Atlas 15 DIY sub project almost finished, questions

Sami
Sami Posts: 4,634
edited December 2006 in DIY, Mods & Tweaks
Not sure yet how I like the sound, maybe some tweaking is in order before I finish up the exterior (polish & lacquer). I don't know if I should add some sidebars to stiffen up the frame or not but it does seem to flex the 3/4" MDF a bit too much. Or maybe it just needs more polyfill. I believe I have around 2-2.5lb in there right now and the box volume is about 5 cubic feet.

Some pictures:
http://skylinegtr.homeip.net/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=18602
Post edited by Sami on
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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited November 2006
    link doesn't work for me
    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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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2006
    Should be fixed now.
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited November 2006
    Still doesn't work.

    Can you place the pics inside one of your postings?
    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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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited November 2006
    Fixed once again, but here are some of the pics.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,732
    edited November 2006
    Excellent looking job...

    But you need to add bracing...

    A brace between parallel walls alone would be a significant difference....
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited December 2006
    Looks good.

    Sid's right about the bracing.

    Is this sub built for music, HT, or both?

    Did you follow a plan or did you create your own design?
    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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  • tryrrthg
    tryrrthg Posts: 1,896
    edited December 2006
    +2 on the bracing.

    My sealed Atlas 15 (pics in my sig below) does pretty well in my big open room. I'm happy with it. If I could only find the time (and motivation) to stain it...
    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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  • hoosier21
    hoosier21 Posts: 4,413
    edited December 2006
    ditto on the bracing
    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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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited December 2006
    Thanks guys! I will be adding braces shortly. I thought I'd need them but I then that 3/4" MDF really seemes to be holding up. It didn't once the volume was turned up. It's doing fantastic job at very low volumes when rattling (the enclosure and the house) is not present.

    I bought the Atlas's from Mazeroth and he helped me to get into right direction with the volume etc.
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited December 2006
    Early B. wrote:
    Is this sub built for music, HT, or both?
    Music mostly. It will be paired with Dalhquist DQ-10's and placed in the room in picture. Will be used for movies and DD TV shows in 2.1 setup sometimes but a dedicated HT room is where the demanding soundtracks will be played. Those LSi15's will be moved to HT where I have SVS PCU, with LSi7's the rest of the setup.
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  • BIZILL
    BIZILL Posts: 5,432
    edited December 2006
    my brutha from another ****, what were you thinking by not bracing??? sorry, had to say it. we were all thinking it. isn't it too late to brace it now? external braces would be better than nothing, but......

    POLK SDA-SRS 1.2TL -- ADCOM GFA-5802
    PANASONIC PT-AE4000U -- DIY WILSONART DW 135" 2.35:1 SCREEN
     ONKYO TX-SR805
    CENTER: CSI5
    MAINS: RTI8'S
    SURROUNDS: RTI8'S
    7.1 SURROUNDS: RTI6'S
    SUB: SVS PB12-PLUS/2 (12.3 series)
    XBOX 360    WiiPS3/blu-rayTOSHIBA HD-A35 hd dvd

    http://polkarmy.com/forums/index.php
    bobman1235 wrote:
    I have no facts to back that up, but I never let facts get in the way of my arguments.
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited December 2006
    The bottom is only screwed in, not glued, so bracing it is not going to be a problem. The frame was actually inserted AFTER the MDF was glued together (minus the bottom). I will leave the bottom unglued so it is easier to mod/service in the future.

    Like I said, it is almost finished. :)
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  • BIZILL
    BIZILL Posts: 5,432
    edited December 2006
    service it via the sub hole after you internally brace that som'****. brace it well! then caulk the corners/edges. make it permanant. bet it will sound KILLER!

    POLK SDA-SRS 1.2TL -- ADCOM GFA-5802
    PANASONIC PT-AE4000U -- DIY WILSONART DW 135" 2.35:1 SCREEN
     ONKYO TX-SR805
    CENTER: CSI5
    MAINS: RTI8'S
    SURROUNDS: RTI8'S
    7.1 SURROUNDS: RTI6'S
    SUB: SVS PB12-PLUS/2 (12.3 series)
    XBOX 360    WiiPS3/blu-rayTOSHIBA HD-A35 hd dvd

    http://polkarmy.com/forums/index.php
    bobman1235 wrote:
    I have no facts to back that up, but I never let facts get in the way of my arguments.
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  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited December 2006
    I wish I braced mine better too. I used a single brace that went across the entire middle and then a small one for the top and bottom. If I put my hand on certain parts of it it's still pretty obvious to me that it needs a lot more bracing... I think even just 1" wide pieces throughout the box would have helped to break up any large areas. Mine's about 6.5 cubic feet.

    The orange parts in this crappy autocad drawing is the bracing.

    boxproto2uq7.th.png
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  • Sami
    Sami Posts: 4,634
    edited December 2006
    BIZILL wrote:
    make it permanant.
    Maybe I will after I have enough hours on it to make sure it is to my liking. It's my first DIY speaker so I owe it to myself to do some experimenting... :D

    The hardest part is to find good lacquer to make that MDF look decent. Anyone have any recommendations? Needs to be something that dries reasonably quick as my garage is not exactly an ideal place to finish up the surface. I wish I would have covered up the bikes before I started cutting the MDF...LOL.
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  • BIZILL
    BIZILL Posts: 5,432
    edited December 2006
    Sami wrote:
    I wish I would have covered up the bikes before I started cutting the MDF...LOL.

    been there, done that. mdf and fiberglass EVERYWHERE!

    POLK SDA-SRS 1.2TL -- ADCOM GFA-5802
    PANASONIC PT-AE4000U -- DIY WILSONART DW 135" 2.35:1 SCREEN
     ONKYO TX-SR805
    CENTER: CSI5
    MAINS: RTI8'S
    SURROUNDS: RTI8'S
    7.1 SURROUNDS: RTI6'S
    SUB: SVS PB12-PLUS/2 (12.3 series)
    XBOX 360    WiiPS3/blu-rayTOSHIBA HD-A35 hd dvd

    http://polkarmy.com/forums/index.php
    bobman1235 wrote:
    I have no facts to back that up, but I never let facts get in the way of my arguments.
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  • michael_w
    michael_w Posts: 2,813
    edited December 2006
    The stuff is brutal to breath too. The dust can be pretty toxic if you're not careful.

    Talk to sid if you want suggestions on some bracing. He's nuts about bracing everything (maybe a little too much? ;) ).
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,732
    edited December 2006
    I put 220" of bracing in my 1.5 cu ft enclosure, and I still think I should of added more in the upper chamber...
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Systems
    Systems Posts: 14,873
    edited December 2006
    This is how I braced one of my little subs.
    That 15" woofer should work real good.What amp are you using?
    ss2.JPG 141.7K
    Testing
    Testing
    Testing
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  • Dennis Gardner
    Dennis Gardner Posts: 4,861
    edited December 2006
    Another big vote for added bracing............The sub will take on a whole new sound once you stop those large sides from vibrating, especially with the pressures seen in a sealed box.
    HT Optoma HD25 LV on 80" DIY Screen, Anthem MRX 300 Receiver, Pioneer Elite BDP 51FD Polk CS350LS, Polk SDA1C, Polk FX300, Polk RT55, Dual EBS Adire Shiva 320watt tuned to 17hz, ICs-DIY Twisted Prs, Speaker-Raymond Cable

    2 Channel Thorens TD 318 Grado ZF1, SACD/CD Marantz 8260, Soundstream/Krell DAC1, Audio Mirror PP1, Odyssey Stratos, ADS L-1290, ICs-DIY Twisted , Speaker-Raymond Cable
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  • ohskigod
    ohskigod Posts: 6,502
    edited December 2006
    yet another vote for serious bracing. I would also say glue every side as well, a far better seal and helps prevent vibration as well. for meintenace and access?, hell you got a huge 15" hole to work with, just pop the driver if you gotta get inside the cab. If I can work with a 12" hole with my meathooks, you should do fine with a 15" hole :D
    Living Room 2 Channel -
    Schiit SYS Passive Pre. Jolida CD player. Songbird streamer. California Audio Labs Sigma II DAC, DIY 300as1/a1 Ice modules Class D amp. LSi15 with MM842 woofer upgrade, Nordost Blue Heaven and Unity interconnects.

    Upstairs 2 Channel Rig -
    Prometheus Ref. TVC passive pre, SAE A-205 Amp, Wiim pro streamer and Topping E50 DAC, California Audio Labs DX1 CD player, Von Schweikert VR3.5 speakers.

    Studio Rig - Scarlett 18i20(Gen3) DAW, Mac Mini, Aiyma A07 Max (BridgedX2), Totem Mites
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