Earthquake Sub Claims

Gaara
Gaara Posts: 2,415
Can any explain to me how a sub with a 15in driver and 15in passive radiator with 600 watts in a 17x17x21 box can reach 123db at 10hz? Anyone?

I have a Earthquake sub so I am not here to bash, I really like my sub...above 20hz. When I purchased it they adversited that it was effective down to around 15hz, I personally have a little roll off after 22hz and it just drops like a rock after 20hz. I have a MK12-IV, when the V model came out suddenly the website changed and they no longer claimed the 15hz extension, now it was only 23hz.

The V versions come in a 10, 12, and 15in version. All have a 600watt sub and all have a active and passive driver. The 10 has a frequency response down to 18hz, the 12 down to 14hz, and the 15 down to 11hz. None give specs on output, or drop off.

Now they have a new model, the VI. Under the specs it lists the 12 as having extension down to 16hz, and the 15 down to 15hz. If you look at the manual though on page 9 you can see that these responses are listed with the subsonic filter on. If it is off the 12 has exetension to at least 10hz, with 120db output while the 15 has 123db output at 10hz.

I mean am I missing something? I just can't fathom that a 12in driver with a 12 in passive radiator and 600 watts of channel can reach 120db...at 10hz!

Jared
Post edited by Gaara on

Comments

  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,963
    edited April 2007
    Sounds more like a marketing ploy to stay competitive to me.
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited April 2007
    There is a carver sub/passive that is supposed to be incredible in a tiny box. I don't know how they actually do below 20 though. I did some testing on my sonosub, and it gets down to 10hz pretty well. I will post the corrected values soon.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
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  • Gaara
    Gaara Posts: 2,415
    edited April 2007
    I was under the impression that you need three things for deep powerful bass. A large enclosure, lots of power, and larger drivers. The carvers have small boxes with small drivers but huge amounts of power, 2500 watts+.

    Comparing the Supernova to something like a Seaton Sound Submerssive the Supernova has a 15in driver and 15in passive radiator with 600 watts in a 17x17x21 box. The Submerssive is 17.5" x 23.25" x 24.75" with two powered 15in drivers with 1000 watts of power.

    The Supernova claimes 123db at 10hz, which just seems absurd. The Seaton is supposed to be able to output around 86db at 10hz. The Submerssive has 2 active 15in instead of 1, a larger box, and 400 watts more power yet it had 37db less output at 10hz.

    Comparing the 12 in version to a SVS PB2-Ultra which is 2 12in powered drivers with 1000 watts in a 26x19x29 box the unit it has less then 80db at 10hz.

    If I recall correctly the only "subwoofer" that can go that low that powerfull is a Thigpen Rotary Woofer.
  • Ron Temple
    Ron Temple Posts: 3,212
    edited April 2007
    Questionable specs, no doubt...

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  • Dr. Spec
    Dr. Spec Posts: 3,780
    edited April 2007
    The test environment, test method, and distortion level must be specificed in order to be meaningful.

    For example, one method might read something like:

    "Outdoors with the subwoofer and the mic on the ground plane and the mic placed 2 meters from the subwoofer with a steady sine wave and no more than 10% THD."

    Another method might read:

    "Outdoors with the subwoofer and the mic on the ground plane and the mic placed 2 meters from the subwoofer with a shaped tone burst, distortion not exceeding the CEA-2010 limits, and the resulting SPL normalized to 1 meter."

    And yet another method might read:

    "Indoors with the subwoofer corner loaded and the mic placed 0.5" from the driver with a steady sine wave and distortion disregarded."

    Gee - I just got my tiny SB12-Plus to generate 130 dB at 20 Hz using method #3 - what a beast. ;)
    "What we do in life echoes in eternity"

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  • RuSsMaN
    RuSsMaN Posts: 17,987
    edited April 2007
    Hey Doc! Nice to see you!
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  • Dr. Spec
    Dr. Spec Posts: 3,780
    edited April 2007
    Thanks Russ - you were lookin' good in those CES pics. :)
    "What we do in life echoes in eternity"

    Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
    Director - Technology and Customer Service
    SVS
  • goingganzo
    goingganzo Posts: 2,793
    edited May 2007
    i can bareley ht 123 db with my 4 avalanch 18's @10 hz
  • Drumingman
    Drumingman Posts: 348
    edited May 2007
    When I saw a whole Wall of Subs trying to reproduce that Frequency with 1000 watts of Power, No sound was reproduced, that was audible anyway.
    I think these figures are bogus without distortion numbers.