Now, that's what I call a subwoofer...

[Chr1]

One Giant Cone for Mankind: Meet the Diatone D-160, the Largest Subwoofer Ever Created

Mitsubishi’s Diatone D-160, a 1.5-ton subwoofer from the 1980s, defied all logic with a 63-inch carbon-fiber cone and a 400-kilogram field coil, turning every note into a seismic event.

pmamagazine.org

 

[unmutual]

Great read, thanks for sharing!

 

[mj30250]

Just need three more to smooth out those room modes.

 

[kyuu]

Ugh, what a terrible article. Spends way too many words finding different ways to describe the speaker's size (and many seem contradictory) and basically a single sentence telling us what the thing was actually used for.

 

[egellings]

A pair of those with a headband and you'd have Paul Bunyan's headphones!

 

[egellings]

You could also do a Crocodile Dundee 'That's not a knife' number when someone shows you their new sub; "That's not a subwoofer; THIS is a subwoofer!"

 

[DVDdoug]

I'm a sucker for big woofers!!!

But the field coil motor "rubs me the wrong way". It seems like a waste of energy.

In reality, if I hit the lottery and this thing was available for sale it's probably not what I'd choose. ...I might consider one of those rotary subs. Or Cerwin Vega "Earthquake" subs., although they only go down to about 36Hz.

Back in the real world, I have a pair of DIY 15-inch subs in fairly large ported cabinets (about 6 cubic feet). There are people here with bigger-better woofers mine can "shake the walls" and I have nearby neighbors that I don't want to annoy so I don't take full advantage of them and I don't need anything more.

 

[NotInYourHead]

I wonder what they used to power it? The neighbourhood hydroelectric plant?

 

[kyuu]

I wonder what they used to power it? The neighbourhood hydroelectric plant?

Don't be silly. I'm sure an industrial 3-phase electrical circuit can handle that thing no problem.

 

[bmc0]

But the field coil motor "rubs me the wrong way". It seems like a waste of energy.

Electrodynamic loudspeakers are not exactly efficient devices anyway... Even the most efficient horns only manage ~30% efficiency (for a wide bandwidth; narrow bandwidth designs can do better) and direct radiators rarely top a few percent.
You also have to consider the practicality of manufacturing a permanent magnet structure of that size. If it were magnetized after assembly (like most speakers are), it'd require a prodigiously large and expensive magnetizer. Assembly with charged magnets would be difficult at best due to the magnetic pull and the structure would be quite a bit larger and heavier than a field coil unless SmCo magnets were used (which would have been obscenely expensive). Much easier to just make a big coil of wire.

 

[ttimer]

I'm a sucker for big woofers!!!

But the field coil motor "rubs me the wrong way". It seems like a waste of energy.

It’s in the article. Permanent magnets would have added close to a ton of extra weight. And would likely have increased the already astronomical costs dramatically.
Better to spend extra power, because this thing wasn’t used for long periods of time.

 

[egellings]

Don't be silly. I'm sure an industrial 3-phase electrical circuit can handle that thing no problem.

Did it have inbuilt amplification?

 

[smygolf]

Strange is that there are only a couple of pics on the monster.
To bad really...

 

[egellings]

Strange is that there are only a couple of pics on the monster.
To bad really...

The Bruce Thigpen TRW-17, when properly installed, will outdo it easily. Sill, it's a monstrosity of a cone for sure.

 

[Oddball]

While obviously catchy and interesting, cant really see any real world use. Even the most dedicated low end lovers seems to stop at 21 or 42 inch.

 

[egellings]

While obviously catchy and interesting, cant really see any real world use. Even the most dedicated low end lovers seems to stop at 21 or 42 inch.

That little fan is quite compact, though.

 

[Chr1]

Update: New entry in the "Ridiculously Massive Subwoofer" category:

Ascendo Pushes World's Largest Subwoofer Record Further with New 64" and 100" Models

Home theater specialist Ascendo Immersive Audio is a recognized pioneer of infrasonic subwoofer development, impressing the custom integration sector with its early 24, 32, 50, and even 80-inch models. Seeing global sales continuing to grow, the German company now announced THE64 Sub and THE100...

audioxpress.com

 

[Thighsofsteel]

How do you get this past your wife?

 

[Chr1]

Clandestine hypnosis perhaps?

...Or old school bribery. ie. The usual.

 

[Westsounds]

Too small