A single ported (@600W) will have higher output than a dual sealed (@1200W) below ~22Hz, above that point the sealed box will have more output. The ported design will also be flatter, but you can EQ the sealed enclosure to be flat as well.
My guess is that the reason you don't see maple panels much is that most places that would use maple panels make them themselves. If you were going to make your own maple panels you might as well just use solid edging on ply, it probably wouldn't be any more difficult.
I'm going to be building something very similar in the near future. My plan is to simply use a single threaded rod (on each side) to tie the shelves together and then use some L-brackets to anchor it to the wall. That should give it plenty of stability.
They are fairly accurate for anechoic response, but you'll have to factor in "room gain" to get a more accurate idea of how it will perform in your room.
If you drag you mouse over the word SPEAKERS in the upper left hand corner it brings up a pull down menu with each line of drivers where it lists the specs and prices.
If those are the actual prices Adire just priced themselves out of the DIY market. Who the heck is going to buy an 18" Maelstrom with 24mm of Xmax for $500 when you can get an Avalanche 18" with 27mm of Xmax AND XBL^2 for $400? Sorry about the rant, I'd just be very disappointed if this was...
As always, I'd recommend considering infinite baffle. If thats not for you then you have several options. If you want something seriously crazy build a 10-12 cu.ft. (or bigger) ported box with an 18" Avalanche and ~1000W amp. It'll be huge, but it will bitchslap that PB12-Plus/2 around the...
Most two channel preamps/recievers have internal subwoofer crossovers nowadays. Shouldn't be much of an issue. Have you looked into any specific units?
When it lists a volume for a certain speaker, that is just a general guideline. Its not necessarily the optimum volume for that speaker. The optimum volume is dependent on many variables. One of which may be the designers (i.e. you) size restrictions. To find out what volume will work best for...
The crossover frequency will depend on the impedance of the midrange in the crossover region. The impedance of the drivers differs depending on the frequency. Look at the bottom plot in this link: http://www.partsexpress.com/pdf/296-145g.pdf That's the the impedance profile of a typical...
Did you check Morel's website? I know I've seen FR response plots from there before. What do you mean by "a speaker that is ideally for .66 cu.ft."? Are you talking about getting a Q of .7? Chances are putting it in a .75 cu.ft. box isn't going to make much of a difference.
I would just design the speaker for the size box you have. Doesn't make sense to waste the volume. But if you REALLY want to adjust the volume you could just glue a hunk of wood inside the cabinet. Cabinets aren't difficult to build, making them look nice is a little more difficult. It takes...
If it was me, I'd rather go with the 814 and put the money I saved into a subwoofer that will get better extension (i.e. PB10). Not that the Dayton is bad, but IMO you get more performance for your money with a 814/PB10 than a 1014/Dayton. Granted you'll pay more for the PB10 but I think the...