While I agree with bro Winthur that one can achieve good bass with most subs, there are definitely some character and subjective differences to the sound of different subs.
Broadly, as Des’s poll suggest, some subs are better at low bass, while others are better at mid bass. Its is a rare sub that can do both well. JL Audio seems to be one of the subs with the secret sauce that can do both low bass and midbass to satisfaction.
In my diy journey, I have experimented with different drivers and designs to try and Crack the code of what makes a good low bass sub, a good mid bass sub…
I also tried to look for a sub driver has a good combination of low bass and midbass, like the JL Audio. Mixed bag of results, and surprisingly the choice of amp had a significant effect on the impression.
For the current build in the new room, I’m going with separate dedicated drivers for low bass and midbass. They will still all be on one LFE channel.
For commercial subs, there seems to always be something elusive that drives the quest for upgrading… Again back to the poll, either more low bass, more mid bass, more SPL or more of all 3!!
Bro, have you used the new RSS3XXHE drivers? The look very promising, seems to have better midbass than the UM series, and better low bass than the previous RSS HF/HO series. Also promising low bass similar to the UM series.
The other subs i was eyeing was the Stereo integrity SQL series. Believe you built a couple for bro Winthur.
A few years back, it was very common on XP forum to use Rythmik FV15HP for low bass, and KK12012 for midbass. That seemed to be a solid combination… Strangely, it seems to have all but disappeared… Not sure why if the combination is technically effective.
So after building so many subs with different drivers, do you have a favorite driver, or few favorites that has that special quality in the low bass or mid bass?
How do you find the difference in bass between DIY and commercial subs?
In my personal experience, a significant factor for DIY sub is actually the fit to the room. Commercial sub typically have a fixed EQ boost to achieve flat response down low, and this tends to be too boomy in our smaller and concrete based rooms. This is somewhat offset by room EQ, and also newer subs, ID subs have multiple EQ profiles especially with sealed rolloff that fits our spaces better.
The 2nd factor for DIY is shape and size. Commercial subs tend to be quite large, and quite cubic in shape, which doesn’t tuck well into corners in a tight room, especially when trying to fit multiples…
So DIY offers a different way to solve some of these challenges… but i’m findings that good sub amps are hard to get, and the good ones are really very expensive…
I don’t have any favorites but I will skip the ones that cannot go low enough. If the bass is available in the content, the sub should be able to deliver.
I suspect the one that can do well for mid bass is the one with higher distortion, which somehow make it to sound louder (feel more impact). Maybe…
I agree with your views about DIY sub. The key is to build custom to your room limitation or personal preference
Agreed . It seems counter intuitive when you build a subwoofer that can do low but will not perform to it fullest potential due to the room size. There is no way to defy physics. So much space within your room will dictate what kind of subwoofer is suited for that learning environment.
I found over the years, the most satisfying bass experience is one where you experience the psychoacoustic bass steering in a set up where the bass tracks every on screen action . The whooshing moving up, down left right type of visceral tactile impact. That is most satisfying for me. The tactile impact hits at 4 areas, the legs, bump, chest and head . They have layers to them
Loudness can be achieved, increasing volume, adding more subs. Shake the house. Too much can be fatiguing. But quality, articulated bass is not the same. It’s difficult to achieve and takes a lot of work to reach that type of bass quality
The amplifier plays a huge role, not all subs are built the same. Not all subs can give you the bass articulation. They will have bass out, but just different quality.
Low bass is very addictive, but the transition from midbass to low bass plays a huge role too. And a lot of subs are ether good for midbass or deep bass. We seldom see one that does well for both midbass and ULF. But if I had to choose, I’d still go with the subs that can dig deep down low frequencies
. It seems counter intuitive when you build a subwoofer that can do low but will not perform to it fullest potential due to the room size. There is no way to defy physics. So much space within your room will dictate what kind of subwoofer is suited for that learning environment.
looking forward to the final product.
