[Kevin Haskins]

I posted in the DIY sub section and I'm not trying to be one of those persons that post in every section on every board but since my quest focuses on the Tempest, I thought I would re-post here.


Current sub is a MFW-15

room size 15 x 21 x 8 (approx 2500 cu ft) attached to another room

HT/music = 80/20

sub located in back of room-corner loaded presently

Thinking about a Tempest-x2 15" drivin by a plate amp (500w or 1000w) enclosed in a sealed
18 x 18 x 50 box (approx. 7 cu ft)

Is this doable? In your opinion will this outgun the MFW-15?

Dan

It won't outgun the MFW-15 in a sealed configuration. It might come close in the upper bass but a ported enclosure picks up a lot of output near tuning that is hard to overcome that without going up a driver size to something like the Maelstrom-18".

All of us are playing by the same rules. Box size, driver swept volume and amplifier power. If you massage those variables, you can always pick-up more output, but it takes making informed choices about those variables.

With a 7 cubic foot enclosure though, there is no reason not to port the Tempest-X2 and I assure you, at that point it will handily beat the MFW-15. If you want to stick to sealed, I'd encourage you to move up to the Maelstrom-18", with something like a Behringer EP-4000 driving it and you will once again, handily smoke the MFW-15. In both cases, you have moved to a more capable driver, larger enclosure and more amplifier power. Those are the rules and none of us get to violate them.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio

 

[Kevin Haskins]

Thanks for the insight, Kevin. So, I need to consider perhaps a slotted port design 2" x 10" x 40" or something like that if I'm going to use the Tempest-X2. I'm thinking I should consider making a slight adjustment to the size of enclosure and go with the Maelstrom 18".

It all depends on your budget and goals.

For low-cost builds that maximize output:

#1. Tempest-X2 Ported in either slot port, or sonotube with 500W Amp = Great bang for the buck.

For small enclosure builds, to minimize size:

#2. Shiva-X2, ported or PR to shrink enclosure size yet more. Sealed if you want it really small.

For higher budgets, where you don't want to be looking for an upgrade and you can live with larger sizes.

#3. Maelstrom-18 or Maelstrom-21" (ported or sealed) with pro-amp power (>2000W) and SMS-1 for signal processing.


These are generalizations, but that is kind of how I look at the my product line. If you want to upgrade your sub, from a commercial one and be assured that you are making progress up the food chain, it is best to plan on using more power, increasing the size and increasing the driver capability.

I also recommend the room measurement and equalization process, (SMS-1) for any high-quality subwoofer installation. The room has a HUGE influence on the final results in any subwoofer installation. The only way to manage it, is with measurements and EQ and the SMS-1 is the easiest and most complete stand-alone tool for performing this function. If you have advanced room measurements and EQ tools in your HT receiver you may not need to buy the SMS-1, so keep that in mind.

Give me a call if you have any questions.

Kevin Haskins
Exodus Audio