Subwoofer transformation

 

Bronze Member
Username: Gravytrain

Canton, Michigan USA

Post Number: 18
Registered: May-06
has anyone ever taken a mobile audio sub and successfully turned it into a home theater sub??

the reason being is that first i need a new project, second i want to be able to feel the bass instead of just hear it, and third i think it would be cheaper to build then to buy a comparable home theater sub.

i was planning on building a box, use the Adire ADA1200 Class D sub amp, and finding a high power sub preferably 15 or 18 inches (or a dual speaker setup) and hooking it up to my home theater. The amp is $600 and an 18 inch RE XXX sub is $430 plus another $70 in building materials puts the grand total to $1100 versus $4000 for a velodyne DD-18 or $3000 for a JL Fathom F113 and thats not including shipping...so i would be saving $2900 over the velodyne and $1900 over the JL to build it myself!!!

my question is how would it sound in comparison???

will using a car sub have more distortion than a sub designed for a home theater? what kind of enclosure (sealed or vented) would i need to build and how large of a volume (ft^3) would i need to use to get the proper frequency response? but if done properly will i notice much of a difference?

or maybe i should just bite the bullet and buy the JL Gotham G213 which has 2 13.5 inch subs and 3800 watts rms short-term and should definitely make the house shake and wake the neighbors? but at $7500 is it really worth it?

any thoughts?
 

Gold Member
Username: Stu_pitt

Irvington, New York USA

Post Number: 1252
Registered: May-05
Jason,

All speakers - not just subs - are designed to work within certain parameters. Some subs are designed to be used in sealed boxes, and others are designed to be used in ported boxes. They also have an optimal enclosure volume in mind. Regardless of how well a sub may be designed, if you use it in a way that it wasn't designed for, it's not going to sound right.

Along those lines, a car sub is designed to be used in a completely different environment that a home sub. A car is a very small area; the sub doesn't need to be as accurate due to road and engine noise, etc. A car sub also has to withstand extreme temperatures - heat, cold, humidity, direct sunlight. Therefore, they need to be made of different materials and processes. These most likely compormise sound quality for the sake of durability. In a car it's definately worth it. In a home where all of these things are controlled, the trade offs aren't IMO. I've heard some car subs used in a few friends houses, and I don't think they really ever come out right. Each piece may have great specs on paper, but the sum of the parts rarely ever comes out as anticipated.

Forget about what you've heard about watts and how many you need. Most of the amps and receivers with huge wattage numbers never live up to the claims when independantly tested. The ones that do generally sound awfull, or are made for filling huge areas (like pro gear). If the specs are accurate and they sound good, they're very expensive, and most people don't really need that much power anyway.

For $1100, their are some great subs out their. For a few bucks more, their are even better subs. Check out subs from companies like REL, ERA, Martin Logan, Sunfire, and Naim. These companies make phenominal subs for between the $1100 and $4000 you mentioned, and maybe even a little less. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that they'll sound better than anything home made, unless you really know how to make a sub or you prefer the exagerrated car type bass.

Cheaper subs can be had from internet direct companies like SVS, HSU, and Outlaw. If you want to make your own, Parts Express makes some kits for a cheap price that get some good reviews.

While I haven't heard all of these, I've heard some REL, ERA, Sunfire, and Naim subs. They've always been top notch. People rave about the others, but I haven't heard them myself.
 

Gold Member
Username: Gavincumm

New York USA

Post Number: 1082
Registered: Feb-05
You can get a phenomenal sub from MartinLogan, called the Abyss, for roughly $900.

Check it out.
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