help with custom built sub

[slickooz]

what do i need in order to make a sub? and will it be cheaper and better then to get a 350+ dollar sub? i have all the tools and wood because my father is a carpenter, so all im missing are the sub parts.
been looking at these parts:

amp
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-805

subwoofer
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=295-464

im thinking about making a new sub around winter break when i have time and so i can save some extra money. what else do i need to make the sub work?

[Animo]

Originally Posted by slickooz

what do i need in order to make a sub? and will it be cheaper and better then to get a 200-300 dollar sub? i have all the tools and materials because my father is a carpenter, so all im missing are the sub parts.

amp
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=300-805

subwoofer
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/show...number=295-464

im thinking about making a new sub around winter break when i have time and so i can save some extra money. what else do i need to make the sub work?

Look at your first sentence. Will it be cheaper and better than a $200-300 sub? Just for the driver and amp, you are already over $200.
Do you have the MDF? Do you have glue, screws, and paint or veneer? All that costs extra money. You can probably find a real good used, quality sub in that price range and get much better performance. As a matter of fact, DriverKing is looking to sell an Elemental Designs A2-300. Why not shoot him a message and see how much he is asking.

[CdnBlu]

I had a similar question as well: I'm looking at purchasing a 12" subwoofer (799ish price range). Would I be able to build one similar for around the same amount of money for almost the same performace?

[Animo]

Originally Posted by CdnBlu

I had a similar question as well: I'm looking at purchasing a 12" subwoofer (799ish price range). Would I be able to build one similar for around the same amount of money for almost the same performace?

See my previous reply. A new A2-300 from Elemental sells for $350 shipped.
Driver King is looking to sell his, check him out to see if it's worth it to you. The eD is an awesome sub for that money. I built an eD A7s-650 for $1050 from their website, added $250 for laminate finish, glue, screws, and paint. Assembled, they sell if for roughly $2000.
The complete build is in the DIY and Animo's home theater threads.


If you are intent on building something, you could also get their 12 inch cabinet kit and buy the rest for you to assemble yourself.

[CdnBlu]

Thanks Animo! I would like to keep the price under a grand if possible! Plus I'm just using a cheap 8" Energy Take Classic sub right now, so probably ANYTHING I buy will be better than this

That eD DK is selling looks good, but I'm way up in Canada (shipping would probably be almost as much as the sub! )

[slickooz]

sorry for the confusion i meant would it out preform a 350+ dollar sub if i made one by myself for around 250. since i have the access to my dad tools and the extra wood in the garage all i need to get are the sub materials. what do i need beside the amp and woofer?

[Animo]

You'll need the amp, speaker, glue, screws to mount the amp and driver, and either paint or a veneer to finish the outside of the box. Depending on the design and what your goals are, do you want a sealed box, or a ported box? Ported should give you more output, but sealed will give you a cleaner sound. You may also need some acoustic stuffing or filler for a sealed box. And as others have mentioned, you may also want to build a riser for the sub. It is a little more complex than just slapping 6 pieces of wood togeyher and cutting some holes for an amp and a driver (and/or port).

[FendersRule]

This thread lists out things pretty well for a "fail-safe" 12" sub that will indeed pump out bass:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=116614

The materials and such are pretty simple. It's the knowledge on how to build the cabinet properly with the right tools along with the carpentry skills that is the slight challenge.

[progers13]

Originally Posted by FendersRule

This thread lists out things pretty well for a "fail-safe" 12" sub that will indeed pump out bass:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=116614

The materials and such are pretty simple. It's the knowledge on how to build the cabinet properly with the right tools along with the carpentry skills that is the slight challenge.

Every time I look at that thread I'm impressed, Fender. I said it before but it's worth saying again - that sub really came out good.

[Big Daddy]

DIY Subwoofer/Speaker Building, Repairing & Upgrading thread explains things in detail. At the end of Post #2, there are many many helpful links. The thread has a sticky.

[Rob J in WNY]

Slickooz,

Sounds like an interesting project. I used to dabble in subwoofer enclosure construction years ago, and if yours is built to spec, you can get highly impressive results.

Besides materials, it would be good to gain some sort of knowledge on enclosure volumes and tuning (if ported enclosure is desired). These parameters matter greatly when it comes to maximizing subwoofer performance. An inaccurately tuned enclosure will yield fantastically awful results. Your goal is to tune enclosure air resonance frequencies to emanate in phase with the driver output. There is a lot of theory behind it, but it's worth looking into.

Factors to consider will be the actual cubic foot volume of the enclosure, and port size and the spatial volume of the actual port itself. Each and every driver will have specific requirements in these areas. Generally, you can get documentation on recommended enclosure specs with the driver you choose, or contacting the driver manufacturer directly can be of assistance here.

Build your subwoofer enclosure with quality fasteners, wiring and materials - I would recommend no less than ¾" thick walls. Thick, solid walls are important because you want to minimize sound coloration from material resonances. The vibration induced by high-excursion subwoofer drivers can be extreme. Construct batting, gusseting, or other stiffening elements to strengthen the inside of the enclosure - keeping in mind that the use of such items also can affect box tuning by changing and/or creating new enclosure volumes. The addition of polyfill, as previously suggested, can help tame unwanted enclosure resonances/harmonics. Chamfer or round off port openings to minimize the risk of "port chuffing" (audible air motion caused by turbulence in the port). Use no thinner than 12-gauge speaker wire from your amp to the driver - go thicker if you can. Remember, you will likely be delivering hundreds, if not even up to 1,000 or more watts (depending on the amp you use) to the driver, and this is no job for lighter-duty speaker wire. Securely solder your speaker wire connections if at all possible to prevent failure in the harsh subwoofer environment.

Best of success to you with this.

[slickooz]

thank you all for your advice. yea going do more research before i start buying the toys. this going be relaxing and fun project. saw fender new custom roofer and it looks WOW this is going be a very long road for me because i know very little about subwoofers. i also looked at bigdaddy sticky on making subwoofers and it has a lot of info, great stuff

[Driver_King]

Here's a pre-cut enclosure. Just purchase a driver, amplifier, veneer or stain, clear coat, wood glue, screws, spikes, isolation, riser, cables, and port to go with it.

[Animo]

^ +1

[slickooz]

after thinking about making custom sub building a sub isnt as easy as i thought. if i do upgrade i think i might just buy one. making one from scratch seems too complicated. but i do still want to make one, maybe not soon but when im off from college. thanks guys for your inputs

[tbizzle]

Well if you bought a nice pre-cut enclosure and the driver and an amp, it wouldn't be too bad with a little bit of carpentry skill. But if you do decide to get a sub, I highly recommend the A2-300. It's the "best bang for your buck" sub out there right now, and it's just as good as all the hype about. It will definitely change your movies and games

[slickooz]

yea the a2-300 is very popular in these threads. that thing is a monster. right now i have the hd-10 and it does a good job. but i know theres better sub out there.

[Animo]

Originally Posted by slickooz

after thinking about making custom sub building a sub isnt as easy as i thought. if i do upgrade i think i might just buy one. making one from scratch seems too complicated. but i do still want to make one, maybe not soon but when im off from college. thanks guys for your inputs

The 12 inch DIY from eD shouldn't be that hard to build.
Some glue, some clamps or screws, the driver, port tube, external amp, some veneer or paint and your done. A precut box like that should take you one afternoon to build, another to veneer or paint and BINGO.

Building and cutting from scratch is a wee bit harder than buying something already cut to spec.