This
page compares some of the subwoofer drivers available in Australia,
with an emphasis on their use in building subs
for Home Theatre. For each driver I list the T/S parameters, the supplier's
recommended box design, and designs of my own that may be more suited
for Home Theatre. You can find a good description of T/S parameters in
this
thread
at AVSForum
I have added this section because I have been getting inquiries about the usability of alternate Jaycar drivers for use in projects similar to the ones I have built. Initially I'll cover the Jaycar drivers, but will add others such as Peerless over time. I've published this page whilst still being developed because there are current inquiries I want to cover.
The criteria for my designs
- Box size no larger than 130 litres
- Cone excursion not to exceed Xmax + 10% . Why 10%. See here
- Vented box with useable response to 25hz or lower, without compromising too much in maximum SPL - where excursion allows, an EBS tune is preferred (Extended Bass Shelf)
- All designs intended to be driven with Jaycar or Parts Express plate amps which include boost @ 35hz - often saves needing a high-pass filter to control excess excursion in the infrasonic range
- Notes detailing port flaring requirements have been added to each of the designs. Sizes were determined using the Flare-it software with the options set as shown here....
Many
of these drivers have a fairly low excursion. Whilst not discussed here,
a QB5 alignment may extract better performance than I'm showing.
This alignment uses a high Q, high pass filter that is tuned in such a
fashion as to load up the driver just when over-excursion threatens. When
time permits, I would like to do some designs based on this principle.
Meanwhile, those who are interested in this route should have a look at
this
paper
presented by Robert White and Rod Elliot
Jaycar drivers
Jaycar list these drivers in their "Car Subwoofers" section and as such, most of them tend to perform best in enclosures that are tuned to maximise SPL.
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Note: I am not an expert in car sub design so I don't mean to imply anything about the suitability of these drivers for their advertised purpose. I should also add that I am not affiliated with Jaycar in any way. |
When it comes to Home Theatre, the requirements are more for sound quality (SQ), with a flat response to 25hz or lower. The designs presented here attempt to get these drivers to perform in this new role. As you could expect, some perform quite well, some are reasonable, and some are just not happy at all.
Where a Dual Voice Coil driver doesn't have full published specs for single, series, and parallel connections, the missing ones need to be estimated. The rules I used are detailed here
The Home Theatre plate amps can't drive the parallel (2ohm) configuration, so my designs use either the single coil (4ohm) connection or the series coil (8ohm) connections
An alternative way to connect a Double Voice Coil (DVC) driver is to drive one coil and short the second. This acts as a brake, causing Qms to change to the same value as Qes (compared to a single coil driven on its own). This also changes Qts. This option is explored for the Precision Response Carbon Fibre drivers
My
favorite driver was the 10 inch "Titanium Finish" driver but
that is now discontinued. It's still listed at AV
Wholesale
in
Sydney. (thanks to Steve Lynden for emailing in that info)
I had high hopes for the 10 and 12 inch "Precision Response Carbon Fibre" drivers, but I think for HT in a reasonable sized box, the 12 inch "Carbon Fibre Cone" driver gives the best results. A 95 litre box partnered with the 80w amp will give you 106dB. If you are prepared to build a high pass filter and step up to the 240w amp, this driver will give you 110dB in a 60 litre box.
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As of 8th August 2007, the Venom range of drivers has been discontinued. This is really bad news for IB builders in Australia, since the 15 incher was the most economical way to build one of those bad boys. Alternative solutions can be found on the Tempest-X IB page |
The following table lists Jaycar drivers that are no longer available, but have been used in various designs on this website
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Peerless drivers
The
T/S specs are from the website of Australian importer WES
components
Prices
are from Melbourne supplier Speakerbits
who list a larger range than this, including Passive Radiators.
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Notes:
Peerless also market the XLS-10 and 12 in a "CAR" variant which are quite different to these. They are the ones listed in the default WinISD database. (ver 0.50a7)
There
are additional models listed on overseas sites such as Solen
in Canada, but they seem to be the same DVC drivers as I have investigated,
marketed with single coil or series coil parameters and a different part
number.
Exodus Audio drivers
Audiomarketplace is the sole distributor of Exodus Audio products throughout Australia and New Zealand
These drivers will use Adire audio's XBL^2 technology, and some models are now available (22nd March 2008)
An overview of XBL^2 can be found in this Adire Audio Paper
The Tempest-X driver offers a way forward for Aussie IB builders frustrated by the discontinuation of Jaycar's 15inch Venoms
Kevin Haskins from Exodus Audio, talks to AVSForum about exploring some of the design options for the 18 incher
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Mach5 Audio
Affordable Drivers is the new Australian distributor for Mach5 Audio drivers.
They expect to start shipping drivers mid-May 2008, and pricing is yet to be announced.
Given the popularity of these affordable drivers in the US, we can hope for great things from this new arrival.
Over the next few weeks, I'll add the T/S details, WinISD driver files and some designs.
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For those who wish to import drivers, here's a bit of info on Customs and Shipping costs into Australia
