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Post by abefroeman on Nov 23, 2009 15:05:02 GMT -7
As a guy looking to maximize a 2-channel setup, I just want to reproduce 20-80hz as accurately as possible and I am considering an IB to do this. According to many people here and on other sites, IB subs can produce bass of the highest sound quality compared to conventional designs, which is a fact that I am most interested in.
I read an interesting comment on this forum that a driver in an IB configuration has the same output as one in a ported or sealed box.
If an IB makes bass of the highest sound quality, and we can get the same output with an IB as a conventional box, why don't we see people using a high quality single 12" driver and filtering out the bass below ~20hz? or a pair of 12s in stereo.
Would such a system beat conventional box?
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Post by ThomasW on Nov 23, 2009 15:36:37 GMT -7
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Post by jman on Nov 24, 2009 0:40:23 GMT -7
I was going to start a new thread but this one is on topic.
I heard a home theater with dual JL Gothams last weekend.
These are something like $6k each retail. Each is the size of a mini fridge with a pair of very long throw drivers (45+ mm xmax supposedly).
They had excellent output in the 40-80hz range but I wondered where all of the 10-30hz stuff was on discs like Transformers 2. The sound quality was good but nowhere near as good as my IB. Bass notes lacked definition and there was that distinct "boingy" sound that you become aware of after having an IB for awhile. It's that small box sound that colors everything but is totally absent on an IB.
These are 2 of the best commercial subs available and they couldn't keep up with my IB that cost 1/5th their price and without the unwieldy footprint.
An IB isn't a poor-mans substitute for a better box sub. It is the best sub design that rivals anything commercially possible.
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Post by chrisbee on Nov 24, 2009 2:21:09 GMT -7
The small footprint of an IB offers an additional advantage. You can add more drivers without filling the room with boxes. My own experience suggests that more drivers means larger cone area and much lower excursion for the same output levels.
Even though a driver has a large Xmax, to protect it from loud and low signals, it is still at its best when producing sound without visible movement. i.e. With its motor centred at its normal rest position of maximum linearity and lowest noise.
The IB is flexible enough to allow a couple of 15" drivers to produce great sound quality but adding more and more drivers will improve it still further. True reality seems to arrive with an 8 x 15" or 4 x 18". One need not aim for such a large IB for listening pleasure. Though it ought to be in the back of the mind if one eventually feels the need for an upgrade. Adding bigger or "better" amplification wont have remotely the same effect as doubling your driver area. In fact you may get more improvement from fitting a stiff bracing shelves across your existing manifold if you have four or more drivers.
I imagine 8 x 12" drivers would be similar to 4 x 15" or 2 x 18". The economics of driver pricing suggest 2 x Fi 18"s are cheaper than masses of 12" unless you steal them. Trying to reduce the number of 12" would be fraught with the real danger of hitting the end stops. Due to the lack of Xmax in comparison with larger, IB specific drivers.
Buying larger drivers may seem expensive at first but not in comparison with their performance compared with far more expensive commercial subwoofers.
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