Blew my 12".....AGAIN!!!!!

[pb9717]

Well, I think I'm on my 5th blown woofer in my AVATAR 112 cab. As of late, I've been using it as the low end of a biAmp setup with only frequencies below 100Khz going to it. Well, just reset up my rig in my home and the 12....she's a gone.

In an effort to put a speaker in the cab that will absolutely NOT blow, i am considering a car subwoofer. Pioneer champion series to be precise. I can get one for $69 off the bay, and hopefully not blow it. It will remove the full range capability of the Avatar cab, but I only use that cab for Low end anyway. ( and it was a NEO 12 too...damn)

Has anyone ever used a dedicated low end , not full range cab as the bottom frequency half of a rig? Or, have any experience using subwoofers in your own rig?

all input is greatly appreciated......ready

GO!

 

[Bass_Pounder]

Car audio is not the same as pro audio.

The sensitivity level of car subs are so bad that you will probably have to send it 2-3X the power of normal bass speaker for it to keep up volume wise.

 

[FunkHead]

I would just get an Eminence LF. I use the 15 in My bottom cab(Avatar B115). I can't imagine it ever blowing.

 

[old spice]

Get a 15. Or an 18.
The Fearful or Greenboy cabinets are said to be capable of very high volumes.
Get an Audiokinesis speaker cabinet. Some designs handle very high wattages.

 

[arbiterusa]

I think Basson made an SVT-style cab with car speakers in it. Here's the problem: the bass was, in fact, incredible. But the efficiency on those drivers is awful, to the point where Basson advertised a required minimum power rating of 1500 watts to drive the thing to stage volume.

You're obviously giving that poor woofer too much to do. I think another look at the entire rig layout and what you're trying to get done with it is in order. I've never used a sub with a bass guitar rig. However, I consider them indispensable for PA work.

 

[eriky4003]

Just seeing your gear and you have a Carvin BX1500 as an amp. It might be sending too much power for a humble 1x12. Funkhead's suggestion of an LF is probably the next route to go but if you are eqing quite aggressively in the bass end of the amp, that speaker may go up in smoke as well.

 

[Rick James]

Five??? The second one should have given you the hint that you were doing something wrong. Using a 112 for the low end of a biamp system is a stretch. You might get away with it with a long excursion speaker like the 3012LF, but even then it has to be in a cab specifically designed to work with it.

I think Basson made an SVT-style cab with car speakers in it. Here's the problem: the bass was, in fact, incredible. But the efficiency on those drivers is awful

As I recall it was loaded with Kappa Pro tens. Efficiency wasn't the problem, it was that they were low Qes PA midrange speakers, so it took tons of power to get any bass out of them. It was a good example of the wrong speaker for the job, similar to the OPs situation.

 

[FunkHead]

Five??? The second one should have given you the hint that you were doing something wrong. Using a 112 for the low end of a biamp system is a stretch. You might get away with it with a long excursion speaker like the 3012LF, but even then it has to be in a cab specifically designed to work with it.

FWIW, The 3015LF worked great in my Avatar B115 cab as a replacement to the original Eminence Neo(Non-LF).
I am pretty sure that the 3012LF would be good int the Avatar 1x12 cab. Dave will tell you for sure.
I am surprised He didn't recommend the LF after OP blew the 1st 12.

 

[Joe Nerve]

If I had a 12" I'd probably do that too. Can't say for certain though...

 

[Rick James]

I am pretty sure that the 3012LF would be good int the Avatar 1x12 cab. Dave will tell you for sure.
I am surprised He didn't recommend the LF after OP blew the 1st 12.

No disrespect to Dave, but from what I've seen his cabs aren't designed to be speaker specific. The tuning and cab size for a 3012LF is very different from a 2512 or Delta 12LF.

 

[B-string]

So pouring a lot of power at low frequencies into a 12" speaker is not doing the job. That is not surprising. Car subs are not the answer, there are some $600-$800 "HiFi" theater sub 12" speakers that might hold up, but with a live instrument no guarantees there either. You might start thinking about revising your tone goals.

I took my SVS cylinder theater sub to a gig once, sounded glorious, but also pounded customers out the door.

 

[mmbongo]

Blowing it the second time should have triggered that 'single 12 is not enough' mechanism inside.

 

[BurningSkies]

You probably just got some bad drivers.

I say you get another and go again.

 

[ArtechnikA]

...only frequencies below 100Khz going to it.

You might need to set your crossover a little lower than 100kHz...

 

[B-string]

You might need to set your crossover a little lower than 100kHz...

I think a 50 ohm antenna would be better up at 100KHz than a 12" speaker as well.

 

[DukeLeJeune]

If you're dead set on trying another 12" woofer, invest in one with a 4" voice coil. The Emience Definimax 12HO has a good combination of thermal power handling, decent x-max, decent efficiency, and decent top end, but it is neither light nor cheap. Its greater voice coil mass will take longer to overheat. I use it in custom studio monitors.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

He's not on here a lot, but I'd seek the advice of Dave at Avatar. I'm guessing an Eminence Kappalite LF is the recommendation.

 

[BurningSkies]

Ignore Duke. He's always tryin' to wreck people's speakers.

 

[azureblue]

Get somebody to build you a sub woofer acoustic labyrinth

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Einstein would be glad to know that you have contributed another example for his hypothesis.