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Hoffman Amps Forum image Author Topic: Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?  (Read 4764 times)

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Offline kagliostro

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Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?
« on: June 20, 2014, 01:49:59 pm »
Do you have suggestions for a 15" Speaker to use for Bass in a Pneumatic Cab ?


Thanks


K
The world is a nice place if there is health and there are friends

Offline thermion

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Re: Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?
« Reply #1 on: June 20, 2014, 03:39:07 pm »
I searched for the term (pneumatic bass cabinet) and found almost nothing...how is this design different from a typical/ ported bass cabinet?

Offline kagliostro

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Re: Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?
« Reply #2 on: June 20, 2014, 05:58:01 pm »
Pneumatic is the literal translation of Pneumatica in italy with Sospensione Pneumatica

we mean a completely closed cab, no Bass Reflex or other holes

May be in english pneumatic isn't the right word  ....... ???

K

The world is a nice place if there is health and there are friends

Offline thermion

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Re: Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2014, 01:04:41 pm »
From your explanation I would consider pneumatic to mean sealed. I looked and found this advice from Anthony "Big Tony" Lucas with Eminence:
Quote
A parameter called EBP (calculated by dividing FS by Qes) is often used to determine if a speaker is best suited for a sealed or ported enclosure. An EBP close to 100 usually indicates a speaker is best suited for a ported enclosure. An EBP closer to 50 usually indicates a speaker is best suited for a sealed enclosure. A speaker with an EBP 50-100 might work well in both types of enclosures. This is purely a general rule of thumb. Many great designs violate this.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2014, 01:07:16 pm by thermion »

Offline thermion

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Re: Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2014, 04:11:03 pm »
Dr. Gonzo, please pardon my brevity.

EBP = efficiency bandwidth product
Qes = electrical Q factor at FS
Fs = resonant frequency of the driver, also listed as Fo on some literature.
Fs and Qes are Thiele-Small parameters and hopefully can be obtained from the manufacturer, for example here:
http://assets.peavey.com/literature/manuals/lowrider_specs.pdf
for a peavey low rider 15 sub.
So for the PV speaker, EBP = Fs/Qes = 33.9/0.364 = ~93. From Big Tony's advice, the low rider 15 should be comfortable in a ported enclosure. These low rider speakers are heavy, can cause structural damage to your house and make you lose control of your bowels...they don't need the cushioning effect of a sealed (pneumatic) enclosure to keep them from destroying themselves. They are also about $200 apiece.
Now let's contrast the PV with these speakers:
http://www.mcmelectronics.com/product/55-2974?scode=GS401&catargetid=530004080000290736&cadevice=c&gclid=CKa254ezk78CFabm7AodxzkA7Q
For the MCM offering, Fs/Qes = 32.5/0.5591 = ~58. These speakers would benefit from the pneumatic cushioning of a sealed box to extend their life, and are about 10% of the cost of the PV.

So Franco, it looks like you can get away with some pretty affordable 15" speakers if you are putting them into a pneumatic/ sealed box. Please do not interpret this as an endorsement of MCM, I have never used those. I do have experience with the PV in the afore mentioned ported enclosures.


Offline kagliostro

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Re: Which 15" Speaker for a Bass Pneumatic Cab ?
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2014, 01:31:30 am »
Thanks for the info and councils


K
The world is a nice place if there is health and there are friends

 


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