Biggest sub on the forum?

gmorris
gmorris Posts: 1,179
edited June 2005 in Subwoofer Hookup & Bass Management
My Atlas 15 subwoofer is complete!! I'm not sure, but I think I've got the biggest sub on the forum....

Some details, Ascendant Audio Atlas 15, 9 cubic foot Sonosub, tuned to 18.5 Hz, Parts Express 250 watt plate amp (spec sheet says 272 watts?).

The sub stands half an inch over five feet tall (60.5"). The sonotube is a 20" inner diameter.

The sound of this thing is undescribable. I cannot even believe it. Those of you who have quality subs know what I'm talking about. My previous sub was not even close to this, so to me it is even more impressive.
Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
Post edited by gmorris on
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2005
    ... sitting next to my RTi70...
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • ntculenuff
    ntculenuff Posts: 1,146
    edited June 2005
    dang
    i think that is all i can say
    Speakers:
    Definitive BP7001sc mains
    Definitive C/L/R 3000 center
    Polk RT800i's rears
    Definitive supercube I Sub
    Audio:
    Onkyo TX-NR3010
    Emotiva XPA five Gen 3
    OPPO BDP-103 CD, SACD, DVD-A
    Video:
    Panasonic TC-P65ZT60
    OPPO BDP-103 Bluray
    Directv x's 2
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  • Willow
    Willow Posts: 11,070
    edited June 2005
    massive, that will not pass WAF !! that is a piece of furniture it's that huge. Nice !!
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited June 2005
    looks cool but can we say overkill!! :D So i assume your not married or that isnt your main living room... My wife is tolerent and likes audio but would flip on that thing :eek:
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • billbillw
    billbillw Posts: 6,887
    edited June 2005
    To pass the WAF, I had to stick to the 31" high PC Plus. I had to pass on a 47" PC Plus that was selling on the Flea Mkt and ended up paying more than $130 more for the shorter version. In the end, I'm glad I got the shorter version though. It really fits into the room much better and hides behind a love seat. Its more than enough bass for my listening preferences.
    For rig details, see my profile. Nothing here anymore...
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited June 2005
    Great job!!! You got me beat by 3 c.f. So if you're not counting IB's, you'll probably win the biggest sub contest.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited June 2005
    Overkill? how, look GREAT, you only need another one now, lol.

    Good looking sub, DIY is the only way to go.
    Dodd - Battery Preamp
    Monarchy Audio SE100 Delux - mono power amps
    Sony DVP-NS999ES - SACD player
    ADS 1230 - Polk SDA 2B
    DIY Stereo Subwoofer towers w/(4) 12 drivers each
    Crown K1 - Subwoofer amp
    Outlaw ICBM - crossover
    Beringher BFD - sub eq

    Where is the remote? Where is the $%#$% remote!

    "I've always been mad, I know I've been mad, like the most of us have...very hard to explain why you're mad, even if you're not mad..."
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  • tryrrthg
    tryrrthg Posts: 1,896
    edited June 2005
    I was at gmorris' house on Saturday and we had a good time playing with his new MONSTER sub. we were getting 110 CLEAN dB's on Master and Commander. If his windows would hold up we probably would have turned it up a few more notches. It is an impressive sub, he did a good job on it.

    I can't wait to build my Atlas 15!
    Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2005
    Overkill? No way. That thing rocks.

    My fiancee is OK with it. The Home Theater room is in the basement, our main living room is upstairs. I was pretty surprised that she did not object to that thing.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited June 2005
    Oh then cool, if i had a basement it would be full on with the largest sub also.... That sub does look great!! Just really huge :D
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • tryrrthg
    tryrrthg Posts: 1,896
    edited June 2005
    it's far from overkill. we could have gotten more extension out of it with a bigger enclosure, but it would have been ridiculous huge. gmorris and I tried to design his sub without comprimise (well he put one limitation on it by making the max height at 5 feet, sissy ;) )
    Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited June 2005
    Ok forget i said overkill :D
    but its 20" x 5foot tall.. that thing "IS" freaking huge.. and a 15" driver, anyways carry on..... :)
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • gatemplin
    gatemplin Posts: 1,595
    edited June 2005
    Good job. I love to see all these DIY subs. Now it's time to get a BFD to control that monster.
    Originally posted by gmorris
    I'm not sure, but I think I've got the biggest sub on the forum....

    I got ya beat by 3 cubic feet. :)
    Graham
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by gatemplin
    Good job. I love to see all these DIY subs. Now it's time to get a BFD to control that monster.



    I got ya beat by 3 cubic feet. :)

    You have a 12 cubic foot sub? Got any pics? Please describe this thing.

    I guess I'm happy with the silver medal.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • gatemplin
    gatemplin Posts: 1,595
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by gmorris
    You have a 12 cubic foot sub? Got any pics? Please describe this thing.

    It's 12 cubic feet net (340L). Adire Tempest 15" driver with the Adire AVA250 amp (very similar to yours). The alignment is an extended bass shelf designed by Dan Wiggins. Two 4" flared ports tuned just under 16 Hz IIRC.

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    Graham
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited June 2005
    For power and volume Gonzo has ya beat. 4 18" with 2.5" of throw each. Does his stairway count as an enclosure? :D

    Anyway, I can only recall one other free standing sub that is that big. Congrats, I'll bet it rocks! ;)
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by jdhdiggs
    For power and volume Gonzo has ya beat. 4 18" with 2.5" of throw each. Does his stairway count as an enclosure? :D

    Anyway, I can only recall one other free standing sub that is that big. Congrats, I'll bet it rocks! ;)


    Is he using the stairway as an infinite baffle or is the stairway closed up and sealed? If it is IB, I'd say it doesn't count.

    Either way, I now know what all the fuss is about. I never really understood why everyone was so crazy about subs, mainly because my old sub really sucks, which I now realize.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited June 2005
    :eek: OMG!!







    I can't believe you're wearing that shirt! :p


    Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! seriously.. that's one big **** sub. Why did you build it so big? does it dig deeper if it's larger?
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by danger boy
    :Why did you build it so big? does it dig deeper if it's larger?

    Yes. And it hits harder, and plays louder and shakes my entire house and scares the dog & cat and it is awesome and this one time at band camp...... oops.....

    Someone should chime in as to the technical merits of building a sub bigger, ahem, tryrrthg, ahem....
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • tryrrthg
    tryrrthg Posts: 1,896
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by gmorris
    Someone should chime in as to the technical merits of building a sub bigger, ahem, tryrrthg, ahem....
    I'm no expert but it depends on the characteristics of the driver. This driver needs a big enclosure to dig down deep. As the enclosure gets smaller the anehoic freq response falls off very quickly. gmorris wanted his sub to hit down low (even without room gain) so we knew he had to go big. Other drivers may not need as large of an enlosure to get the same performance.

    The larger enclosure may also have something to do with the Fs of the driver (resonance frequency of the driver). since the atlas 15's Fs is 21.5hz it makes it a little more difficult to get it to play the low stuff.

    that's enough rambling. maybe gatemplin can chime in, he probably knows this stuff better than me...
    Sony KDL-40V2500 HDTV, Rotel RSX-1067 Receiver, Sony BDP-S550 Blu-ray, Slim Devices Squeezebox, Polk RTi6, CSi3 & R15, DIY sub with Atlas 15
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  • jmierzur
    jmierzur Posts: 489
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by gmorris
    Either way, I now know what all the fuss is about. I never really understood why everyone was so crazy about subs, mainly because my old sub really sucks, which I now realize.

    It’s nice to see you realize why some are so unrelenting on the importance of subs.

    Looks great; friends will now be afraid to watch movies at your house.

    Just curious. How does that monster integrate with the main speakers for two channel listening? Does it have a nice and tight bottom end? Have you measured the -3dB point?
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited June 2005
    and people talked about why Svs's sub's were so large... and why micro subs stink :D Bigger "is" better
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • gmorris
    gmorris Posts: 1,179
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by jmierzur
    It’s nice to see you realize why some are so unrelenting on the importance of subs.

    Looks great; friends will now be afraid to watch movies at your house.

    Just curious. How does that monster integrate with the main speakers for two channel listening? Does it have a nice and tight bottom end? Have you measured the -3dB point?


    I have not yet taken any measurments. I also haven't tried to integrate in with my 2 channel system yet either.

    While watching movies, the sub is TOTALLY un-localizable. All you get is very, very tight deep bass.

    I have played CD's thru the Onkyo receiver, using the RTi70's & the sub, and musically the sub sounds fantastic. It is incredibly fast and tight. I just have not adjusted the sub amp volume level correctly yet, therefore, the sub is WAAAAAAY too loud when used with music.

    I'm going to try to get the sub calibrated & adjusted with the Onkyo for HT use, then re-adjust for use with the McCormack/Rotel system.
    Bob Mayo, on the keyboards. Bob Mayo.
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  • jmierzur
    jmierzur Posts: 489
    edited June 2005
    Originally posted by faster100
    and people talked about why Svs's sub's were so large... and why micro subs stink :D Bigger "is" better

    Well said.
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited June 2005
    Those are nothing (size wise) ;)

    Ask anyone at the Texas gathering about my dual 12ft folded horn. I'll see if I have a picture I can dig up. - it's in my mom's garage right now while we sell the house.

    Not an HT sub, built for efficiency and tone. It's a true 31Hz horn with a 15" Eminence driver firing into two nautilus-like horns. Stands a little over 4' tall, 4' wide, 3' deep (with rear compression attached, without 2.5ft)

    Cheers,
    Russ
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited June 2005
    i think it's an optical illusion.. and he is really only 3'4" tall :p

    like the pic below. ;)
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • jdhdiggs
    jdhdiggs Posts: 4,305
    edited June 2005
    Then of course there is always the royal devices sub... But then none of us here own that one...
    There is no genuine justice in any scheme of feeding and coddling the loafer whose only ponderable energies are devoted wholly to reproduction. Nine-tenths of the rights he bellows for are really privileges and he does nothing to deserve them. We not only acquired a vast population of morons, we have inculcated all morons, old or young, with the doctrine that the decent and industrious people of the country are bound to support them for all time.-Menkin
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  • Dr. Spec
    Dr. Spec Posts: 3,780
    edited June 2005
    Great job on the DIY sub.

    The bigger the enclosure, the more efficient the subwoofer is at producing deep bass. These things all have limits though; when you hit a critically damped response for the given tuning frequency and woofer, you really don't have to go much bigger.

    Drag it outside (away from reflective boundaries) and measure the quasi-anechoic frequency response at 2 meters distance with the mic on the ground plane and see how it looks. That will tell you how close you came to the ideal FR.

    Of course with room gain, a critically damped the sub will typically exhibit a rising response (up to 12 dB/octave but most rooms are not solid enough to support the full transfer function of room gain). A rising response down deep (say below 30 Hz or so) isn't really a bad thing as most people find it a benefit on HT DVDs. A flat in-room response below 30 Hz tends to sound a bit anemic to most people due to the insensitivity of the human ear to extremely deep bass (those F-M guys).

    Doc

    PS - I agree; lose the shirt. :p
    "What we do in life echoes in eternity"

    Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
    Director - Technology and Customer Service
    SVS
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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,986
    edited June 2005
    Nice to see ya Doc.
    Check your lips at the door woman. Shake your hips like battleships. Yeah, all the white girls trip when I sing at Sunday service.
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  • Dr. Spec
    Dr. Spec Posts: 3,780
    edited June 2005
    Nice to see you guys too.

    Writing reviews for Secrets is sucking a lot of my time, but I still try to keep tabs on Club Polk - you're a great bunch of guys. :)
    "What we do in life echoes in eternity"

    Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
    Director - Technology and Customer Service
    SVS
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