Let me start off by saying this was one of the best DIY UA-cam videos I have ever seen. You are very well spoken and very knowledgeable obviously. I have a hard time watching and listening to some who have no idea what their talking about. I am a person with many many skill sets and a plethora of knowledge so I really really enjoyed this from every aspect. Very well done. Applause to you and the wife for all of this.
I always run a bead of caulk at all of the panel joints (on the inside). Just in case there's any little gaps, the caulk'l seal 'em up and keep the enclosure from leaking any air when you're dropping big beat. Another tip is if the box is MDF, before trying to paint it, seal the wood with watered down Elmer's glue (or wood glue) applied with a chip brush. T-nuts and machine screws to mount the driver is my preference.
I have a pair of these krakens, each in a "similar to" GSG's BTS box design. They put my pair of 12" subs to shame. When is your conclusion video coming out? I'd love to see what you got in REW.
Great video....if I didn't live in a 117 year old house, I'd definitely get one of those (still might...lol)...I've always used t-nuts on subs larger than 8", I think it would have been a better option, especially for something that large... but TETO
Depends on your use case. And the box you want to use. And your budget. And the rest of your system. Lots of moving pieces. What are you trying to accomplish?
@@JilesMcCoy thanks for your reply, I’m after some mid bass slam, my room is 26x14x9, currently had 2 pb2000pro, and I really want more impact during movies. Not sure I want something as big as devs but will do it if necessary. I can put subs behind my screen but if I can still get away with something like full Marty I’d be happy.
The speakers’ ohm load doesn’t change depending on the mode of the amp. I do believe that most crowns can push an 8 ohm load while bridged though. But check the documentation.
could you make video of the sub playing and show the movement of the cone i am looking at the sub for home audio i am looking a 2 or 4 of these for living room .am looking at 24 inch si subs as well . thanks
Dude. Where do you live that you are building in your garage, with the door open, in shorts! I am finishing the GSG Marty Cube build I won from the HTF (and others) Live Stream from December 1, 2020 and I am having to build in my finished basement since it is so cold out here in Iowa in winter. Just kidding. I know that you built this a little while back. Nice to see some Tite Bond II this go around. You are right, Tite Bond III is SO runny and messy. Nice work again Jiles!
This build is very interesting! I was looking into a dual 18” build with max SPL of at least 140db. Do you know of any? Or would this be the equivalent of two 18’s?
Very interested in the full Marty vs Devastator comparison. Would also be interested in how much of a difference the 21" makes over the 18. What's the volume of your HT room? It doesn't look too huge. Mine is less than 1800 ft3 so size of cabinet and therefore driver is key. I currently just have 2 12" Hsu's and they can get pretty thunderous, so I'm really torn on how big I need to go up. I would probably be happy with dual 15's, but it is so hard to judge the incremental boosts you get when you go up. Dual 18's? One Devastator? (fitting one would be a challenge, couldn't fit 2). I'm looking for that chest thump, especially for music, and would like more impact even at lower volume, so your comments in the Devastator video really intrigue me.
My room is about 15x 19x 8. Roughly. The devastator gives hella chest thump . No doubt. Comparison coming soon. Its just back logged with all the other work in front of it.
@@JilesMcCoy Looking forward to it. There's also the question of if you are getting the best of both worlds by running both - the Marty for more really low LFE while also getting the visceral impact of the Devastator. Have you tried running the Devastator by itself? If so do you then feel like you're missing anything?
ok in this video there isn't any dampener installed, but for instance i see people loading a box with foam or insulation, do you have to add that displacement to your box internal volume?9cu ft with 2cu ft of dampener, wouldn't that make your box 7cu ft
Good video, well done. One thought: Instead of wood screws, use T-Nuts. They're much stronger, and what pro-audio companies use to hold their drivers in cabinets. They're definitely worth the effort.
2 tips for anyone else considering this build - first, use a respirator mask when spraying paint (you don't want to inhale that stuff, it's toxic and nasty), and second, do all your taping up FIRST, then spray the paint rather than tape a bit, spray a bit, repeat. The former is faster and removes any overspray possibilities.
How much DuraTex did it take to do one full Marty? And the link you have in the tools was for roller grade DuraTex. Did you use that with the spray gun, or did you go with the spray grade?
I will. But this is a PA speaker at heart so I wouldn’t count on that. The FS is pretty high. I am on the hunt for a good, low FS 21” speaker. Specifically in the 21” size.
@@JilesMcCoy have you looked at Mach 5 Audio FTW-LTE? They rate the FS at 20.3 which is considerably lower than the Kraken all while being cheaper and not as power hungry. I myself purchased one in hopes of getting a marty cabinet for it so maybe you can beat me to the punch 😁
@@tysoneisenbeisz4737 That’s cool. I am tapped out for buying new subwoofers but if I ever comes across one I will check it out and report back to the group.
Did you do any distortion measurements on the driver? Also how quiet is it? With it in open air anything below about 20 Hz should be pretty much dead quiet, if it's not then that's not good. I'm planning to order an Ultimax 18 for testing and might also try one of these. A few minutes ago I watched a "break in" video on another youtube channel that makes me leery of the Ultimax, at least in that video 20 Hz was way too noisy which suggest high harmonic distortion content.
@@tone1585 I bought one to test and yes, even at near full excursion it's almost silent. So, I bought eight more of them to put in infinite baffle in the attic above the theater. I haven't gotten them installed yet but hope to soon. I'll be using them from about 27 Hz down to possibly single digits. For 27 Hz to 80 Hz I have two floor to ceiling columns each with eight open baffle 15" woofers. The 15" woofers are from Newark (formerly MCM) and although they are very inexpensive woofers, distortion and noise is also very low. Those are up and playing now and the bass is pretty impressive with just those, it should be fantastic once the 18" Ultimax's are providing the bottom end.
How do these DIY subs compare to SVS? I know it depends on what driver and amp is used, but in general are they better than a premium complete subwoofer?
For performance they can eclipse SVS for sure. However SVS will typically be more visually pleasing, provide a great user experience, and provide ample performance for most use cases.
@@JilesMcCoy oh okay didn't know that. Thanks for the information. May I ask what you used to power this subwoofer? You may have said in the video and I just missed it.
I noticed that your Harbor Freight clamps leeched marks onto your MDF, also. Some gross chemicals in there, for sure. I ended up using cardboard to block.
Good video and build. Your wife is a good artist but I think the subwoofer looked better all black. bright paint job on that subwoofer looks a little tacky.
I don’t think you could have chosen a worse song for a god damn SUBWOOFER build. Totally killed the entire video, and now I question your intellectual status.
Inductance (Le) is so high on this driver that you need to cross it below 60 Hz and use EQ. It's really a shame, as it otherwise could've been a very nice subwoofer.
@@JilesMcCoy Have you any idea of the reflected pressure wave that's going to have on the cone? Not to mention the cabinet's own resonance when you rap on it? Both will cause uneven low frequency distortion from the musical signal. I'd like to see the signal from a mic with both it and the speaker in an anechoic room with a low frequency sweep from 200Hz down to 15 Hz.
Gerard Stroh**** Home Theater Fanatics*** When I Got My Dayton Audio 21 inch Vortex Speaker I have the same trouble with the Speaker that you Did the head of the Screws were stuck inside of the screw holes of the speaker and it was so super Heavy and Big***** Here is I mount The Dayton Audio Vortex 21 inch Subwoofer Speaker*** I use Large Big Head Theaded Phillips Bolts and large Walshers and Nuts that Lock and I Double Nut it Too***** The Bolts Were 1/4 thick and 3 inches Long and I Use 8 of Them***** the Speaker is 10 Gauge Wire*** The Speakon speaker Connector Is A Heavy Duty 40 amp Speakon**** The Main Braces Are 2 by 3 Beams Going Across the Cabernet**** I Also have 2 by 3 Beams Going top to Buttom of the Cabernet and Going Across the Cabernet Too**** The Main Speaker Board is Recest about 4 inches on the Front Of the Cabernet**** The Port Vent Is around 18 inches Long and 8 inches High and It is A Big Vent***** For The Speaker Grill Is A Super Heavy Screen and it Came From A Display Cabernet*** And The Screen Grill for the Port is A Screen Door From A Small Computer Rack I Got For Free***** The Grills Are Black and It Fit Perfect on the Speaker Cabernet***** The Subwoofer Bass Goes Down Very Low**** Bye From Gerard Stroh****
Oh boy how wrong of a screw choice for speakon connector those were. Should have used flat screws to be in line with the speakon. And the silver screws for the driver. Other than that - great build!
@@JilesMcCoy I thought you were going to build a sub from a dayton frame or something. But you could understand what u mean when your title was labels "DIY Subwoofer Build" and not DIY Subwoofer Box Build.
@@JilesMcCoy that's cool though.. I enjoy audiophile grade systems and I do car audio on my channel so I appreciate all the different kinds of audio builds. Keep up the good work.. 👍
Subscribe here: ua-cam.com/users/hometheaterfanatics
Let me start off by saying this was one of the best DIY UA-cam videos I have ever seen. You are very well spoken and very knowledgeable obviously. I have a hard time watching and listening to some who have no idea what their talking about. I am a person with many many skill sets and a plethora of knowledge so I really really enjoyed this from every aspect. Very well done. Applause to you and the wife for all of this.
Thanks!
@@JilesMcCoyWhat amplifier do you use to push your subwoofers?
What I love the most about this is how low-key and compact, at home in any home theater :P
The just fade away into the background :-)
Great paint!
Thanks!
Wow! That paintwork is so cool. I love it. Even for.a PA.speaker, it.would look great.
Thanks!
Look forward to the next video in the series. Looks beastly!
Thanks! Work has started!
@@JilesMcCoy you still going to do the video?
@@JeffSpeers Yes, the measurements for the kraken are in the 7 subwoofer video from a couple months ago.
Today! Lol 😂 love it! Your wife did a great job on your enclosure!
Today!!! :) Thanks!
The KRAKEN!
YES!
That's bigger than my front loading washer/dryher! This will be hard to hide from the wife. :) Great job on the build!
Thanks! Just build them into the wall ;)
Heck yes!! Another great video! Can’t wait for more!
Thanks!
I always run a bead of caulk at all of the panel joints (on the inside). Just in case there's any little gaps, the caulk'l seal 'em up and keep the enclosure from leaking any air when you're dropping big beat.
Another tip is if the box is MDF, before trying to paint it, seal the wood with watered down Elmer's glue (or wood glue) applied with a chip brush. T-nuts and machine screws to mount the driver is my preference.
Good advice!
That glue/water trick allows you to sand the box to a mirror finish if you want. Great for painting.
Ready for a concert now 🎉🎉, I want some chest shaking bass
YASSSS
great build i have to get me one of them..
Thanks!
@@JilesMcCoy would you have a ported box build cut list for the 21 sub
@@johnsmith-qz4bv I don’t, but if you look at AVS forum you should be able to find one.
@@johnsmith-qz4bv I have it if yu haven’t found it
looks just like my old dayton classic 18''. minus the stitched surround. wish the 18 had that.
Probably the same design team.
What driver do u guys recommend Kraken or the lavoce?
Probably the LaVoce.
I have a pair of these krakens, each in a "similar to" GSG's BTS box design. They put my pair of 12" subs to shame. When is your conclusion video coming out? I'd love to see what you got in REW.
The video with the REW is in editing now. All the details!
@@JilesMcCoy Still in editing? ^_^
@@ryankramer No, posted a long time ago.
7 subwoofer video.
@@JilesMcCoy D'oh. Thanks!
What is the name of the paintbyoubhave used? Looks very nice❤
I believe that was duratex with some home depot generic paint for the Kraken.
Great video....if I didn't live in a 117 year old house, I'd definitely get one of those (still might...lol)...I've always used t-nuts on subs larger than 8", I think it would have been a better option, especially for something that large... but TETO
T-Nuts are a good way to go for sure!
Hi, Love your channel, I’m looking at building a sub. Out of all the drivers you have used what is your favourite 18 or 21? Cheers Trev
Depends on your use case. And the box you want to use. And your budget. And the rest of your system. Lots of moving pieces. What are you trying to accomplish?
@@JilesMcCoy thanks for your reply, I’m after some mid bass slam, my room is 26x14x9, currently had 2 pb2000pro, and I really want more impact during movies. Not sure I want something as big as devs but will do it if necessary. I can put subs behind my screen but if I can still get away with something like full Marty I’d be happy.
@@trevor5333 If you want midbass you can do a 21" pro driver in most anything. A LaVoce or BNC or EMinence.
I have a kraken and I'm looking at crown amps. My question is, in bridge mode it's 8ohms. Can you run the kraken with an 8ohm load ?
The speakers’ ohm load doesn’t change depending on the mode of the amp. I do believe that most crowns can push an 8 ohm load while bridged though. But check the documentation.
Wow! great build.
I feel like this thing would be perfect for Sidney Powell😄😁😂🤣
It is an interesting look!
what percentage do you set your gain on your amplifier? and what db set on your avr?
could you make video of the sub playing and show the movement of the cone i am looking at the sub for home audio i am looking a 2 or 4 of these for living room .am looking at 24 inch si subs as well . thanks
There is a video of that up already.
Dude. Where do you live that you are building in your garage, with the door open, in shorts! I am finishing the GSG Marty Cube build I won from the HTF (and others) Live Stream from December 1, 2020 and I am having to build in my finished basement since it is so cold out here in Iowa in winter. Just kidding. I know that you built this a little while back.
Nice to see some Tite Bond II this go around. You are right, Tite Bond III is SO runny and messy. Nice work again Jiles!
Thanks! Colorado! It’s wayyy too cold now!
Cool build! What's the song from 8.30-ish?
I will check that out when I get back to a PC. It’s from Epidemic Sound though.
Does this outperform monilith and svs subs, just a curiousity. I really like beefy subs😍😍.. luv ur work brother.
Yes, Monolith and SVS dont really have anything in the class of a 21" subwoofer.
Can you buy this enclosure as a kit?
Check out GSG Audio
This build is very interesting! I was looking into a dual 18” build with max SPL of at least 140db. Do you know of any? Or would this be the equivalent of two 18’s?
probably the equivalent. GSG Audio has a dual 18 box.
Very interested in the full Marty vs Devastator comparison. Would also be interested in how much of a difference the 21" makes over the 18. What's the volume of your HT room? It doesn't look too huge. Mine is less than 1800 ft3 so size of cabinet and therefore driver is key. I currently just have 2 12" Hsu's and they can get pretty thunderous, so I'm really torn on how big I need to go up. I would probably be happy with dual 15's, but it is so hard to judge the incremental boosts you get when you go up. Dual 18's? One Devastator? (fitting one would be a challenge, couldn't fit 2). I'm looking for that chest thump, especially for music, and would like more impact even at lower volume, so your comments in the Devastator video really intrigue me.
My room is about 15x 19x 8. Roughly. The devastator gives hella chest thump . No doubt. Comparison coming soon. Its just back logged with all the other work in front of it.
@@JilesMcCoy Looking forward to it. There's also the question of if you are getting the best of both worlds by running both - the Marty for more really low LFE while also getting the visceral impact of the Devastator. Have you tried running the Devastator by itself? If so do you then feel like you're missing anything?
Good job. On that bottom piece you didn't like. How come you didn't cut a solid piece of wood and not use those pieces you don't like?
I wanted to assemble the kit as it was.
ok in this video there isn't any dampener installed, but for instance i see people loading a box with foam or insulation, do you have to add that displacement to your box internal volume?9cu ft with 2cu ft of dampener, wouldn't that make your box 7cu ft
You are thinking of sealed enclosures. This isn't a sealed box. The filler is only for resonances in a bass reflex enclosure.
Good video, well done. One thought: Instead of wood screws, use T-Nuts. They're much stronger, and what pro-audio companies use to hold their drivers in cabinets. They're definitely worth the effort.
Im always worried about them spinning when I remove the driver.
@@JilesMcCoy hand tools. Don’t use a drill, and don’t over tighten.
2 tips for anyone else considering this build - first, use a respirator mask when spraying paint (you don't want to inhale that stuff, it's toxic and nasty), and second, do all your taping up FIRST, then spray the paint rather than tape a bit, spray a bit, repeat. The former is faster and removes any overspray possibilities.
All great tips!
How much DuraTex did it take to do one full Marty? And the link you have in the tools was for roller grade DuraTex. Did you use that with the spray gun, or did you go with the spray grade?
I did the spray grade. It was maybe half a gallon ... but if you arent careful you can spray a ton of material.
Do you have any REW measurements from this killer low end monster build? It's big so it must play flat down to tuning, right? 😎
I will. But this is a PA speaker at heart so I wouldn’t count on that. The FS is pretty high. I am on the hunt for a good, low FS 21” speaker. Specifically in the 21” size.
@@JilesMcCoy have you looked at Mach 5 Audio FTW-LTE? They rate the FS at 20.3 which is considerably lower than the Kraken all while being cheaper and not as power hungry. I myself purchased one in hopes of getting a marty cabinet for it so maybe you can beat me to the punch 😁
@@tysoneisenbeisz4737 That’s cool. I am tapped out for buying new subwoofers but if I ever comes across one I will check it out and report back to the group.
@@JilesMcCoy come on man, do it for science!
@@tysoneisenbeisz4737 I don’t want my wife to murder me :)
Did you do any distortion measurements on the driver? Also how quiet is it? With it in open air anything below about 20 Hz should be pretty much dead quiet, if it's not then that's not good. I'm planning to order an Ultimax 18 for testing and might also try one of these. A few minutes ago I watched a "break in" video on another youtube channel that makes me leery of the Ultimax, at least in that video 20 Hz was way too noisy which suggest high harmonic distortion content.
I did not.
@@JilesMcCoy Ok, I might have to consider testing one of those too then. Thanks, mk
@@mfkhometheater7742 I watched a video doing a mechanical noise text at 20 gs and the um 18 was almost dead silent let me see if I can find it
@@tone1585 I bought one to test and yes, even at near full excursion it's almost silent. So, I bought eight more of them to put in infinite baffle in the attic above the theater. I haven't gotten them installed yet but hope to soon. I'll be using them from about 27 Hz down to possibly single digits.
For 27 Hz to 80 Hz I have two floor to ceiling columns each with eight open baffle 15" woofers. The 15" woofers are from Newark (formerly MCM) and although they are very inexpensive woofers, distortion and noise is also very low. Those are up and playing now and the bass is pretty impressive with just those, it should be fantastic once the 18" Ultimax's are providing the bottom end.
Good Work GREAT Job Watch Baby Step Television
How many hours to before paint?
The whole build with paint was about 5 hours. Most was paint.
How do these DIY subs compare to SVS? I know it depends on what driver and amp is used, but in general are they better than a premium complete subwoofer?
For performance they can eclipse SVS for sure. However SVS will typically be more visually pleasing, provide a great user experience, and provide ample performance for most use cases.
@@JilesMcCoy I have an amp from my svs subwoofer that blown. The sledge sta-1200D. Could I use it to power one of these?
@@halffast1850 You can but those usually have built in dsp for the unit they are in and there is no telling how it will work with this sub and box.
@@JilesMcCoy oh okay didn't know that. Thanks for the information. May I ask what you used to power this subwoofer? You may have said in the video and I just missed it.
@@halffast1850 It was probably a Sinbosen FP10000q.
How does this stand up against the um18-22 ultimax?
Completely different beasts.
I noticed that your Harbor Freight clamps leeched marks onto your MDF, also. Some gross chemicals in there, for sure. I ended up using cardboard to block.
Seriously!
Link to the test video?
Its the 7 subswoofers tested video on the channel.
@@JilesMcCoy Thanks!
Why don't the 21s go as low as 18s
In general?
Can only imagine all the DIY Marty subs out there that are all unevenly built...
Sand paper to the rescue!
Good video and build. Your wife is a good artist but I think the subwoofer looked better all black. bright paint job on that subwoofer looks a little tacky.
She is indeed!
I don’t think you could have chosen a worse song for a god damn SUBWOOFER build. Totally killed the entire video, and now I question your intellectual status.
You play the bass AFTER you build the subwoofer. Not while you are building it. Geez!
Inductance (Le) is so high on this driver that you need to cross it below 60 Hz and use EQ. It's really a shame, as it otherwise could've been a very nice subwoofer.
Whats your fav 21" driver?
Great informational video but the music was very annoying.
What would you change specifically?
WHAT ????
No damping material inside?
That’s right!
@@JilesMcCoy Have you any idea of the reflected pressure wave that's going to have on the cone? Not to mention the cabinet's own resonance when you rap on it? Both will cause uneven low frequency distortion from the musical signal.
I'd like to see the signal from a mic with both it and the speaker in an anechoic room with a low frequency sweep from 200Hz down to 15 Hz.
I'd like to see that too! @@thecarman3693
Gerard Stroh****
Home Theater Fanatics***
When I Got My Dayton Audio 21 inch Vortex Speaker I have the same trouble with the Speaker that you Did the head of the Screws were stuck inside of the screw holes of the speaker and it was so super Heavy and Big*****
Here is I mount The Dayton Audio Vortex 21 inch Subwoofer Speaker***
I use Large Big Head Theaded Phillips Bolts and large Walshers and Nuts that Lock and I Double Nut it Too*****
The Bolts Were 1/4 thick and 3 inches Long and I Use 8 of Them*****
the Speaker is 10 Gauge Wire***
The Speakon speaker Connector Is A Heavy Duty 40 amp Speakon****
The Main Braces Are 2 by 3 Beams Going Across the Cabernet****
I Also have 2 by 3 Beams Going top to Buttom of the Cabernet and Going Across the Cabernet Too****
The Main Speaker Board is Recest about 4 inches on the Front Of the Cabernet****
The Port Vent Is around 18 inches Long and 8 inches High and It is A Big Vent*****
For The Speaker Grill Is A Super Heavy Screen and it Came From A Display Cabernet***
And The Screen Grill for the Port is A Screen Door From A Small Computer Rack I Got For Free*****
The Grills Are Black and It Fit Perfect on the Speaker Cabernet*****
The Subwoofer Bass Goes Down Very Low****
Bye From Gerard Stroh****
Oh boy how wrong of a screw choice for speakon connector those were. Should have used flat screws to be in line with the speakon. And the silver screws for the driver. Other than that - great build!
Thanks!
Who cares what the screws on the back of the box look like
@@loganf6517 Anyone who cares to paint the box in such exquisite paint?
Karako
Thanks for watching!
I thought you going to build the subwoofer itself. I didn't know it was actually a box you're going to make. 🤦♂️
I cant build a raw driver produced by Dayton...
@@JilesMcCoy I thought you were going to build a sub from a dayton frame or something. But you could understand what u mean when your title was labels "DIY Subwoofer Build" and not DIY Subwoofer Box Build.
@@JilesMcCoy don't get me wrong, I enjoyed your video but honestly I was waiting to see a sub frame or something being assembled 🤣🤣😅
You wont see that here. I don't ever plan to do that kind of work... way out of my expertise!
@@JilesMcCoy that's cool though.. I enjoy audiophile grade systems and I do car audio on my channel so I appreciate all the different kinds of audio builds. Keep up the good work.. 👍
I'm all about telling the truth!! Beautiful job on the subwoofer. That extra paint job is very ugly!!!
You will never forget this sub :)