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My SonoSub with Mach5 IXL 15.2.2

post #1 of 27
12/6/08 at 12:07pm
Thread Starter 
I just want to share some pictures of my build.

This will be a 7.8 cu.ft tube, tuned to 14.5Hz.

Parts used:
Mach5 15.2.2
18" Sonotube (61" tall)
6" Sonotube port (44" tall)
R-13 insulation from HD.
I'm cheap, so instead of MDF I used particle board.
Interior/Exterior carpet from Lowes
This will be powered by BKA-1000 (buttkicker amp) which will also power the two LFE's I have connected (one under each row).

Materials inside truck...
Attachment 126140


Sub driver, compared to a JBL speaker woofer (8")
Attachment 126141


Preparing circles ...
Attachment 126142
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post #2 of 27
12/6/08 at 12:10pm
Thread Starter 
More pictures ...

Bottom plate (for driver)
Attachment 126143


Top plate (for port)
Attachment 126144

Base plate
Attachment 126145
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post #3 of 27
12/6/08 at 1:00pm
Thread Starter 
More pictures ...

Installing carpet ...
Attachment 126146

Carpeted tube
Attachment 126147

Finished port
Attachment 126148
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post #4 of 27
12/6/08 at 1:04pm
Thread Starter 
More pictures ...


Driver on bottom plate (back view)
Attachment 126149


Driver on bottom plate (front view)
Attachment 126150

Port cover (made with speaker cloth and plastic ring)
Attachment 126151
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post #5 of 27
12/6/08 at 2:07pm
sonotube walls look thin. What are they made out of? How stiff are they?
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post #6 of 27
12/6/08 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdubs1 View Post

sonotube walls look thin. What are they made out of? How stiff are they?

That looks like 300 wall, that's .300" thick, larger diameter tubes have thicker walls.

It's a paper tube, a very strong paper tube.
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post #7 of 27
12/6/08 at 2:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by NEO Dan View Post

That looks like 300 wall, that's .300" thick, larger diameter tubes have thicker walls.

It's a paper tube, a very strong paper tube.

Neo Dan is correct ...wall is 1/4" thick, is made out of paper but is really strong (this tubes are usually filled with concrete to form columns, so if it can hold hundreds of pounds of concrete, I read that used as sub enclosure is not a problem)
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post #8 of 27
12/6/08 at 3:03pm
looks sweet! I'm sure it will perform very well, let us know how it sounds.
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post #9 of 27
12/8/08 at 2:17pm
How is the particle board holding up? I wonder why we don't see more builds that use it?
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post #10 of 27
12/8/08 at 2:29pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chadci View Post

How is the particle board holding up? I wonder why we don't see more builds that use it?

I just finished the sub last night ...so I need to hook it up (maybe today or tomorrow).

I think most people use MDF because is what others used to build their subs, maybe because is stronger than particle board and because is easy to finish and make it look good (specially when building a box)

In my case I didn't really care because it was a tube (covered with carpet), so it was used just for the top, bottom and base plate. I used three layer on top and bottom glued together, I painted them black and did't do any sanding, detailed job because it will be hidden in a corner near TV ....time will tell after I start using the sub if the particle board will hold the stress .
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post #11 of 27
12/8/08 at 2:33pm
Thread Starter 
Here's a couple of pictures of the finished Sub ...

Finished sub
Attachment 126338


FInished Sub (view of base plate)
Attachment 126339
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post #12 of 27
12/8/08 at 2:37pm
Looks good. I've got 4 of the IXL's brothers, the MJ18 on the way. Going IB with them...
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post #13 of 27
12/8/08 at 2:52pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chadci View Post

Looks good. I've got 4 of the IXL's brothers, the MJ18 on the way. Going IB with them...

Four 18"????!!!! ....you better be sure your house is braced well
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post #14 of 27
12/8/08 at 4:33pm
Very nice. I like the tall thin look to it.
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post #15 of 27
12/8/08 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by salvasol View Post

Four 18"????!!!! ....you better be sure your house is braced well

Funny thing is I don't even listen that loud. I got such a good deal I just could not pass it up. Guess I'll have some headroom.
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post #16 of 27
12/9/08 at 12:07am
Wow, looks great man! Well done!
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post #17 of 27
12/9/08 at 1:28am
Nice looking subwoofer! The particleboard should hold up fine, as long as you are not swapping woofers every other month. I'm curious, how did you attach the bottom and top caps to the tube? I know a couple ways I've done it on my speakers, but I don't see either method present in your build.
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post #18 of 27
12/9/08 at 11:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron Gilbert View Post

Nice looking subwoofer! The particleboard should hold up fine, as long as you are swapping woofers every other month. I'm curious, how did you attach the bottom and top caps to the tube? I know a couple ways I've done it on my speakers, but I don't see either method present in your build.

Thank you. Did you mean: As long as you are NOT swapping woofers every other month???

Well the top and bottom were to big, so I just sanded little by little until they fit (I had to use a rubber hammer to push it in,so they're really tight); I was planning on using glue but didn't see it necessary ...after the caps were inside the tube we try to lift them but couldn't, we lifted the whole tube

Maybe is not enough, but I added some finishing nails to keep the tube and cap together
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post #19 of 27
12/11/08 at 5:22pm
Thread Starter 
Here is the final pictures I got (SonoSub is in it's place) ...I don't have any other option but to use it near the TV

SonoSub behind right front speaker ...
Attachment 126599

HT back view...
Attachment 126600

HT front view ...
Attachment 126601

As you can see, there's no other place for the SonoSub
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post #20 of 27
12/11/08 at 5:51pm
Thread Starter 
Here is some graphs of the frequency responses ...I haven't had the chance to calibrate the sub properly (I just adjusted the level to match the rest of the speakers)

Purple line is with PEQ (Yamaha RXV2700) engaged (that EQ set up was used for old subs Velodyne VRP1000 and Infinisty TSS750)
Attachment 126602


Purple is Sonosub response, light blue was the combined response of Velo and TSS playing together, and the other is just the Velo..
Attachment 126603


Purple is SonoSub with mains and the other is Velo+TSS+mains
Attachment 126604
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post #21 of 27
12/11/08 at 5:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by salvasol View Post

Thank you. Did you mean: As long as you are NOT swapping woofers every other month???

Well the top and bottom were to big, so I just sanded little by little until they fit (I had to use a rubber hammer to push it in,so they're really tight); I was planning on using glue but didn't see it necessary ...after the caps were inside the tube we try to lift them but couldn't, we lifted the whole tube

Maybe is not enough, but I added some finishing nails to keep the tube and cap together

Yes, I meant not, corrected it, thanks!

Interesting. I don't know that I have heard of or seen a sonotube subwoofer where the caps are just held in by friction. If you have enough thickness inside the tube, it seems perfectly fine though. If you can't forcibly remove the caps except with a rubber mallet, I'd say the nails are probably extraneous, especially when it's standing straight up.
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post #22 of 27
12/11/08 at 6:06pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aaron Gilbert View Post

I don't know that I have heard of or seen a sonotube subwoofer where the caps are just held in by friction. If you have enough thickness inside the tube, it seems perfectly fine though.

For the top cap, there's 1 1/2" inside tube (3/4"+ 1/2") and bottom is 3/4" inside tube

Quote:


If you can't forcibly remove the caps except with a rubber mallet, I'd say the nails are probably extraneous, especially when it's standing straight up.

I read some post and some mention that there can be a lot of pressure coming from the port, so I imagine that the top will fly away any time, that's why I added some finishing nails to the sides
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post #23 of 27
12/12/08 at 7:54am
How much power are you feeding the sub with?

Nevermind. I see that the BKA1000 puts out 1000 wats at 4 ohms.
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post #24 of 27
12/12/08 at 11:30am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by blizzisu View Post

How much power are you feeding the sub with?

Nevermind. I see that the BKA1000 puts out 1000 wats at 4 ohms.

That's true ...1000 watts @ 4 ohms and 1900 watts @ 2ohms

I have the sub wired in series for a 4 ohm load, and also a pair of buttkicker in series too 8 ohm load; all wired in parallel and powered by the same amp (according to number I got this presents a 2.667 ohm load to amp, so I assume is deliverying more than 1000 watts)
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post #25 of 27
12/15/08 at 3:00pm
Thread Starter 
Finally, I had some time and adjusted the frequency response of the system; this measurements were taken on the back row (which is the best for picture, but not the best for audio) ...but I can't complaint. (I'm sure front row will be a lot better).

Orange is sub with mains, and gold is just the sub ...

Attachment 126926
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post #26 of 27
12/15/08 at 4:31pm
That's pretty good
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post #27 of 27
1/19/09 at 12:47pm
Thread Starter 
Just a quick teaser ....

Couple of days ago I watched some movie clips, then I decided to measure with my RS SPL meter ....

In finding Nemo (Tala tap the tank) I got 110db ...and U571 (deep charge explosions) 100db-106db

By the way, my volume was -15db from reference level, so I think that at reference I'll get higher readings ...but I'm sure I couldn't handle it
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