Hello! Time for my first post 🙂
I'm searching for a small pair of subs to integrate with my bookshelf (plan to use miniDSP for that).
I was browsing data-bass and was really impressed when I saw 15" cubes like those:
Those mighty little cubes have impressive group delay (and THD) figures, not to mention more than enough SPL (passing in CEA2010 test) for my small 1200 ft3 living room.
I suppose group delay is a big deal because my apartment - besides being small - is made of concrete and bricks all the way from floor to ceiling (some parts pure concrete), so there's already quite a lot of room-ringing, and a sub not 'tight' enough in the group delay department would only make matters worse (I do not want boomy bass). Please correct me if this supposition makes no sense. PS: for the reasons stated, acoustic treatment seems inevitable.
The least expensive driver seems to be the Sundown SA-15 for $260. But that's the driver alone. I have no idea how much for the amp and the box, but I'd guess the total package would cost no less than $500~600. But in that price range there are already some decent products like Rythmik L12.
Discounting the fun and enjoyment of DIY, and just from a performance*/price perspective: do you think it's worth building a 15" cube sub? Or finished products from ID companies would be a wiser choice?
*Either way (DIY or ID), I'd like to have performance comparable to those 15" cubes listed above.
If there is light at the end of the tunnel for the DIY path, please do not hesitate to go ahead and suggest some ideas/designs 😎
Have a good night!
I'm searching for a small pair of subs to integrate with my bookshelf (plan to use miniDSP for that).
I was browsing data-bass and was really impressed when I saw 15" cubes like those:
- DIY TC Sounds LMSR-12 Sealed (12" driver)
- DIY MTX 9515-44 sealed
- DIY SDX-15 Sealed
- DIY SA-15D2 Sealed
Those mighty little cubes have impressive group delay (and THD) figures, not to mention more than enough SPL (passing in CEA2010 test) for my small 1200 ft3 living room.
I suppose group delay is a big deal because my apartment - besides being small - is made of concrete and bricks all the way from floor to ceiling (some parts pure concrete), so there's already quite a lot of room-ringing, and a sub not 'tight' enough in the group delay department would only make matters worse (I do not want boomy bass). Please correct me if this supposition makes no sense. PS: for the reasons stated, acoustic treatment seems inevitable.
The least expensive driver seems to be the Sundown SA-15 for $260. But that's the driver alone. I have no idea how much for the amp and the box, but I'd guess the total package would cost no less than $500~600. But in that price range there are already some decent products like Rythmik L12.
Discounting the fun and enjoyment of DIY, and just from a performance*/price perspective: do you think it's worth building a 15" cube sub? Or finished products from ID companies would be a wiser choice?
*Either way (DIY or ID), I'd like to have performance comparable to those 15" cubes listed above.
If there is light at the end of the tunnel for the DIY path, please do not hesitate to go ahead and suggest some ideas/designs 😎
Have a good night!
Once you have a ringing room, the 'tightness' of the subwoofer does not matter anymore. It will be swamped by the ringing of the room anyway. Multiple subwoofers (2 or even better: 4) and parametric equalizing will at least partly fix boomy bass. The MiniDSP can do the equalizing.
Unfortunately the group delay of the sub doesn't affect the room ringing. As you suggest, you'll need to actually damp the room reflections to prevent that. A concrete and brick room is likely to provide strong room gain, however, so a sealed sub's frequency response might complement that nicely.
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