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Dayton 385, UM15 or 460?

post #1 of 14
3/1/13 at 6:54am
Thread Starter 
I'm looking at doing my first home DIY subwoofer set up. The room is about 16x24x9 with an 8 ft wide entryway open to the rest of the house. I currently have a Denon 1713, Snell E II's for front stage with a Mirage center (going to try a phantom center this weekend), Snell J's for surrounds with a Klipsch 12" powered sub. Obviously the sub is just not cutting it.

I've been reading lots of threads about everyone's latest builds and found Ack's to be the most helpful so far. I'd like to use Erich's flat pack(s) for the build as its just easier and I don't have all the tools required. My budget maxes out at $1000. I'd like to stay below it, and reaching that budget the build would probably have to be spread out a little bit.

Here are my potential options right now

2 Dayton 385-88 to start and building another 2 in time
Inuke 3000

1 Dayton UM15 to start and building another 1 in time (I might be able to squeeze in doing both at once)
EP4000

1 Dayton 460 - would most likely build another in time.
EP4000

The UM15 has me intrigued just because of the sale that PE has going on. I can't find all that much information about the sub though. It doesn't seem to have caught on very much in the builds in this forum but I can't find a reason why.

I've mapped some of these options out in winisd, but I'm clearly no expert.

No matter the route I choose I'm going to go sealed for simplicity of the build, no HPF needed, size of enclosure, and I want some low end extension. I know in a room my size really hitting low frequencies is more of a dream than a reality.

If you guys could offer some assistance I would appreciate it. I've been lurking in the forums quite some time and credit the forum with steering me towards a Panasonic Plasma and the Denon. Thank you in advance.
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post #2 of 14
3/1/13 at 7:17am
Given the price of the UM15, I would go that route. Not sure if Eric has a 15" baffle for the 4 ft3 cabinet, 3 ft3 can still work. Subs, EP4K, cabinets = $870, you should be able to finish everything for $1k.
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post #3 of 14
3/1/13 at 10:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonFL View Post

...The UM15 has me intrigued just because of the sale that PE has going on. I can't find all that much information about the sub though. It doesn't seem to have caught on very much in the builds in this forum but I can't find a reason why.....
It's new, the 15 was just introduced, like this week, and the Ultimax line hasn't been available long enough for there to be many builds.

It's been pointed out that Klippel testing shows more like 23mm and they were optimized for sealed; PE's web site suggests a 3.1 cu ft box with 3 lb. of fill yields an F3 of 35Hz with a Q of 0.707... not much more to ask for, given the boost you'll get from room gain.

Have fun,
Frank
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post #4 of 14
3/1/13 at 10:48am
All three are good choices.

However I'm really not sure how the Ultimax could handle a 3.1 cubic foot box. The suggested enclosure size in Win ISD was 6.8 cubes. :/ Either their specs are off or their recommendation is wrong.
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post #5 of 14
3/1/13 at 12:38pm
While bigger is definitely better, the difference between 3 ft3 and 4 ft3 for the UM15 is still minor




There's a slight .6 db hump to the 3 ft3 box. The F3 is 1 hz higher, while the F10 is 2 hz higher. You might even consider springing for a QSC GX7 over the EP4K, as the UM15 will stay under Xmax with 1000 watts in 3 ft3 down to 6 hz

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/GX7/
Edited by Jay1 - 3/1/13 at 12:56pm
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post #6 of 14
3/1/13 at 1:34pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, couple questions. With the UM being dual 2 ohm, the ep4000 can go out to 1400 watts per sub right? All that for just $275. Why would I benefit from the QSC?

What kind of mapping does this show for the 18"? These ultimax sound like the real deal. I'm leaning towards 3.0 ft boxes with each sub being ran by a channel of the EP4000. Am I missing anything here?
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post #7 of 14
3/1/13 at 2:09pm
Ep4k puts out 650 watts per channel at 4ohm.
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post #8 of 14
3/1/13 at 2:42pm
Thread Starter 
This is from behringers website

2 x 2,000 Watts into 2 Ohms; 2 x 1,400 Watts into 4 Ohms; 4,000 Watts into 4 Ohms (bridge mode)

Are they actually underpowered? Or am I looking at the wrong thing?

What would the advantages be of going with the 18? I'm getting antsy and am about to order the subs smile.gif
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post #9 of 14
3/1/13 at 2:51pm
Right, but it was measured to output 650 watts at 4ohm.
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post #10 of 14
3/1/13 at 3:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonFL View Post

Ok, couple questions. With the UM being dual 2 ohm, the ep4000 can go out to 1400 watts per sub right? All that for just $275. Why would I benefit from the QSC?

What kind of mapping does this show for the 18"? These ultimax sound like the real deal. I'm leaning towards 3.0 ft boxes with each sub being ran by a channel of the EP4000. Am I missing anything here?

Judging by the stats of the U15 it should be equaly as impressive as the 18HO driver which has been extensively tested and a new favorite around here. The performance between the two using a single ep4k will more than likely near identical.

I am of the opinion to get the 18" because it is more impressive to look at and you might be surprised how much that can effect the enjoyment. biggrin.gif
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post #11 of 14
3/1/13 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scott Simonian View Post

Judging by the stats of the U15 it should be equaly as impressive as the 18HO driver which has been extensively tested and a new favorite around here. The performance between the two using a single ep4k will more than likely near identical.

I am of the opinion to get the 18" because it is more impressive to look at and you might be surprised how much that can effect the enjoyment. biggrin.gif

Lol, fantastic. The 18" sure looks the part, though the nomex cone looks pretty good too. Sounds like this is a winner. Should be ordering parts in the next week. Thanks for the help everyone. I will be sure to post a build thread when I get started.
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post #12 of 14
3/2/13 at 3:53am
I am going to order a couple of U15's this afternoon! Did we ever make a definitive decision as to what enclosure size is best for this driver? Sealed? Ported?
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post #13 of 14
3/2/13 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Martycool007 View Post

I am going to order a couple of U15's this afternoon! Did we ever make a definitive decision as to what enclosure size is best for this driver? Sealed? Ported?

Depends on your power level, and what you can live with. 4.5 ft3 keeps you just under xmax with 650 watts for the most part. None of them really have any high Q issues, even 3 ft3 only gets a very mild hump.

Ported really needs something tuned low, at least 16hz, and then even a 6 ft3 box will work. That will require slot porting, round ports with elbows, or PRs.
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post #14 of 14
3/3/13 at 9:30am
The U15s look impressive for the money, but for a difference of shipping ... how do you think they compare to the StereoIntegrity 15s?
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