Dayton sub 1200 for small room, single drivers and skinny budget, yes or no

Discussion in 'Speakers' started by bixby, Oct 27, 2020.

  1. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    I am ready to add a small sub to fill in below 60hz in a small room using single drivers that with EQ can get decently below 50 but not much lower than 40 or so with diminished output. Average listening is 75-80 db and room is small at 12x10x8.

    Any Dayton owners who would concur it would not be a bad move?

    I can EQ any boom boom hump it may have that appeals to the movie explosion crowd. This is only for music. I could stretch from this $150 sub about another $100 if it makes that much difference. I like Parts Express for their reputed service, so even if it is not the greatest build at least they will stand by it for a few years.

    Hesitant to go used simply because lots of these budget plate amps seem short lived. Thoughts, advice?
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2020
  2. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    From most of what I read when researching budget subs for myself, it is either the 1200(or 1500), the budget Monoprice 12", DIY in the ~$100 range, or save up to the $500 range where Rythmik, SVS or Hsu Research are options. Personally, I did the save for a Rythmik option (I wanted to reach the 20s for movies), but I do have and enjoy a smaller Dayton SUB800 in my office.
     
  3. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    Music subs are DIY only until you can justify a Rhythmik L12.
     
  4. bilboda

    bilboda Florida boomer

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    I found a KRK front firing and rear ported sub to be fine for musical lower octaves. Had it on an amp stand underneath a table near to mid field. No extra boom from a downward port or speaker.. Made the downstairs neighbor happy, I think.
     
  5. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Can you point me to some diy sources especially in my budget. I will assume Parts Express is probably on the list.
     
  6. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Since I didn't actually go that route, I can only really point you to Paul Carmody's Voxel subwoofer (http://techtalk.parts-express.com/forum/tech-talk-forum/58008-voxel-a-mini-sub). There is also a kit on Parts Express for a mini subwoofer in that range, but I know nothing about it. Most DIY efforts in this range usually use drivers as subwoofers that are smaller than folks here would accept as a midrange driver.

    Honestly at just $100, I am not sure you can do better than either the Partsexpress 1200 or the Monorpice 12" if it is still available. While nothing in them is high quality, they should be good enough for the price. A good driver, cabinet, or amp could easily get above the $100 alone.
     
  7. zonto

    zonto Friend

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    Can confirm. I used a Dayton SUB-1200 for a little while with my Vanatoo T0 in my office music rig last year. Probably about the same size as your room. Lasted a month or so before ordering the Rhythmik, which is a much better match and a much better sub.

    Better than nothing, but would rather have nothing and save pennies for a better sub than get the Dayton again.
     
  8. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I'm happy with the Dayton. I equalize it with a miniDSP thing.
     
  9. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    @zonto

    Curious did you use any dsp room eq for the dayton?

    Or was the Rhythmik a better out of the box match?



    @zerodeefex, @fraggler

    thanks, Checked into some diy parts and there does not seem to be anything I could find on a cursory search for under about $400. That just for parts and wood and it would be a much smaller driver.
     
  10. zonto

    zonto Friend

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    No DSP, just hooked up to the T0 subwoofer out which uses a 4th order lowpass at 125hz. Dayton also only has 0 and 180 degrees phase settings, which makes it tougher to dial-in. Rhythmik L12 was a better out-of-box match (it's simply a better-controlled and more musical sub), but also integrated much better due to the finer manual phase adjustments. All of that was by ear in a suboptimal seating location necessitated by built-in office furniture location.

    Dayton is also much cheaper in construction and has a bit of a chemical smell out of the box (maybe the box coating?).
     
  11. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

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    I can tell you guys that w/o a decent amount of room correction in the low frequencies, shit would hit the fan.

    This is specially true for my small bedroom. I needed to tame a few resonances that where boosted something fierce.

    A larger room might be less of a challenge. But not sure.
     
  12. zerodeefex

    zerodeefex SBAF's Imelda Marcos

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    I DSP the f**k out of my woofer but I'd still recommend going DIY. look at diysg builds first then make a decision.
     
  13. ruinevil

    ruinevil Acquaintance

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  14. AllanMarcus

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    Well, my home office (12x15) needs a sub. I have ELAC Uni-fi UB5 on stands, tuned with a DDRC-24 (miniDSP with Dirac), and it sound pretty good, but it's a little more umpft. I was think a Polk PSW10, then started looking at an outlet SVS SB-1000 ($399), and thought $399 for low, background music which I work. There are a few subs in-between.

    I have to admit, I've wanted to build a "bucket sub", and this might be the time! I can cross it with the MiniDSP as well. Another bucket sub thread

    At any rate, assume I'm too lazy to build it, any thoughts on the Polk PSW10? For $129, it's seems a good deal, and goes on sale occasionally too. All I need a little more down under for low level background music.

    @bixby , did you ever get anything?
     
  15. bixby

    bixby Friend

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    Yes the Dayton sub 1200. I use it with the single driver speakers at the moment in a large open floor plan. It does its job well.

    I bought the Elac Unifi UB5 speakers months ago as well but gave them up rather quickly as I found them very mid centric and not dynamic enough at lower levels.

    How are you liking them? Did you do some EQ to even things a bit in the mids?

    I need to get my ears on some Revel stand mounts to see if they agree to my ears as the charts may indicate. Right now the most neutral cheap stand mounts I have found are the Energy RC-10s, but while short of main system standards they work well in the TV setup sans sub.
     
  16. AllanMarcus

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    Without EQ, the UB5 speakers are rather dull, but I though the bass was pretty good for what they are. Placement was pretty important for bass. In a large room, I got much more bass energy than in a smaller room. I also had the speakers way away from a way (like 15 feet - odd room).

    In my smaller office/bedroom (12x15)I have a DDRC-24, and the Dirac room correction does wonders with the UB5s, but I do need a sub. The Bucket Sub look so darned easy to make, and I already have the crossover with the DDRC-24. All I need is a decent amp (hopefully in the $100-$200 range), and I have a very nice sub. Still, $200 for an amp and $75 for the parts, and now I'm looking at a pretty decent COTS sub. For $125 more I could get a SP-1000. Still, the novelty and conversation value of the Bucket Sub may be worth the money.

    Looks like I'll be in Denver March 12-13. My other option is to pick up a sub from craigslist while I'm there very little available in in NM).
     
  17. fraggler

    fraggler A Happy & Busy Life

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    Matchy matchy? https://www.elac.com/lp/openboxsale/
    May be more than you wanted to spend.
    There is also something to be said for building something fun that intrigues you, even if it doesn't end up being what you keep.
     
  18. dBel84

    dBel84 Friend

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    just stumbling on this thread - I also use a dayton sub - 10". I had planned to use it temporarily and get something better but it integrates well now and I haven't seen the need to start messing with it. I do use DSP room correction and I have modded the sub a little.

    Mods - pulled the original driver and used the titanic long throw (which I bought cheap as an impulse buy) , inner cabinet damped with the stuff for cars ( silica/tar sticky panels with aluminum layer ) relined with thick felt pads, added resistive foam to ports.

    I compared it to a small REL sub I picked up for my daughter and preferred my modded dayton in the room.

    If I had the space I would probably build a Danley type horn loaded sub or a tower of OB bass units

    For anyone in Orlando, Florida - there is a nice REL on USAUDIO for cheap - needs a new driver but I would pick this up if I could .
     
  19. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    Well, I ended up getting a Cambridge minx 301 from Craigslist for a decent price while visiting Denver. I will still make a bucket sub, but I wanted a decent sub now, and the compactness of the 301 works for my needs.
     
  20. AllanMarcus

    AllanMarcus Friend

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    FYI
    12" Dayton Audio SUB-1200 120-Watt Powered Subwoofer on sale for $157.95 - $10 off w/promo code prefr1 = $142.95. Shipping is free
     

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