[jwesenick79]

So i got my parts last night from Partsexpress.com so i could finally finish my first home theater sub. I usually do car audio, but it was time to make the house rumble too lol. Turned out better than i had expected, im satisfied for it being my first attempt at one like this.

It's 3.8 cu.ft., ported out the back with a 3" port flared at both ends, tuned to ~16 Hz i think. I'll find out once i can get a mic to reach into this room lol. I used a 15" Debezt DP-U150 sub i bought randomly off a guy i know on another forum for $25, so it wouldnt have been too big of a loss either way. The amp is a Dayton 240w with the bass boost. And i covered it with black ash vinyl laminate. Let me know what you think!

ill try n get a better picture of the front later, and i'm looking into making a cover for the front now too. thanks for looking!

 

[tonyvdb]

Very nice clean job:clap: For a first thats top notch:T

 

[jwesenick79]

thank you! im not too positive on the tuning because of it being a flared port. When i do car audio i usually deal with slot ports so this was my first project with a cylindrical port too. But im happy with it, and that vinyl was definitely an excellent choice for me, i love it!:yay:

 

[E-A-G-L-E-S]

Nice job and finish man!

 

[chadci]

Wow, nice job. No way I would have been able to get the vinyl looking that nice!

 

[thxgoon]

Nice job! I like the look of that laminate. Be sure to let us know how it sounds.

 

[Mike P.]

Good looking sub! If the port length is 18 inches long then it's tuned to 16 hz. Looking forward to your impressions.

 

[jwesenick79]

well, it just so happens that the port is 18" long haha, glad i dont have to change it now lol. it sounds AWESOME! this is the first sub ive had for home theater and it is rattling everything in the house hahaha. i watched Transformers last night and wow hehe, how did i ever live without this?!! The vinyl was a pain to put on but you just gotta be patient with it, plus a helper doesnt hurt either. I had my lovely fiance help me out by holding it up and away from the box while i smoothed it out as it went across the surface. Otherwise, it never would've turned out this good. thanks for the compliments guys!

 

[jwesenick79]

oh yeah, and i bought two of those 15's so once i get the money again, it's gonna be time to build another of the same thing haha. More bass!!! lol:hsd:

 

[dradius]

It really does look like it turned out great. Nice job :T

 

[Kevin Haskins]

Nice job. The general rule for the flared Precision Sound Ports is that you take an inch off their length to account for the flare. The overall length of the uncut ones is 17", so it models like a 16" non-flared port.

Why? Well, at the flare terminus the port is getting larger. A larger diameter port needs to be longer in order to tune a box to the same frequency. So, the flare removes some of the effective length of the port. It is worth it though because you have a lot higher threshold before chuffing & port noise becomes audible.

Nice job on the sub!

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio
www.diycable.com

 

[Mike P.]

If the overall length of the flared port is 17 inches then it's tuned to 16.6 hz. Not that you're going to notice a difference with that small of an adjustment.

There's a port length calculator for Precision Ports here:

http://www.psp-inc.com/

 

[jwesenick79]

thanks for the information guys, very helpful indeed:T i used a port calculator but wasnt quite sure on everything with the flares, but i understand it now. I'm soooo glad i found this forum, i've learneda lot in the last few weeks and the projects on here are just out of this world lol. :hail:

 

[tcarcio]

Great looking sub. I am thinking of laminate when I build my sub and was wondering did you put down the natural wood looking laminate first and then the black. I have never done it before and was just wondering if that is what you should do or you did it on your own?

 

[tenzip]

did you put down the natural wood looking laminate first and then the black.

I thought at first that the top was natural color too, but the whole sub is black, I believe. That one picture has a reflection of the wall, and it looks like the top surface of the sub is natural wood color.

 

[tcarcio]

I thought at first that the top was natural color too, but the whole sub is black, I believe. That one picture has a reflection of the wall, and it looks like the top surface of the sub is natural wood color.

I really cant see how that is a relection??? I thought the first pick was with the top not finished and then the next was when it was done. If that is a reflection I have never seen that happen before.

 

[jwesenick79]

the whole sub is black. i thought it looked weird in that picture too, but it was on my dining room table and there is a light right above it so i must've just caught it at a strange angle. But when i did the laminate, i cut one long sheet, about 6 ft., started at the front at the bottom and worked my way up and over the top and then down the back, all in one piece, leaving 1/4" lips over the side edges. Then i traced the sides on another piece of laminate and cut it out and started at the top so there would be no bare wood spots. If you do decide to laminate an enclosure in the future, i would recommend sanding the entire box down with 220 or so and then use a tack cloth, vacuum, air nozzle, etc. to get all that dust off inside and out. That vinyl is very sticky and holds well, but there are a few small spot i saw where i didnt get all the dust off the enclosure.:duh: but the end result is phenominal lol. i do recommend this stuff for anyone that doesnt want t o bother staining and all that stuff. Thanks again for the compliments!

 

[jwesenick79]

here's a couple more pictures of it after i had placed the first big strip on it. and another of it completed.

last one was when i was setting it up late at night with whatever wire was left in the house haha. i moved it since then to the corner of the room.

 

[jwesenick79]

woohoo! i got my second amp and port in yesterday! Now hopefully it'll warm up just a little bit for me to start some work again on the second sub... should look identical to the first one unless anyone has any pointers for me to get it louder! lol :hsd:

 

[Mike P.]

Without being able to find any info on the DP-U150 you're using it's not possible to say how to get it louder. If the first sub is working well as it is then "stick with what works". It would be nice if you could post a pic of the sub just to see what it looks like.