What's the cheepest one could build a DIY sub? (1 Viewer)

[KellyR]

I can get a Klipsch RW8 for around $190 but I'm concerned about how powerful it is. Is it possible to build a better one for the money or should I just get the Klipsch (I'm kinda short on cash).

 

[Jin E]

I bought a cheap used JBL 10" DVC Driver from a friend for $10 and built my first sub with it. I use 12" Quickrete tubes available from Lowes for something like $12 each. Even though they are listed as 12" they nest within each other, so I bouhgt on which was the full 12" and one that was a little smaller, 11.5". I glued one inside the other with silicone. Cut square tops out of from MDF ($5 for a small precut piece at Home Depot) and added teh hole for the driver. Instead of a double layer of MDF, to keep it as cheap as possible I routed a 1/4" deep grooved circle in the top and bottom peices for the tube to sit in. I siliconed the top and bottom together, and glued polyfill to the inside of the tubes. Added a couple of 2" ports using some 2" PVC I had laying around the house. Lots of Krylon and spray on clear laquer later and I had a working subwoofer. I used WinISD to figure the port lengths and tube size.

http://www.mindspring.com/~jine/Index.html

Output of the $81 sub vs the SVS. I can't remember what the difference between Run 1 and Run 2 was.

 

[Jin E]

Ahhh... I remember now. The second higher SPL run was a measurement of the near-field response. The first was from the Sub's position i the corner of the room.

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Check out these links for other threads here discussing cheap commercial sub options. I don't know anything (good or bad) about the Klipsch sub.

I honestly believe that DIY is where you can find the biggest bang for your buck. At a $200 price point, you will probably be dependent on finding some used parts, though (as Jin has suggested). If you don't have any tools (and no other reason to justify buying them), you definitely won't be able to pull of DIY yourself. Perhaps you have some friends that would be willing to help you with their tools, though? Also, check out the Hardware For Sale Forum here at HTF. Specifically, check out this thread that may still have a Tempest and a PE250W plate amp for sale for $174+shipping. That would be an excellent start to a killer sub (my current setup).

You can probably do it. Just be creative and resourceful.

Good Luck!

JKS

 

[ChrisLazarko]

the Klipsch RW-8 is a nice sub but it isn't going to really hit anything below around 30Hz just because of the size of the woofer and the amp power.

A DIY subwoofer at this level might yield some better results but it is of course going to take some time to build.

 

[John S]

Here is my suggestion, find an old loudspeaker that has either a beey 15" or an 18" driver in it, then buy an AudioSource Amp1/A for like $120 and run it bridged to it.

I actually just completed an upgrade for a guy, that had 2 old Optimus (Radio Shack)15" beefy woofs, 2 way speakers for fronts. I disconnected the tweet horns in them, and run the AudioSource bridged at 200watts, and man is it ever a winner. That ultra bargain sub solution could even reach THX2 certification I swear, I mean it really drives hard, I was shocked, and he did not even place them well at all, they kick I swear as well as my 15" Velodyne which I hold in the highest regaurd.


So there is my $.02 on it....

 

[Dan Hine]

Being a former Radioshack employee I feel qualified to say that no Optimus driver should be called "beefy." Seriously though, just b/c a driver is large does not mean it is built to be a subwoofer. Many pro audio applications use 12"-15" drivers to produce 60hz-2.5/3khz NOT 30hz and below. I'm willing to bet that even Dayton's 10" quatro sub would best anything RS has to offer down low. And they fit the wallet quite well!

 

[John S]

Well we took them out to disconect the ginormous horn tweet, these are the original ones from the late 70's, and the drivers are surprisingly beefy. I was surprised too.

And man, I swear do they kick off this amp, I mean thunder pounding, It handled to new THX Trailer on the new Indy Jones box set at reference type levels seemingly with ease.

We did this, because the solution was only $120 for the amp, and I had never even considered doing anything like this in the past, but the results were so impressive, that I would be willing to try it again.

 

[Robert_J]

Parts Express has a DVC 12" sub in their scratch and dent section for $85. Put that with a 250watt amp from MCM Electronics ($99.95 + anything to get the total to $100 and you get free shipping) and some MDF and you will have a great sub.

-Robert

 

[Manuel Delaflor]

Jin

Just to tell you that you did a magnificent job for 81 bucks.

 

[Wayne Ernst]

Just to tell you that you did a magnificent job for 81 bucks.

That's right ... very nice job. I think instead of Shabby Chic, we should call it: Bassy Chic.

 

[Jin E]

And it soundsmuch better then those >$200 subs out there too But throw in the price of an amp and you're close to $200...