JL Audio w7 sub in a HT setup

mole'

just wanted to see if anyone has tried this out???? one of my buddy can get really good deals on JL stuff. i know the w7 subs hit HARD!!!!! think it would be nice for a HT sub. i know they are a 3ohm sub tho......


so Pros and cons if you guys will please


thanks

falconcry72

mole' wrote: »

...i know they are a 3ohm sub tho......

Why does it matter that it's a 3ohm sub?

codyc1ark

I knew I've seen this somewhere poking around. I'm sure you could find a prefab'd box that would spec out correctly for it, here is a thread that I found through google, I'm sure with a little more poking around you can find more. Great idea!!

http://www.htguide.com/forum/archive/index.php4/t-32468.html

mole'

falconcry72 wrote: »

Why does it matter that it's a 3ohm sub?

just meant it might be hard finding a matching amp to power it.

codyc1ark wrote: »

I knew I've seen this somewhere poking around. I'm sure you could find a prefab'd box that would spec out correctly for it, here is a thread that I found through google, I'm sure with a little more poking around you can find more. Great idea!!

http://www.htguide.com/forum/archive/index.php4/t-32468.html

great info in that link. THANKS CODY!!!!

Conradicles

I think it is a great idea, and you can make dual subs and run a pro amp as many of them are 2 ohm stable.

chargerman426

W7 is the same sub JL uses in the fathom and gotham subs. When I talked to the designers of the subs they said most 2 ohm speakers are really more like 3ohms. In JLs mind there are labeling there subs correctly by saying 3 and everyone else is wrong.

DVOuSS

there is a local guy here that builds fathom replicas, not sure of the specs on the amps but i have seen them in person. The look is not as flashy as a JL box, as his are satin black. I heard one of his first builds while visiting a friend, it sounded like it was going to tear the house down, he sells them for around $1000.

JimAckley

chargerman426 wrote: »

W7 is the same sub JL uses in the fathom and gotham subs. When I talked to the designers of the subs they said most 2 ohm speakers are really more like 3ohms. In JLs mind there are labeling there subs correctly by saying 3 and everyone else is wrong.

Same platform, but you're wrong to call it the same sub.

TouchOfEvil

Do it so us your build pic by pic and part by part so i can build one for myself. kthx.:afro

mole'

i think im gonna start working on this project.

Sherardp

Agreed, build one with dual subs and let it destroy your system. Should sound kick a$$ and be fun at the same time.

mole'

Sherardp wrote: »

Agreed, build one with dual subs and let it destroy your system. Should sound kick a$$ and be fun at the same time.

my plan was to build one and see how i like it. if it does good ill make another matching one. then sell off my epik castle sub if they do better.

chargerman426

JimAckley wrote: »

Same platform, but you're wrong to call it the same sub.

How am I wrong I watched them make them. They took a W7 right off the production line and bring it over to the home sub section.

mole'

JL Audio, the company that is well-known for excellent low frequency sound reproduction in the car, has now focused its talents on a line of active subwoofer systems for the home environment.

JL Audio's Gotham and Fathom subwoofers incorporate many of the company's patented loudspeaker and amplifier technologies in order to better address the low frequency demands of home theater program material. All models feature proprietary drivers specifically engineered for each model and built in the company's Miramar, Florida factory.

All JL Audio subwoofer models feature Automatic Room Optimization (A.R.O.), an innovative system that allows for quick acoustic optimization of the subwoofer system into the listening space. The end user or installer connects a supplied measurement microphone into the front panel and pushes a button which prompts the A.R.O. system to self-generate a series of calibration tones. The A.R.O. system then measures the frequency response at the listening position, analyzes the shape and magnitude of the primary response error and configures an appropriate analog filter to tame it. The system effectively allows for smooth, well-balanced sub-bass from a variety of locations and challenging rooms that may have been less than optimal without A.R.O.

The flagship Gotham g213, weighs in at 305 lbs., measures 34.13"H x 21.25" W x 23.75"D. This system incorporates a pair of JL Audio's highest-technology subwoofer drivers and an amplifier that can deliver 3800 watts of short-term RMS power for outstanding dynamic capability. Twin 13.5" extreme-excursion subwoofers are incorporated in the Gotham to deliver performance to well below 20 Hz in a typical home theater application. The cabinet features a sleek enclosure with a top-quality, hand-rubbed deep gloss finish.

The compact Fathom f112-single 12-inch woofer / 1500 watt amplifier, (18.5"H x 15.0"W x 18.13"D) and Fathom f113-single 13.5-inch woofer / 2500 watt amplifier (19.63"H x 16.5"W x 19.75"D) also benefit from the dynamic advantages of their proprietary JL Audio woofers. Listeners can expect full bandwidth down to 22 Hz and very high output while keeping distortion well below audible thresholds.

To extract full benefit from the prodigious excursion envelope of its woofer, each Fathom model employs an exceptionally powerful switching amplifier with a patented circuit designed to enhance control and fidelity. The low profile design and conventional form factor of the Fathoms apply beautifully to most home theater systems, including built-in custom applications. Front mounted controls make set up and adjustment straightforward in any mounting application. Fathom subwoofer systems are available in a hand-rubbed gloss-black finish or a matte black finish, both complemented by machined aluminum and stainless steel accents.

Additional Features (all Gotham and Fathom models):

Unbalanced Inputs: Stereo or Mono (RCA jacks)
Balanced Inputs: Stereo or Mono (female XLR jacks)
Output To Slave: Balanced (male XLR jack)
Input Modes: Master or Slave
Level Modes: Reference (fixed gain) or Variable from full mute to +15dB over ref. gain
Power Modes: Off, On or Automatic
Signal Sensing Light Modes: Off, On or Dim
Low Pass Filter Mode: Off, 12 dB per octave or 24 dB per octave
Low Pass Filter Cutoff Frequency: Variable from 30 Hz - 160 Hz
Polarity: 0 or 180 degrees
Phase: Variable from 0 - 280 degrees
E.L.F. Trim: Variable from -10 dB to +5 dB at 20 Hz
Both subwoofers will be available around Spring of 2005. The suggested retail prices are: Gotham: $7500 (available in high gloss black only) Fathom f112: $2200 (matte black) - $2400 (gloss black) Fathom f113: $2800 (matte black) - $3000 (gloss black.)


a lil $$$

JimAckley

chargerman426 wrote: »

How am I wrong I watched them make them. They took a W7 right off the production line and bring it over to the home sub section.

Oh rele?

http://home.jlaudio.com/multimedia_pages.php?page_id=15.
Go about 3/5 of the way in, or around 6:40 if you download the iPod file. I took the liberty of highlighting some of the high-points for you.

Lucio Proni, CEO @ 6:30

"In a home theater subwoofer, its all about the driver, because in the end the driver is going to set the limits of the system. You can always add more power, but if the driver can't move anymore or reproduce anymore sound, that's it. Game over. One of the great advantages that we had going into this project, after we decided we were going to do high-end product, is that we had a wonderful platform in a subwoofer to start with. That would be our W7 product."

Carl Kennedy, Director of Home Products @ 7:43

"The results of our Gotham and our Fathom product would have been exceptional had we chosen to simply take a stock W7-platform driver, put it in a box and power it up. The reality is that simply isn't the nature of the company. It was never really an option"

Lucio Proni again @ 8:10

"We had the total freedom here to specifically design each driver for the application it was going to be used. In the case of the Fathom and Gotham, the woofers appear to be the same from the exterior, when in fact they're really different designs. In the case of the Gotham driver, we took it to an extreme level in terms of the magnetic design. We are benefiting from this extreme design solution by having much lower distortion and i think when you listen to it, you're going to be very impressed. To give you an idea of how powerful our HTW7 drivers are, this driver can be operating at 2" peak-to-peak, which is certainly a high excursion driver, but it can shift gears and actually move 4" peak-to-peak, which is an additional 6 dB of outout. that's a tremendous, tremedous amount of movement for a small driver."

Carl pretty much slams it home, but I added Lucio since he has little tidbits on the subject here and there. They're not only different from the W7, but they're different from each other as well.

So like I said, "Same platform, but you're wrong to call it the same sub."

Face

I'm willing to bet the HT drivers have a lower FS.

jbooker82

Ethire way a dual W7 setup would make a good sub. Wonder how much polk would sell the back pannel / amp out of a Micro Pro sub for.

EndersShadow

jbooker82 wrote: »

Ethire way a dual W7 setup would make a good sub. Wonder how much polk would sell the back pannel / amp out of a Micro Pro sub for.

Just get a Bash or Dayton amp off PartsExpress. They have a couple different options

JimAckley

EndersShadow wrote: »

Just get a Bash or Dayton amp off PartsExpress. They have a couple different options

The MicroPros have more power than the biggest plate on PE. TBH, I'd just go with a pro amp, a good subwoofer controller system, and some hefty 8 gauge speaker cable.

codyc1ark

JimAckley wrote: »

The MicroPros have more power than the biggest plate on PE. TBH, I'd just go with a pro amp, a good subwoofer controller system, and some hefty 8 gauge speaker cable.

What he said.

Drenis

JimAckley wrote: »

and some hefty 8 gauge speaker cable.

Wouldn't that be a bit overkill?

Not to mention I bet the MicroPro amps dont even use 12 awg wire to connect the drivers from the amp. I could be very wrong though.

JimAckley

Drenis wrote: »

Wouldn't that be a bit overkill?

Not to mention I bet the MicroPro amps dont even use 12 awg wire to connect the drivers from the amp. I could be very wrong though.

Kinda like the "flagship" home speakers still use junk in the crossovers. The company makes cuts here and there to keep profitability up.

Keep in mind that the amplifier for the MP series is mounted all of 8" away from the voice coil leads, so 12 gauge could be sufficient in that instance. I wouldn't be too keen on putting upwards of 2400 watts through anything smaller, no matter the length, but it's not my call. Unless the amp is sitting next to those subs, 8 gauge is what I'd go for. I suppose you could back it down to 10 or maybe 12 if the amp is close or a part of the enclosure, but if I were doing a dual setup, I would get a 2-ch amplifier with a minimum of 1kW RMS per channel, preferably 1.5-2kW, and mount it away from the subs with an 8 gauge run to each sub.

I got a lot of distortion using a very short lead of 16 gauge on a 3kW amplifier in my truck when I was testing an enclosure I built a few years back. Once I swapped to 8, I gained a boatload of power and clarity, not to mention the wire didn't heat up during high-current passages. Since then, the absolute minimum I've used in a subwoofer system was 12, but I prefer 8. When I finish my new enclosure for my dual JBL W15GTis, I'm using KnuKonceptz 8-gauge to hook them to my amps.

chargerman426

Ok man your all knowing. Carl was the one that showed me around there fla. facility where I saw them take the car subs an cart them to the home side but whatever what do I know right. But really think about it would be stupid for JL to just say "yeah they are the car subs" because them more people that don't have unlimited cash but want really great stuff would be building them left and right.

ANY WAY I'm going to drop it from here and hope that mole makes one because I would be lying if I didn't say I have thought about making one myself.

JimAckley wrote: »

Oh rele?

http://home.jlaudio.com/multimedia_pages.php?page_id=15.
Go about 3/5 of the way in, or around 6:40 if you download the iPod file. I took the liberty of highlighting some of the high-points for you.

Lucio Proni, CEO @ 6:30


Carl Kennedy, Director of Home Products @ 7:43


So like I said, "Same platform, but you're wrong to call it the same sub."

chargerman426

Oh and don't take the post above as I'm mad or something I would have to care more to be mad bud.

Good luck mole please try this and keep us in the loop.

JimAckley

In the video they're indistinguishable unless placed side by side, so I'm hoping it was legitimately home subs they were moving around. However, if they're just using the same sub everywhere then they need to lose the video and any other statements claiming the difference. There's no need to BS the rest of the world about their business practices.

Personally, I'm waiting for them to make a HF setup using their components. Maybe they'll go back to their roots and make some sick DIY speaker kits. I guess at this point one can only hope.

I envy you for getting to go to their facility. I've always wanted to go out there, but haven't had a the chance between school and work.

That being said, do some modeling in WinISD and make it happen!

chargerman426

They do look the same and I would hope JL wouldn't lie about there subs but never know. The tour was great and easy to set up. I just email Carl before I left for Fla and he said I could come when ever I could make it. Seemed like a good company just over priced IMOO.

grimmace19

^ Only overpriced if you haven't tried one in your system...