Dual driver front firing towers huh….like the JL Gotham? That’s what’s known as an SPL beast where ultra deep bass is the goal….tons of watts and DSP get it there at a price. And the folks stacking the REL subs?…….that’s just posturing for the system photo…….there’s usually a $30k turntable somewhere in that pic.
Here‘s my take on DIY so you can better understand why I’m a bit of a curmudgeon……the beauty of DIY that makes the effort worth the undertaking is that a person can channel their creativity to suit their individual needs and environment.….the key question in that statement becomes the ‘need’. As an older fella who’s made far too many DIY mistakes to share, my first qualifying question is Should I…….and THEN Could I….always in that order. What need did/does your 410 sub cabinet fill……is the 410 design the best for your specific environment?
But to answer your question, yes…..you COULD build another identical 410 and place it opposite the other along side a center channel. If you were to add some distance between them, the more the better…well…..DSP would certainly help.
I know what you’re thinking….no way I’m gonna tear apart what I built already….I like it and MORE is BETTER. Well…..I’m here to tell ya….in many cases…..sometimes the baby is rotten and needs to go along with the bath water. That cab is ‘your baby’…….decide if it loves you back and then proceed.
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EQ can flatten the cabinet response, but can't "fix" room issues, other than in one position.
Multiple cabinets can reduce room issues, but little is gained past three cabinet locations.
Your 4x10" drivers are located within 1/4 wavelength of each other below ~100Hz, so for a normal "sub" crossover frequency, phase cancellation (lobing) is not an issue.
The 4x10" center to center distance is nothing compared to the center to center distance between subs and mains in a distributed sub system.
Opposed drivers don't "dampen resonance".
Opposed driver's mechanical force offset is a positive feature as far as reducing structural weight for a given amount of cabinet vibration, though with your driver's relatively light cones and short excursion, nothing to get too excited about- I doubt the cabinet "walks" with asymmetrical input waveforms as it is.
Mechanical force transmitted through the floor gives a more immediate tactile sensation, which also can be viewed as a positive feature- a lot of enthusiasts add tactile transducers.
Cheers,
Art
It seems like that's what the OP was trying to do. If he likes it, that's good enough for me. Different people have different desires and goals for their creations. Just because something can be optimized some other way doesn't mean it has to be. Or that those improvements even matter to them.
My plan was too always (hopefully) make each driver work together in the same cabinet to boost playback on all fronts due to the drivers being relatively cheap to almost compare to something of higher quality in a single driver box from a name brand which i couldn't afford. In my mind i achieved that goal. Once i received the comments from one poster about the "hot mess" i had made i did a little digging on lobing and cancellations, i did find an article that used a heat map to show subwoofer DB vs distance and how it is dispersed. It showed that if i place 2 sub boxes within about 2metres centre to centre then they will work together, as they were moved apart more they created some cancelation points and lobing, it would get quite severe around 3-4metres. When i create a second one it will have a distance of 1.8 metres centre to centre. So i really should achieve my goal. Which was always maximising db gains from multiple drivers and making them super efficient by driving them all separately as i dont have the $$$ to purchase a 1000+ watt amp.
I owned a SVS PB downfiring subwoofer years ago, sold it when i had kids, got back into home theatre when they got a little older and needed a subwoofer. I spent $1500 aud on the SVS originally and decent subs now cost at least or more now for anything decent in output. So i basically was working out how i could use the power of mutual coupling and seperate amplification to make a sub affordable and efficient. I achieved that and it cost me around $400 at the time. I can say for a fact it has way more impact than the single SVS had in my room (its sitting in the same position)
I have ordered a Dayton dsp-lf to get some readings and do some tweaks once the quad 12" is made. If it looks decent and outperforms the quad 10" i will make another later this year to compliment it.
I might post the dsp readings on here once complete.
There was a time when a single subwoofer box was perfectly acceptable, as your 4x10 is.
The need for multiple subs spread across the room is often driven by large rooms for home theatre where every seat needs an acceptable response.
If you sit in the same spot every time then multiple subs become less important.
As an example, my room is 20 x 10. I have a multi sub setup for my projector screen which gives a more even response across the listening positions when watching a film.
I have a single 12" sub I use for my TV in the same room . The response is good across the couch when watching TV, no need for a fancy sub set up.
Some times in the real world the 'ultimate' solution is not needed / worth the investment.
Regards,
Rob.
The need for multiple subs spread across the room is often driven by large rooms for home theatre where every seat needs an acceptable response.
If you sit in the same spot every time then multiple subs become less important.
As an example, my room is 20 x 10. I have a multi sub setup for my projector screen which gives a more even response across the listening positions when watching a film.
I have a single 12" sub I use for my TV in the same room . The response is good across the couch when watching TV, no need for a fancy sub set up.
Some times in the real world the 'ultimate' solution is not needed / worth the investment.
Regards,
Rob.
Assuming the 12" have the same or more Xmax as the 10", they should outperform the 10".
If they have similar Xmax, their sensitivity should be higher, more output per watt/voltage.
My room is slightly smaller than yours (fully enclosed) I enjoy bass and would like more. I also have 2 x buttkicker lfe attached to 2 of the seats which is probably more of a game changer than adding a second sub in the room.
I guess once you get the bug for bass you want more. I unfortunately cant go forking out $5000 for some serious subs. So DIY quad subs it is haha.
I'd rather have your 4 10"s in one box like you did, than a set of singles.
Like Art said, sub wavelengths are going to keep the drivers acting as one, and personally...I just don't like the sound of multiple subs placed around the room. Give me head-on front-firing bass !
Like Art said, sub wavelengths are going to keep the drivers acting as one, and personally...I just don't like the sound of multiple subs placed around the room. Give me head-on front-firing bass !
All previous arguments have merit.
I'm more interested in which drivers you chose and for what reasons apart from cost.
They look like the old catalogue Jaycar 10's I have in the shed but those are not really for subwoofer use.
Me? I like both stereo subs and distributed, just so long as it's clean and deep.
But honestly $5k-?? I can't even imagine how my beloved wife would react if I even mentioned that.
I'm more interested in which drivers you chose and for what reasons apart from cost.
They look like the old catalogue Jaycar 10's I have in the shed but those are not really for subwoofer use.
Me? I like both stereo subs and distributed, just so long as it's clean and deep.
But honestly $5k-?? I can't even imagine how my beloved wife would react if I even mentioned that.