1203 cabinet recommendation for very large room

[jbell]

I just bought a pair of 1203's to use for subs in a church -- not here yet... I've seen several ported enclosure recommendations for the 1201 and 1202 drivers. I'm planning on shorter/wider tube enclosures that will be plant stands, in front of the stage.

I'm having a difficult time identifying what cabinet will yield maximum spl from 30hz, up to about 100hz. As this is a pa type of installation, really low frequencies are not going to be present.

I know this driver is optimized for car audio in a small sealed box, however there is very good evidence from other manufactures that a small sealed driver works very well in a large box with a very large port. (One recomendation was 5 cu.ft. with a 10.5" diameter port 13" long, another was 5.5 cu.ft with twin 4" flared ports 35" long, like for the 1201.).

Dr. Hsu has emailed me a couple of times getting specifics on my implementation, but has not come back with a final recommendation yet. (I'm impatient... as I have an install schedule to meet.)

Anyone else do a large vented cabinet with a 1203? Or is a large sealed really the only way to go.

In the past, for this type of application, I've used earthquake magma 15's with the slaps passive radiator tuned to 17hz. It gives incredible bass, but I would never expect a plant to stay put on top. My hope for the 1203's is that I can still get great bass, but with a cabinet that doesn't shake the way the earthquake cabinet does, so that the subs can be disguised in plain sight.

[jbell]

I just got a call from the good Dr. He said he'll do some calculations and get back to me..... Awesome, will post results.

[jbell]

18" cylinder, 26" tall, dual 4" ports 23" long for a 1203 driver gives full output down to 25hz. As soon as my drivers show, I'll post results.

[cschang]

Please post some pictures somewhere too!

[jbell]

Here's pics, including my table saw jig to make circles, and my 1 1/2" top.
Just waiting for drivers now. As soon as they show, and I have it wrapped in speaker cloth and finished, I'll post final pics.

[jbell]

Been awhile since I updated this thread. Had some time to bring one home and do some critical listening vs. my NHT 10, and my earthquake magma 15. (I used my NHT amp to power all three
My overall impressions are that while the HSU will go louder, the NHT is still my favorite jazz sub. The NHT just matches my boston speakers perfectly. (I know, some will dig me on my bostons -- I just love the 'boston sound')

In comparison to a earthquake magma 15 -- the HSU is not even in the same league in terms of spl, but it is much more controlled than the earthquake.

So, in terms of overall ballance? -- I'd say the HSU is a very balanced sub, it's not the tightest, and it's not the loudest.

[tdekany]

thanks for the update - I used to have the same NHT sub. Sold it, bought the STF2 and there is no comparison.

The earthquake magma 15 is an SPL sub isn't it?

I also like the Boston sound!

Once I built a $15000 hometheater for someone and used all Bostons with a VTF3

Sounded awesome.

Not to defend Hsu or anything, but you are comparing a car sub with the NHT.

Try listening to the 1203 & the NHT 10 in a car and compare....:D

Now you know who builds better subs.

PS: I am a big fan of the NHT sound (highs) as well. :D

[jbell]

Is the 1203 a different driver than what is in the other HSU home subs? The post about the 1203 being a 'car sub' made me wonder. Then again, the earthquake magma 15 is a 'car sub' too....

I have some NHT super zero's and super one's. -- They are just too 'perfect' for me -- I like my boston's. In fact I like them so much, that I did a church audio system once, with 3 CR-7's for the center cluster. (Had to cut the center cabinet down to get a perfect 25degree angle between drivers.) Add one magma 15 up front, coils in parallel for 1.5ohms, behringer 700x2 amp, and the Holy Ghost can be felt!!

In the church that I put the 2 HSU's, I've got bass, I just miss the heart stopping power of the magma. And it didn't work as a plant stand, if there is standing water in the flower pot sitting on top, things get 'baptised' when the system gets turned up.

As I said on the NHT -- it's the perfect jazz sub, It is not the best for rock or HT, the HSU is more versatile in that department.

[cschang]

Yes...the 1203 is a different driver than any of the drivers used in the "home" subs.

[jbell]

Really? The 1203 is not the driver in the HO1220? (Do you have thiele small parameters for the 1220 sub for example that prove it's a different driver?)

A small box 12, is exactly what you'd want for a 6th order bandbass box, exactly like the 1220... Hmm.

[cschang]

Nope...I don't have the parameters....and I do not think it is something Hsu makes readily available. But, I have seen the two drivers, they look nothing alike, and have been told by Hsu that they are different.

[Ddavidson]

Dr Hsu has stated this fact on several occasions and its fully understandable why he would want to keep the parameters to himself. Remember he doesn't sell the TN driver as a DIY solution (or for automotve use) as that driver was designed exclusively for the 1220Ho.


Ddavidson

[jbell]

Quote from the good Dr. on the 1203 driver in this cabinet.

"The output at 31 Hz should be as good as the VTF-3 Mk 2 if you have enough power" And in earlier emails, he stated that it would have full output down to 25 hz without additional eq. (like the bass optimizer for the 1220)

Realize that this cabinet is tuned to 25hz, so deep bass that the 1220 and VTF-3 can realize is not attainable with this particular cabinet design.

My thoughts from this are that even though there must be differences between the 1220 driver and the 1203, the 1203 must still be a stud.....

I added a behringer ultrabass pro (subharmonic processor) and wow, it woke up!!!