Autotuba w/8" driver 15" wide vs RF P1-2X10

[mustang guy]

OK, I was breaking in the 8" sub in the new Autotuba using a tone generator and a crown xls202, and I had the idea to compare it to a Rockford Fosgate P1-2X10 (dual 10" ported) enclosure.

I used a splitter to go from my iPhone (tone generator) to the XLR in ports of the Crown amp.

I then pointed them at my face.

I then proceeded to generate tones.

The AT was louder at almost every frequency, and at above 80 Hz, the AT took off from the RF. The RF was NOT louder than the AT at any frequency. At best, it was equal at some tones.

In short, if you are thinking of buying a $400 dual 10" enclosure, think about building at Autotuba. The 8" driver in it was about $55. The plywood was another $40 or so. The PL glue was another $10. And best of all, the amp you need is FAR smaller at 150 watts. I am going to run 8-awg from the battery instead of 1/0. The savings in that alone are huge.

I haven't put the AT in a car yet, as I am waiting for parts for the install from parts-express.

[Tom Smit]

Awesome, huh? Let us know for sure how it sounds in the car!

[bassmonster]

Great review! I'm thinking of either doing 4 at's or a THT in mine. Let us know how it sounds in a car. Pics and vids? Please?

[petegt]

The at is much more authoritive in a car then in a room. 2 tat's in a small hatchback with back seats removed(puegot 206) on a smallish alpine class d amp (150wrms @ 4ohms) generated serious spl. The chest thump on the kicks was approaching concert levels.

[bassmonster]

The at is much more authoritive in a car then in a room. 2 tat's in a small hatchback with back seats removed(puegot 206) on a smallish alpine class d amp (150wrms @ 4ohms) generated serious spl. The chest thump on the kicks was approaching concert levels.

Then the THT should be 2x as good

I can't even imagine what dubstep will be like... food digesting bass

[petegt]

Crazy

1 Tat in the car was enough to blur our vision slightly.

[Dan30]

Great review but where the heck are you buying PL that it costs $10?

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Then the THT should be 2x as good

No, it won't. Its size is necessary to handle frequencies below where music goes. Any music.

[bassmonster]

Its size is necessary to handle frequencies below where music goes. Any music.

Exactly, which is why I like it. Knowing that even the deepest dubstep I throw at it won't trip it up, peace of mind knowing that it can play as low as I need it to which I like.

[UROK]

OP Great review.

Bassmonster: Hmmmm lemme see...

You are intending putting a home theatre sub in a car?

And want it to be able to reproduce non-existent frequencies?

For peace of mind?

Eh?

Overcooking the pudding or over thinking the application IMO. Try one AT. Add more if you need - I bet you won't, though.

[bassmonster]

You are intending putting a home theatre sub in a car?

Yes. I might also use it for my home theater, though moving it in and out will be huge pain.

And want it to be able to reproduce non-existent frequencies?
For peace of mind?

Yes. For demos I will put a 20hz tone through it and nobody can hear anything, but the entire car will be shaking and rattling. It'll be kind of scary, yet impressive.

Overcooking the pudding or over thinking the application IMO. Try one AT. Add more if you need - I bet you won't, though.

Yes, I keep having an internal conflict about that, I like the scalability of the AT cause I can fit about 4 in my SUV, 5 or 6 with no backseats. (6 ATs in a car would be murder!) However, I like the THT because it's just outrageous and there's nothing subtle about it. The amount of bass it would put out in a car would be terrifying. I might go with a TT or two, how big are the dual-loaded ones? I created a thread about it and have gotten a lot of useful advice.

[UROK]

You are intending putting a home theatre sub in a car?

Yes. I might also use it for my home theater, though moving it in and out will be huge pain.

And want it to be able to reproduce non-existent frequencies?
For peace of mind?

Yes. For demos I will put a 20hz tone through it and nobody can hear anything, but the entire car will be shaking and rattling. It'll be kind of scary, yet impressive.

Overcooking the pudding or over thinking the application IMO. Try one AT. Add more if you need - I
bet you won't, though.

Yes, I keep having an internal conflict about that, I like the scalability of the AT cause I can fit about 4 in my SUV, 5 or 6 with no backseats. (6 ATs in a car would be murder!) However, I like the THT because it's just outrageous and there's nothing subtle about it. The amount of bass it would put out in a car would be terrifying. I might go with a TT or two, how big are the dual-loaded ones? I created a thread about it and have gotten a lot of useful advice.

Right, so, point one you've sorted. It WILL be a huge PIA moving a THT. Remember all the hooking and unhooking too. Why bother? So we agree home theatre is home theatre and your car is your car. Good.

Point two is pointless. How about listening to, say, music? Surely you'll impress more with effortless bass out of an AT, cheap tops, and a small amp than some sort of inaudible ghost in the machine? Playing tracks yer mates know but sounding better but getting more from less? Winnin'! As an exercise 20Hz is interesting, no doubt. But what, you gonna listen to? Movie soundtracks? Recordings of the space shuttle lifting off? FX samples? Just play yer music, man! You want Borat's "p***y magnet" fitted rather than some nerdy futility. You also wanna get other
people in your car presumably. Check the thread titled "Why?" You don't wanna end up like that, do you?

Point three: now you are getting there, mate! Your internal conflict is because it is wrong. Scalability is right. Build one. More bass is always an option, eh? I guarantee there are umpteen design parameters gone into the AT that you and me will never know or have never thought about and which make it the right tool for cars. Don't try and second guess Bill. He's WAY ahead of all of us. If one AT is enough to make the liquid in your eyeballs vibrate, I mean, sheeeeeeeeeet! (to quote Senator Clay Davies)

[bassmonster]

Point two is pointless. How about listening to, say, music? Surely you'll impress more with effortless bass out of an AT, cheap tops, and a small amp than some sort of inaudible ghost in the machine? Playing tracks yer mates know but sounding better but getting more from less? Winnin'! As an exercise 20Hz is interesting, no doubt. But what, you gonna listen to? Movie soundtracks? Recordings of the space shuttle lifting off? FX samples? Just play yer music, man! You want Borat's "p***y magnet" fitted rather than some nerdy futility. You also wanna get other
people in your car presumably. Check the thread titled "Why?" You don't wanna end up like that, do you?

I did see the "Why?" thread, and I am not looking for the Borat magnet, I just want the most insane bass ever. That's the only reason I wanted the THT, was to be the most insane sub ever. One of the first replies on my thread was "can you fit a THT in there?" so... I'm still thinking about the table tuba, because I can fit two of them on top of one another in the boot of my car, but it will leave only 1/4 in clearance so I wouldn't be able to use the rearview at ALL, ouch. I could fit four 14x15x32 AT's in the boot though, but how much would that cost? I have about a little under $800 budget including amps.

Point three: now you are getting there, mate! Your internal conflict is because it is wrong. Scalability is right. Build one. More bass is always an option, eh? I guarantee there are umpteen design parameters gone into the AT that you and me will never know or have never thought about and which make it the right tool for cars. Don't try and second guess Bill. He's WAY ahead of all of us. If one AT is enough to make the liquid in your eyeballs vibrate, I mean, sheeeeeeeeeet! (to quote Senator Clay Davies)

I'm definitely not even suggesting the thought of second guessing Mr. Fitzmaurice.
I think I'll start with two, just a personal preference because if I think one is enough (which I probably won't), I could use the other AT in my room stereo, which currently only has a 80w 8" Aiwa sub. The AT would absolutely stomp all over that. Lol my 8" only goes down to 60hz, which annoys the life out of me cause half my music is missing. Plus there's a bass trap in the corner of my room where it bangs hard but you can't hear the bass elsewhere. This is probably a sub positioning problem right?

[bassmonster]

For those who have built AT's what driver would you recommend? I'm leaning towards the JBL GTO804 but what about the Tang Band?

EDIT: Sorry, never mind that. I just realized I was being rude and hijacking the thread, stupid me. Disregard.

Great review mustang guy.

[mustang guy]

Great review but where the heck are you buying PL that it costs $10?

It took a little more than a tube of PL. Actually I think the tube I started with was partially used on one of the other builds. I buy it at Home Depot for something like 7 bucks.