Big Thump

**RacerXtreme** · September 14th, 2008, 10:21 AM

A couple of 18" woofers in some big sub cabinets would really help out the bottom end in my system. Started looking on the 'net and came across these:

http://www.pispeakers.com/Hornsub.html

Anyone got one or ever listen to them?

How do they compare to a LABhorn ?

Found a direct comparison between the 12pi and a LABhorn and it smoked it - purely from a distortion standpoint. But then I came across this discusion at ProSound Web and the designers / builders of the Pi and the LabHorn (Wayne Parham and Tom Danley) each chip in w/ their thoughts.

http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/t/15490/0/

What size drivers - and made by who? - do they use in these cabinets ?

**bfish** · September 14th, 2008, 12:18 PM

Given your passion for power and lack of places to put it, I'd try to find a couple of Tom's Servodrives.

**Cal Weldon** · September 14th, 2008, 08:17 PM

Hey Crazy man,

I think your head needs a big thump. forums

Guy, I have two A4 cabinets, I only need one realistically. You have 4 in your garage. Gimme a break, you want more low end? What you have now could already do some damage to your framing.

I gotta come for a visit one day. I really wanna hear this to see what must be wrong with your hearing. Oh wait, your brother in law is in a rather noisy business. Hmmm...

Dark ale and Jimmy Buffett if you're wondering.

Cheers

[ September 14, 2008 05:19 PM: Message edited by: Cal Weldon ]

[ September 14, 2008 05:20 PM: Message edited by: Cal Weldon ]

**Cal Weldon** · September 14th, 2008, 09:16 PM

I'll bring my amps if you're considering a renovation soon. forums

**RacerXtreme** · September 14th, 2008, 09:27 PM

Hey Cal,

you're right........ it's really not necessary, and way overkill.

But I like that.

I (we) really don't listen to tunes that loud.
Let me rephrase that........we don't listen to loud tunes that often. Just sometimes. Like 10 min. ago.

My son's auditioning for lead guitar in a band at a fairly large church near here, and even if that doesn't work out I can see him in some kind of band in the near future. So I think this stuff may come in handy for him. At a recent recietal, he did a "Ted" medley that he arranged himself. It was really good.....and he's only been playing for a couple of years.

So believe me, ...... I have reasons for wanting some more thump down low.

You never know when you might need it.

forums

**bfish** · September 15th, 2008, 12:54 AM

Originally posted by RacerXtreme:
...You never know when you might need it.

I can dig it. Even my pickup truck rig can get up and thump with the kids. When I pull up next to a low-riding, neon-lit, tiny-wheeled street thumper at a stoplight, I like to have a little fun at their expense by hitiing the volume with the windows up, and keeping a deadpan, straight-ahead gaze. From the corner of my eye, I can see them rubbernecking all around to see who's 'serving' them... surely it's not that bearded old geezer in the pickup truck... forums

GM · September 15th, 2008, 03:09 AM

Originally posted by RacerXtreme:

Found a direct comparison between the 12pi and a LABhorn and it smoked it - purely from a distortion standpoint.

What size drivers - and made by who? - do they use in these cabinets ?

The differences are academic except at prosound levels and once a bunch are stacked together I seriously doubt it matters even then since the acoustic damping over distance will attenuate it.

For sure, anyone's hearing that can handle either at high power at less than large cinema distances is so impaired that it's a moot point and at lower levels our hearing acuity is so low that any differences are below our threshold.

BTW, if you do distortion measurements of a 210 or other traditional/vintage bass-horn I believe you'll find them much worse than a LABhorn's.

The LABhorn uses two LAB12 drivers which is a prosound 'bullet proofed' version of the original Eminence made Avatar-Adire Shiva 12" 'sub' driver that TD used in his prototype: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...TOKEN=27616657

It seems reasonable it's also used in the 12pi, but haven't bothered to confirm it..........

WRT using multiple 18" to fill in below the 210s, a pair of these will drown out a pair of ServoDrive Contrabasses:
http://www.danleysoundlabs.com/tappe...ODEL=DTS%2020. Note that a DIYer can build simpler pipe horn variants with ~ equally impressive results for a fraction of the cost. Check out the various TH threads in this forum for details plus many designs: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/forum...?s=&forumid=63

Having had my house seriously damaged by a pair of CBs while playing pipe organ symphonies at live levels along with an audition of a pair of DTS-20s in a fairly large warehouse 'prosound' half space set-up, the DIY variant TH is my 'no-brainer' high SQ choice if I ever build up another large, ultra wide BW HIFI/HT system and don't have the space and/or budget for a multiple driver IB as I seriously doubt my meager retirement portfolio will ever be able to handle $6 k+ worth of subs.

GM