Considering a 15" sub build

[Brian Hinther]

Hi all. I've been lurking around here for quite a while, but think I may finally be ready to replace my crappy little Sony 10" ported subwoofer. I'd really like to go sealed and build a musical sub that would still be okay with home theater (in other words, have my cake and eat it, too).

I have boiled down my choices to the ********, the Tempest-X, and the Dayton RS 15" HF. I would like to hear people's opinions about these and any other possibilities (if you really think I'm missing something).

The Tempest-X models very well, but I've read a couple of reviews that said it wasn't terribly musical. It has a huge amount of Xmax compared to the Dayton, and I wonder if Zaph is right when he says lower Xmax woofers sound better.

I also continue to hear good things about the *****, and there's a thread in Missions Completed that is really high on the Dayton HF 15. So, as you can see, I need a little help sorting.

I also have had trouble figuring how large a box the Dayton would want: BassBox 6 Pro calls for 125 liters with minimal fill while UniBox appears to want over 250 liters (Have I done something horribly wrong?). WinISD Pro would seem to split the difference at 170 liters. I may be living proof that while figures don't lie, liars do figure! :roll:

Anyway, any advice you could give me would be deeply appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[ThomasW]

Your post has been edited because it violated our rules..

http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=28354

[ThomasW]

The Tempest-X models very well, but I've read a couple of reviews that said it wasn't terribly musical.

Do you have a link to those?

and I wonder if Zaph is right when he says lower Xmax woofers sound better.

People are always taking that statement out of content

[Bent]

I can't agree that lower x-max woofers sound better, I've used two "higher" X-max drivers in a large ported enclosure, (a BP-1503 and a Sound-Splinter RL-p 15"), they were phenomenal.

I would be inclined to say a lower x-max driver will not sound good at all when run against it's suspension limits.

[mayhem13]

I would go with the Dayton in 3.5cuft sealed with an F3 around 32hz. Should be great for music and fine for casual HT use. 500watts from an Oaudio plate amp should do nicely to integrate with the rest of your system. I have used the RS series 12" drivers and have been very happy with them. As to unibox showing higher volume, look at the driver selection field on the right-i bet it's 2 drivers selected. The volume i suggested is based on a optimal QTC of .707 which will give the lowest F3. You could go bigger but driver excursion begins to be a problem which probobly will introduce distortion at higher SPL's. Hope this helps.

[impala454]

Just to toss in there, I don't see the elemental designs subs talked about much on here. The reason I ask is because I snagged some for my truck and have been very impressed, and am considering their 15s or 18s for a home sub build. Do people use them in home sub builds? I recall seeing a guy do four 18"s (the eD 19O.v2) for his HT on AVS. What are you guys thoughts on those drivers?

[Brian Hinther]

Oops! Looks like I stepped in it. Sorry for breaking the rules. I read them about a year ago when I first started hanging around, and apparently didn't remember them very well. ops: Thanks for not deleting my thread altogether.

A quick search of HTGuide didn't reveal either post about the Tempest-X. I'll look again (and elsewhere) when I have more time. Kevin seems like a great guy and his product has been on my short list forever. Nothing else seems to model as well in a sealed box.

And I didn't mean to quote Zaph out of context. He's pretty clear that too little Xmax is just as bad.

So, sorry for the newbie mistakes. And thanks for all the help so far. UniBox does seem to be set for "Single Driver," (but I probably shouldn't be trusted on that).

[AlanH]

FWIW...I'm using the Tempest-X with the OAudio 500W plate amp in a big closed box (V = 180 liters) and I'm very happy with it. It doesn't have that boomy subwoofer sound I was accustomed to with my old Polk sub.

To my untrained ears it handles music and movies very well. It goes deep too! When I did frequency sweeps I realized that I can't actually hear anything below 30Hz; however, I can hear things in the room rattling as the sweep gets down to 20Hz and the SPL meter is still measuring response so I can only assume the sub is still cranking away.

[ThomasW]

I follow numerous online audio forums and have yet to see any comments about the Tempest-X being non-musical. Given it's over all design I'd laugh off such comments as coming from someone ill informed, or having a vested interest in selling a different woofer.

A decision between the Tempest-X and the RSS390-HF would be where it was necessary to save the cost difference between the two, and the decreased output as a result of the 390's lower Xmax wasn't going to be a problem.