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So I thought a quick build thread was in order, just in case anyone has these little guys sitting around.
I have always wanted to build a small, passive subwoofer which would represent a significant upgrade to the small, passive subwoofers which come bundled with small "all in one home theater in a box" systems. After watching "Independence Day" on my fathers cheap little HTiB, I knew where the eventual build would go to live.
I looked around at drivers, and heavily considered the Bravox black buyout subwoofer for this project. It has low distortion, healthy XMax, decent sensitivity and with the right alignment - very nice extension.
However, to get to the required extension involved a footprint sacrifice I wasn't willing to commit - this had to be not much bigger than their existing unit.
I considered the Tang Band neo subwoofers, but sticker shock set in.
I remembered a while back, PE had a different Tang Band 5-1/4" subwoofer, shielded with a paper cone and funny dustcap. These are the W5-876 drivers, NLA from PE. They were what I wanted. I wanted to do a dual driver, I wanted a small foot print and when I found that DarrenK had measured them when he worked at PE I had my driver.
However, being as they were NLA I could not get my hands on a pair. I didn't put up a want ad, figuring sooner or later someone would offer a pair for sale.
Fast forward six months and Iowa DIY. Gentleman and scholar, Robert Clark had a pair for sale on the swap meet table and I snapped them up right away. Bingo.
Anyways, the long boring history out of the way I started this a couple weekends ago and finished them up Friday afternoon.
Front and rear baffles are 3/4" MDF, the other four walls are 5/8" particle board. The unit (without the feet) measures 7-3/8"W x 13-1/8"D x 17-1/8"H. It utilizes quite a bit of bracing.
The port is mounted from behind the baffle and the opening was made with a 2" Forstner plus 1/2" round-over.
Some pictures, we all love pictures.
Internal shot showing the bracing and the way the port is mounted:
Here is a shot in primer, the grooves along the sides are there on purpose:
This was going to be the finish, but I decided to do them in hammered silver instead, so this ended up being a very nice base-coat for the silver hammered finish:
The hammered finish looks like it is going to require a learning curve, but it is what it is:
Over-all, this is one of the more "fun" builds I have done. Inexpensive and very useful. I have a passive crossover in it, more of a shaping network since I have my doubts about the HTiB receiver being able to filter out the drivers breakup adequately:
It also incorporates a 6db high-pass to help protect from over-excursion. Anechoically, response is useful into the high 30's with the shaping network, but the HTiB will cross it over around 150-200 hz, and when I tested this with a plate amp with the crossover set at 150 Hz, it digs plenty low enough (useful into the low 30's). I threw it in the corner and it will do just fine for the parents.;)
If a guy wanted to do this as an active subwoofer, the PE 70 watt amp would be OK, but if you buy the 50 watt from MCM (which has a far more useful form factor, measuring about 10" x 5-1/2"). Perfect for the slim subwoofers so popular today
I have always wanted to build a small, passive subwoofer which would represent a significant upgrade to the small, passive subwoofers which come bundled with small "all in one home theater in a box" systems. After watching "Independence Day" on my fathers cheap little HTiB, I knew where the eventual build would go to live.
I looked around at drivers, and heavily considered the Bravox black buyout subwoofer for this project. It has low distortion, healthy XMax, decent sensitivity and with the right alignment - very nice extension.
However, to get to the required extension involved a footprint sacrifice I wasn't willing to commit - this had to be not much bigger than their existing unit.
I considered the Tang Band neo subwoofers, but sticker shock set in.
I remembered a while back, PE had a different Tang Band 5-1/4" subwoofer, shielded with a paper cone and funny dustcap. These are the W5-876 drivers, NLA from PE. They were what I wanted. I wanted to do a dual driver, I wanted a small foot print and when I found that DarrenK had measured them when he worked at PE I had my driver.
However, being as they were NLA I could not get my hands on a pair. I didn't put up a want ad, figuring sooner or later someone would offer a pair for sale.
Fast forward six months and Iowa DIY. Gentleman and scholar, Robert Clark had a pair for sale on the swap meet table and I snapped them up right away. Bingo.
Anyways, the long boring history out of the way I started this a couple weekends ago and finished them up Friday afternoon.
Front and rear baffles are 3/4" MDF, the other four walls are 5/8" particle board. The unit (without the feet) measures 7-3/8"W x 13-1/8"D x 17-1/8"H. It utilizes quite a bit of bracing.
The port is mounted from behind the baffle and the opening was made with a 2" Forstner plus 1/2" round-over.
Some pictures, we all love pictures.
Internal shot showing the bracing and the way the port is mounted:
Here is a shot in primer, the grooves along the sides are there on purpose:
This was going to be the finish, but I decided to do them in hammered silver instead, so this ended up being a very nice base-coat for the silver hammered finish:
The hammered finish looks like it is going to require a learning curve, but it is what it is:
Over-all, this is one of the more "fun" builds I have done. Inexpensive and very useful. I have a passive crossover in it, more of a shaping network since I have my doubts about the HTiB receiver being able to filter out the drivers breakup adequately:
It also incorporates a 6db high-pass to help protect from over-excursion. Anechoically, response is useful into the high 30's with the shaping network, but the HTiB will cross it over around 150-200 hz, and when I tested this with a plate amp with the crossover set at 150 Hz, it digs plenty low enough (useful into the low 30's). I threw it in the corner and it will do just fine for the parents.;)
If a guy wanted to do this as an active subwoofer, the PE 70 watt amp would be OK, but if you buy the 50 watt from MCM (which has a far more useful form factor, measuring about 10" x 5-1/2"). Perfect for the slim subwoofers so popular today
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