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How much would you pay?

post #1 of 8
1/4/12 at 3:45pm
Thread Starter 
Let's say you're going a new subwoofer. How much would you pay for a sub with these specifications:

16.5"x16.5"x16.5" sealed design
Flat (<.01dB deviation to 22Hz, even rolloff after with -1dB at 20Hz and -3dB at 17.6dB)
Peak SPL 98.5dB @ 22Hz and above, 98dB @ 20Hz, linear rolloff from 20Hz to lower (-1.4dB/Hz)
Non Powered (external amp could be included as an option)
Max amplifier load 180W @ 18Hz
Variable low-pass crossover
Customize-able input connections and finishes

I'm working on a business model and would like some feedback on pricing. Thanks!
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post #2 of 8
1/4/12 at 4:08pm
A passive sealed sub as you describe is not really possible. The roll off without eq would most likely start at 40 or 50 hz. By 20hz you would be down at least 12db. Also, 180 watts of power handling isn't going to get you very far.
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post #3 of 8
1/4/12 at 4:41pm
I'd pay 0, 180watts in such a small sealed box wouldn't put out much.
You're talking about using 12" driver?
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post #4 of 8
1/4/12 at 7:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mojomike View Post

A passive sealed sub as you describe is not really possible. The roll off without eq would most likely start at 40 or 50 hz. By 20hz you would be down at least 12db. Also, 180 watts of power handling isn't going to get you very far.

Power handling doesn't matter very much. You can make some very loud speakers with 10W, depending on the efficiency of the driver. However, I've already designed the sub and made sure that all specs (e.g., excursion, thermal, etc.) are ok. With the EQ built into the sub this is definitely possible.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sputter1 View Post

I'd pay 0, 180watts in such a small sealed box wouldn't put out much.
You're talking about using 12" driver?

Watts won't make a difference if the SPL is the same. SPL determines loudness, not wattage. 98dB is very loud. There are definitely louder subs out there, but you'd pay four figures for those easily and lose a lot of precious floor space to accommodate their size. I definitely won't sell this for four figures unless the market would pay that, which I highly doubt will be the case.

And yes, this is a 12" driver.
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post #5 of 8
1/4/12 at 7:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosteh View Post

Power handling doesn't matter very much. You can make some very loud speakers with 10W, depending on the efficiency of the driver. However, I've already designed the sub and made sure that all specs (e.g., excursion, thermal, etc.) are ok. With the EQ built into the sub this is definitely possible.

Yes, you can make speakers that can play very loud with 10 watts, but they are not subs in a 16.5" cube playing 20hz tones.

How will you build in eq without an amp? You said the sub would be non-powered.

When you quote the output as 98db @ 20hz, what are the conditions at which you measure this? Outdoor ground-plane? From what distance?
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post #6 of 8
1/4/12 at 8:21pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by mojomike View Post

Yes, you can make speakers that can play very loud with 10 watts, but they are not subs in a 16.5" cube playing 20hz tones.

How will you build in eq without an amp? You said the sub would be non-powered.

When you quote the output as 98db @ 20hz, what are the conditions at which you measure this? Outdoor ground-plane? From what distance?

True, but I was just making a point that you can't really judge a speaker's loudness based on how many watts it takes to drive it.

As far as EQ, you can build an eq circuit using electrical components like a crossover.

And it hasn't been measured yet. This is all just modeling. I'll be done with the prototype in a couple weeks when my amp arrives from China. I'll get actual in-room measurements then, but my room is quite small so the SPL ratings will be quite higher than 98dB.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. My initial question still stands. Theoretically, if a sub like this was available for purchase, how much would you be willing to pay for it?
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post #7 of 8
1/4/12 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosteh View Post

True, but I was just making a point that you can't really judge a speaker's loudness based on how many watts it takes to drive it.

As far as EQ, you can build an eq circuit using electrical components like a crossover.

And it hasn't been measured yet. This is all just modeling. I'll be done with the prototype in a couple weeks when my amp arrives from China. I'll get actual in-room measurements then, but my room is quite small so the SPL ratings will be quite higher than 98dB.

But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. My initial question still stands. Theoretically, if a sub like this was available for purchase, how much would you be willing to pay for it?

To create an eq boost as you would need to do to compensate for the natural 12db/octave rolloff of a sealed sub, you would need an active gain circuit. That is not like a crossover. It is like an amp. It cannot be done passively. It requires power.

If you could theoretically do it (big if), the performance with an amp would similar to something like an SVS SB13-Plus. That sells for $1200. Without an amp, you're probably at $7-800, but again, I don't see how it's really possible to passively do what you're saying. Considering that SVS is one of the best respected sub companies around and has a long track record of excellent customer service, as an upstart you would need to undersell them considerably in order to compete.
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post #8 of 8
1/4/12 at 9:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frosteh View Post

...98dB is very loud...

I can see you're new here.


Do know that there are forum rules against starting threads of your own fishing for product ideas and interest. You might start some research of your own here and here.

Best of luck in your venture.
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