a question to the SUB DYI'ers (recommendations and such) (1 Viewer)

[Mike Dr]

I am seriously considering building a new sub.. i have a Tannoy PS115 (15") sub .. it retails at about $1500 but i got it for $500 so no biggie there.. well i've had it for about 2 years and i just want more response.. i still dont get that bass that i do when i go to a good theater or a club or something with a professional install..

I want to build a sonosub or something like that.

One thing I want to knwo from you guys is this - is the bass coming out of tempest based sonosubs as "full" as theater installs? .. is it worth making a 2 driver setup .. or a driver / radiator setup?

I am also getting a BFD tommorow (the new one! yeay) so I'm gonna play around with my current sub a bit to see how much effect that will have (hopefully i'll be able to post some screenshots of the curves before and after) .. so i'll be able to tweak the sonosub as well..

Also, how "high" to these subs go in terms of frequency .. i have a Marantz SR7000 which is stupidly locked into a 100hz crossover.. i doubt that will be a problem but with a 15" u never know

any comments/recommendations are very welcome

thank you

 

[Mike Dr]

I also just saw a post about a deal on a 250W amp at parts express (the one with remote control) .. how would it compare with Adire's AVA250? and what other recommendations do you have for amps?

thanks

 

[Rich Kraus]

to get the sort of eyeball ratteling bass one gets in a club, its gonna take a lot of woofin' backed by a lot of power.
how big is your room. does it open into other rooms?
one even moderatly sized sonosub is probably not going to get you there.
a tempest or two backed by an AVA250 will do a nice job (i have that combination), but wont get to vision bluring levels (unless your ht is built into a broom closet. )

 

[Eric Kahn]

What is a BFD???

I just bought a Parts Express Sub kit which includes the 250 watt amp(without the remote controll) it seems to have plenty of power

 

[Mike Dr]

Rich - I realize that level is a bit extreme and it's not easy to reproduce w/o the kind of equipment that costs a lot more... i guess a theater is a closer approximation to the bass I want since most of it is used for movies..

Full non-muddy explosions, deep extension into the low 20's in special effects.. deep rumbles of dinasaurs etc.. stuff u can feel in your chest to an extent

Eric - a BFD is a Behringer Feedback Destroyer - a popular parametric EQ used by many people to adjust their subwoofer response (or any speaker). if u do a search for it , you'll find a lot of discussions

 

[Jasen Chandler]

I would say go bigger than the tempest. Get yourself a pair of Blueprint 1503s or 1803s. Then get a good amp behind them. Having owned a succesful mobile DJ buisness I can tell you it is easier than you think to get that solid bass in your home theater, making it accurate is where the fine tuning comes into play. You will need multiple drivers and a good PA amp. You could do 4 tempests and run them off of a Mackie 1400i or bigger amp. The Crown K1 and it's bigger brother the K2 are superb amps that can really dish out the power. A big power amp is a good investment, you will be able to use it for years with various speaker combinations, including multiple subwoofers. The 18" Adire maelstrom is supposed to be a great sub as well.

 

[Mike Dr]

I guess i didnt mention price constraints .. i really dont want to spend much more than $500 for the hardware .. so what is the most powerful (yet accurate) bass that I'll be able to get for that money?
thanks

 

[Rich Kraus]

well given that budget, i guess a pair of tempests and an AVA 250 is going to be about the end of the line.
how big an enclosure can you live with. a proper ported box for two tempests is going to be refrigerator big.
(or you could try and do an IB, and have no box in the room at all. )

 

[Jack Gilvey]

How about an 18" Blueprint 1803 ($249) and a QSC RMX850 (830 watts bridged into 4 ohms, $299). That might get you reference levels in-room.

 

[Brian Bunge]

I like Jack's idea! BTW Jack, have you purchased an amp yet? I just can't seem to pull the trigger on the QSC amps. I'm just kind of anal about fan noise. Also, did you happen to notice that PE is selling Crown amps now?

Brian

 

[Pete Mazz]

Going to a twin Tempest sub made a big difference for me. Much fuller base. Easier to get what you're looking for out of twin Tempests and the PE 250 Watt amp than just about anything else I can think of for your budget. For more oomph later, upgrade the amp. That QSC Jack mentioned is a real deal for that $$$.

Pete

 

[Eric Kahn]

Anyone notice that the PE amp that is on sale and the AVA 250 look identical in the pictures on the web??

The QSC 3000 series amps did not have fans if you can find one

I Have a 3200 which puts out 110 watts a channel into 8 ohms continuious or 250 watts bridged

there was a 3500 250 watt/500 watt

and a 3800 500/1000 watt

all are class A/B amps

 

[Pete Mazz]

Yea, I think they are manfactured by the same company. The Adire amp has a rumble filter in it and the PE amp can be set up several ways by doing some soldering (I think).

Pete

 

[Brian Bunge]

Also, I don't think the PE amp is on sale any longer. What I mean is, in the new catalog they show the $138 price as if it is now the regular price. I guess they're selling so many they can afford to adopt the new, lower price!

Brian

 

[Mike Dr]

has anyone done side by side comparions of tempest vs blueprint or anything like that? how accurate would an 18" driver be? what about an 18" and a 12" in one enclosure (18" taking care of deep deep rumble and the 12" taking care of "accuracy")

i'd appreciate any links to projects people have done and software/sites that help u figure out the right size enclosure and such

thanks

 

[Jack Gilvey]

has anyone done side by side comparions of tempest vs blueprint or anything like that? how accurate would an 18" driver be? what about an 18" and a 12" in one enclosure (18" taking care of deep deep rumble and the 12" taking care of "accuracy")

There's really no way to determine "accuracy" from the driver size, a well-designed and implemented 18" will be just as "fast" and "accurate" as a 12". However, "break-up" modes are something else. Upon reading your initial post, I see I missed the 100Hz crossover, which might be a little high for the 1803, since I don't know how far up it goes linearly.
Here's one man's review of the 1503:
http://www.hometheatertalk.com/ubb/F...ML/004591.html
I know ThomasW switched the HE15 for a 1503 in this project, and found them to be pretty much the same:
Link Removed
Brian,
Yeah, the fan noise is what's bothering me. I've listened to them at Guitar Center a few times, and it's pretty noticeable. If I want that route, I'd have to figure out a different location for the amp.