Folks, I'm really excited about my newest build. I think this will finally be enough LFE for me without breaking any drivers.
The what:
I made the decision to go with the current champ of bass-horns, Ricci's GJALLARHORN. It uses a single TC Sounds LMS-Ultra 18" driver, measures 45x45x24, weighs in at 300 pounds, and measures flat to 16hz at 118db, or up to 130.9db at the 80hz XO point for my system. I'm building two.
The why:
This year's rage seems to be high db at 10 or even 5hz. I personally feel extension this low is pointless for my system because I cannot feel anything below 15hz, I cannot hear it, the amps hate it, the house jiggles and rattles and shakes above any sound that I would hear, and I have to rearrange all of the stemware in the kitchen afterwards. So sub 15hz tuning for me - out. The G-Horn drops at 16hz, so the power fed to it will be used in all the right places. I have a history of breaking drivers because I like to watch good films at near-reference, or close to it, and my system has never been capable of handling it through poor design by me. Movie night at my house is an experience. I look forward to it all day and want to be able to put the remote down, stop having to throttle down the sub channel when movies like Olympus Has Fallen have over the top LFE. I need one hand to hold my wife's and the other for a craft beer. When I work around the house on projects on my days off and the girls are at work or school, I like to turn it up to 11. My neighbors are deaf, so why not? Childish? You bet! I want to set it and forget it, I want for the LFE channel to have more than is necessary at 75%. I believe that two GJALLARHORNs will make this happen for me.
The gear:
I will use a steep 24db Butterworth HPF as suggested and EQ with a balanced MINI DSP using the Advanced 4-way plug-in, measured by the Cross Spectrum calibrated UMIK, corrected with REW. The amp used is the Sanway Lab Gruppen clone fp14000, 120v version with 33db input gain and 140v hard limiting. Each G-horn will be on it's own channel on the fp14000 at 4ohms. The A/V receiver used is the Onkyo 818, using THX arrangement of the surrounds with 80hz LPF, full mains, 50hz center.
The place:
These will be in our 2781 cu^ft living room with 12' vaulted ceilings, many windows and 3 openings to other rooms. WAF is paramount to keep this hobby rolling for me, so the horns will be mounted in the attic, behind the front wall, 9' from the floor of the listening room. They will be placed at the center point, and again half way to the left corner. They are placed at 1/4 points to help with nulls in the room modes as discussed in Floyd Toole's White Papers. Thanks to Sanjay for his help with this. I also used REW room simulator as well as "the crawl," and SPL readings with the UMIK and REW by positioning one of the subs at the LP and measuring at the proposed positions. All tests found that these positions were two of the top 3 places. L and R corners were best, but one sub cannot be placed there due to construction limits, so the best "pair" is at the decided positions. The center of the horn mouth will be at 9', and the horizontal centers of the quarter points, and opening flush with the visible front wall of the room. I'm not sure what I will use to cover the horn mouth yet. WAF here again, so I will probably have to think of something. I like the stealthy idea of completely hidden subs.
The when:
Now! I found a Baltic Birch supplier today in KC with both 18mm 5x5 panels for $47 per sheet, and 12mm for $34 per sheet, for 13 sheets total. WHEN I finish remodeling the bathroom in about 3 weeks, the sheets will be here. I need some t-nuts and bolts, Kreg jig screws, PL, and all other gear and equipment is already in use in the HT. Ricci sent me the awesome set of detailed plans for the G-horn a couple of days ago. The installation won't happen until after Christmas. I remodel one room per year in our 1975 house, and the living room is the one for 2014. The horns will be lifted in to place with a hoist to the attic after I demo. But first, I have to finish remodeling the bathroom or my wife will kill me. I better go grout this shower, install the floor, put in the glass door, trim, prime...
Photo from the LP. Subs go top center and half-way to the left corner:
The Gjallarhorns
The what:
I made the decision to go with the current champ of bass-horns, Ricci's GJALLARHORN. It uses a single TC Sounds LMS-Ultra 18" driver, measures 45x45x24, weighs in at 300 pounds, and measures flat to 16hz at 118db, or up to 130.9db at the 80hz XO point for my system. I'm building two.
The why:
This year's rage seems to be high db at 10 or even 5hz. I personally feel extension this low is pointless for my system because I cannot feel anything below 15hz, I cannot hear it, the amps hate it, the house jiggles and rattles and shakes above any sound that I would hear, and I have to rearrange all of the stemware in the kitchen afterwards. So sub 15hz tuning for me - out. The G-Horn drops at 16hz, so the power fed to it will be used in all the right places. I have a history of breaking drivers because I like to watch good films at near-reference, or close to it, and my system has never been capable of handling it through poor design by me. Movie night at my house is an experience. I look forward to it all day and want to be able to put the remote down, stop having to throttle down the sub channel when movies like Olympus Has Fallen have over the top LFE. I need one hand to hold my wife's and the other for a craft beer. When I work around the house on projects on my days off and the girls are at work or school, I like to turn it up to 11. My neighbors are deaf, so why not? Childish? You bet! I want to set it and forget it, I want for the LFE channel to have more than is necessary at 75%. I believe that two GJALLARHORNs will make this happen for me.
The gear:
I will use a steep 24db Butterworth HPF as suggested and EQ with a balanced MINI DSP using the Advanced 4-way plug-in, measured by the Cross Spectrum calibrated UMIK, corrected with REW. The amp used is the Sanway Lab Gruppen clone fp14000, 120v version with 33db input gain and 140v hard limiting. Each G-horn will be on it's own channel on the fp14000 at 4ohms. The A/V receiver used is the Onkyo 818, using THX arrangement of the surrounds with 80hz LPF, full mains, 50hz center.
The place:
These will be in our 2781 cu^ft living room with 12' vaulted ceilings, many windows and 3 openings to other rooms. WAF is paramount to keep this hobby rolling for me, so the horns will be mounted in the attic, behind the front wall, 9' from the floor of the listening room. They will be placed at the center point, and again half way to the left corner. They are placed at 1/4 points to help with nulls in the room modes as discussed in Floyd Toole's White Papers. Thanks to Sanjay for his help with this. I also used REW room simulator as well as "the crawl," and SPL readings with the UMIK and REW by positioning one of the subs at the LP and measuring at the proposed positions. All tests found that these positions were two of the top 3 places. L and R corners were best, but one sub cannot be placed there due to construction limits, so the best "pair" is at the decided positions. The center of the horn mouth will be at 9', and the horizontal centers of the quarter points, and opening flush with the visible front wall of the room. I'm not sure what I will use to cover the horn mouth yet. WAF here again, so I will probably have to think of something. I like the stealthy idea of completely hidden subs.
The when:
Now! I found a Baltic Birch supplier today in KC with both 18mm 5x5 panels for $47 per sheet, and 12mm for $34 per sheet, for 13 sheets total. WHEN I finish remodeling the bathroom in about 3 weeks, the sheets will be here. I need some t-nuts and bolts, Kreg jig screws, PL, and all other gear and equipment is already in use in the HT. Ricci sent me the awesome set of detailed plans for the G-horn a couple of days ago. The installation won't happen until after Christmas. I remodel one room per year in our 1975 house, and the living room is the one for 2014. The horns will be lifted in to place with a hoist to the attic after I demo. But first, I have to finish remodeling the bathroom or my wife will kill me. I better go grout this shower, install the floor, put in the glass door, trim, prime...
Photo from the LP. Subs go top center and half-way to the left corner:
The Gjallarhorns