JamesThompson

Buttoned everything up last night around 11:00pm. It didn't have time to try out a lot of things, but initial impressions are great!

The only disc I had on hand was Swordfish, so I zipped to the explosion scene at the beginning...hehe actually startled me a bit. :b Tried out a little music this morning before work and I was just as pleased.

Tonight's job (after cleaning up my woodworking mess on the porch) is trying to calibrate my new sub and finding the best spot in the room to put it.

You can take a peek at the process and results at this link:

http://65.35.82.154:8000/coppermine/...s.php?album=21

(sorry for the busted link. remove the space after the 'h' and it should work fine)

Thanks for everybody's help in answering the questions I had along the way.

- James T

- JamesT

Joe L.

James,

Great pictures. Building a DIY sub can sure make a lot of sawdust.

I hope you did not crank it up too loud at 11:00 PM (or that other family members were warned in advance )

Let us know how it sounds once you have it in place and levels set.

Joe L.

Kyle Richardson

Glad you're pleased with your project!

Kyle Richardson
Acoustic Visions

AOL Instant Messenger Name: kyler70
MSN IM: acousticvisions@hotmail.com

Owen Bartley

Hey James, nice work! Your sub looks quite similar to mine, except for finish. Man, there's nothing like hearing your first DIY sub for the first time. Check out the final scene in Fight Club... that made my jaw drop. I was actually scared for a second because I wasn't paying attention when it kicked in.

One thing though, you may want to break in the sub before you give it a really tough workout or calibrate it... not 100% necessary, but from what I've heard it helps. Play some mid level music (leave the radio on or something) for the week while you're at work and it will loosen things up and get it broken in a bit.

- OJ -

My HT and DIY Tempest page
My DVDs

JamesThompson

Owen, good point about the break-in time. I haven't thought about it, but it makes sense. Our subs are really similar. I think the legs on mine are a blatent rip-off of yours! :b Before I started, I checked out tons of sub project web sites, and I remember hitting yours at least a couple times.

I should have plenty of time tomorrow (day off) to monkey around with it a little more and find a good spot in the room for it. I also have a couple touch-ups on the finish I need to do.

- James

LanceEAR

Is that one of the Adire recommended enclosures (214L or 340L)? I'm still waiting to hear when my AV15 will ship so I've had plenty of time to decide on enclosure type/size. I've never built a sub before so I think a sealed enclosure would be easier, especially after seeing all those circle cuts! It sure would be nice to have a ported sub, though...

TIA

JamesThompson

Yep, it's the Adire Alignment Vented 214L. This was my first shot at a DIY sub, also. Believe it or not, the circle cuts were the easiest thing to get right of the entire project. Just be sure you have a router with a straight cut bit and buy (or make) a circle cut jig. With the right jig, it's almost impossible to mess up.

- James

LanceEAR

That was a quick response!

After looking at your pictures it looks like you used screws to hold things in place while you applied the clamps. Am I correct? Did you end up leaving the screws in after the glue set up and the clamps were removed?

Thanks again.
-Lance

RoyceDB

James, what amp is that?

also, looks really good man. How long would you say it took you to build the box?

JamesThompson

The screws were left in. I've read that they are dangerous to use, but I didn't have problems. I was sure to pre-drill every stinking hole, though. One reason I used the screws is I only have 3 bar clamps.

Royce, the amp is a Parts Express 250W 300-794 (the one without bass boost). I ordered it, the tempest, and the port kits from Acoustic Visions (whom I recommend highly).

Construction of the box took longer than the average (I'm guessing) becuase I needed to make it appealing enough to sit in the living room. I wish the stain turned out a bit better, but it'll do.

- JamesT

RoyceDB

are passive radiators worth the buy? What exactly do they do, anyway:b

Wayne Ernst