I was contemplating doing this, and am wondering if anyone else has or has seen this. I think even a relatively large ported box could be pretty light.
anyone?

 

It'd sound like complete ***.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by k24em2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It'd sound like complete ***.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

Dude I think it would sound far worse than complete ***. Unless it was built out of 3/4" thick material. Then it would be heavy.

 

it could sound good. It would just be very heavy. There are lots of cast aluminum speaker enclosures and some of them actually sound very good. I would use 1/2" plate and brace it a lot.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bailhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it could sound good. It would just be very heavy. There are lots of cast aluminum speaker enclosures and some of them actually sound very good. I would use 1/2" plate and brace it a lot.</TD></TR></TABLE>

True, but a lot of that depends on the drivers used and frequency ranges employed for that particular speaker.

 

There is no way it would sound bad if I built it. I can guarantee that. I think you guys who said that must be thinking of a steel sheetmetal box or something.
mdf sounds good because it's so stiff and dead.
All you'd have to do with the aluminum is make it dead too. Just reinforce it with internal sections the same way you do with a big mdf box. I would only use 1/8" thick or so, anything more would be pointless. You don't have to worry about weird frequencies reflecting in a sub box and exiting into your ears, either. If it was a mid/tweeter, you would have to line it. Just depends on how you like it to sound. There are several different materials I could line it with, without adding weight, but I doubt I would.
This is bullshit though. Now I'm really going to do it.

Here's one pic I found from crutchfield, it's an aluminum cylinder housing the sub. Not what I want, but the only example I've found so far.

 

The advantage of aluminum is the rigidity per pound. 1/8" is not even close to what you would need though. I think you would be lucky to get away with 1/4" and the time you spent bracing it would be better spent on 1/2" I bet.
All the high end$$ speakers that use aluminum that I have read about are over an inch thick. It really depends on how you like to build speakers. There are some that use the cabinet as part of the sound, like a guitar or piano does. (happens to be much cheaper too) Then other people might be interested in making the cabinet completely transparent acoustically. Your choices start being things like very thick wood, composites, aluminum or concrete. All of which can achieve a 'dead' cabinet. At that level the shape of the inside of the enclosure and the profile of the face of the cabinet will be the major influences on controling unwanted reflections.

here's one set that are aluminum. They reference a 650lb aluminum subwoofer too
http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/382/

These monitors incorporate thick aluminum faceplates
http://www.audiorevelation.com...id=80

 

You are right I was thinking you were going to use thin sheet. Well If you have some good idea then give it a shot, I just dont know if you will save much weight if that is one of your objectives. Either way it would be a cool project.

 

Another thing, there are subs with aluminum cones. Eclipse, audiobahn, are a few that I can remember. If aluminum is strong, light, and resonant free enough to be able to be used as a cone, it surely can be used as the box with good results. I'll do it with 1/8", no thicker. I want it to be at most half the weight of its mdf counterpart.

 

now this is a totally stupid way to go about making a sub box in my opinion.

but...

it can be done with 1/8th alm. pretty easy, i say just dynamat the **** out of it on the inside.

for example, there was a local car/home audio store has a display every year at a car show in town here. it is pretty much a 2 shitty cheap tin/thin metal garbage can's that are fitted with a sub and there fead with the same amp/settings/music or tone. now the one on the right has nothing inside and the other is dynamatted to all hell.

and it is funny that the one that has dynamat sounds pretty damn good, if you didn't see it i bet you wouldn't guess it was a garbage can with a sub in it.

but again just make it out of wood, so easy and quick

 

tigging up a giant sub box would be a PITA to begin with let alone cutting all the material and stuff. and yeah it would sound like **** I think.

 

See, the more people criticize, the more I'm going to do it. I have more than adequate experience building boxes and setting up car audio to do something like this, I'm the pickiest person I know when it comes to how my **** sounds. I've tried all kinds of different ****, I had one of the best systems in high school, (how many other kids used programs to design their boxes then?) now I'm 26 and my standards are even higher.
I know it'll be a Total pain in the *** to build, bracing the box from opposite sides internally from every axis. But if weight reduction is the goal, it'll be worth it.
I just don't understand the bullshit negativity. Is there not a consensus that aluminum is stiffer than mdf for a given mass? Then wtf? It's also not exactly a ringing type of material, like sheetmetal steel. And the way I'll build it, it won't need any damping.

When I started this thread, I was just looking for examples, I wasn't thinking I'd have to debate people over the merits of the idea. I should have known though, this honda-tech after all. So I guess I'll continue to troll the web for another example myself.

 

Its not the stiffness that is a problem...aluminum will resonate significantly more than MDF. And just because they use it as a cone doesn't make it a good material to use. All it does is allow you to increase power handling.

 

I think aluminum would have bad resonance. Every sub box we've ever made was of 3/4" oak. As cool as aluminum would be, i just dont think it'd be worth it...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rorik &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how many other kids used programs to design their boxes then?) now I'm 26 and my standards are even higher. </TD></TR></TABLE> I was designing crossovers with computer programs in high school. I'm 28

It think you can make it work. I'm sure you understand that heavier is inherently better for a cabinet but I do see what you are trying to do. I'm sure it will be a fun challenge.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bailhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I was designing crossovers with computer programs in high school. I'm 28

It think you can make it work. I'm sure you understand that heavier is inherently better for a cabinet but I do see what you are trying to do. I'm sure it will be a fun challenge.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Heavier isn't ALWAYS better

Haut Parleurs makes some full range drivers that work in an enclosure that is built more like a musical instrument.

 

I don't doubt they sound good but super high efficiency 10w single driver stuff is at the other end of the spectrum from a sub. I wonder what a nice 12" sub with a 1000w amp would do to one of those 'musical' cabinets...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bailhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I don't doubt they sound good but super high efficiency 10w single driver stuff is at the other end of the spectrum from a sub. I wonder what a nice 12" sub with a 1000w amp would do to one of those 'musical' cabinets...</TD></TR></TABLE>

nothing good i would imagine, lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Bailhatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> I was designing crossovers with computer programs in high school. I'm 28

It think you can make it work. I'm sure you understand that heavier is inherently better for a cabinet but I do see what you are trying to do. I'm sure it will be a fun challenge.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for being the only person who's had anything positive to say at all.
I have to find an aluminum supplier in my area, practice a little with the welding, and then it's on.

 

why not balsa wood? its light.... ive never tryed it and im not into this **** at all so i dont know why im saying this but i want to know if balsa wood would work.....

 

well theres sub boxes made in appelton that are made of steel its either 3/4 or inch thick steel yeah it is heavy but from what i hear its absolutely resonance free

 

how about lead?
i bet lead resonates at frequencies you dont even know about!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by hootiehoo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how about lead?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't even know what to say.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rorik &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I don't even know what to say.</TD></TR></TABLE>
just make it 1/32" thick and it will be light