SVS or DIY Subwoofer?

There is no such thing as a 'car sub'.  There are some subs that have parameters that sometimes perform better in the car then in the home.  The majority of the time performance is enclosure dependent. 

Even getting JL at wholesale prices there are better alternatives from smaller companies that don't spend the millions on marketing like JL does.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'crossover and such built in'.  Subs like SVS that have a built in amp don't use that amp's crossover.  So really it is whether or not you want an amp built in the enclosure.  You can get more power for your money by using an external pro amp.

If the box isn't an issue then a the new Exodus audio 18" sub in a 12 cubic foot enclosure powered by a Behringer EP-2500 will probably put you right at the limit of your budget.  As the discussion progresses, we can narrow down the design a little more.

It is usually cheaper to go with a single, large driver than two smaller drivers unless you have size constraints.  Maybe your enclosure can only be 12" wide but no limit on height, then four 10's would be a great choice.  You would have the same surface area as an 18" sub in a box that is impossible to mount an 18" driver in.

Ignore wattage ratings on subs when using them for home theater.  99.9% of the time you run out of excursion well before you hit the thermal ratings.  And that's all it is, thermal ratings.  How much power a sub can take before the voice coil or former starts to fail.  To determine the RMS, they use a 1,000hz tone.  That barely moves the driver while still loading with with wattage.  Basically, RMS ratings tell you nothing on how a sub will perform.

I use MDF.  It's particle board with smaller particles.  Where OSB is wood chips, particle board is saw dust, MDF is a fine powder that is compressed.  It is very uniform in density and mills well.  It is messy and you shouldn't breathe the dust when sawing or routing.  The best material is 13 layer, birch plywood but that is expensive and not easy to find.

I've seen some great end-table designs if you want it to look like furniture.  Others just go with a black box.  No matter what, a properly built enclosure will be stable enough to set your drink on it and it will not vibrate off.

Bridging the Behringer amp into a 4 ohm load will give you about 1,600w at 20hz.  That's more than enough for most people.  I have my EP-2500 running in stereo into a 2 ohm load.  I also did a fan swap to a quieter model since my amp is in the theater room.

Any of those Exodus subs are great.  The larger the driver, the larger the required enclosure.  Dual Tempest-X2's in sealed enclosures would give you the best combination of sound quality, output and deep bass.  If you go with ported enclosures you need to budget for a subsonic filter.  That's about $70 added to your equipment list.

I currently run dual 15's in small, sealed enclosures with an EP-2500 powering them and a Behringer Feedback Destroyer EQing them almost ruler flat to 17hz.  In my 18x25 room they are complete overkill.  I can shake the entire house.

It's the same in home theater as it is in cars because it is just physics.  Larger enclosures are more efficient - ldsg.snippets.org/appdx-a.php#HOFFMAN . 

The SSF is included in this - http://www.creativesound.ca/details.php?model=B-1

You can measure your sub's in-room response with an SPL meter and test tones.  I posted instructions on how to do it a few weeks ago.  I even created the appropriate sine waves to do this and I'll let you download them if you decide to get an SPL meter.

IB's are the best route.  You could go with 4 of the DPL-15's - http://www.diycable.com/main/product_info.php?cPath=24&products_id=684.  Fi Car Audio also has IB drivers - https://ssl.perfora.net/www.ficaraudio.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154adda9e2d9951/shopdata/0050_Speakers/0050_IB3/product_overview.shopscript.
So does AE Speakers - http://www.aespeakers.com/drivers.php?driver_id=8.
If you can find them, four of the old Cerwin Vega V-Maxx subs with the orange surround (not the new models) would be great.  I was an idiot and missed getting 16 of them for about $75 each.  That would have been a great sub system.

 

The EP4000 and EP2500 are the same amp internally.  Behringer just stretched the truth about the peak power of the 4000.  Compare the RMS power.  Other sites have also posted internal pictures of both amps and they are identical.  Buy the one that is cheapest.  I think the current best price is from a site called BJ Photo or something close to that.

You asked in a PM about wiring.  The Shiva-X is 3.6 ohms of DC resistance.  That is 4 ohms nominal.  Wire up the sub to one channel of the amp.  If you get a second Shiva-X, then wire up the new sub to the other channel of the amp.  If you add additional subs, then we can re-visit the wiring then.

The 6.35cf design you have chosen looks great.

If you really plan on going with multiple subs in the future, get 2 Shiva-X's now.  Since the X2's are out, you won't be able to match the X's when Kevin sells out of them.  For a few years I bought drivers whenever there was a good deal.  I'm overloaded right now with about 25 subs ranging in size from 8" to 18".

Possibly Robert is referring to B&H Photo/Video, a massive supply house in Manhattan for the Behringer.  Zzounds usually seems to have very low prices on Behringer.

BTW Ryan, you are not alone.  Robert has me wanting to make 1 if not 2 cylinder subs, probably 15", next year.  Most likely mine will be sealed, with dimensions yet to be determined.

See post #8 where I link to an SSF for $70.  I did the math for you in your PM.  But it's your call on the equipment.

Ryan:  Please put a link to the new thread here (in this thread) when you get it going.  I'd like to lurk and see what your experience is like.

"Beast" is accurate, Ryan!