I understand the enthusiast, hobby aspect of this site. I also understand the thrill in building monster subs. However, I wonder if building small subs is down to nothing more than ego.
I have built 7 small subs, some better than others. However, corporations have designed thousands of home theatre systems each incorporating small subwoofers. Only ego can justify my belief that I can build something better than them. In the 6'5" stakes: the Sony SA-WNT5 has kicked the *** of anything I can build - I bought it for $10 because it wouldn't pair.
Then came to coup-de-gras. I found a pair of Audica Microsubs on Ebay. http://www.audicapro.co.uk/microsub.html
Because the brand is unrecognised I picked up the pair for $25.00. I connected them to my system, my neighbours beat down my door. My mission was done, my fight was over. I had a pair of subs I couldn't use unless I wanted to be evicted.
Mission accomplished.
I have built 7 small subs, some better than others. However, corporations have designed thousands of home theatre systems each incorporating small subwoofers. Only ego can justify my belief that I can build something better than them. In the 6'5" stakes: the Sony SA-WNT5 has kicked the *** of anything I can build - I bought it for $10 because it wouldn't pair.
Then came to coup-de-gras. I found a pair of Audica Microsubs on Ebay. http://www.audicapro.co.uk/microsub.html
Because the brand is unrecognised I picked up the pair for $25.00. I connected them to my system, my neighbours beat down my door. My mission was done, my fight was over. I had a pair of subs I couldn't use unless I wanted to be evicted.
Mission accomplished.
Your link was a shade uncooperative with me, Surtsey.
However, I can link to details of the Audica Microsub 3.
Audica Professional - MICROsub
However, I can link to details of the Audica Microsub 3.
Audica Professional - MICROsub
I can see the use for these. I myself have two commercially made subs - Teufel with 25 cm woofer and Magnat BetaSub with 30 cm woofer. Each cost me around 30 - 40 Eur and they do the job well (supplementing fullrange speakers). But there is nothing like 4 PA 40 Hz bass horns - provided you have room for them
I hear your sentiments. I once worked with a reggae selector who believed 12" drivers were only good for headphones.
The Audicas are good down to 40hz. The lowest note of a bass guitar is 42hz although a piano can go down to 27.5hz.
I can see the use for these. I myself have two commercially made subs - Teufel with 25 cm woofer and Magnat BetaSub with 30 cm woofer. Each cost me around 30 - 40 Eur and they do the job well (supplementing fullrange speakers). But there is nothing like 4 PA 40 Hz bass horns - provided you have room for them
I'm talking in the practical sense. I live in an apartment in London.
Many years ago I partnered in a small 1st floor night-club. During a refurb, for bass reinforcement. I installed a pair of scoops based on JBL 4520s and a pair of Bose 302s.
The launch party was on a Saturday night: R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, UK Garage.
On Monday morning the bookshop below reported that many of the books had fallen from the shelves and most of the stock was damaged from the dust and dirt that had been dislodged from the suspended ceiling.
The long of the short of it: if I had a Lamborghini I would attempt, at some point, to drive at 200 mph. I can't have anything bigger than an 8" sub in my home.
I have the horns in my cellar, but I can only use them with the proper volume while the family is away. In my working room upstairs, I have two fullrange speakers and one relatively small (12") subwoofer that make me perfectly happy while listening at lower volumes. To get a pair of the microsubs for that price was an insane deal. For myself I found out that if the subwoofer can do -3 dB at 40 Hz in the room, I do not need anything lower. In the same room, I tried two 15" speakers that could go down to 30 Hz (- 3dB, measured that) and there was no perceivable difference with the listening volumes I am able to use there.
It's all about displacement..
Increased number of smaller subs can outperform bigger subs easily.
You can get a lot cleaner bass from multiple smaller subs.
Some of the advantages are increased sensitivity (add extra +3dB each time number of subs is doubled), reduced thermal compression (the power is further dived between the individual drivers; heat dissipation is a lot easier when the heat load is spread out to multiple drivers) , reduced THD.
In my open concept room 28' x 40' with 10' ceilings and open to second floor and basement the 8" subs (x16) with 105 dB Pink Noise at 4m distance at listening position they measure only 1% THD from 8Hz to 37Hz.
Those 16 x 8" subs have the displacement of 2x 18" subs and only a fraction of their distortion.
In-floor subwoofer s- 8x8" drivers each, highest WAF factor
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Increased number of smaller subs can outperform bigger subs easily.
You can get a lot cleaner bass from multiple smaller subs.
Some of the advantages are increased sensitivity (add extra +3dB each time number of subs is doubled), reduced thermal compression (the power is further dived between the individual drivers; heat dissipation is a lot easier when the heat load is spread out to multiple drivers) , reduced THD.
In my open concept room 28' x 40' with 10' ceilings and open to second floor and basement the 8" subs (x16) with 105 dB Pink Noise at 4m distance at listening position they measure only 1% THD from 8Hz to 37Hz.
Those 16 x 8" subs have the displacement of 2x 18" subs and only a fraction of their distortion.
In-floor subwoofer s- 8x8" drivers each, highest WAF factor
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This is just plain wrong. You dont get the 3 db gain pr doubling up unless you also doubling up the power. 10W at one driver. 4 drivers will then get 2.5W each. So total sensitivity wil remain the same. And if you doubling up the power for each doubling of drivers to get the extra 3db pr doubling up, what then with your next point regarding heat dissipation? That goes straight out the window. You don't get the cake and get to eat it too. You never do in this Hi-Fi world.
No, you got this wrong.
You get 3db more output when you double the number of drivers in the group while the total power remains the same - that's due to increased sensitivity in the drivers group by 3dB.
When you double the group power on top of that so each driver remains powered the same amount - that adds another 3db to the output - a total increase of 6dB output relative to a single subwoofer.
That's why when a second subwoofer with the same power is added - and placed within distance 1/4 wave length of the highest frequency the driver is playing - besides another subwoofer the total SPL output goes up by 6dB.
That's the main principle of multiple driver combinations.
Google it - there is a ton on info on that subject out there.
You get 3db more output when you double the number of drivers in the group while the total power remains the same - that's due to increased sensitivity in the drivers group by 3dB.
When you double the group power on top of that so each driver remains powered the same amount - that adds another 3db to the output - a total increase of 6dB output relative to a single subwoofer.
That's why when a second subwoofer with the same power is added - and placed within distance 1/4 wave length of the highest frequency the driver is playing - besides another subwoofer the total SPL output goes up by 6dB.
That's the main principle of multiple driver combinations.
Google it - there is a ton on info on that subject out there.
Sealed sub, that is. I bet you could have a pair of 18"s in H frames, which would provide nice, uniform bass at your listening position - but nearly nothing at the neighbor's listening position.
A childhood classmate - who happens to be MJK - once told me he was pleasantly listening to CCR utilizing 4, 18's in H frames - while his wife in the room directly below was pleasantly watching TV. Try that with a sealed / reflex sub.
I can also attest to OB bass NOT propagating into adjacent rooms in my own home, while sounding great at my listening position in the living room. You CAN have good bass AND live in an apartment building. It's just that sealed / reflex speakers are so popular, most everyone doesnt know how.
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