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Trying to do a budget home stereo sub setup.

10K views 47 replies 8 participants last post by  top_down 
#1 ·
I have been on this site searching for awhile and finally decided to join so that I can get my home sub off the ground.

I don't feel like spending 600 dollars on a sub in a box.
Here is what it will be used for:
music some of the time. I like rap and hip hop so very bass heavy
movies
gaming

I will be using my computer thats hooked up to my home system for most of it. Some of it will be directly through my home receiver and some through my ps3/xbox through the receiver.

Current system:
pioneer vsx-1020
klipsch quintet 5.1 surround sound
60 inch led

I try to do a ton of research on subjects so I don't sound like a total retard but on this subject I find it hard to find knowledgeable people to talk to. So I am here.
I will be trying to buy the driver and plate amp and then having a friend build me a box. Unless of course a pre built box will be cheaper.

The guy that builds my boxes has theories that I am not sure about.
Another local that sells parts for this kind of thing has different ideas.
So I am lost in limbo here.

My budget would be 500 but I would like to keep it well under that. If it goes that far then I guess thats the way it will be.
Did I mention I love bass? And I mean a lot of bass. But I understand that its probably hard to have that as well as have a super responsive driver for movies. I think.

What I have found so far are the boss plate amps from a local. the only problem is they say they are only down to 30hz range. I would think for deep shake my house bass that won't cut it. But the guy that sells them says they go lower and thats just the manufacturers label they put on them. True?
Speakers. My friend that builds boxes laughs at me when I mention any speaker under the 250 range. I mentioned a few I have seen on here that were cheap and he said there is a reason they are cheap. I don't necessarily agree but I don't know everything. And again the reason I am here.
Speaker box design. I have no clue on this one. My friend will build whatever I say and says that he is an expert at designing them. I am not 100 percent sure so I am here again for that reason.
My room is 12 feet from tv to where I watch tv/play games. 13.5 feet wide and 7.3 foot tall.

Sorry for the long first post but I wanted to give an accurate depiction of what I am working with and what I want accomplished. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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#28 ·
Surely you have something like a Home Depot near you. If you keep it simple and find the right guy on a slow day they'll usually help you load the $37 3/4" MDF on a cart and cut all the pieces with the panel saw. I've had great success doing this and it's much easier than hauling home a full sheet even if you have a saw. Try to design the box with only a few dimensions so if there's an error it will be consistent. Once you get it all home all you absolutely have to have is a jigsaw and a drill. Then a box of 1.5" drywall screws and a bottle of titebond. A little bondo on the outside, some silicone on the inside, and then black truck bed paint fixes many mistakes. When I was a lot younger we all built subs for our cars and didn't have Biesmeyer equipped table saws or plunge routers yet somehow we got it done. You can do it, sketch something up and go for it!
 
#30 ·
Yes, good point!

I found a drawing and cut sheet for a 6.35 cu ft 12" slot ported sub that fits on a single sheet of MDF and looks pretty easy to build. It's tuned to about 20hz and looks like it would come very close to the design Mike offered up. Is it okay to post a link to another forum here?
 
#33 ·
#45 ·
If you decide to build the slot ported enclosure - make the slot 16 3/4" long instead of 19" and put a 1" x 16 3/4" divider down the center of it (so you split the port into two 1" x 10 1/8" ports). This will change the tune to 21hz, which works much better for your driver, and get the aspect ratio into something more normal. Be sure to round over the ends of that panel and divider where the air enters the slot port, even if you have to use a file and/or sandpaper. If you want to round over the four sides of each slot out at the front that would be good too.

Then I believe you will need to check and possibly change the resistors in your amp per this document:
http://www.parts-express.com/pdf/300-750.pdf

R26 needs to be 27K and R25 needs to be 100K to cut the boost to 1dB and set the high pass filter frequency to 20.4hz. Find a friend who knows how to desolder and replace components if you need to but this is pretty important depending on what values it shipped with originally. The amp you bought is older so the circuitry may be different so check and double check the resistor numbers and values to be sure you are making the change intended. The resistors should be available from Radio Shack for a couple of bucks, but you may have to go to a real electronics store to find the values you need.

The subwoofer will be excursion limited (your driver only has a 14mm stroke) and will reach Xmax at around 100w so go easy on it. It should give you solid performance down to 20hz at about 107dB. Pretty respectable for what you'll have into it.
 
#47 ·
FWIW, I built a sub very similar to what Mike initially came up with, the differences being that I built a slot port and used a Dayton RSS390HF driver as opposed the HO. I have a large open room, and the sub literally rattles the pictures off the walls. Once I get a high-pass filter I should really be able to let it cut loose.

My build thread is here - soon to be updated as I'm in the process of putting the polish on her.
 
#48 · (Edited)
So the divided slot port works well for you? That was my biggest concern with the other plan I found so that is good to hear.

The bigger cabinet does help a bit; I suggested the 6.35cf plan simply because it could be made with one sheet of MDF but more importantly there was a finished plan to offer up to the OP.

BTW, your amp does have a HPF in it - it is a Sallen-Key filter that is factory set at 17.7hz and has a Q of 1.0. You can model it in WinISD and see if it is appropriate for your design. (probably very close)
 
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