small footprint speaker for kick bass

[BigBoned]

I hope this is the right place to post this. if not, please direct me to the right place.
I live in a dorm room and I would like to have a speaker with a small footprint to add kick bass to my present setup when playing party music. I have different speakers for different kinds of sound - Quad ESL's, dynamic single speakers and some JBL 1970's studio monitors.
When I play party music I would like to be able to add the kick bass sound I have experienced at clubs and discos. Speaking with some people I know about this I can tell that most of them are very keen to advice me to get horn cabinets fitted with 15" speakers like to ones used at clubs and discos. However, I would really prefer to use a smaller speaker(s) (8") in a cabinet with a small footprint (maybe tower) to realize this. The height of the room is about 2,5 m/8 feet. With this in mind, would anyone here please advice me if there is any cabinet construction you would consider useable for my purpose?

[dangus]

A 15" in a ported box (not a bulky horn) will play loud. Maybe you can find a 10" or 12" that is a bit less efficient (96 ~ 97 dB / 1w / 1m), with good power handling. Expect a pleated surround, not foam or rubber, and a ported box that won't be mistaken for a subwoofer, an F3 of 60 to 80 Hz. As long as you're not big into dubstep, a good kick should make up for the missing octave. On the other hand... multiple smaller drivers can move as much air as a larger one, and they also become more efficient as a group (than a single driver), so if you found a good deal on a bunch of 6" woofers (like 8 of them), you might get the equivalent of a 15" but in a box that will fit under a bed. Play with a box modelling program, preferably one that comes with a large database of current drivers (is there one online?). Or pick candidates that are available and attractively priced and enter the parameters and see what you can make of them. Don't rule out car subs if the price is right.

[martinsson]

Martinsson's Blog - THAM10 a very compact 10" TH

I don't know if this fits your requirements, just a thought, I would like to see them get built care to be a gunieapig ?

[TheBaronGroog]

Interactive Frequency Chart - Independent Recording Network most "kick" is out of subwoofer range.

However I'd be looking at 8" in a TL or tapped horn under the bed for some extra low end-integrating this well with the midbass is the key to good "kick"

[alspe]

Originally Posted by dangus

A 15" in a ported box (not a bulky horn) will play loud. Maybe you can find a 10" or 12" that is a bit less efficient (96 ~ 97 dB / 1w / 1m), with good power handling. Expect a pleated surround, not foam or rubber, and a ported box that won't be mistaken for a subwoofer, an F3 of 60 to 80 Hz. As long as you're not big into dubstep, a good kick should make up for the missing octave. On the other hand... multiple smaller drivers can move as much air as a larger one, and they also become more efficient as a group (than a single driver), so if you found a good deal on a bunch of 6" woofers (like 8 of them), you might get the equivalent of a 15" but in a box that will fit under a bed.

About underlined, you're bit wrong. multiple small drivers don't do one big if they in line. Only in the case they are for example in 2x2 or 3x3 matrix, they are efficient acoustically. Otherwise, one big driver couples to air better than many small ones.

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Proper and simple home disco speaker could be floor/corner located like Klipsch Heresy. Maybe with 10" PA woofer tuned at 50 Hz + 1" horn driver. Corner makes them efficient in bass, 10" woofer gives kick in upper bass.

[m R g S r]

One big driver may couple to air better but with a single source room modes could hinder output in the desired listening area where as 8 distributed subs may provide even bass around the entire room...

[epa]

i think the ts only want's a "sub" or 2.
msgr is correct about better distribution of multiple setup.(if thats what you want)
however in this case an easy way is to use one sub corner loaded .
for example a triangular shape th in the corner has a small footprint,but can give verry low extension.
its up to the ts how low ,how big ,how much money,how much effort ect ect.

i setup kick drum 40hz +15 db high q ,-10 db ~200 hz low q and +10 db 2khz medium q and some 8khz depending on type of sound.

[tb46]

Hi BigBoned,

A MCM 55-2421 8" is cheap and will work in a very small vented (bass reflex) box. Build two or more for more output.

Regards,

[Spuddy]

What about one or two of those Anarchy tapped horns that picked up a lot of attention last year? Ive never heard one, but a 6" woofer should have a good punch, the design is inherently efficient, and they're thin enough that even a couple of em could easily be tucked away under a bed or next to a desk

[BigBoned]

Thanks for your interest. I'd just like to clear up a few things.
I'm not looking for a piece of hi-fi equipment. My interest in this matter is to achieve that not-so-hi-fi disco kick bass for party music.
The idea af hiding the loudspeaker under the bed or other furniture is not useful with my current living conditions. However, there is room for a narrow tower from floor to ceiling in one corner of the room. I assume there is room for 8" or maybe 10" speaker(s) including cabinet, so I'm really keen to know if designs like the ones you recommend are available with less folds? Specifically Martinsson's suggestion 'THAM10 a very compact 10" TH' or the Anarchy tapped horns look interesting. But again, I will like to stress that there possibly will not be room for loudspeaker(s) larger than 8".