Help with deciding subwoofer design.

[Sebr023]

Another recommendation. Today we don't deal with vinyl warble anymore. You may get away with just setting a nice clean 20Hz / Q=0,5 equalization target and done. All will be controlled by room acoustics, especially pressurization anyway.

I'm happy to experience like 9dB of a bass lift due to huge window panes that resonate cleanly (!!) at 30Hz. I'm living in a drum ...

I will try what you said. Honestly, first time playing with filter for a purpose.
the 20hz and Q0.5 would be set in F(0) and Q(0) or F(p) or Q(p)

 

[ppataki]

Just one watchout about the Linkwitz Transform:
It is a very aggressive filter, basically boosting the lows to 'infinity'
In a real-life scenario, based on your room and placement you might be OK with just a simple low-shelf filter. And in that case you might not even need a HPF (which introduces further phase shifts unless done with a linear phase filter)
This is what I am doing with both my sealed systems btw.

 

[Jazzman53]

Another option would be a pair of compact Ripol subs, as shown here:

Yet another Ripol sub build

Hi all, I've built several pairs of Ripol subs in recent years, and I’m currently building the pair shown below for a friend. These are the smallest, most compact ones I’ve ever built with 12 inch woofers (Peerless SLS). I think my friend will like the compact size! The woofer cabs are 3/4 red...

www.audiosciencereview.com

They're not for everyone because they don't hit you in the chest like a sledgehammer-- but they can play very low because they actually lower the woofer's fundamental resonance by as much as 10Hz (no other sub I know of can do that) and give the fastest, most articulate, non-boomy bass I've ever experienced. Great for jazz!

 

[Philbo King]

View attachment 310553Hi all!

I’ve been refered to this forum for my question.

I’ll try to make it short and as precise as I can.

and please don't be too harsh, its my first subwoofer design. so please, haha be kind! I'm still learning.

- I’m building a subwoofer coffee table.
I’ve discuss many design possibilities with my wife. She agreed on a table.

The design discussion included things like:

• - under the couch: cant really do it because couch is only 4in off the ground.
• - under the tv cabinet: she didn’t like it because the floating effect of the cabinet.
• - on each side of cabinet: she didn’t like it either.
• - behind the couch: not enough space to put a subwoofer, couch is already 6in forward to accommodate a table, and we could not forward it anymore.

- I already have (2) Dayton audio UM-15 to go

- I have 2 behringer inuke6000dsp to power the 2 UM-15

- pannels are already cut, but I’m willing to make (minor) modification to the box

- pannels are Baltic birch plywood. Bracing are mdf. And grille for design #1 is a mix of mdf and BB plywood.

- I don’t want to have visible hardware once the grille is removed.

- I’m working with ~ 135 liter of internal volume. As design #1 (facing outward) measurement of the table are : 16.5x16.5x40in outside. Inside measurement would be 15x15x37in.

- living room is ~ 10x 10, but is open on kitchen and hallway, which total gives a 18x30ft room.

- subwoofer will sit at ~ 16in from the wall on one side, and ~ 25ft of the next parallel wall. But will be in the “centre of the living room” (replacing the round coffee table in the picture)


Subwoofer use: tv/movie, video game and music.

So, I design the first one. And when I was brainstorming on ways to protect the subwoofer from our 2yo (1yo at that time) I came up with design #2 (bottom one). At that time, on another forum, people could give me the informations needed to confirm if #2 was a good idea and if it would work well. So I “scrapped” it.

When I started building the subwoofer again, I came up to the part where I need to think of how I’ll be making the grille.

In design #1, there are 2 baffle. Driver sits and screwed on baffle 1 and I have a second one over. Grille is made of (2) thickness of mdf Than the 1-1/4 slats.

So I started to think that this grille is going to be very heavy, and will need a sh*t ton of magnet to hold it securely in place.

That’s when I started second guessing my design.


So at this point, I think I have 3 option.
1- stays with design #1 and don’t make grile cause the driver is sturdy enough and my 2yo is kinda old enough to understand not to play with the woofer.

2- stays with design #1, and change the grille design for something Lighter ( I came up with a “acrylic folded box design” with a laser cut pattern

3- goes with design #2 and make a “slot” subwoofer.


My question is:
Would the slot subwoofer design would be a nice sounding subwoofer?!


Hopefully I provided enough information.

Thanks guys!

(Also, I added a picture of my CSS Audio Criton build as LCR)


Picture 1:View attachment 310554




Picture 2 View attachment 310558





Picture 3:


View attachment 310560


Picture 4: grille
View attachment 310561


Picture 5: bracing
View attachment 310562

Picture 6-7 : LCR with laser cut grille, 3d printed grille stand off, and corian baffle (backed with 3/4 birch ply)
View attachment 310563View attachment 310564


Edit: this is what I was talking about when saying folded acrylic sheet.
View attachment 310643

Open on 2 sides, top and bottom are used with magnet to old on the box. Different pattern than the one showcased because my computer had a hard time to render the one I wanted, and honestly, my skill in fusion are not on point, yet.

I would think the box design should be influenced by Thiele-Small parameters of the speakers. But I'm no speaker designer...

 

[JeromeP]

Speaking as a furniture designer. I would think about leg room under the sub. Perhaps down firing from a shallower enclosure. the table height would ideally want to be the same as the sofa seat height, or slightly less.

If you did this, it would look more like a table and less like a sub.. Ideally you'd have > 300mm between sofa and table.

Maybe make a mock-up in the room to test out before finalising the design..

It''s somewhat subjective and a balance of priorities...

 

[Sebr023]

Speaking as a furniture designer. I would think about leg room under the sub. Perhaps down firing from a shallower enclosure. the table height would ideally want to be the same as the sofa seat height, or slightly less.

If you did this, it would look more like a table and less like a sub.. Ideally you'd have > 300mm between sofa and table.

Maybe make a mock-up in the room to test out before finalising the design..

It''s somewhat subjective and a balance of priorities...

Thanks for chiming in.

Our current table is slightly higher than the couch. I was aiming to be at same height as table for the subwoofer.

 

[Sebr023]

Here’s an update on the build.

Life got in the way and haven’t touch the subwoofer in a while. Got yesterday and today afternoon to work on it.

Made good progress. Yesterday, non of the pannel were glued.

Tried to use manufacturer website to drill hole around the baffle opening for screws. But I ended up screwing this up and had to start over. Used self centring drill bit to start the hole and location. Then took the baffle to the press drill to continu and finish holes.

 

[Salt]

Fine work. You decided against central divider what is ok as far as with lowest frequencies.
First association was Dackel-Design .

(Still curious about how the grilles measure ...)

 

[Sebr023]

Fine work. You decided against central divider what is ok as far as with lowest frequencies.
First association was Dackel-Design .

(Still curious about how the grilles measure ...)

There’s a central divider. But not in angle.

I’m not familiar with dackel-design.

Haven’t had time to measure the grill.
I’ll try tomorrow during lunch. (Trying to find time when baby’s is not sleeping and not home)

 

[Salt]

Dackel. The dog. Something like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...lympiade_München_1972_–_Maskottchen_Waldi.jpg

 

[Sebr023]

Dackel. The dog. Something like this:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/de/archive/4/4f/20120810095807!XX._Olympiade_München_1972_–_Maskottchen_Waldi.jpg

Oh! Hahaha!

In (french canadian) French we say teckel. I have 2

How would you suggest I measure the grills for the critons?

 

[Sebr023]

Heres the Criton 1TD measurement. Let me know if you want to see something different.
Its my second measuring experience.
On the left you can read the test I made.
1- woofer with grill,
2- woofer without grill
3- tweeter without grill
4- listening position with grill.
5- listening position without grill.

I only measured the right speaker.
and at the listening position, I sit in front on right speaker, but like 6 ft from speaker.
there's the L part of the couch like 2ft in front of speaker.

 

[Salt]

Oh! Hahaha!

In (french canadian) French we say teckel. I have 2

How would you suggest I measure the grills for the critons?

We call it Teckel as well, but alliteration sounds more smooth.

Thanks for measurements. Interestingly the grilles do not seem to interfere very much. What is You subjective listening experience, really no significant difference of sound signature?

(Btw have overseen the divider, it's no clearly spotable at the image)

 

[Sebr023]

We call it Teckel as well, but alliteration sounds more smooth.

Thanks for measurements. Interestingly the grilles do not seem to interfere very much. What is You subjective listening experience, really no significant difference of sound signature?

(Btw have overseen the divider, it's no clearly spotable at the image)

I don’t see a huge difference when listening to them with the grill on vs off.
I’m pretty sure in a blind test I would fail to know which is which!

Kinda surprising result for me too!

 

[Sebr023]

Speaking as a furniture designer. I would think about leg room under the sub. Perhaps down firing from a shallower enclosure. the table height would ideally want to be the same as the sofa seat height, or slightly less.

If you did this, it would look more like a table and less like a sub.. Ideally you'd have > 300mm between sofa and table.

Maybe make a mock-up in the room to test out before finalising the design..

It''s somewhat subjective and a balance of priorities...

Can I pick your brain of furniture designer?

I am not a huge fan of how I integrate the speakon connector. I dont have a lot of options, but would like to know how would you integrate them in my build.
I feel like they were just '' put there''. but I dont want them to ''be in the way'' and to think about how the speaker cable will reach the connector, and all.

I'll try to make some research tonight and see how I can integrate them better.

 

[JeromeP]

It's coming on! I'd probably mount the connector on a separate plate behind a cutout. Make it big enough to easily get the connector off.

 

[Sebr023]

It's coming on! I'd probably mount the connector on a separate plate behind a cutout. Make it big enough to easily get the connector off.

Yeah. Thought of that.

Seen something like this I think it didn’t look bad. Thought of using laser etch aluminum, acrylic or abs.

 

[Salt]

Yeah. Thought of that.

Seen something like this I think it didn’t look bad. Thought of using laser etch aluminum, acrylic or abs.

Speakon is a professional connection including isoaltion and there are 90° connectors. Not necassary for home use.

 

[JeromeP]

Exactly, your image is much nicer. Round works.

 

[Rick Sykora]

Yeah. Thought of that.

Seen something like this I think it didn’t look bad. Thought of using laser etch aluminum, acrylic or abs.

I often do something like this as like to recess the connector so the box sits flat when that side is on bottom. Reduces scratches and (if on back), keeps the speaker from rocking while mounting or dismounting drivers.