choosing a sub for my home theater? (1 Viewer)

[schan1269]

The main disadvantage to a kit...Plate amps.The main advantage to a complete DIY box...Outboard amp like the Behringer EP4000. Or an amp with built-in inuke. My opinion, the plate amp was the dumbest idea in the history of subwoofer design. But people would rather run an RCA cable instead of speaker wire.There are some subs that are still available with outboard power...Axiom, HTD and Wilson's Thors Hammer.

 

[schan1269]

The coolest subwoofers I've been apart of. I design for a home builder. This guy's wife was "everything needs to hide". I saw the room plan. As a joke I said..."Can I use your tree planters as subwoofers?"Sure enough. Round subwoofers were made and each monstrosity, before dirt and tree, weight 750 pounds. Covered in the same granite as the floors.

 

[Robert_J]

Comparing a kit to true DIY where you build your own box is you trading your time in building it to save money. Also, most kits like that have to be limited in size due to shipping. True DIY, you just have to make sure it fits through the door or in some cases, assemble it in the room and never move it.

This spring I am finally moving my TC-3000 subs from the test boxes and into something like this - http://www.danmarx.org/audioinnovation/tc3000.html%C2 But I'm modifying the design to use rounded edges and paint to match my current speakers. No internal plate amp as I have a Behringer that has served me well for years.

What is your budget? How much space are you willing to give up? That design above is a good example of a 3 cubic foot, sealed enclosure. Here are some other examples. You don't always have to use the driver in the link.
4 cubic foot, ported sub - http://www.danmarx.org/audioinnovation/tcsounds.html
3 different designs for a 12" sub - http://www.creativesound.ca/pdf/SubDuction-plans-290307.pdf
horn loaded, 15" sub - http://www.billfitzmaurice.com/THT.html
pages of infinite baffle designs - http://home.comcast.net/~infinitelybaffled/page2IB-Gallery.html