No diy subwoofer forum

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 9:10 AM

Ian,

There doesn't seem to be a specific DIY Subwoofer

forum like they have on the avsforum and hometheatershack.

The only DIY forum I have found is the HOME CINEMA DIY and that is not specific to subwoofers. Its a mix of everything and that is not very imformative in any way.

cheers

Graham

AngelEyes · 19-08-2009, 9:17 AM

Quote:

Its a mix of everything and that is not very imformative in any way.

Heaven forbid you require some effort to find what you need!

Try using the search tool.

'diy subwoofer' returned plenty of threads. Alternatively post a question there.

Adam

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 9:20 AM

Adam,

I think it would be better to have a specific forum for this under the main subwoofer forum. Works for everyone else why not us in the UK. Are we so different?

Cheers

Graham

AngelEyes · 19-08-2009, 9:25 AM

Perhaps some subjects don't warrant enough traffic for an individual forum but you can always ask Stuart to add a seperate forum.

I didn't think you were that interested in building a subwoofer yourself?

Adam

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 9:35 AM

Adam,

I am still not totally convinced with music with the PB13. Movies are brilliant. I just feel I am missing something with music. Probably because I am really fussy.

Tell me if I am wrong but I read somewhere the other day that with sealed subs below the point of tuned frequency of a ported sub, the sealed sub has more output, say at 15hz the ported would have more output but at 10hz the sealed would have more as they don't roll of the db as sharp as a ported sub at the tuned frequency.

I thought that ported subs have more grunt in the lower hz than a ported sub.

I am still keeping all my options open at the moment as it is increasingly look like I am heading towards a sealed sub, but I want a dual sealed sub something like the Seaton submersive but thinking a diy sub would be cheaper to do bearing in mind the seaton sub is ¢2000 plus wood finish and shipping.

cheers

Graham

AngelEyes · 19-08-2009, 9:43 AM

Get an EQ device, you will never get the best out of any sub in your room until you do.

Adam

recruit · 19-08-2009, 9:46 AM

If music is what is bothering you the most, you should also be looking at other components in your system, I remember having the MA S6's and was running them with a lesser AV amp at the time, pioneer IIRC and replaced it with a Yamaha Z9, and my system sounded as if I had new speakers it made that much of a difference...it may not just be the subwoofer that you are not happy with, just need to consider all the potential Possibilities...

From my time with the PB13, once setup correctly I found it equally adapt with music as it was with movies, and in relation to my other components...

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 9:55 AM

Recruit,

I have my speakers set to 90hz as it sounds the best. When I drop the hz on the amp crossover they just sound thin.

For me it is the bass that is the issue and as most of the bass goes to the sub I can't imagine its the speakers.

I have tried the anti mode but with little effect. I did speak to BK and now I have moved the sub they did say I could return it if I wasn't happy so I may get one and see how it sounds.

They are really clear speakers in my mind but I think they are more design for home theatre and not hifi like the spendors I previously owned.

cheers

Graham

recruit · 19-08-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gperkins1973

Recruit,

I have my speakers set to 90hz as it sounds the best. When I drop the hz on the amp crossover they just sound thin.

For me it is the bass that is the issue and as most of the bass goes to the sub I can't imagine its the speakers.

I have tried the anti mode but with little effect. I did speak to BK and now I have moved the sub they did say I could return it if I wasn't happy so I may get one and see how it sounds.

They are really clear speakers in my mind but I think they are more design for home theatre and not hifi like the spendors I previously owned.

cheers

Graham

Exactly my point though, I would not be running speakers like spendors through an AV amp, or any HiFi speaker to be honest unless the other components matched the same calibre, a system has to gel and although the bass may sound lesser it is only producing the signal it is being fed via the AV amp or preamp stage...the room will also play a massive part in the final sound that you are listening to and EQ can help, but I personaly think you will be chasing your tail on this one...

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 10:07 AM

It may be worth going down the road I previously did and that was running individual power amps to bi amp front speakers.

Previous set up was:

Fronts: Spendor S9e with Quad 909's x2 to bi amp 140 watts x 2 (x2)
Centre: Spendor C9e with Quad 99 mono block 150 watt
Rears: Spendor S5e with Quad 99 mono blocks 150 watt x2
All run with Chord rumour 4 speakers cables
Used reciever as processor only.

I had to sell to get some money. Broke my heart

cheers

Graham

recruit · 19-08-2009, 10:12 AM

Indeed very nice system, personally I do not like using a sub if 2 channel HiFi is the priority, as with a good system and speakers of say the calibre of Spendor or any other Higher end brand should suffice in the bass department and gives a purer sound...

I do listen to 2 channel sometimes in my setup below, but while ok I would not call it good as I have been spoilt previously to the wonders of proper HiFi..

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 10:19 AM

Recruit,

How do you find the Rotel amp. I was looking them when I got the Quads. I recall they did a 2 x 350 watt ish amp and for the money they were cheaper than the Quads. I did originally demo the S8e's with 2 (2 x 250 watt) Music fidelity power amps. Boy did that rock!

cheers

Graham

recruit · 19-08-2009, 10:26 AM

The Rotel is a fantastic amp, runs super cool and is very powerful, it is great for multichannel use, but I know of the The_Force who is using it with his Kef Reference speakers although I believe he is using the 1572 to power L/R channels and as a stereo amp better for 2 channel over the 1575...

IMO class D is the way forward for poweramps...Pioneer are now using ICE power amplification so it is gaining popularity...

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 10:39 AM

Perhaps it may be worth looking into the new pioneer amps then.

Graham

recruit · 19-08-2009, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gperkins1973

Perhaps it may be worth looking into the new pioneer amps then.

Graham

Hmmm.....AV and HiFi is the endless search for the ultimate sound...the journey can be long and worthless to some, but very satisfying to the few

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 11:04 AM

Not forgetting how much it bl**dy well costs to keep changing. Its like buying computers. Every two minutes they keeps upgrading them. You just can't keep up with it all!

cheers

Graham

paulst10 · 19-08-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by recruit

The Rotel is a fantastic amp, runs super cool and is very powerful, it is great for multichannel use, but I know of the The_Force who is using it with his Kef Reference speakers although I believe he is using the 1572 to power L/R channels and as a stereo amp better for 2 channel over the 1575...

IMO class D is the way forward for poweramps...Pioneer are now using ICE power amplification so it is gaining popularity...

Second that

The Rotel is quite a stunning piece of kit, the sound quality at high listening levels puts AVR's to shame

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 11:18 AM

How much are second hand rotel amps and how would they partner with the Monitor Audio RS6's

cheers

Graham

paulst10 · 19-08-2009, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gperkins1973

How much are second hand rotel amps and how would they partner with the Monitor Audio RS6's

cheers

Graham

Best check the classifieds every so often

The 10xx series crop up occasionally but I don't think they are class D, the 15xx series are pretty new so wouldn't expect to see any of those for sale yet

**IronGiant** · 19-08-2009, 1:35 PM

Regarding the OP, I have a DIY subwoofer and I happily discuss it in here, (probably too much

). The point is, it's still a sub, and suffers from the same issues, problems and joys as a manufactured one, which are best discussed in the subwoofer section. The building process is quite a short one and there aren't that many of us doing it, so I don't think a stand alone forum would get enough traffic to justify it's existence any more than an individual manufacturer's one would.

If anything, I would personally prefer it if DIY subwoofer threads posted in the DIY Home Cinema Forum were transferred into here as I often miss them if no reference is made to them in here.

Dave

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 1:56 PM

No probs chaps with regards to the Diy Subwoofer forum, I will probably be best turning my attention to avsforum or hometheatershack forums as they are dedicated to that topic and more people diy in the states than over here.

cheers

Graham

**IronGiant** · 19-08-2009, 2:29 PM

I'm interested...and I'm sure others are too, so don't forget us

Dave

gperkins1973 · 19-08-2009, 2:33 PM

I won't I promise. I was looking on the hometheatershack last night and boy are there alot of diyers!

There are also alot of people who have a strange idea how a diy sub should look like. I think the best one I've seen is a rubiks cube. We have a gigantic one in our studio at work but alas its not a sub.

cheers

Graham

**IronGiant** · 19-08-2009, 2:38 PM

Ah yes, the rubik's cube is a classic. Is the Death Star one featured over there? It looked like a giant PV1 with a real badass attitude

Dave

Nimby · 20-08-2009, 12:10 PM

I'm sure Graham will forgive me in suggesting that DIY means Do It YOURSELF.

Not getting somebody else to design and knock something up for you.

He thus disqualifies himself from even participating in a DIY subwoofer forum on the multiple grounds of previous inactivity, a lack of expertise, general inexperience and not knowing a ballpien hammer from a Bristol screwdriver!

craigxt22 · 20-08-2009, 4:43 PM

I'm thinking about building a pair of bookshelf speakers.
Completely new to it all and I'm not great at DIY.

Does building your own equipment workout cheaper than buying branded stuff?

**IronGiant** · 20-08-2009, 7:54 PM

It used to but now that a lot of the building is done far east the margins have shrunk considerably...

Dave

gperkins1973 · 20-08-2009, 8:08 PM

nimby

At the end of the day whether I made it or a carpenter made it, it is still a diy sub. Perhaps you can call it a custom built sub. Having different components other than in subs you buy in the shops certainly in my book makes it a diy sub because Ive hand picked them.

Okay I wouldn't be be building the box but is that really the end of the world.

Not really eh!

cheers graham

**IronGiant** · 20-08-2009, 10:05 PM

I'm happy with custom built is the same as DIY

Mad Monk · 20-08-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gperkins1973

I won't I promise. I was looking on the hometheatershack last night and boy are there alot of diyers!

There are also alot of people who have a strange idea how a diy sub should look like. I think the best one I've seen is a rubiks cube. We have a gigantic one in our studio at work but alas its not a sub.

cheers

Graham

Eve Graham
I found that by asking the right questions on these forums you'll get enough well informed suggestions and then Google is your best friend.

I'm building an IB sub (thanks for the idea Nimby) and during my research I found many dedicated subwoofer websites along with the usual forums and some specialist forums all very useful collectively.

I don't know where you'd go from a PB13U though. I've never heard one, but the next logical upgrade seems to be a wall full of 18's

MK