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Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 7:43 pm
by P-Med
So... after visiting a small festival with my small subwoofer installed under the bed at the back I came to the realisation that it just wasn't loud enough to shake your internal organs while standing 10 metres away from the van, so I set about building a bigger one.
One week's research, and one week's building later, I came up with this:
It's a 12" cone in a 60 litre dual ported box, tuned to 33Hz. I designed it to slot under the rock and roll bed like this:
(Note the step up/step down extension thingy at the back of the box - I had to do this to get enough internal volume.)
It's seriously loud.
If anyone needs help to build something similar, I'd be happy to advise.

Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 8:06 pm
by Tidmo
It's seriously loud.
If youre round my way id love to hear it!!

Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 8:11 pm
by Diplomat
I will be more than happy to tell you all about tinnitus.
Seriously, I wouldn't wish it on anybody and it's usually self inflicted and a lifestyle choice with delayed results.
Frank
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 8:51 pm
by P-Med
Hey Tidmo,
I'm bound to be around sometime. The Bongo currently lives in Birmingham, but it'll probably be back for a service in Cheltenham.
Ah yes, Diplomat, you are quire right that that listening loud for long periods (or extremely loud for even short periods) of time can cause hearing damage. However, hearing damage is usually caused by frequencies in the 1kHz to 4kHz range, not by low frequencies. Particularly bad are sound systems that are turned up too loud and start clipping, causing lots of unwanted energy in this frequency band. By having a capable sub, you can take the bass out of the mid-range drivers, which means they can handle more power without distorting. Also,
Basically, loud bass doesn't really damage your ears, as our ears are less sensitive to bass - just Google: 'curve of equal loudness'
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:05 pm
by Hanksy
P-Med wrote:Hey Tidmo,
I'm bound to be around sometime. The Bongo currently lives in Birmingham, but it'll probably be back for a service in Cheltenham.
Ah yes, Diplomat, you are quire right that that listening loud for long periods (or extremely loud for even short periods) of time can cause hearing damage. However, hearing damage is usually caused by frequencies in the 1kHz to 4kHz range, not by low frequencies. Particularly bad are sound systems that are turned up too loud and start clipping, causing lots of unwanted energy in this frequency band. By having a capable sub, you can take the bass out of the mid-range drivers, which means they can handle more power without distorting.
Basically, loud bass doesn't really damage your ears.
hmmm....ive always had a sub until recently and looking at yours i feel the need for another
I was going to resist putting one in my bongo because i get tinnitus too, so perhaps ill will put a sub in the old bongo then

...i better do a bit of research i suppose
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 9:32 pm
by MarcT77
For some reason I was expecting a foot long hearty italian with sweet chili chicken....
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2012 11:58 pm
by Diplomat
P-Med wrote:...
Ah yes, Diplomat, you are quire right that that listening loud for long periods (or extremely loud for even short periods) of time can cause hearing damage. However, hearing damage is usually caused by frequencies in the 1kHz to 4kHz range, not by low frequencies. Particularly bad are sound systems that are turned up too loud and start clipping, causing lots of unwanted energy in this frequency band. By having a capable sub, you can take the bass out of the mid-range drivers, which means they can handle more power without distorting. Also,
Basically, loud bass doesn't really damage your ears, as our ears are less sensitive to bass - just Google: 'curve of equal loudness'
Interesting points.
My tinnitus has been with me since before I used NATO style headphones
http://www.c3headsets.com/products/head ... 62-headset to listen to Morse for long periods (filtered to peak at 800 Hz), before I went to Pink Floyd Concerts where the audio was on the threshold of discomfort but beautifully undistorted and long before I started going to T and T Carnival where the bass from the massive megawatt sound trucks shakes your innards as well as being still loud in the next town. I've heard this one three miles away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jePJOKmc ... re=related.
Notting Hill on Monday was tame in comparison, I don't think the police in the helicopter could hear the music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wENSNuWwO64.
I perceive a constant frequency very similar to the !5625 Hz TV timebase frequency which at my age I certainly couldn't hear normally. Luckily I can notch it out mentally a lot of the time. It's right across my head equally rather than one ear or the other.
What I do suffer more is loss of higher frequencies so I need more treble generally.
Recently an unwelcome development has been a crackling sound in one ear which is triggered by incoming sounds. Strangely it often clears under noisy conditions such as my visit to Notting Hill.
Naturally I blame noisy duplicating machines at work for my hearing troubles rather than music or radiocomunications.
I think I need super tweeters rather than a subwoofer. Luckily they would take up far less of the valuable space in the Bongo!
Frank
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:19 pm
by stuc
I had a box with 2 12's in but just swapped them for 1 10" sub. Sounds quite good but could be louder.
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:24 pm
by daveblueozzie
Bigdaddycain has a nice unit fitted in his bongo.

Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:31 pm
by stuc
will have to have a listen next time he's out and about.
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 10:45 pm
by blobber
daveblueozzie wrote:Bigdaddycain has a nice unit fitted in his bongo.

Sounds cr*p

Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2012 12:00 am
by P-Med
We'll have to have a sound off!
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:04 pm
by David Edwards
umm can't help asking....what the hell for..are u hard of hearing..I said Are u hard of hearing,lol.
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:03 pm
by Poohbear
David Edwards wrote:umm can't help asking....what the hell for..are u hard of hearing..I said Are u hard of hearing,lol.
Yes I was just going to ask the shorter version of your question, WHY???????
Re: Big Bad Bongo sub.
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:31 pm
by daveblueozzie
Poohbear wrote:David Edwards wrote:umm can't help asking....what the hell for..are u hard of hearing..I said Are u hard of hearing,lol.
Yes I was just going to ask the shorter version of your question, WHY???????
Why not
Life would be boring if we all did the same things
Me, i have a basic radio that hardly ever gets switched on, my mate BDC has the big boom box,

two sides of the same coin, we both love our bongo's in a different way.