I know your more into the electronics and wood working, but I don't know of any 6 inch woofer for a real subwoofer. You are just trying to break the laws of physics by trying to turn a 6 inch driver into a subwoofer. Now, you could easily turn it into a mid bass sub. It would go down to maybe 45hz? But you are now talking about making something from scratch and you would need box dimensions, port dimensions, crossover etc. It is a much bigger project. They do make 8 inch small subs that go down to 40hz. If you go the DIY route you will have lots of work and a lot of fun. Good Luck with whatever you decide.
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Advice requested for upgrading/replacing small speakers
- Thread starter tastewar
- Start date
- Thread Starter
- #22
Thanks for the feedback. Understand that I am not expecting audiophile quality here, just trying to make a good improvement on the current setup. Do you have a specific recommendation for an 8" sub? Would I find a box for that? Should I just look for a used 8" sub? Just thinking about the overall setup, I am hoping to keep the component count reasonable. Currently, it's an amp and two speakers (ignoring the source). If I could make an improvement by adding a sub, even if it involved stuffing some electronics in the box so that the small speakers are getting appropriate signals, that feels manageable to me.
I looked on Amazon and they have a Rockville Rock Shaker 8 inch sub for $119. It would most likely work well for your purposes. It has both line level RCA inputs and speaker level inputs. Should be easy to wire up.
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- Thread Starter
- #24
Intriguing. The manual for those (https://www.rockvilleaudio.com/content/Manuals/ROCK SHAKER_Manual_v3_OL.pdf?) was a little unclear to me on one point. It has a frequency adjustment, and the doc states that it adjusts the frequency to the sub. What I would want to know is, would it be filtering out those frequencies from the speaker outputs? I'm sure this sub isn't unique in taking speaker level input and providing speaker level outputs -- what's the norm here? Would those outputs be pre or post crossover?
I believe it is passing the bass frequencies based on the knob setting to the sub and everything else gets a clean pass to the speakers. It will not interfere with your speaker crossovers. Should work fairly well to very well!
DanielT
Major Contributor
Small speakers that naturally roll off around 80-100 Hz (due to not being able to play low frequencies) together with a subwoofer (with the possibility of adjustable crossover frequency) for a bedroom will make a really big difference.
Okay, if you don't cut off the frequencies with an HP filter for the small speakers, they can distort at higher volume, but at lower volume maybe even at normal listening volume a minor concern. It depends on the speakers and how sensitive you are to distortion (generally, you are less sensitive to distortion at lower frequencies).
In any case it's on the margin, a little extra to tinker with if you tastewar feel like it (add HP filter that is). Not even sure it would add that much for a pair of bedroom speakers paired with a sub. The absolute biggest difference is sub or not subwoofer.
It depends on. A bit of this and that. If you are curious you can read more here:
audiosciencereview.com
Maybe if at a later stage you want to fix a nice FR with EQ, if you feel like it. It can usually give a lot to the sound. But first you must then have a subwoofer
Okay, if you don't cut off the frequencies with an HP filter for the small speakers, they can distort at higher volume, but at lower volume maybe even at normal listening volume a minor concern. It depends on the speakers and how sensitive you are to distortion (generally, you are less sensitive to distortion at lower frequencies).
In any case it's on the margin, a little extra to tinker with if you tastewar feel like it (add HP filter that is). Not even sure it would add that much for a pair of bedroom speakers paired with a sub. The absolute biggest difference is sub or not subwoofer.
It depends on. A bit of this and that. If you are curious you can read more here:
High pass filter for mains... or not?
Before I start I wanna say that I love this site! I have been trying to find objective discussions about audio for a good while and you seem one of the most competent people who actually follow research and don't blindly follow the masses. I really hope you don't mind me "spamming" threads now...
audiosciencereview.com
Maybe if at a later stage you want to fix a nice FR with EQ, if you feel like it. It can usually give a lot to the sound. But first you must then have a subwoofer
- Thread Starter
- #28
I received a reply from Rockville:
Which was a bit disappointing. Anyone know if this is "the norm" for subwoofers? If so, there's probably no point in me looking for something better. Just would be nice to get those lows out of my small speakers, and it seems like they could have done it if they had wanted to, so perhaps someone else does it that way.
It is a feature that many professional subwoofers have, e.g. Genelec, Dynaudio, Neumann, Focal, Kali, etc. For some reason, most consumer subwoofers lack this feature (I guess they are intended to be used with home theatre AVRs, which almost always have bass management).
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I made two 8" sealed subs from Dayton Ultimax UM8-22's ($150 each). I have mine tuned with EQ to play flat down to 20 Hz, but not loud at all. They are for my small home office used in a near field setup and probalby top out around 85 dB. The thing is, they don't ever need to play louder. I've been using them every day for 9 months and have not ran into any issues with their very limited SPL output. I could get them to go louder by not EQ-ing them so low, but I don't need them any louder and would rather have the frequency response.
www.audiosciencereview.com
Cost is mostly up to your build choices after you buy the driver(s). I chose some spiffy finishing materials that ran up my cost some, but this build can be very cheap.
Downsides: The little ultimax drvier does not sound good at higher crossover points. I would not recommend much over 80 Hz.
Quad 8" subs for my office
NOTE: this started with dual subs, then I built two more here. Here is the total set of 4 custom subs: I just finished up a pair of subs for my office, and thought I'd share my project. I’ve been making a lot of audio upgrades in my office recently, and the most recent was a quest to get...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Cost is mostly up to your build choices after you buy the driver(s). I chose some spiffy finishing materials that ran up my cost some, but this build can be very cheap.
Downsides: The little ultimax drvier does not sound good at higher crossover points. I would not recommend much over 80 Hz.
DanielT
Major Contributor
There are subwoofers with different types of outputs. I just took this as an example:
"There are two sets of output connectors on the STA-400D. One set (labeled Line Out) is unfiltered and carries the same signal as found on the input connectors. The set labeled High Pass Out has a high pass filter applied which has a corner frequency of 80Hz and a slope of -12 dB per per octave."
www.manualslib.com
This is what the outputs look like:
www.audioholics.com
So you have to investigate that regarding the subwoofer you are interested in, if you now want that function.
You can also get a DSP and split the signal (LP-HP filter) before the subwoofer amp and the amp that powers your speakers. Or via an active crossover if you don't want to tinker with crossovers in various DSP-related computer programs.
Edit:
With all that said. Consider what I wrote in #26. It probably mostly depends on how I would do it, how I listen to music in the bedroom in and of itself. For me, it's mostly listening at a relatively low volume. I'd rather spend more money then on HiFi in the living room/listening room, but that's me. Not sure you see it that way.
"There are two sets of output connectors on the STA-400D. One set (labeled Line Out) is unfiltered and carries the same signal as found on the input connectors. The set labeled High Pass Out has a high pass filter applied which has a corner frequency of 80Hz and a slope of -12 dB per per octave."
Power Led - SV Sound SB12-NSD User Manual [Page 11]
SV Sound SB12-NSD Manual Online: Power Led. The power LED will be green when the subwoofer is on and ready to receive (or is receiving) an audio signal. When the Power Mode switch is On, the LED will constantly be green. When the Power Mode switch is on Auto, the LED will be off when...
This is what the outputs look like:
SVS SB12-NSD Subwoofer Review
The SVS SB12-NSD is an affordable 400watt sealed powered subwoofer with a 12” aluminum cone driver in a tiny sealed cabinet to produce satisfying and exceptionally well rounded bass. Small but potent.
So you have to investigate that regarding the subwoofer you are interested in, if you now want that function.
You can also get a DSP and split the signal (LP-HP filter) before the subwoofer amp and the amp that powers your speakers. Or via an active crossover if you don't want to tinker with crossovers in various DSP-related computer programs.
Edit:
With all that said. Consider what I wrote in #26. It probably mostly depends on how I would do it, how I listen to music in the bedroom in and of itself. For me, it's mostly listening at a relatively low volume. I'd rather spend more money then on HiFi in the living room/listening room, but that's me. Not sure you see it that way.
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DanielT
Major Contributor
Tips if you want to (passively) filter out the lowest frequencies for your speakers:
audiosciencereview.com
Edit:
Best is to solve most things in the digital world in and of itself. Also, adding EQ in the same digital world.
Any budget subwoofer with in-line high pass filter?
Thinking about options like Dayton, Monoprice, etc. that are doing 12-15" subs for
audiosciencereview.com
Edit:
Best is to solve most things in the digital world in and of itself. Also, adding EQ in the same digital world.
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- Thread Starter
- #33
I like the idea of filtering out the lows, and those inline filters seem handy. Sounds like I would need RCA cables from SOURCE to SUB line level IN, then line level OUT from SUB to AMP via FILTERS. Then direct from AMP to little SPEAKERS.
Correct?
Correct?
If you can control volume at the source, and not at the amp. Otherwise, there will be no volume control for the sub.
- Thread Starter
- #37
Much gear on order. New system will include:
- Fosi TB10D (upgraded version, Amazon promises!)
- Rockville Rock Shaker 8
- 2 of the small Klipsch Reference Theater Satellite speakers from eBay -- unused and $87 for the pair, shipped
- interconnects
- FMOD crossovers
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I think you've done very well for only $360!
DanielT
Major Contributor
Good work! A lot of sound for a little money!Much gear on order. New system will include:
If you don't hear a followup from me, it's because the CC bill arrived, and, well, you can guess the rest... As happens, I did get carried away and spent more than I intended. About $360 in total. I hope it sounds good
- Fosi TB10D (upgraded version, Amazon promises!)
- Rockville Rock Shaker 8
- 2 of the small Klipsch Reference Theater Satellite speakers from eBay -- unused and $87 for the pair, shipped
- interconnects
- FMOD crossovers
I see in your first post in the thread that you say:
"I have a Klipsch home theater system in a box kind of thing (from Costco) for my home theater, and it came with 4 small speakers that would fit the bill, but they don't seems to be available separately."
So you know what those speakers sound like and you like their sound. Thats good since Klipsch is a bit of a watershed, some think they have too much raised treble others like that sound.
....
Or as Elijah Wood would say ..My Precious...Klipsch.
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