|
|
SET A GOAL
What do you have in mind for your subwoofer, what are your expectations? Acoustical performance is certainly something to consider, but size, shape, and of course cost are also factors that are best established before the project goes very far. Although it can be tempting to select the actual subwoofer driver first because of a super special sale price, or it just looked so shiny and menacing in the picture, resist! The size, shape, and type of enclosure can have a big effect on actual subwoofer performance, and driver selection must be based on matching the speaker to the requirements of the box and it’s specific application. We will start by presenting some of the options available at the planning and design stage, followed by an overview of some of the more critical parameters to be aware of when choosing subwoofer components. We will then describe the most popular enclosure designs to help you to determine which will be the best fit for your design goals. The implementation and set-up of your new subwoofer will also be discussed to ensure that you are able to maximize the potential of the new addition to your audio family
DESIGN YOUR OWN
| Suggested Products |
SOFTWARE BASSBOX 6 PRO CD ROM
|
| BassBox Pro proves that a professional box design program can be both easy to use and affordable. With powerful features like a "design wizard", interactive driver parameter verification, external filter modeling, an advanced database with information on thousands of drivers, nine graphs and custom printouts, BassBox excels at box design. |
There are many resources available to the people of spirit, vision, wit, intelligence, and courage who choose to design and build their own subwoofer project. Some very popular books would include 500-021 “Designing, Building, and Testing Your Own Speaker Systems” by David Weems, 500-035 “The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook VI” by Vance Dickason, 500-037 “Bullock On Boxes” by Roger Bullock, and 500-040 “Audio Amateur Loudspeaker Projects” from Audio Amateur Magazine. These books present both theoretical and practical information that can be of great assistance to the subwoofer hobbyist.
Users who prefer a computer based design process will want to consider software programs like 500-923 BassBox 6 Pro for Microsoft Windows, or 500-945 Eminence Designer, which is also Windows-based and is produced by the Eminence Loudspeaker Manufacturing Company. Eminence is one of the largest manufacturers of high quality speakers in the world and it would be safe to assume that they know a couple of things about speaker design!
Some speaker enthusiasts catch the bug and build speaker after speaker, trying different variations and refinements. Doctors are working around the clock, trying to find a cure for this disease. There are other audio do-it-yourselfers who take a more casual approach, completing a single project or occasional upgrade. These infrequent builders may not want to invest in a book library or software system, and we at Parts Express invite them to use our free design services. Our Technical Support staff can help with the selection of speaker components, amplifiers, and cabinet accessories; more importantly we can provide customers with tuning and design information using the popular BassBox 6 Pro design software. There is a lot of information that is just a phone call or email away, don’t be afraid to ask!
FOLLOW A PLAN
| Suggested Products |
DESIGNING/ BUILDING SPEAKER SYSTEMS 4TH EDITION
|
| You may feel that most speaker systems on the market today are overpriced, or that you could build a higher quality speaker system. Now you can with this completely revised edition of David Weems' best selling book. |
If you would like to embark on a subwoofer project, but would prefer to follow a proven path rather than blaze a new trail, you might want to consider following one of the many available speaker plans. Some of the excellent books previously mentioned include well thought out and easy to build plans that can speed your progress and help you to predict the outcome. The Parts Express Project Showcase is also a great resource for speaker concepts and plans. You can also check out our Selenium P.A. Cabinet Design Page
Many plans can be considered a place to start, and you can certainly make alterations or substitutions that suit your needs or your budget. If you do make changes, make sure that it is clear what effect your changes will have on the rest of the design.
|
|
