[captainkidd]

I am getting ready to start my build and am trying to decide between using plate amp/s or pro amp. I have searched as much as I could here and it seems there are pluses and minuses to each. I am probably going to build two THTs but I am not exactly sure how the wiring goes as the plans only cover the cabinet construction. I know quite a bit about woodworking but nothing about amps, speakers and wiring.


Can anybody explain how each of the amp types connect between the receiver and the sub? At this point I have no idea what type of wire/cable I am going to need. Also what type of wire do I run between the binding posts and driver?

 

[notnyt]



Quote:
Originally Posted by captainkidd /forum/post/18188905


I am getting ready to start my build and am trying to decide between using plate amp/s or pro amp. I have searched as much as I could here and it seems there are pluses and minuses to each. I am probably going to build two THTs but I am not exactly sure how the wiring goes as the plans only cover the cabinet construction. I know quite a bit about woodworking but nothing about amps, speakers and wiring.


Can anybody explain how each of the amp types connect between the receiver and the sub? At this point I have no idea what type of wire/cable I am going to need. Also what type of wire do I run between the binding posts and driver?

stranded 12-16 gauge copper between the posts and the driver will suffice.


If you use plate amps, you connect to them with an RCA cable. Pro-amps vary.


I went with 2 plate amps.... try reading this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1229174

 

[reecew]

You will want to wire each THT in parallel. Since the driver has dual 8ohm coils you want the final impedence of the cab to be 4ohm. So youll go positive to positive and negative to negative. I would reccomend a pro amp for dual THT's since its only one power source and can handle the 2ohm load two THT's would present. But if you so choose to go dual plate amps its the same except youll have one amp for each THT.

 

[lennon_68]



Quote:
Originally Posted by notnyt /forum/post/18190648


try reading this thread:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1229174

Haha, that's the OP's thread

Is there room on the THT for a plate amp? I thought I saw some building external boxes for their plate amps?


For a plate amp you would do Sub out on AVR (RCA) to input (RCA) on amp.


For a pro amp you would do Sub out on AVR (RCA) to input on pro amp (either XLR or 1/4" TRS - you can get an RCA -> 1/4" TRS adapter at RS for pretty cheap).


You would need an RCA splitter to go to two separate plate amps. For a pro amp you could either split the signal and run one sub off of each channel or wire the subs in series as one 8 ohm load and run the amp bridged (which may or may not make sense to do depending on what amp you use - you could also do as reecew suggested and wire the two subs in parallel as a 2 ohm load then run them off one channel of the amp - don't run them 2 ohm bridged though!)


Then speakerwire from the amp output to the binding posts on the THTs

 

[reecew]

No place for amp on the THT. Its better to have the amp closer to the equipment and run long wires vs a long sub cable IMO.

 

[captainkidd]

After watching A Bugs Life last night with the volume only set at about -12 I realized that my room is really lively, and just with the Klipsch speakers and Energy amp I already have a lot of Bass. When the grasshoppers came blasting in at the beginning my daughter was hiding behind the front row of seats and looking around the room.

Sooo, I chickened out and just ordered the parts to build 1 THT including the 240 Watt plate amp, hopefully that will simplify things. I have a hunch that 1 is all I will need but if it turns out that it is not enough I will be well versed in the build and should be able to put together a second pretty quick.


Thanks for all the help, I will be sure to share some pics of the build as I go and I know I will have a million questions along the way!

 

[lennon_68]



Quote:
Originally Posted by captainkidd /forum/post/18190859


After watching A Bugs Life last night with the volume only set at about -12 I realized that my room is really lively, and just with the Klipsch speakers and Energy amp I already have a lot of Bass. When the grasshoppers came blasting in at the beginning my daughter was hiding behind the front row of seats and looking around the room.

Sooo, I chickened out and just ordered the parts to build 1 THT including the 240 Watt plate amp, hopefully that will simplify things. I have a hunch that 1 is all I will need but if it turns out that it is not enough I will be well versed in the build and should be able to put together a second pretty quick.


Thanks for all the help, I will be sure to share some pics of the build as I go and I know I will have a million questions along the way!

Awesome! I think you'll be pretty happy with just one... that said good clean bass is addicting. Worst case you end up building a second so no big deal

 

[RobG5589]



Quote:
Originally Posted by captainkidd /forum/post/18190859


After watching A Bugs Life last night with the volume only set at about -12 I realized that my room is really lively, and just with the Klipsch speakers and Energy amp I already have a lot of Bass. When the grasshoppers came blasting in at the beginning my daughter was hiding behind the front row of seats and looking around the room.

Sooo, I chickened out and just ordered the parts to build 1 THT including the 240 Watt plate amp, hopefully that will simplify things. I have a hunch that 1 is all I will need but if it turns out that it is not enough I will be well versed in the build and should be able to put together a second pretty quick.


Thanks for all the help, I will be sure to share some pics of the build as I go and I know I will have a million questions along the way!

Thats what I thought with a sealed 12 in a 2700 ft3 room. Just wait...

 

[captainkidd]

I tried asking in my build thread but thought I might be better to post my question here.


Should I break in my Dayton driver? If so can somebody give me a simple explanation of how to hook it up for the procedure?

I have the 240 Watt plate amp, Dayton 15" driver and Denon AVR 590 receiver. I also downloaded and burned the DIY test sounds DVD from the top of this page, hopefully that will work for the procedure.

 

[Kevin A]



Quote:
Originally Posted by captainkidd /forum/post/18236367


I tried asking in my build thread but thought I might be better to post my question here.


Should I break in my Dayton driver? If so can somebody give me a simple explanation of how to hook it up for the procedure?

I have the 240 Watt plate amp, Dayton 15" driver and Denon AVR 590 receiver. I also downloaded and burned the DIY test sounds DVD from the top of this page, hopefully that will work for the procedure.

BFM recommends that the driver be broken in before installation. Here's what I did:

DVD player (w test tone CD) > Receiver > Sub out to Sub Amp input (Mine is the Bash 300) > two leads from amp (using terminal cup from PE)> pos & neg cable to the Dayton driver wired like this:

I suspended the driver between some boards so as not to disturb the household...

...and played a 35Hz tone @ 9-10 volts for 12-18hrs....using one of these comes in handy:

some go longer; some less. Some not at all.

 

[RobG5589]

I used a 15hz tone on repeat on my dvd player. I just laid some 3x1 inch boards across the driver box so that the driver was suspended above the box, then a few screws to keep the driver and boards in place. Make sure the back of the magnet/screen/vent opening is clear so the voice coils do not overheat. You want to run about 8-10 volts to the driver to get it moving about .25" or so. The lower tones will move the driver with less noise.

 

[captainkidd]

I am not sure how to hook up the receiver, amp and driver. I assume that I connect the driver to the black and red wires coming out the back of the amp?

As I understand it I connect to one of the sets of black and red posts on the driver and then bridge over to the other two?


The amp has a low level right and left input (RCA jack) as well as a high level right and left (binding posts), which one do I connect the sub cable coming from the receiver into? My sub cable is currently plugged into the black sub out/preamp jack on the receiver, is this the correct output? (It also has a L/R sub out option which are red and white)


I assume I should start with the amp gain at min. and turn it up slowly? Where should I set the amp frequency? Receiver volume?


I have a volt meter similar to the one pictured and have no clue what to set it at?


I literally know nothing about this stuff and don't want to smoke the driver right from the get-go like a few others have.

 

[RobG5589]

The black and red wires from the back of the amp go to the driver. The "Input" on the front of the amp is where you plug the RCA from the "Subwoofer Out" on the back of the avr. You don't use any other connections on the amp.


Set the gain low and turn it up until it reaches the wanted voltage. You measure the voltage at the speaker wire connectors. Turn it to 200v AC to measure. You don't really need to make adjustments to the avr for break in. Just set the amps xo to a bit less than center.

 

[captainkidd]



Quote:
Originally Posted by RobG5589 /forum/post/18237797


The black and red wires from the back of the amp go to the driver. The "Input" on the front of the amp is where you plug the RCA from the "Subwoofer Out" on the back of the avr. You don't use any other connections on the amp.

There are 4 inputs on the amp, a red and a black high level and a red and a black low level. I assume that I use the low level inputs but which one, red or black or does it not matter?

 

[RobG5589]

"Low Level" input, usually the left unless you use a y-connector like many do, then its both left and right.

 

[Kevin A]



Quote:
Originally Posted by captainkidd /forum/post/18237736


As I understand it I connect to one of the sets of black and red posts on the driver and then bridge over to the other two?

Yep, just like it's shown in the crutchfield illustration above.

Quote:
Originally Posted by captainkidd /forum/post/18237736


I have a volt meter similar to the one pictured and have no clue what to set it at?

black to neg,; red to pos, connect the meter to the appropriate posts (anywhere in the chain); try to keep the voltage around 9 or 10 max; you can control output from your sub amp/gain.

It doesnt require much power.

 

[captainkidd]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin A /forum/post/18237845


Yep, just like it's shown in the crutchfield illustration above.


black to neg,; red to pos, connect the meter to the appropriate posts (anywhere in the chain); try to keep the voltage around 9 or 10 max; you can control output from your sub amp/gain.

It doesnt require much power.

The front of the volt meter looks similar to the one in your picture. There are two options for plugging in the red terminal, one says 10A DC and the other says V(symbol)mA. I believe the symbol is for OHMS. Which one do I plug the red terminal into?


The dial has about 20 different options, which one do I set it to, DC or AC?


Ugh!

 

[RobG5589]

Black to common and red to voltage. Set it to 200v ac.

 

[captainkidd]

Well, I have it all connected and the volt meter attached. I ran a test tone and was able to get some play in the sub but I can not for the life of me figure out how to get my DVD player to play a continuous tone with that DVD I burned. I select DD 5.1, then LFE, then manual tone and 35 HTZ. It plays the 35 HTZ tone for a few seconds and then moves to 40, then 45 and on and on.


Is there some way to get it to play a continuous tone so I can actually adjust the input voltage and let it go?

 

[captainkidd]

I ran the sub long enough to know that it works fine. Since I have no way to generate a continuous even signal I am going to skip the break in and just use it.


How careful do I need to be with my setup of Denon AVR 590 and 240 watt plate amp? Once this thing is finished and broken in a bit can I crank that amp up if I want or will over drive the sub? I don't know much about these things and don't want to blow the sub.