Couple of SVS related questions. (1 Viewer)

[Anthony_I]

So i was thinking i could use an EQ for my sub (or maybe my hole system) and i was looking around on the SVS site since this seems to be a good company.

As far as an EQ goes do you think i could use an Art 351 EQ for my sub, or are those designed for SVS systems only?
Also how does this connect to your sub anyway? I dont have XLR connections, actually my only avenue of connection would have to be speaker level, or connect the EQ between my sub amp, and my speaker.

And as far as building a set of mains goes i was thinking of buying a kit from adire (the HE10.1) but then i got thinking, couldn't i just buy a quality driver/crossover and put together my own 2 way system? in this case i was looking at the CS/PCi woofer upgrade speaker to use as the woofer in the mains, and god knows what tweeter... or the db-12.
Im guessing though that these are more built for subwoofer useage and not meant to be put into L/R speakers and probably dont handle the range of freqencies that the beta 10CX does.

I can understand why i should get a kit... for the ease of trying to find parts that work well together and such, but what i dont understand is why i cant just buy some good speakers, get a good crossover, and put them in a box myself. i mean why does a XO need to be designed for the speaker that it will be working with?

 

[Robb Roy]

Anthony,

I'd say you really have two questions here -- one about the Art 351 and another about speaker building. As to the Art 351, I own the unit and really like it, but you'll probably be better off with a parametric EQ. The Art 351 is not designed for SVS subs only. If your receiver has an RCA sub out connection, you can connect with that. If you only have speaker level outs, I'm not sure of any EQ you could attach (though I'm probably wrong there).

As to the crossover/box/driver question, I only know enough to be dangerous. You should really post that in the DIY and Advanced Projects area here -- some seriously big brains hang out there.

-Robb

 

[Brian Bunge]

Anthony,

You can only buy SVS raw drivers if you are an SVS customer in need of a replacement. A subwoofer driver will not work as a "full range" unit. I imagine even TV would tell you that above 100-200Hz it would not be advisable with any of their drivers. Just because the HE10.1 and HE12.1 use 10" and 12" drivers respectively doesn't mean you can do that with any 10" or 12" driver.

You've already stated in the DIY forum that you are not wanting to read up on the subject of designing speakers saying something to the affect of "I don't want to read any books." So if you want to simply build a pair of speakers then buy a kit and forget about it. It's apparent that you simply want people here to tell you what you want to hear. When you don't get that in the DIY/Advanced forum then you move on to the Speakers and Subwoofers forum.

You'd do yourself and everyone else a huge service if you'd simply just pick a kit and build it or actually take people's advice that know a lot more than you (and even me) about speaker design and quit wasting bandwidth on the forum.

 

[Anthony_I]

and instead assumed that i wasnt listening to what you've told me before, and thought that I thought i could simply drop in any old speaker that looks good.

Despite what you may think.... im not an idiot.
Its too bad that the norm for the world seems to be "Its alot easier to let someone else do the thinking for you, then to do it for yourself"

Maybe thats the case, but why wont anybody give me an answer as to why i cant get my own drivers/XO and do it myself... nor will anybody post a link to anything i could read on the subject. (maybe nobody has one though) instead i just kept being told "it will sound like shit, dont do it"
I dont doubt thats true......but why cant someone explain to me why it sounds like shit?

 

[Robb Roy]

Anthony,

Here's some reading I think will help you out:

http://www.loudspeakers101.com/Sound.htm

-Robb

 

[Brian Bunge]

In your second post in this thread right here you state that you don't want to "buy/read books". I understand learning by visualization as I am much the same way. But the only way to really "visualize" speaker design is by having the equipment to measure the speakers'/drivers' responses and be able to see it.

As to your question about picking your own speakers and building your own crossover, I think I stated in that same thread (or another one) that you have to design the crossover around the exact drivers you will be using while taking measurements of those drivers IN THE ENCLOSURE IN WHICH THEY WILL BE USED.

Every driver has a different response curve as well as impedance curve and these must be taken into account when designing the enclosure and crossover. Also, every speaker has what is called baffle step (except for in-walls), which is a 6dB dip in the response that starts at a specific frequency based on the width of the speaker cabinet itself. You can use a formula to estimate the circuit required to offset this, but it's not 100% accurate.

So that is why you can't simply pick your own drivers and design your own crossover from textbook formulas. I'm just getting into crossover design myself and wouldn't dream of just throwing a pair of drivers into a box and then designing the XO around some simple formula.

It's good that you are excited about this and want to learn. But unless you are willing to pick up a couple of books and actually read them you're probably going to waste tons of time in trial and error. David Weems' Great Sound
Speaker Manual is the perfect book to start out with as well as a couple that are available fairly cheap at Radio Shack.

 

[Robert_Gaither]

Gotta agree with Brian, not including the fact you'll most likely waste money as well (what's the point of using the wrong x-over components or guessing when you really need to measure and know what components to input to "adjust" the freq to be flat). Now if you're using separates and have 4+ channels of amplification then you might can buy an external crossover that goes by line level (instead of speaker level) and then amplify the resultant signal but still you'll need tools to measure the frequency response as well and compensate for unusual peaks.

 

[Jack Gilvey]

I disagree with most in that I think it would be a huge waste of your time to actually buy and read a book, I don't think you'd get anything out of it. Either buy a kit or throw a few drivers and crossovers together and see what happens...experiment. You'd probably be pretty happy with them, even if they'd make Brian cringe.

Despite what you may think.... im not an idiot.
Its too bad that the norm for the world seems to be "Its alot easier to let someone else do the thinking for you, then to do it for yourself"

Don't be angry with people if they seem to talk down to you as if you were an idiot. Remember, all they have to go by are your posts.

 

[Anthony_I]

Rob, thank you, I'm reading that as we speak (well....im typing right now but by the time you read this i wil be reading that link)


i think he has a bit of a point here. although i would like to learn as i go too.