Who can claim to be the "biggest and baddest" sub? (1 Viewer)

[EdNichols]

I see where the SVS B-4 can handle a 2400 watt Crown amp. Is there any other sub that has or can handle more power than that? For those that have the B-4 or something even more, what is it like to have that much sub?

 

[alan halvorson]

Biggest in physical size, woofer size, or biggest in power handling?

 

[Rob Grim]

In the B-4's price range, I don't think it can be touched, but I'm sure there is something out there (Wilson Audio) that will handle the power and probally more.

 

[Dustin B]

Power handling is meaningless. There are big horn loaded subs that can go louder than a B4 with less than 10watts of power. Mind you they are many many times the size of a B4.

Hoffman's Iron Law. Out of enclosure size, extension and power requirements; you can pick two to control and the third will be dictated to you.

 

[ryan_kramer]

two words... infinite baffle.

 

[EdNichols]

Power handling is meaningless. There are big horn loaded subs that can go louder than a B4 with less than 10watts of power. Mind you they are many many times the size of a B4.

So if power is meaningless, whay have a sub that can handle 2400 watts? Just for bragging rights?

 

[Ryan T]

In the B-4's price range, I don't think it can be touched, but I'm sure there is something out there (Wilson Audio) that will handle the power and probally more.

Actually it can be touched for about the same price.

http://www.acoustic-visions.com/~aco..._everest.shtml

take a look. Plus it gives you the option of 13 custom finishes!


I would say this qualifies as the biggest baddest subwoofer around

http://www.royaldevice.com/custom3.htm


Ryan

 

[Ryan T]

So if power is meaningless, whay have a sub that can handle 2400 watts? Just for bragging rights?

As Dustin said theres a thing called the hoffman's iron law.
Basically if you want a lot of extension and a relatively small enclosure (like the B4 plus) you have to have a lot of power to achieve those goals. On the other hand the link I provided above sends you to GIANT horn subwoofer. They have good extension, high efficiency but for that to happen they need a HUGE enclosure. Dustin said it best "Out of enclosure size, extension and power requirements; you can pick two to control and the third will be dictated to you."



Ryan

 

[Mark Seaton]

It should be more appropriately be stated that power handling alone will not define nor guarantee performance. Likewise, some drivers which allow for huge power handling really are similar to others but they can hold together up to higher temperatures. It is a nice bit for reliability under abuse, but at some point all you are doing is heating up the coil. I have seen a coil with a DCR of ~4 Ohms take 2kW long term, but the impedance at that point was almsot 13 Ohms. That's more than 5dB of power compression, meaning that you aren't getting much more level out of the driver going from 1000W to 2000W.

Thermal power handling can certainly be significant, but it can also just be a measure of durability under abuse, not a guarantee of better performance.

Regards,

 

[DanWiggins]

Power handling? Scottie Johnson, one of our car audio SPL competitors, goosed each of his Brahma Extremes with 10 KW per driver, without thermal failures. There's some power handling - get four Brahma Extremes and put them in a single box, and you've got a good 40 kW of peak power handling...

Output in a single commercially available box? Over what frequency? If we're talking ~35 Hz to 100 Hz or so, I'd think one of the BT7s or other bass-horn beasts that Servodrive does would win. Playing deeper, into the mid teens, my money would be on the Everest linked to above.

Multiple commercially available boxes? A wall of B-DEAPs would be amazing. A trifle expensive, though, and requires a good size of space.

Unlimited budget, anything goes? The sky's the limit...

Dan Wiggins
Adire Audio

 

[Greg Conti]

"Only" goes to 22 Hz though. I heard a HT with one and it was devistating.


http://www.jblpro.com/pub/cinema/4642a.pdf

 

[jason-celaya]

How about Krell's new model?

 

[terence]

How about Krell's new model?

What model would that be?

 

[Jai]

Actually it can be touched for about the same price.

You think the everest with two powered drivers and two radiators will hang with a B4?

 

[Brian Bunge]

It should be pretty capable. IIRC, the B4's use the ISD drivers don't they?

 

[Paul_Ptaaty]

Brian, the B4+ has 4 of the drivers in the plus series, the dB-12. I do not know the excursion limits, but it is quite high.

4X12"=452 inches^2 (approx)
2X15"=427 inches^2 (approx)

B4+ volume=20,800 in^3.
Everest=26,500 in^3.

Everest has 2 passive + 2 powered fairly simple design, B4 has a more complex push-pull config...

Passive radiators (Everest) are less efficient than vented (ported) enclosure (B4+)

What does this all mean?

Someone needs to do a test on these beasts!! This would be a pretty exiting showdown...if I were a betting man I would give a slight output advantage to the B4+ (~28 Hz+) and almost surely better extension to the Everest. Of course I could be way off.

 

[Ryan T]

If I remember correctly the SVS CS-plus has roughly the same ouput as an EBS tempest. Since the Tumult is capable of double the output of the tempest I would guess two tumults would be a close match for the B4-Plus. But since the numbers for the SVS drivers were never released (too my knowledge) I'm just speculating.


Ryan

 

[Jason_Me]

The Everest has four 18" PRs. The Tumult has 34 mm linear excursion, which is more then any driver TC Sounds makes (that I'm aware of).

 

[Andrew S-]

the sub i use in my car can handle 2200 with ease. only takes a 4.3 cube box to ge a totally flat response down to like 22hz. i know someone using one for SPL comps and he ran 3000w to it in like a 6 cube box all the way home from the comp and it had no problems. he said it suffered from virtually no power compression.

not the most efficient sub in the world but with 2200+ on it who needs efficient?


its an elemental designs SP15 btw. too bad they are no longer in production due to parts availability.

 

[ThomasW]

If displacement is a criteria then Paul W's IB certainly is in the running.....

He's got 18-15" drivers, set up as 2 manifolds each holding 9 drivers. Here's a pic of the left speaker