Budget subwoofer or DIY? (1 Viewer)

[JonC]

I have the means of constructing a sub, so I was thinking about doing so with a budget of no more than $250.

Here is the driver I was thinking of using with a 250-watt plate amp:
[can't post links, so Parts Express DAYTON RSS265HF-4 10" HIGH FIDELITY SUBWOOFER, Fs=22Hz]

Looking around the PE site, I also found:
[no links, but Parts Express DAYTON SUB-120 150 WATT]

Saving the $100 would certainly be very helpful (and would probably make this a "buy now" vs "buy in a month" prospect). How does the SUB-120 sound for home theater use, and would I gain an awful lot by going to the DIY with the 10" driver?

Also, if DIY is the way to go, is it worth the extra money for the Dayton Titanic 10" sub (Fs=28Hz, but 4mm more excursion

 

[SethH]

The pre-built Dayton's get lots of good press around here. Many members of this forum have those subs. I would personally purchase the pre-built sub in your situation. That's actually exactly what I'm planning to do as soon as I get my tax refund back. I thought about DIY also, but I don't think it's worth it in this price range. If you go up to $400 or $500 I think DIY can pay huge dividends, but I don't think it makes as much sense in this range with the Dayton available.

 

[Robert_J]

Do you have the tools to build an enclosure for the sub? If not, then it won't be such a bargain. Also, how big can you build the enclosure? Most retail subs are a compromise. By going DIY, we usually build larger enclosures that are more efficient. How big is your listening area? Is it open to other parts of your house? A 10" sub can fill a decent sized area but not at reference levels. Again, the DIY crowd tends to go large. Multiple 12's, 15's and even 18's. Now, with your budget, you would never be able to go with an 18. A modest 12" driver and a plate amp are very doable though. A lot of people have made a tube sube (like SVS) with a Dayton DVC 12", a 250W plate amp and a 4" PSP port. Most of that is on sale right now.

-Robert