Can someone build/sell me a DIY SVS clone (1 Viewer)

[Maneesh]

I am in the market for a 'better class of sub'. My price range is around $350.

At that price a new SVS is out of the question. I have read many threads about how a DIY is much cheaper and sounds as good or better than commercial offerings. However building one qould require woodworking tools, a garage, skill and experience, none of which I have.

Even if I made the initial investment in tools, time, and experimented, the likely result would be a dissapointment and I have need for any other DIY projects.

Materials or looks are not that imp, I would like performance similar to a svs 25-31 which I think is achievable in my price range, right?

I'm hoping someone can help me with this - I am more than willing to help in the construction (if local), purchases etc. Or maybe buy a used sub you no longer need!

If this is an unreasonable request let me know

 

[MarkRoberts]

Check out eztube
There is a shiva based diy kit. It doesn't come with an amp but you can get the kit with a mounting box for the amp. Call them and see. I haven't heard it but everyone on here who has built a shiva sonotube seems very happy. You can get an amp at either here or here
The kit comes with everything from precut pieces to screws and glue! Pretty sweet for under 300 bucks IMHO

 

[Cam McFarland]

To get the driver and the other stuff, especially both end caps pre-cut, for that price is TREMNDOUS in my opinion, especially if one has no tools. It can be constructed inside the comfort of your house (AC/heat) & no dust to worry about
Just slap it all together, cover as you desire & add the power............

 

[Maneesh]

Thanks for the link, Mark! That kit looks good.

I have an old Aiwa POS receiver lying around - its 5ch x 100w I think. Will it be enough to power the sub, or should I get a 250w plate amp?

 

[MarkRoberts]

I would go with a 250W plate amp. The one at rythmikaudio is on sale right now for 119.00 + 7.00 shipping since you are in California. That puts it under the PE plate amp and it has better thd specs. I have a rythmik basic 250 and it works great. I did however get a bad one first time out but I got replaced with out any hassle. I dealt with Kyle Richardson, here is his site
You will come out a little over your 350.00 price point but I think you will be a happy camper. Good luck!

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

You could definitely use the spare receiver to drive the sub, but I would only do so as a stop gap until you can get a good plate amp or pro amp. Since the Shiva has dual 8ohm VCs you could use one channel of the receiver for each voice coil, you would just have to split the sub out from your main receiver into two using a y-adapter, connect it to a stereo input on the receiver that's driving the sub, put the receiver in stereo mode w/ the fronts set to large, and connect the left speaker output to one VC and the right to the other. This would work very well until you could get together the money for the rythmic or PE amp and also let you spread the cost of the sub out a little.

Hope this helps

 

[Wayne Ernst]

The only limitation that I can see in using the receiver as the amp for the sub is that you'll forfeit the capability to control the phase for the sub. The plate amp will give you that option with an adjustable phase control.

 

[Stephen Hopkins]

You would have simple 0 / 180 phase control by simply wiring the sub out of phase, but this isn't optimal. That's one reason I would only reccomend the receiver as amp as a stop gap until you can get a good plate amp.

 

[Rory Buszka]

The reciever also can't supply enough power for your experience to be anywhere near as satisfying as the SVS 25-31. Though I hear the Shiva driver is very close to the SVS standard driver in performance.

 

[MarkRoberts]

Maneesh,
Looks like you can use the reciever as a temporary amp until you can get a plate amp. Let us know what you decide. I am interested in your results if you go with the eztube kit.

 

[Maneesh]

I think I will be ordering the kit very soon. I spoke to Bob from CSS and he said the sub should sound the same powered with a plate amp or my old receiver. The amp box version of the kit also requires some cutting and construction so that swayed my decision.

I just keep thinking 'what if' since its only $150 more which I could save and then I'd have peace of mind and avoid the hassle of an extra amp, but we all have to make a decision

Mark, I'll post any updates.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

I built one of Bob's original EZSub kits as a beta tester for him and I must say it was VERY easy to do. I have access to all sorts of tools but I built the EZ kit in my livingroom on the hardwood floors to make sure anyone could do it...they're really well though out and you won't be dissapointed with the shiva, its a solid and prooved driver in the DIY world. I've also powered shiva's off old heathkit amps that likely were pretty low power but they work fine and generate quite a lot of bass so your receiver should do you just fine until you're ready to move up to a true power amp...though my guess is you won't feel the need to right away

 

[Rory Buszka]

You will still notice the difference when you move to a dedicated plate-type power amp. The power supplies in subwoofer amplifiers are beefier than those in recievers, and the result is that there is more available current to control the cone. You will notice an increase in "tightness" and control, and there will be added loudness before the subwoofer amplifier clips. Also, your reciever probably doesn't have a low pass filter for the subwoofer, so you will hear the sound of muddy midbass sounds and dialogue coming from the sub instead of the main speakers. The subwoofer amplifier will have an adjustable low pass crossover built-in.

 

[Maneesh]

I understand the point about the power supply and available output. But assuming I listen at well below reference, say 50% of the subs capabilities, will it still be audible?

I thought all DD/DTS receivers already had a low pass filter built into the LFE output. So why should that channel have any other sounds/dialogue?

Also I don't know what a 'continuously variable phase' is and what difference it will make to the sound but that is another feature missing vs. a sub amp. I'm guessing its something to do with at what part of the wavefront the woofer fires.

Lastly , I keep seeing posts in the HST forum about 20-39 and 25-31pci's for sale for $350 and I keep hoping I'll get lucky and get in on those!

 

[MarkRoberts]

The sub out will work but poorly in my experience I find the adj. crossover on plate amps to be quite handy. The phase adj. is to help the sub blend in with the rest of the system. When some serious LFE action hits your eyes shouldn't dart over to your sub going there it is! You should not be able to pick out where your sub is. Sometimes depending on your room the phase adj. will help, but I find that the crossover point and properly set output level works the best. Keep in mind depending on how steep the filtering is just cause your reciever starts to cut the output at 80hz there could be audible output at 120hz! I usually find a 50 or 60 hz crossover point provides the most pleasing response for me. Higher than that the bass stats to be more dirrectional and boomy or blubbery IMHO. "Your results may vary"

 

[Brendan_Lewis]

Or, you could just find $50 more bucks and get a Rava from Adire.

totally pre-built, just unbox and plug in.

http://adireaudio.com/

Click on home audio, then Rava.

 

[Cam McFarland]

Very nice, but explain to me how it claims over 105db
in output, but the highest the chart shows is less than 90db.

 

[Kyle Richardson]

Because the frequency response chart is just that, a frequency response chart and not a max output chart.

 

[Maneesh]

I did consider a Rava but decided against it because the consensus seems to be that a sealed sub is not the best for HT.

I have nothing against a cylinder design (its a factor for some).

As for the cost, the Ezsub kit + rhythmik audio plate amp = $435 incl shipping.
I think shipping for Rava will be at least $25.

And I'm pretty sure that the sonotube will outperform the Rava in all areas.

So the Rava is out

 

[Maneesh]

I did consider a Rava but decided against it because the consensus seems to be that a sealed sub is not the best for HT.

I have nothing against a cylinder design (its a factor for some).

As for the cost, the Ezsub kit + rhythmik audio plate amp = $435 incl shipping.
I think shipping for Rava will be at least $25.

And I'm pretty sure that the sonotube will outperform, the Rava in all areas.

So the Rava is out