Finally have my Avalanche 18" constructed

[rjrauso]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just finished putting together this beast last night, 4.6 cubic foot sealed enclosure with a PE 1000 watter. The enclosure is a piano black high gloss finish with 45 degree chamfers on the sides... a real looker! (Much Much cudos to Wayne Wendle whom built the enclosure for me, the finish is rediculous!)

I didn't get to properly set this thing up... which will require a ton of set up time with the old stuff, but I put it in front of the tube in the middle of the room so I could hear this thing. First off, this is a very accurate and tight sounding speaker, my hats off to Chad @ Ascendant! Best sounding (super-long-throw) driver I've ever heard. Second, it knocked 2 decorations and pictures off the walls while I gave it the Independence Day opening scene test. Yikes! Third, after playing it with some live blues for a couple hours on a low to moderate level, the amp never even became warm...Good job PE, I'm thinking this is a great combo, driver/amp.

I thing that jumped out at me...and maybe this had a lot to do it the sub being in the middle of the room, but I could get it to bottom out kinda easily. Knowing it's published x-max and seeing first hand what a driver like a titanic (20mm one way) looks like... it just didn't seem to be moving as far as it should and making a (bottoming) noise. Seems like it's x-max is a tad bit over rated but none the less seeing things fall off walls, I knew it wasn't a problem, just an observation.

Another question I have right now is...How long and how should I break this thing in? I'm sure it will sound much better with the driver loosened up a bit. I tested this against an M&K MX350 and I know those subs needed plenty of time to get broken in and when they did, they sounded much better and louder. Adding that, this driver is ten times the build of the M&K's.

[hongrn]

[rjrauso]

yeah, my parents nice digital's battery's are dead, I'm going to try and get some taken tonight or tommorrow.

Are there any free site's where I can post them? I'm not renewing my site domain for awhile.

[waynew]

RJ,

My camera batteries are charged. I will be in town tomorrow. I have a presentation to give at 144th & Dodge. It starts at 10am, I don't know if I will be there for lunch as well, but if I am free at that time, can you sneak out of work for a late lunch or something?

Wayne

[rjrauso]

> RJ,

> My camera batteries are charged. I will be
> in town tomorrow. I have a presentation to
> give at 144th & Dodge. It starts at
> 10am, I don't know if I will be there for
> lunch as well, but if I am free at that
> time, can you sneak out of work for a late
> lunch or something?

> Wayne

You know I want to, but I've been so swamped with work I'm lucky to even get the time to post anything, I told you about the designer that quit right? I'm going to try and get some snap shots taken tonight or tommorrow.

Right now it's upstairs, my dad and I are going to move it into the basement set-up where I can really mess with this thing, it's a monster for sure.

[jjdche]

>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Just finished putting together this beast
> last night, 4.6 cubic foot sealed enclosure
> with a PE 1000 watter. The enclosure is a
> piano black high gloss finish with 45 degree
> chamfers on the sides... a real looker!
> (Much Much cudos to Wayne Wendle whom built
> the enclosure for me, the finish is
> rediculous!)

> I didn't get to properly set this thing
> up... which will require a ton of set up
> time with the old stuff, but I put it in
> front of the tube in the middle of the room
> so I could hear this thing. First off, this
> is a very accurate and tight sounding
> speaker, my hats off to Chad @ Ascendant!
> Best sounding (super-long-throw) driver I've
> ever heard. Second, it knocked 2 decorations
> and pictures off the walls while I gave it
> the Independence Day opening scene test.
> Yikes! Third, after playing it with some
> live blues for a couple hours on a low to
> moderate level, the amp never even became
> warm...Good job PE, I'm thinking this is a
> great combo, driver/amp.

> I thing that jumped out at me...and maybe
> this had a lot to do it the sub being in the
> middle of the room, but I could get it to
> bottom out kinda easily. Knowing it's
> published x-max and seeing first hand what a
> driver like a titanic (20mm one way) looks
> like... it just didn't seem to be moving as
> far as it should and making a (bottoming)
> noise. Seems like it's x-max is a tad bit
> over rated but none the less seeing things
> fall off walls, I knew it wasn't a problem,
> just an observation.

> Another question I have right now is...How
> long and how should I break this thing in?
> I'm sure it will sound much better with the
> driver loosened up a bit. I tested this
> against an M&K MX350 and I know those subs
> needed plenty of time to get broken in and
> when they did, they sounded much better and
> louder. Adding that, this driver is ten
> times the build of the M&K's.

Congrats on the sub!

I am surprised to hear you could bottom it out though. WinISD shows that you can't even reach xmax in that size box with the Av18. Maybe you are clipping the amp?

[rjrauso]

> Congrats on the sub!

> I am surprised to hear you could bottom it
> out though. WinISD shows that you can't even
> reach xmax in that size box with the Av18.
> Maybe you are clipping the amp?

That was my first impression, but doen't that amp have an anti-clipping circuit? <-the noise wasn't loud at all, I could only hear it since it was in the middle of the room...

Anyhow, I'm going to move it to the basement setup which is strickly stereo only, I'll post my thoughts along with some pics later tonight.

[unknownuser]

> That was my first impression, but doen't
> that amp have an anti-clipping circuit?
> Anyhow, I'm going to move it to the basement
> setup which is strickly stereo only, I'll
> post my thoughts along with some pics later
> tonight.

Perhaps an air leak? I have heard some funny air leaks even in ported enclosures.



(Originally posted by: jsaults)

[rjrauso]

> Perhaps an air leak? I have heard some funny
> air leaks even in ported enclosures.

No air leaks at all, it's the amp. It's clipping far before the sub hits it's x-max. wondering if this driver just needs to get broken in or if it could use more power.

[rjrauso]

If you wondering, this thing has now been summoned to the storage in the basement. (was testing it on my father's stereo and it knocked down every one of my mother's kitchen decorations... needless to say, it's no longer a welcomed guest there anymore. When weather premits, I'll have it in my place with better images.

[mikebw]

Hey looks nice, and BIG!

Too bad about the amp clipping, be careful not to run it out too much, it could damage the speaker.

> If you wondering, this thing has now been
> summoned to the storage in the basement.
> (was testing it on my father's stereo and it
> knocked down every one of my mother's
> kitchen decorations... needless to say, it's
> no longer a welcomed guest there anymore.
> When weather premits, I'll have it in my
> place with better images.

[shawn_a]

Now that looks like some pure evil. I hope you can figure out what's the deal with the clipping issue. It's not really a valid comparison but I have the same amp powering my RS 12"HF sub and I couldn't be happier. I will run out of excursion before I run out of wattage for sure but it's a nice experience. Amp gain knob is about 1/3 the way up and the receiver's sub level is set at -6dB and it's still a volatile piece of fresh hell. This weekend the new BFD gets pressed into service with my Crown amp so it will be a lot of fun getting the room and the sub on the same page. Your's has to be insane. Very nice looking indeed.

shawn

[rjrauso]

> Now that looks like some pure evil. I hope
> you can figure out what's the deal with the
> clipping issue. It's not really a valid
> comparison but I have the same amp powering
> my RS 12"HF sub and I couldn't be
> happier. I will run out of excursion before
> I run out of wattage for sure but it's a
> nice experience. Amp gain knob is about 1/3
> the way up and the receiver's sub level is
> set at -6dB and it's still a volatile piece
> of fresh hell. This weekend the new BFD gets
> pressed into service with my Crown amp so it
> will be a lot of fun getting the room and
> the sub on the same page. Your's has to be
> insane. Very nice looking indeed.

> shawn

All I know is I can hear a slight "doubling" sound from the driver at extreme levels. When I went to look at the amp, the light was turning red ever so slightly. Up until this point the thing is rediculously clean and flat. Oh, and things start to fall off the walls and surrounding areas.

[waynew]

Have you listened to it in a corner, or has your listening been with the sub in the center of the room? I hate to ask you a question like that R.J., but sometimes I forget when I do a sub,I get all excited to hear it, that they don't sound good until they get that corner loading.

Wayne Wendel