benefits of different enclosures

[tpizzle]

I am trying to gain an understanding here before I make any moves. I currently am looking to build my own home theater sub this summer and want to know what drivers to be looking at, what amps, box materials, etc. Anything helps

What are the differences in performance of cylinder vs box designs. Or does it depend on the driver. Also, I have been recommended some 15" drivers, this seems a bit much considering many high-end subs come equipped with 12" drivers.

Please give any recommendations product-wise. thanks. I am mostly concerned with sound quality, and my room is small/medium.

[buggers]

RL-P15 in 6 foot tall, 24" diameter Sonotube, 27.5'' long 6" diameter port, gives about 14Hz tune, and an EP2500 amp:raped: You wont be disappointed.

[mrstampe]

Welcome to the Shack, tpizzle. I posted a response to a similar question yesterday.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...html#post66597

Regarding tube vs. box enclosures, it's a matter of personal preference, simplicity of build, and cost (the latter two favoring "Sonosub" or tube designs). Others will weigh in on driver options, but it's fair to at least consider the two sponsor companies' offerings -- Soundspinter and Fi. They both have their own forums and several example projects are featured in build threads. Amps range widely in power handling and should be matched to your design goals and the driver/enclosure -- two main varieties are plate amps (install directly into your sub) and pro amps (fit into a pro rack system or can be made to work in a component cabinet).

There will be lots more advise coming your way. Hope this helps.

[tpizzle]

a plate amp probably is difficult if a sonotube enclosure is chosen, but i would prefer a plate amp.

[mrstampe]

tpizzle wrote:

a plate amp probably is difficult if a sonotube enclosure is chosen, but i would prefer a plate amp.

You can definitely find Sonosub examples using Soundsplinter, Fi, and almost any of the popular drivers out there. Plate amps have been used with tubes, but it's not as easy as with a cabinet. I've seen the plates mounted in their own box apart from the sub, and in a box that's applied to the tube side. Don't compromise the tube by cutting into it. It's convenient to have a stand-alone powered tube, just take a look at what others have done, plan it out, and only then start ordering and building.

[letzleta]

I have a 15" Dayton Titanic in a sonotube with a plate amp built into a seperate box. I like this setup because I can position the sub anywhere and still control it from my seating position. Also, that way I only had to run a speaker wire to the sub, rather than running a long sub cable.

[mrstampe]

letzleta wrote:

I have a 15" Dayton Titanic in a sonotube with a plate amp built into a seperate box. I like this setup because I can position the sub anywhere and still control it from my seating position. Also, that way I only had to run a speaker wire to the sub, rather than running a long sub cable.

I really like the idea of being able to adjust your sub from the listening position. If you have remote gain and low-pass adjustments, it offers convenient fine-tuning capabilities going from music to HT.

[bigguy]

buggers wrote:

RL-P15 in 6 foot tall, 24" diameter Sonotube, 27.5'' long 6" diameter port, gives about 14Hz tune, and an EP2500 amp:raped: You wont be disappointed.

Listen to this man.. I did and have been excited with the SUB ever since... Spectacular is one of the more common words aside from "what is that???!!!" :raped:

In all seriousness, If you love sub and are looking for Huge Return on Investment, then this is the way to go...

[atledreier]

I'm currently building TWO of those...

[Warmon]

tpizzle wrote:

Please give any recommendations product-wise. thanks. I am mostly concerned with sound quality, and my room is small/medium.

Hi tpizzle,

You say you are most concerned about sound quality and want a plate amp. Couple of questions: What's your budget for subs and amp? Is this 100% HT?...and what max size box are you comfortable with? Is this going in a dedicated HT or dual purpose room? Is the room live [sparse, hardwood floors, etc] or dead [carpet, over-stuffed furniture, etc]?

[Owen Bartley]

tpizzle, as stated, box vs. tube doesn't make much of a sonic difference, but what you should be considering is sealed vs. ported vs. passive radiator. I'll let the real experts chime in here, but I'll give a quick generalization. Sealed works well for music and sound quality conscious setups, but will require more power and doesn't have as deep extension. Ported will play louder and lower with less power and is great for HT focus. Passive radiator is similar to ported, but almost a cross between the two (I think?).