (4 or 1 ohm) high QTS and designed for small box
SO folks, what subs do you like, and what subs peak your interest?
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I think you mean pique; certainly not peek
I am making two W-baffle dipoles with 4 of these:
Amazon.com: Dual Electronics DS12 12 inch Car Subwoofer: Electronics
Dual DS12 el cheapos (I got them locally for $17.99 each.)
These seem to have all the goods - under spider venting, bumped back plate, pole vent, poly cone, foam surround. They aren't noisy under high excursion. I have a DSP that I'll be driving them with for XO/EQ. It should be a fun project.
Preliminary T/S (average of 4)
Fs - 30.7 +/- ~1
Qts 0.49 +/- 0.04
Qes 0.51
Vas 79liters +/- 7
Sd .05228
Re 3.27 +0.08/-0.02
Xmax unknown, probably ~8-10mm from what I can see of coil overhang.
It'll probably be a couple months yet before I get around to making them.
Parameters unchanged after a couple hours of 10Hz large excursion and subsequent cool-down.
The JBL W15GTi is a standout driver.
Alas, with all of the supply problems that the hobbyist suppliers are having of late (can anyone think of a good 15 currently available, other than the Dayton Reference) it looks like people will be going back to where we were ~15 years ago, when high-performance subs used "car" drivers far more often than the do now.
Alas, with all of the supply problems that the hobbyist suppliers are having of late (can anyone think of a good 15 currently available, other than the Dayton Reference) it looks like people will be going back to where we were ~15 years ago, when high-performance subs used "car" drivers far more often than the do now.
After the way I've heard some people playing their car speakers, I'd shy away from used. I can only imagine that some driver that someone has used in what can only be described as attempting to disassemble their license plate assembly probably doesn't measure as it should.
Ideally you check your f3's of your boxes (run the numbers). I noticed that when you take an awesome sub from a car and hook it up in your house, you say "Where's the beef ?" That is free bass boost from your vehicle.
A lot of car audio drivers have a highish qts (above .4 to me) that can make a small sealed box or an impressive bandpass, but not ideal sealed or ported. I found a fairly cheap car audio driver in the back of partsexpress that had low sealed f3 in a smallish box and was inexpensive, I can get back to you on which one it was.
In a car (about 100ft3), a sealed .707 with an f3 of 45hz measures fairly flat down to 8hz, yet sounds like junk if run in a house.
I know ported f3=27hz (port tuning to 27hz) cleans my clock very well. 6th order (helps reduce excursion below tuning for protection) helps even more. But 4th orders with f3 near 27hz can get large, and good luck tuning to 27hz in a small box.
I've been tempted for the 15" hf dayton subs. 2 of those sealed in 11ft3 make for a .707 with an fsb=f3=30hz. That would be an awesome rumbler for a house ($310 for the pair). But instead I got something else in the works.
Or you could boost the bass and then run subsonic filter below that, but be carefull how low you want to go. Output way down there is about cone area and xmax, regardless of sensitivities.
Norman
A lot of car audio drivers have a highish qts (above .4 to me) that can make a small sealed box or an impressive bandpass, but not ideal sealed or ported. I found a fairly cheap car audio driver in the back of partsexpress that had low sealed f3 in a smallish box and was inexpensive, I can get back to you on which one it was.
In a car (about 100ft3), a sealed .707 with an f3 of 45hz measures fairly flat down to 8hz, yet sounds like junk if run in a house.
I know ported f3=27hz (port tuning to 27hz) cleans my clock very well. 6th order (helps reduce excursion below tuning for protection) helps even more. But 4th orders with f3 near 27hz can get large, and good luck tuning to 27hz in a small box.
I've been tempted for the 15" hf dayton subs. 2 of those sealed in 11ft3 make for a .707 with an fsb=f3=30hz. That would be an awesome rumbler for a house ($310 for the pair). But instead I got something else in the works.
Or you could boost the bass and then run subsonic filter below that, but be carefull how low you want to go. Output way down there is about cone area and xmax, regardless of sensitivities.
Norman
I have tested quite a few car subs for home use. Some are pretty good. What I really like about them is they are cheaper than hifi subs.
One important aspect of car subs is they are commonly designed with high Q. In the confines of a car interior, the lower bass will get boosted, so it evens out. This will not happen in a room.
One important aspect of car subs is they are commonly designed with high Q. In the confines of a car interior, the lower bass will get boosted, so it evens out. This will not happen in a room.
Yeah, I can speak to this. I've tried to get a cheap JBL W15Gti off craigslist for some time (Differential drive... actually useful at low frequencies!) but never found one worth using.
Boo hoo... I'll have to make do with a pair of Creative Sound Trio 12"s with 15" passive radiators.
8 JBL GTO1514 in IB right now at home.
http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/jbl/Products/ProductRelatedDocuments/en-US/BoxesandParameters/GTO1514TD.pdf
4 Dynaudio Esotar2 1200 waiting for DIY Sub
Dynaudio - Authentic Fidelity
http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands/jbl/Products/ProductRelatedDocuments/en-US/BoxesandParameters/GTO1514TD.pdf
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
4 Dynaudio Esotar2 1200 waiting for DIY Sub
Dynaudio - Authentic Fidelity
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I have two JL Audio 12W0-8ohm woofers left over from carfi days. I have used them in isobaric 4th order bandpass, sealed and ported designs for home music and home theater. Currently have isobaric ported 3.5ft box. Contemplating a -6dB EBS alignment for HT use. For my use (relatively low output dB's) they have been more than adequate. They do roll off super quick in small sealed boxes unless loaded in corner. Since they were free to me, I can't complain.
^that's NOT cheaper than a decent HiFi sub8 JBL GTO1514 in IB right now at home.
http://www.jbl.com/resources/Brands...uments/en-US/BoxesandParameters/GTO1514TD.pdf
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
4 Dynaudio Esotar2 1200 waiting for DIY Sub
Dynaudio - Authentic Fidelity
Damn good drivers from what I've heard-just too rich for my pocketsIf you want "good cheap" driver's check scrap yards and ebay for Volvo's Dynaudio drivers-picked up a pair of 8" for £60 delivered. Added to the growing 2nd hand collection:
1x Phase Evo Aliante 10si £200 BNIB (very rare in UK)
2x ImageDynamics IDQ10D4V2 £120 for the pair (very rare in UK)
2x REL 8", with box for £60.00 (home hi-fi subs, sound great, need to pull off TS specs)
2x KEF B139 for £40ish
1x Pioneer TS-SW2510 £40
2x Focal Utopia 6.5" swapped for some DEI comps
1x DEI Comp X 12" (bought new! for my 1st "big" car audio system)
I always keep an eye on ebay-though I'm sure my missus would rather I didn't!
10” Alpine
Here’s a pic of what I came up with, 10” Alpine. It’s pretty cool, sends blasts of air across the room during action scenes like an air cannon. If I remember correctly it’s a 1000 watt woofer, so no problems with it bottoming out. The plans for the cabinet came with the woofer, right out of the shipping box.
What I found out, is that the car woofers will work at middle to higher volumes.
Here’s a pic of what I came up with, 10” Alpine. It’s pretty cool, sends blasts of air across the room during action scenes like an air cannon. If I remember correctly it’s a 1000 watt woofer, so no problems with it bottoming out. The plans for the cabinet came with the woofer, right out of the shipping box.
What I found out, is that the car woofers will work at middle to higher volumes.
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