Rory Buszka
Supporting Actor
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2002
- Messages
- 784
Well, finally, after much beating of fists, swearing, and throwing of tools, my Thunder 12.3 cabinet with AV12 driverand 500w Parts Express amplifier is finally finished. It was a tremendous chore to move the beast upstairs (I discovered that the corner had been digin into my hand and cut it) but now that it is in my room and hooked up to my stereo, I have had the chance to get a few impressions of this subwoofer. First off, even without the extra body fat that I added in terms of styling elements (top and bottom end caps, solid Oak trim, cloth grilles on all 3 sides) this is one heavy sub for just 3 cubic feet. The $25 investment in a furniture scooter was a worthwhile one as it is easier to roll this sub than it is to drag it. Moving it up stairs was torture. I think that next summer this thing is going to live downstairs or in our garage. I double-layered all the walls for strength and to get that flush-mounted driver appearance without having to use a router.
The first song I played with this subwoofer hooked up was a song by a local hardcore-metal band called Haste The Day. Their first CD features a track with two enormous bass booms, and while all my old subwoofer could do was sort of sputter, this delivered the payload with major power and punch, my first indication that I have a serious subwoofer on my hands. As compared to my previous subwoofer, this one does not call attention to itself until it is called upon to make bass, and make bass it does. A 20 Hz sinewave test shook the walls and got those passive radiators hopping. This was probably the most impressive output I have ever heard from any subwoofer. I haven't had a good chance to hear very many, but it definitely outdid even the dual 12" Dayton Titanic vented subwoofers that a friend of mine has. The AV12 has a huge amount of excursion, yet even when there is underlying bass detail under the booms, this driver still delivers it. The passive radiators are also very impressive. They are probably tuned to around 19 Hz, so they really don't move to most music but when you get a major bass effect, they get hopping. No matter what music I tried this sub with, it sounded magnificent. Victor Wooten's bass was rendered with amazing clarity, and Futureman's lick drum did not have the bloat that my previous subwoofer gave to it, but it still had low-frequency oomph. Even without any movies to really test this beast with, this is one serious subwoofer.
Pictures will come soon, whenever I figure out what is up with my account on the Purdue University file server.
The first song I played with this subwoofer hooked up was a song by a local hardcore-metal band called Haste The Day. Their first CD features a track with two enormous bass booms, and while all my old subwoofer could do was sort of sputter, this delivered the payload with major power and punch, my first indication that I have a serious subwoofer on my hands. As compared to my previous subwoofer, this one does not call attention to itself until it is called upon to make bass, and make bass it does. A 20 Hz sinewave test shook the walls and got those passive radiators hopping. This was probably the most impressive output I have ever heard from any subwoofer. I haven't had a good chance to hear very many, but it definitely outdid even the dual 12" Dayton Titanic vented subwoofers that a friend of mine has. The AV12 has a huge amount of excursion, yet even when there is underlying bass detail under the booms, this driver still delivers it. The passive radiators are also very impressive. They are probably tuned to around 19 Hz, so they really don't move to most music but when you get a major bass effect, they get hopping. No matter what music I tried this sub with, it sounded magnificent. Victor Wooten's bass was rendered with amazing clarity, and Futureman's lick drum did not have the bloat that my previous subwoofer gave to it, but it still had low-frequency oomph. Even without any movies to really test this beast with, this is one serious subwoofer.
Pictures will come soon, whenever I figure out what is up with my account on the Purdue University file server.
