Speaking with my bassist friend who also happens to be a professional carpenter convinced me that I (we?) should prototype one xoc1 TH18 subwoofer before spending on all material for 4.
I ordered one B&C 18SW115-4 driver from ebay which all in came out to $1057.08 CAD.
Now I need to plan the rest of the materials.
*ALL TIMBER PANELS 18mm BIRCH PLY
Panel Area Calculations (millimeters)
Item No.
Description
Dimensions (W × H mm)
Qty
Area per piece (mm²)
Total area (mm²)
1
BASE
535 × 565
1
302,275
302,275
2
BOTTOM REFLECTOR
535 × 225
1
120,375
120,375
3
BACK
535 × 839
1
448,865
448,865
4
TOP
535 × 724
1
387,340
387,340
5
FRONT
535 × 460
1
246,100
246,100
6
BAFFLE
535 × 526
1
281,210
281,210
7
INTERNAL 1
535 × 478
1
255,530
255,530
8
INTERNAL 2
535 × 417
1
223,395
223,395
9
INTERNAL 3
535 × 240
1
128,400
128,400
10
INTERNAL 4
535 × 297
1
158,895
158,895
11
REFLECTOR 2
535 × 186
1
99,510
99,510
12
REFLECTOR 3
535 × 160
1
85,600
85,600
13
REFLECTOR 4
535 × 151
1
80,785
80,785
14
REFLECTOR 5
535 × 112
1
59,920
59,920
15
REFLECTOR 6
535 × 103
1
55,105
55,105
16
SIDE
724 × 1016
2
735,584
1,471,168
Total Area (mm²):
5,349,473
Total Area (m²):
5.35
Standard Sheet Area (mm²):
2,976,800
Sheets Required:
2
Panel Area Calculations (inches)
Item No.
Description
Dimensions (W × H in)
Qty
Area per piece (in²)
Total area (in²)
1
BASE
21.06 × 22.24
1
468.17
468.17
2
BOTTOM REFLECTOR
21.06 × 8.86
1
186.62
186.62
3
BACK
21.06 × 33.03
1
695.94
695.94
4
TOP
21.06 × 28.50
1
600.21
600.21
5
FRONT
21.06 × 18.11
1
381.68
381.68
6
BAFFLE
21.06 × 20.71
1
436.35
436.35
7
INTERNAL 1
21.06 × 18.82
1
396.31
396.31
8
INTERNAL 2
21.06 × 16.42
1
345.91
345.91
9
INTERNAL 3
21.06 × 9.45
1
199.05
199.05
10
INTERNAL 4
21.06 × 11.69
1
246.21
246.21
11
REFLECTOR 2
21.06 × 7.32
1
154.24
154.24
12
REFLECTOR 3
21.06 × 6.30
1
132.68
132.68
13
REFLECTOR 4
21.06 × 5.94
1
125.09
125.09
14
REFLECTOR 5
21.06 × 4.41
1
92.88
92.88
15
REFLECTOR 6
21.06 × 4.06
1
85.56
85.56
16
SIDE
28.50 × 40.00
2
1,140.00
2,280.00
Total Area (in²):
8,132.10
Total Area (ft²):
56.5
Standard Sheet Area (ft²):
32
Sheets Required:
2
I will need an amp to test the subwoofer once it's wired up.
Some options to keep in mind:
- Behringer iNUKE NU6000DSP (cheap all and one 3100 W x2 at 4 ohms?)
- Behringer iNUKE NU12000 DSP (cheap all in one 3400 W x2 at 4 ohms?)
- Admark K420 (3400 W per channel @ 4 ohms) - Pomelo sound uses this for their subs
I have also started looking at off the shelf mid/tops that could potentially match the type fo output from this subwoofer.
The most common and affordable option that is also trusted and powerful enough for the sub that I've found are the JBL SRX 725s.
They go for around $1500-$1600 each.
Soundsystem Inspiration
Toronto:
Funktion One at Apollo events (notably by Athan Ioannidis)
Montreal:
Void at Expose Noir events (notably by ?)
Danley by Elastique Audio
Goal
Soundsystem that is:
Extremely Powerful
Portable
Efficient
Expandable
"Home" or "Unprepared" Grade Power Requirements
"Affordable"
While audio power can be achieved with many speakers, this may not be very portable (or easy to store).
Also, while audio power can be achieved with less speakers by supplying more power to the speakers, this may not be feasible with the available non-commercial electricity.
Therefore, need a speaker design that can provide the most power for the least amount of drivers and efficient amplifiers (minimal heat loss).
Also, it would be useful to have a system that could be expanded and added onto over time. A passive speaker solution with central amplifier allows this easily and allows for easier powering and control from a central unit.
A passive speaker setup also allows for separation of the "hardcore" electronics (amplifier) from the more resistant speaker boxes (solid cabinets with speakers and speaker wire to a jack panel).
While amplifiers are better left to the pros, rigging speakers and cables to a jack panel in a wood enclosure is a realistic DIY project.
However, I would want to avoid just making any rough or improvised cab and experimenting through trial and error - a well proven design will already have the efficiency people count on from the off the shelf product.
Off the Shelf Speakers Cost
As of January 2025,
1x Danley TH118: $4789 USD or $6875 CAD + tax
I still have lots of research to do about suitable amplifiers as well as budget friendly amplifiers.
However, cost permitting, a Linea Research amplifier seems ideal.
Assuming 1x TH118 or XOC1 TH18 is 3400 W,
