New Dayton DVC, wrecked already! (1 Viewer)

[Steve Young]

I just got my DIY sonosub (built by my brother) and I am running it alongside with my SVS 20-39 CS(w/ISD) powered by a Samson S700 amp. I recalibrated the two together (77-79dB, +2-4dB hot) and then played various things. It sounded great, then I popped in TS2 intro, playing at reference level, well the DVC couldn't keep up to the SVS and it bottomed out like crazy, and I was too slow on the volume to turn it down. I then started hearing some strange noises comming from the DVC driver. So I removed it from the sub and it looks like I ripped the spider right from the base of the cone! There is also a little tear going towards the outside of the driver about a half an inch long. There is probably no way I can repair this? Guess I will need to get a replacement for this.

Can anyone tell me what would be a better driver than the DVC that I will be able to put in my sonosub? The internal volume is about 120L with a 4" flared port at both ends about 18" long.

Thanks for any info,

Steve

 

[jeff lam]

12 or 15"?

You sure it was hooked up correctly?

 

[Steve Young]

jeff, 12" and yes i'm positive it was hooked up correctly.

The voice coils were paralleled.

Steve

 

[Will Pomeroy]

Hey steve, I just noticed that you live in London.. So do I.. what area do yo live in?

 

[Pete Mazz]

Do you know the sensitivity of both drivers? Did you calibrate them individually first, to see if one was working harder than the other, or just run them both at full power to calibrate?

Pete

 

[Steve Young]

Pete, I just calibrated them together. Should I have calibrated them separately first? How would you do this?

Thanks

Steve

 

[Pete Mazz]

If the Samson has seperate gain controls for each channel, you would:

1) Turn down the gain control on one channel and take a SPL reading. Do the same to the other.

2) Whichever channel/sub read lower, set it at full gain. Turn the other down. Level match this sub to your system by adjusting the sub level on your processor.

3) Turn the gain of this sub down, and the other up. Level match this channel/sub to your system by adjusting the amps gain down(you may want to make a mental note of the setting), without touching the sub level control.

4) Turn the other channels gain all the way up and now level match both subs to your system using the sub level control on you processor(turning it down).

Whichever sub has higher sensitivity will require some attenuation, or it will be doing the lions share of the work.

Pete

 

[Dustin B]

I built two subs that are essentially identical to what you have except I'm using the PE 300-792amp with the rumble filter changed to 17hz.

One is in a very large room, the other is in a very small room. Both have had no problems at 10dB below reference with the sub a 2-4dB hot. Neither complains at all on TPM THX intro or the pod race.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

At least those drivers have a good warrenty

 

[Mark Hayenga]

That's gotta be a bad glue joint. Get it replaced, the DVC 12" is a fine driver.

 

[Rudy H]

With that much power you'd go into overexcursion at just 16hz... I think TS2 dips that low doesn't it?

I've run my 15inch DVC in a 5.3cf sealed box through a few 0-25hz sweeps with the amp clipping and its still fine.

 

[Michael R Price]

Um, 77-79db is 5-7dB hot and at reference level that could mean over 115dB of output. I'm surprised TS2 at that level didn't destroy the SVS. But maybe the DVC was defective. To be honest, I think that the huge demand placed on it might have been enough to rip out the thing even if it wasn't defective.

BTW, I think calibration is a big issue here. If you calibrated both running at the same time, that wouldn't get an equal volume from each because they probably have different sensitivities.

 

[Dustin B]

Um, 77-79db is 5-7dB hot

You sure about this? With Avia 85dB is reference and with VE 75dB is reference. He never specified which disc he was using, but I assumed it was Avia. Either way your 5-7dB figure doens't fit. With my assumption he is 6-8dB below reference, with his sub 2-6dB below reference. Which could mean LFE peaks as high as 113dB + whatever amount you have to add from all the other speakers being small.

 

[Steve Young]

I use VE to calibrate my speakers to 75dB, and then the subs to 77-79dB(the meter swings this much during calibration).

Not sure where the 5-7dB hot came from?

Steve

 

[Dustin B]

How big is your room? If you were running at reference with the subs hot, ouch. That's a tall order even for a pair CS+ subs in a moderately sized room. You need some serious woofing, unless you have a rather small room, to be running them over reference level.

If all the speakers are set to small a disc could ask for over 121dB from the subs at your listening position.

 

[Steve Young]

Dustin, my room is approx 13' X 20'. I have ran my SVS +2-4dB hot ever since i've had it. Especially with the new driver, it has never gave me any problem running at reference. I believe the DVC has approx. 1-2dB better SPL sensitivity and therefore I was running it alot hotter than I should have.

Steve

 

[jeff lam]

Unless you ran them individually in the same location and with the same amount of power and callibrated to the same level, you can't really conclude that the SVS blew the DVC away just because it diddn't bottom or break. The DVC is an excellent driver and definitely up to par with the SVS drivers, There shouldn't be a night/day difference. See if PE will replace the driver, then do the test again with each sub individually and take SPL readings. This wil give you a better idea of the limits of each sub.

Are you sure your brother built the sub correctly?

 

[Michael R Price]

Well if even is 75dB and you calibrated to 77-79dB, counting the decreased bass sensitivity of the RS SPL meter (-3dB about) you were actually around 80-82dB. That's what I was trying to say.

Either way, you can probably get the DVC replaced. But your experiences are definitely a testament to the power handling of the SVS driver. Try a subsonic filter.

 

[Steve Young]

jeff, I didn't say the SVS "blew the DVC away", I said it bottomed out when the SVS didn't, and I agree with you, the DVC is an excellent driver.

Are you sure your brother built the sub correctly?

Yes jeff, I am quite sure he built it right
Steve

 

[TerryC]

Since you didn't callibrate them individually the Parts express sub could have been providing 99% of your reference level. Think about it this way in this "quick" generalization, if the PE sub was 3-6bb hotter than the SVS it would have been doing almost all the work on its own. Just 3db is twice the work and 6db is three times the work.