I am wanting to build a subwoofer for my room, but i dont know what parts i need to build it and how i connect them up, the one thing i really know is that you need a driver and an amp to power it, could someone please help me with this? 😕
I would suggest checking out http://www.diysubwoofers.org . To even begin helping you we need to know your goals and setup. Is this for music or Home Theatre. How much space do you have, does it have to be small?
Personally I'm in the process of buliding a 12" subwoofer with a 250W plate amp. As far as parts needed you will need some type of wood, most people use MDF. Then basic woodworking tools. You can also buy a subwoofer kit from places like http://www.partsexpress.com.
Personally I'm in the process of buliding a 12" subwoofer with a 250W plate amp. As far as parts needed you will need some type of wood, most people use MDF. Then basic woodworking tools. You can also buy a subwoofer kit from places like http://www.partsexpress.com.
browse this forum for a while to see others' attempts
check this site: http://www.diysubwoofers.org/
I plan to do a Sonotube(cardboard tubes, makes a nice, easy building material, as noted here: http://members.tripod.com/~terryctheater/shivaphotoalbum/page12.html ) sub sometime in the next few months.
check this site: http://www.diysubwoofers.org/
I plan to do a Sonotube(cardboard tubes, makes a nice, easy building material, as noted here: http://members.tripod.com/~terryctheater/shivaphotoalbum/page12.html ) sub sometime in the next few months.
And just for grins, check out http://www.diysubwoofers.org.
Just kidding.
There are some great starting points along with the double-mentioned website. Patrick Sun has copiously documented his sub projects. I got started with Adire Audio Subs . They have quality drivers and instructions to go with. A very educational way to go is to download WinISD and play around with different drivers and enclosures. You'll need to learn something about Theil/Small Parameters too. Basically what needs to happen is: you select a driver based on it's performance and what you want it to do. Then, using the T/S measurements of that driver, place it in the appropriately sized enclosure with the correct vent size (or sealed), feed it the required amount of power and away you go! Oh, and there might be something about crossovers and capacitors and resistors and corner loading, but just ask when you get to that point.
Just kidding.
There are some great starting points along with the double-mentioned website. Patrick Sun has copiously documented his sub projects. I got started with Adire Audio Subs . They have quality drivers and instructions to go with. A very educational way to go is to download WinISD and play around with different drivers and enclosures. You'll need to learn something about Theil/Small Parameters too. Basically what needs to happen is: you select a driver based on it's performance and what you want it to do. Then, using the T/S measurements of that driver, place it in the appropriately sized enclosure with the correct vent size (or sealed), feed it the required amount of power and away you go! Oh, and there might be something about crossovers and capacitors and resistors and corner loading, but just ask when you get to that point.
thanks for all your help guys, but could you give me any recommendations of geting a power amp for the subwoofer and do i need any other items to get it all together?
Sub Amp
For an amp have a look at Jaycar. There's probably a store near you or look on their website
http://www.jaycar.com.au/
Or you could look at a subwoofer complete kit from The Loudspeaker Kit in Melbourne - maybe this is what you need.
http://www.theloudspeakerkit.com/
For an amp have a look at Jaycar. There's probably a store near you or look on their website
http://www.jaycar.com.au/
Or you could look at a subwoofer complete kit from The Loudspeaker Kit in Melbourne - maybe this is what you need.
http://www.theloudspeakerkit.com/
Jaycar have good amplifiers in Melbourne and you can get info online about their top of the range amp:
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~joeras/sub_index.htm#The Right Amplifier Please
I wouldn't use any of the Jaycar subs though - none of them are musical that I have heard.
The Loudspeaker kit are a great place to look. They have a $500 sub that is quite good and you won't be able to buy the parts cheap enough to make your own for that price. It sounds surprisingly good. If you want more SPL and something a little better, you could look at their other subs - definatly go have a listen - the big advantage is that you actually hear them, which is a luxury a lot of DIYers don't get on their first sub. Their other subs use the Parts Express Dayton DVC driver, quite similar to the Shiva - but if you want to get that driver on your own you have to order via Parts Express. Instead you might look at the Shiva which you can get from Acoustic Concepts in Mentone, they have a website as do the Loudspeaker kit.
Basically to make up your own you need:
*an amp with pre-outs (Like an av receiver) or a sub plate amp that allows you to use high level inputs (the signal that goes to your speakers from the amp via speaker cable)
*a plate amp
*sub driver of course
*MDF enclosure - don't use particleboard
*damping - lined walls for vented (foam), acoustic fill for sealed
*speaker cable from the amp to the driver
*RCA interconnects from the pre-out on the amp to the plate amp
*grille might be a good idea to protect the driver (Jaycar - grille clips and cloth, staples to attach to an MDF frame)
*finishing - either paint or veneer with clear finish applied
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~joeras/sub_index.htm#The Right Amplifier Please
I wouldn't use any of the Jaycar subs though - none of them are musical that I have heard.
The Loudspeaker kit are a great place to look. They have a $500 sub that is quite good and you won't be able to buy the parts cheap enough to make your own for that price. It sounds surprisingly good. If you want more SPL and something a little better, you could look at their other subs - definatly go have a listen - the big advantage is that you actually hear them, which is a luxury a lot of DIYers don't get on their first sub. Their other subs use the Parts Express Dayton DVC driver, quite similar to the Shiva - but if you want to get that driver on your own you have to order via Parts Express. Instead you might look at the Shiva which you can get from Acoustic Concepts in Mentone, they have a website as do the Loudspeaker kit.
Basically to make up your own you need:
*an amp with pre-outs (Like an av receiver) or a sub plate amp that allows you to use high level inputs (the signal that goes to your speakers from the amp via speaker cable)
*a plate amp
*sub driver of course
*MDF enclosure - don't use particleboard
*damping - lined walls for vented (foam), acoustic fill for sealed
*speaker cable from the amp to the driver
*RCA interconnects from the pre-out on the amp to the plate amp
*grille might be a good idea to protect the driver (Jaycar - grille clips and cloth, staples to attach to an MDF frame)
*finishing - either paint or veneer with clear finish applied
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