Home Theater Forum and Systems banner

Sonotube Build Question - Where the do I start? Subwoofer 101 Help Requested

4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  chrapladm 
#1 ·
I am slow. I admit it. I simply do not understand where to begin.

Do I pick a driver and an amp? How do I figure out the dimensions? I saw the enclosure calculator, but how does that help me? I am hoping someone can tell me what the dimensions should be. I don't know what to type in there.

I have winisd. I know how to get the t/s parameters on Dayton's site, but I am not that quick.

What the is the first thing that I do? I know what I want. I want to feel the bass in movies and want the house to shake when something explodes. I want to build it. It is probably easier to buy but the DIY looks interesting, plus maybe I can do better than a store bought.

Thanks for any help. I have searched. I have tried. I'm just lost.

(Yes, I'm sure it's on a sticky somewhere that I just have overlooked fifty times.)
 
#2 ·
How big is your room that you want the subwoofer in?

What is your budget? What is the biggest size of cabinet you are able to accommodate?

Then we can figure out the rest from there.
 
#3 ·
  • I'm moving, and I think it is 12x15.
  • $300, if possible. I could get more if need it, maybe. I'd have to sell some stuff, but I'm dedicated :).
  • I don't know the last one. I guess big as I need. I don't care really. I don't know how big they get.

Thanks!
 
#5 ·
Are you wanting a sonotube subwoofer for sure or any other design will do?

Budget wise it is very hard to beat the $190 18" woofer from SI. Needs a big amount of space though but doable. If you want smaller the 15" from SI can be placed in a small 3cuft sealed or larger for ported sonotube.

So a sonotibe sub ported for the 18" could be about 45" tall by 22" wide. Or for the 15" not as wide for the ported or sealed it could be a 18" wide by 22" of coarse all depending on what thickness you get. I based all guesstimates off of 1/4" walls.
 
#7 ·
Well a SI 15" would be a good start then. Not sure about your cost on a sonotube though. It may be the same price as a cabinet built out of MDF.
 
#8 ·
Sure, you could start small, but try to get your budget up to ~$500. Don't forget, you're going to need an amp and about 20 trips to Home Depot. It all adds up. Maybe you can try to find everything used and keep it down to $400.

But if you want to keep it at $300, how about the Anarchy flat pack? Maybe even a pair.

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/flat-packs-1/subwoofer-flatpacks-2.html

Anybody else here know how to get the ultimate boom/buck ration in the $300 range?
 
#9 ·
Dollar for Dollar it is hard to beat the THT or F20. But those are large subwoofers. There are other options out there also though. A T-6, horned subwoofer, which only needs a 8 or 10". But simplicity wise a simple sealed sono or ported sono or cabinet would be easier. That being said the horn builds are easy to build. If I can build one anyone can build one.

I say start off will a sealed or ported SI 15". If you want more than build a horned subwoofer. But remember the horned subwoofer will be huge. But monstrous on SPL and you could use the SI 15" in a horned subwoofer also.
 
#10 ·
Depends, if your buying new its going to be very tight to fit in a full sub for $300. If you want to buy used it becomes a bit easier but you add some risk. I have to say if you look into the Infinity Reference 1260w speakers you can buy them for ~$55 right now brand new. Build a 4-5 cubic foot ported and tuned to 21 hz box and run a Bash 300 amp on it. You'll get ~110 DB from 20 to 80 hz with the cost of the materials and everything should be just under your $300 goal. I personally just got started building my second one of these using the 1262W model.

You can get some decent stuff from the used market as well. I built a sub using a nearly new Dayton RSS390HO that I picked up for $100 and a Bash 300 I picked up for $100 as well. That sub gets me about 2 DB more than the infinity build but the box is 7 cu feet instead of 4.5. Planning to run all 3 subs in my room total cost will be about $900 and should result in about 117 - 118 db from 20 to 80 hz. If you go the used route make sure as always to check seller ratings.
 
#11 ·
goodears...i was in the exact same place you are now...as of several weeks ago...

my budget was around 350...it was my very first build of any kind...actually my first venture into diy / woodworking...

i went with a 12" subwoofer / 14" sonotube ported design at roughly 4 cu ft (would not recomment 14" diameter sonotube for 12" sub...small workarounds for binding posts and legs)...as of now...i am almost done with the build...i still need to put the endcaps into the sonotube...

i have documented every step in an excel sheet up until this point...right down to drill bit sizes and procedures for cutting and so on so forth...i have also taken around ~100 pics...i will be posting a build thread...but i imagine it is still a couple weeks away...

i have placed the materials i used to get my build done just to give you an idea...as another poster mentioned...i did make around 20 trips between Home Depot / Menards / Harbor Freight...it was a learning process...and that's part of what makes it fun...

TABLE SAW
DREMEL TRIO
CORDLESS DRILL
SOLDERING GUN
TAPE MEASURER
RULER
MASKING TAPE
ELECTRICAL TAPE

CLAMPS
#8 COARSE THREAD DRYWALL SCREWS
#6 COARSE THREAD DRYWALL SCREWS
1/4 DOWEL PINS
WOOD GLUE
3M 77 SPRAY ADHESIVE
PL PREMIUM CONSTRUCTION ADHESIVE
ABS CEMENT
SILICONE SEALANT
SPRAY PRIMER
SPRAY PAINT

12 INCH DAYTON AUDIO DVC310-88
14 INCH DIAMETER SONOTUBE 51.5 INCH TALL
3/4 MDF
1 1/8 ROUND DOWEL
4 INCH PRECISION PORT FLARED KIT
4 INCH PRECISION PORT STRAIGHT TUBE
4 INCH PRECISION PORT CONNECTING RING
SPEAKER WIRE
POLYFILL PILLOWS

My purpose of my build was for low end extension for a smaller room with a limitation on the footprint...what are the contributing factors for your build...how large is hour room?...movies or music?...emphasis on spl or low end (not that you cant have both but with little woodworking skills and smaller budget...maybe not so easily...)?...
 
#12 · (Edited)
Not to steal this thread, but hopefully I can contribute and also get some answers. I currently am running one of the 15" SI HT-D2 drivers in a sealed cabinet. I power it with one channel off an ep4000, and it has some serious kick to it. BUT at very loud levels, I feel like i can here some levels of distortion (haven't measured yet, will soon). I really enjoy woodworking and was thinking about building BFM's THT using the 15" SI driver. I know I could get more spl/efficiency/sensitivity with the same driver in a THT box.

Chrapladm - I've seen many of your other posts and you seem to know quite a bit about the THT's. You just mentioned here that the 15" SI HT-D2 would work in a horned sub. I bought BFM's plans for the THT and according to the recommended parameters for a driver, the 15" SI HT-D2 does fit the bill. It also states that drivers with lower Fs (like the SI that is 18.5 Hz) should be more wide (maybe for the BFM THT, as wide as 36"?) The SI drivers are obviously new, and I've only really seen sealed and ported enclosures being built for them. Chrapladm, could you give me an idea on maybe how wide I should build the THT with this driver? Also, maybe overall how well this driver would respond in a THT? Thanks
 
#13 ·
I could chat for a while on THT and other horned subs but prefer to keep this thread on track. SO just start up your own thread and I will respond there. :bigsmile:pM sent.

Circular saw, jig saw and tape measure are the main tools you need. Wood, driver, amp, adhesive and some sort of binding posts are the other extras.

Did you come up with any closing ideas on what your thinking of going with?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top