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$2500 for subs, what to build?

post #1 of 11
1/25/07 at 9:36pm
Thread Starter 
Sadly that budget isn't for me. . . I have a friend who was going to buy a JL Gotham for his 3500 - 4000 cubic foot HT room. Unfortunately his dog needed an operation and now his sub budget is $2500. I told him he could still get good performance if he went DIY.

He already has a set of B&W 801's, so what he mostly needs is something to dig down deep - crossover will probably be 40 - 50 Hz or so. I thought of two ideas, but I wanted to see what y'all had to say about it:

Option 1: Buy two Rhythmik 15" servo kits. I figure once you build the cabinets, buy the veneer and add a Behringer DSP-1024P BFD that would be about $1400 - well in the budget. I'm wondering if they could keep up with the mains in that big of a room. Any ideas?

Option 2: Two sonosubs using 15" TC-2000 SVC drivers. A single Behringer EP-2500 (to run both) and a Behringer DSP-1024P BFD + materials would be about $1700. With two 300L tubes I figure that should make 119 dB @ 16 Hz.

Any thoughts on either setups or choice of materials?
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post #2 of 11
1/25/07 at 10:04pm
Option 3: 2x15" sealed using Tumult 15D2, TC-2000 15" SVC, RL-p 15D2. 5-6 ft^3 box and a decent 2000W amp should keep you under $2500.
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post #3 of 11
1/25/07 at 10:38pm
If you wait I believe Soundsplinter is coming out with an 18". Then again four fifteen RL-p drivers will be under budget too.
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post #4 of 11
1/25/07 at 10:50pm
Quote:


I told him he could still get good performance if he went DIY.

Ahh, you mean better performance for less...he's lucky his budget has decreased.

And unless he doesn't have any tools or access to then, Option 2 shouldn't be more than $1500, and that is leaving over $200 for items other than the drivers, amp, bfd, and sonotube.
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post #5 of 11
1/26/07 at 5:18am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Willd View Post

Ahh, you mean better performance for less...he's lucky his budget has decreased.

Yes, I'm a recent DIY convertee too. I'm not sure I'll ever buy a speaker again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Willd View Post

And unless he doesn't have any tools or access to then, Option 2 shouldn't be more than $1500, and that is leaving over $200 for items other than the drivers, amp, bfd, and sonotube.

The $1700 I figure for option 2 included a BFD, the MDF, the tubes, veneer and such. I'm trying to figure out total costs, not just the amp and driver(s).
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post #6 of 11
1/26/07 at 6:58am
Thread Starter 
If I'm not muddling the thread too much - what about IB? I have no experience with them, but what drivers would it take to fill this volume to reference level and how much power would they need. IB may be an option.
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post #7 of 11
1/26/07 at 7:37am
Similar to what I am doing...

He could do 2X15 Adire Brahmas, 1 or 2 Buttkicker BKA1000s, and a velo SMS-1 and still be under $2500...even with dual amps.

-Eli
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post #8 of 11
1/26/07 at 8:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BoomieMCT View Post

If I'm not muddling the thread too much - what about IB? I have no experience with them, but what drivers would it take to fill this volume to reference level and how much power would they need. IB may be an option.

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...3&page=4&pp=30

Quote:


Total project cost, wood and everything was I think around $1600.

4 x 18" Fi Car Audio Qs
EP2500 amp
MDF/2x4s/sheets of plywood/Flex-mound for trim around the speaker grills/Grill cloth.
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post #9 of 11
1/26/07 at 8:19am
With that budget, many options, it's so easy even this guy can do it.
http://adweek.blogs.com/photos/uncat.../caveman_1.jpg
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post #10 of 11
1/26/07 at 11:53am
If you have the ability to do IB then Im convinced is the best way to go.

With that budget you can do anything, go with 6 18" drivers in a manifold or array design....power them with two 2400 Watt amps and you have a sub system everyone dreams about. There is not a box design out there that can compete with something like this.

In the end though even if you decide on a box design and not an IB design, you are going to be happy. Because $2000 DIY subs systems generally compare to $5000+ retail Subs.
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post #11 of 11
1/26/07 at 11:56am
Wild posted my costs for my IB solution. I never ever built speakers before so that was my first time and let me tell you words can not explain the final product.

IB is easier then building a box in my opinion because the box already exists. IB sound is something you have to experience, its not the same as a box.

Its fun to make the house shake
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