Wes Nance

Recommendation for small DIY sub to match TB W3-871's

Hi,

I'm building a set of 5 small full rangers for my sister-in-law for her HT in her small apartment with the familiar TB W3-871s, in 2 liters or so ported.

I would like to build a small sub to match them, both in output and cost. My cost for all 5 speakers is only $100 or so, so I'm looking an affordable amp and driver for the sub that isn't out of proportion to the cost of the mains.

I'm not looking for ultra high output (obviously), just a nice blend with some extension for both music and movies.

Is there an 8 or 10 inch driver that would be suitable, to keep the box size down?

I'm open to any and all suggestions, including whether or not it just makes more sense to just buy one of the budget subs from PE or something. I would rather make one, though.

Thanks for your help!

Wes Nance

Rory Buszka

How about using the Parts Express 100w amplifier and two of the Tang Band 5" "subwoofers" in a vented, slightly overdamped box? The drivers are flat down to 50 Hz and probably good for something to about 45 or 40.Make a long, briefcase-sized box, and have the drivers and probably a slot-port in one end and the amplifier in the other. then make a fabric grill for it. She will like it because it is small so she can stick it someplace, but the Tang Band woofers have 5mm of excursion, which for a 5" woofer is quite high. I have found that women tend to like bass that is not obtrusively loud (and deep, unfortunately for us guys who like it loud and low) so the bass-module-type deal going down to 45 Hz will fulfill her requirements for bass.

Of course you could always fall back on an 8" Dayton Quatro woofer with the Parts Express 120-watt amp (which is really 150-watts.) You can vent it and have it be good down to 35 Hz.

It's now 1:30 in the morning, so I need to go to sleep. I'll check back in later.

"It sounds like it's barfing out the bass." - Zach

Jake K

How about those new Dayton shielded DVC woofers from Parts Express.

The 10" model looks good in a 3 cubic foot box tuned to 26hz, or the 8" model in a 1.5 cubic foot box also tuned to 26 hz.

WinISD shows an f3 of around 27 hz for both of those. To power it one of these amps would do nicely with one channel on each voice coil. The cost of a sub with these components would be well under $100 I think. You could go smaller with the enclosures to probably.

It's 1:30 in the morning here too, so I'm going to bed now.

TimForman

I'd recommend an internal volume just over 4 liters or 252.3 cu. in.

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Brian Bunge

I'd just buy the $125 Dayton 10" sub. Almost anything you build will cost as much or more.

Brian Bunge
RAD Home Theater