Good morning everyone
Due to space issues and a desire to experiment with something new, I want to venture into building a pair of subwoofers that will form the fourth way of a fully active multi-way speaker. This is a subwoofer that is to operate from 30 to 80 Hz consisting of two 15" PA woofers per side. Most likely 4 rcf lf15x401s that I already own (just a pair for now). I am intent on using them in a closed box even though they don't have the optimum parameters for this kind of enclosure, however working fully active and using a minidsp flex 2x8+ dirac I can afford to linearise the response as I want. I am limited exclusively by the xmax but having a rather small room and being more interested in high dynamics than a rather high constant volume I prefer this type of alignment which allows me to have a smaller enclosure and a more damped response.
The particularity I would like to explore is a kind of v frame baffle. See attached image (taken from another thread on this same site). Obviously unlike this configuration shown in the picture I would like to close the box behind the drivers.
Due to space issues and a desire to experiment with something new, I want to venture into building a pair of subwoofers that will form the fourth way of a fully active multi-way speaker. This is a subwoofer that is to operate from 30 to 80 Hz consisting of two 15" PA woofers per side. Most likely 4 rcf lf15x401s that I already own (just a pair for now). I am intent on using them in a closed box even though they don't have the optimum parameters for this kind of enclosure, however working fully active and using a minidsp flex 2x8+ dirac I can afford to linearise the response as I want. I am limited exclusively by the xmax but having a rather small room and being more interested in high dynamics than a rather high constant volume I prefer this type of alignment which allows me to have a smaller enclosure and a more damped response.
The particularity I would like to explore is a kind of v frame baffle. See attached image (taken from another thread on this same site). Obviously unlike this configuration shown in the picture I would like to close the box behind the drivers.
Attachments
I decided to use PA loudspeakers because after many loudspeaker builds I have come to appreciate the quality of bass generated by this kind of loudspeaker. I am content with less extension towards the lower frequencies, bartering them for more dynamics and live feel.
If someone would like to spend some time with me, I would need advice and help. I should mention that I'm not capable of using hornresp and I'm not very familiar with hornloads.
Advice:
1) Considering that this kind of baffle would in fact form a conical horn of rectangular shape with dimensions of approximately 30 × 50cm and a depth of about 45cm, roughly it will form an angle of 60° if I have done the calculations correctly, in your opinion, using it within the frequency range I have described above would result in a true horn loading? Judging by the wavelengths in question I would say no, but I would appreciate the opinion of some experts. Actually horn loading or a possible increase in directivity might be useful but it's not what I'm looking for: I'm more interested in decreasing the frontal size of the speaker without using more traditional solutions like putting the driver to the side. Despite theory to the contrary, when I mounted a subwoofer on the side I had the feeling of a decrease in puchiness and live effect. Maybe this is just my false perception due to some preconception.
2) Could a type of baffle like the one I have described, and with those dimensions, generate resonances (honkyness, HOMs) in the frequency range of my interest that I would not have if I mounted the speakers more commonly at the front?
3) Have any of you had experience of such a construction?
4). In your opinion, could this kind of configuration, apart from giving me a thinner speaker, bring any benefit?
Thanks
Franco
If someone would like to spend some time with me, I would need advice and help. I should mention that I'm not capable of using hornresp and I'm not very familiar with hornloads.
Advice:
1) Considering that this kind of baffle would in fact form a conical horn of rectangular shape with dimensions of approximately 30 × 50cm and a depth of about 45cm, roughly it will form an angle of 60° if I have done the calculations correctly, in your opinion, using it within the frequency range I have described above would result in a true horn loading? Judging by the wavelengths in question I would say no, but I would appreciate the opinion of some experts. Actually horn loading or a possible increase in directivity might be useful but it's not what I'm looking for: I'm more interested in decreasing the frontal size of the speaker without using more traditional solutions like putting the driver to the side. Despite theory to the contrary, when I mounted a subwoofer on the side I had the feeling of a decrease in puchiness and live effect. Maybe this is just my false perception due to some preconception.
2) Could a type of baffle like the one I have described, and with those dimensions, generate resonances (honkyness, HOMs) in the frequency range of my interest that I would not have if I mounted the speakers more commonly at the front?
3) Have any of you had experience of such a construction?
4). In your opinion, could this kind of configuration, apart from giving me a thinner speaker, bring any benefit?
Thanks
Franco