Building a 12" Subwoofer with Concrete Base - by SoundBlab

This Subwoofer build with Concrete Base uses the concept of a Linkwitz Transform (LT). It essentially boosts the bass output of a subwoofer driver in a smaller sealed enclosure compared to the typical larger enclosure required by a ported enclosure.
I am using a miniDSP 2x4 to implement the LT. The subwoofer uses a 300 Watt amplifier that I have built a few years ago. The driver is a JBL GT4-12 inch subwoofer and the enclosure is roughly 35 litres sealed.
Buy the miniDSP 2x4 here on Amazon.com:
► (US) amzn.to/2aWkeXG , (UK) amzn.to/2KA2YbX
You can read more on the LT here: www.minidsp.com/applications/... or here: www.linkwitzlab.com/
Please be sure to subscribe to this channel and don't miss out!
►► Subscribe to my channel ►► goo.gl/EWMSXV
Follow me on Instagram: / soundblab
Follow me on Twitter: / soundblabs
Follow me on Pinterest: / soundblab
Recommended Tools:
- Makita 18V Cordless Drill & Impact Driver: amzn.to/2b56Oev
- Makita Finishing Sander: amzn.to/2b57nVG
- Makita Random Orbit Sander: amzn.to/2aC8GXa
- Makita Beltsander: amzn.to/2aHi63k
- Makita Circular Saw: amzn.to/2bbhKGP
- Makita Jigsaw: amzn.to/2bbiM5H
Music: Kai Engel - Comatose #soundblab

[@Davethreshold]

COOL! "It's all about the base, for the bass, no treble."

[@merksecution8395]

Seems like your idea has a good foundation.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@runningbull6178]

SoundBlab is there any concrete evidence that this improves the bass

[@n.m.8363]

feels like a cheesy reddit pun string in the comments haha

[@jcweiz09]

I think its the vibration of the enclosure that reduces the bass. Because of the weight of the concrete it reduces the over all vibration of the enclosure that cancels the bass w/c in return produces the bass right on the subwoofer driver itself.. Try to listen on a light enclosure over a heavier one and you'll see the noticeable difference.. :)

[@AlexMartinez-hr5gm]

The true "rock solid bass"

[@tristanwong95]

Beautiful craftsmanship, modern and contemporary. Also, love the PAM.

[@RBS22]

This subwoofer was cool ... What a beautiful design with this concrete base.

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you

[@finnjanssens]

This subwoofer sure has a solid base/bass xD

[@livramento80]

Velho! você e muito inteligente; esse sub é show!!!

[@tryhardnoob1140]

This is so satisfying to watch.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@Pele19x89]

DIY subwoofer build on another level :D Very nice.

[@diyguy928]

nice build

[@TonyCardoso]

Beautiful

[@Madmick82]

Entranced by the music, Great build

[@HomeTheatre101]

Me too!

[@hi-friaudioman]

Try Tipper. Good stuff. i met him at his show at alex greys house, very cool trippy music.

[@Madmick82]

Cheers Bud

[@jcweiz09]

the background tune did a good job by just convincing us to finish watching the whole clip too :D Its like waiting for it to finish the whole video :D

[@meade916]

very nice work!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@stumilne101]

Whilst watching this, I was thinking Mr. Meade would appreciate this. Should have known that a true bass head will venture off to all ends of youtube , researching and gathering knowledge.

[@Frambhueee]

SoundBlab , hi!, can you do a subwoofer with a enclosure with the shape like a turbine from a jet airplane?

[@OtisAdonisChad]

SMD 😎

[@JasonStillwell2012]

Very nice build. I've done a few car enclosures in the past, but this is inspiring me to make a home enclosure now. I probably won't go with a concrete base the first time, but this is definitely a cool idea. I hope yours sounds as good as I think it does.

[@Themoigt]

Thats amazing

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@juanpablomartinezramirez2950]

SoundBlab jbv

[@Rob5ft19in]

I found your channel when I was researching my first DIY speaker build and have now watched ALL of your videos. You Sir, are an artist!! Great builds and really great videos!! Love the accent too - makes the commentary very relaxing to listen to!!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man, appreciate the comments and encouragement!

[@IndikaKuruppu]

amazing!!! this look premium! what detail...

[@ggdszzvx0509]

wonderfull video and subwoofer! keep going Like this!

[@tltl361]

I like the fact he built this bad ass box with 3 tools that everyone has sweet job

[@DGTHRE]

Amazing craftsman, design, and video editing. Very impressed.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@brettwatty101]

Awesome work mate.

[@wowo-12]

Keep up your great work.

[@AFreshmanPerspective]

Love the background music in this. What a great idea to use concrete!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@miro531]

Music name ??

[@1alwynjuniorwestfield920]

Nice build, with a heavy solid bottom support, stopping the unit from jumping around in use, the bass must be clean and articulate. Nice one.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@Coltondk]

Very nice, something I may have to try in the living room and get the 11cf box out.

[@SoundBlab]

You'll definitely save some space ; )

[@agm1830]

Great way to generate deep bass!

[@Chadnmurfreesboro]

Excellent cabinet build, but the vid editing is exquisite

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@jacquesbadenhorst3613]

Thank you for the awesome build log, really good work. The backing track is absolute nectar to this 20yr old pioneer champion series. Keep up the good work :)

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you very much!

[@junichiikeda5860]

Really nice design ! Cheers

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@dennisleslie]

I wish I could work that fast.

[@MultiW8]

you can with your right hand with just 1 simple trick! bedum tss

[@VladWork]

Good job. I like build this!

[@luisantoniomarrega1120]

Ficou beleza, fantástico! Rio RJ Brasil

[@myke4895]

-solid bass-

[@palmjc3872]

Very Nice build!

[@SoundBlab]

Tx

[@1966badnova]

Awesome. I wish I could have an actual listen. Very encouraging. Thanks for sharing your talent.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@taranveersihra127]

can u do a sound review just cause the ending part sounded good

[@didierleclerc66]

For your information, when measuring VAS with the added mass method, the mass should be attached to the driver's cone. Bluetack works well.

[@salmonline]

all that tech, there, and he whips out a fold-up ruler. nice.

[@surfshop7552]

Nice work

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@2sweetpaul]

very nice work.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks you!

[@Panty-pe7kp]

Good Build!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@Diluvian49]

Looking gorgeus! Good work :) pls show us more of that!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man! There is more to come.

[@silviulivanov7650]

Nice work man

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@manjulwalia1995]

your concepts are damn awesome bro , keep it up

[@ledmk2]

Nice made

[@justchecking586]

Great Video, lovely finished product, trouble is normal folk like me can't do that, the amount of tools and experience needed is considerably high.

[@jcweiz09]

me too just envy this kind of tools :D

[@Gtrjerry73]

you definitely need a few tools but you may be surprised what you can do if you try. just watch a few videos like this and you can do the same. these days you can literally learn anything pretty quick. do'nt need to go to school you just need to try. but of course if you do'nt ever use power tools then be freaking careful lol. i learned how to work on cars and computers just tinkering and watching videos and help from friends teaching me things. i am going to start making subs/enclosures like this soon just need to get my new garage sorted. looks like a ton of fun and im a bass head. good video

[@ralphlivingston894]

You do superb work! Every one of your videos has amazing craftsmanship. (I know, because I can’t do any of this!) Please keep making them.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@yeetusj8152]

unbelieveable that is truely amazing dude

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@edwinlopez-kj8cq]

Nice well done.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@davidlarue5713]

Nicely done, nice sub too.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@davide.s.9880]

Wow great looking wish I could have heard it in person. One small thing is the concrete base. Good idea but maybe you should have done it a couple times to work out the kinks. But as it is you did a great job.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. Definitely learned a few things on casting concrete on this build...

[@andrewp.tucker3219]

Just found your channel and really enjoy your videos. I am a woodworker looking into building my own speakers.

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you, good luck on your journey into speaker building. Its a great hobby!

[@tobyhines7587]

Looks really cool. a bit like the old Sub from DAK. the Krakatoa from the late 80's. That subwoofer was in use from 1989 ish until the fall of 2015. When I went all SVS including dual PB-1000s.

[@pincoski41]

Incredible.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@monsterdiymalaysia4733]

im a fan already.
like and subscribed.

[@nysfynest]

That's amazing work, wish the actual sound quality would come through the video. I am sure the sound is much better than the video can replicate.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks yes, it sounds much better in real life! Low frequencies are difficult to record.

[@MrGKoppe]

Very good!!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@gpcaraudio]

very nice

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@gpcaraudio]

no problem love the craftsmanship and that amp you made with the fanned out external heatsink is awesome

[@TheDougPrates]

www.GPcarAudio.com

[@michelclaudio3556]

show! muito bom!!!

[@dvserzhantov]

Amazing!

[@SoundBlab]

Tx

[@lrlennart2877]

this nail pistol is awesome, i want one too :D

[@marcioalexandrealexandre7799]

não tem como ficar sem dar laik nos seus vídeos você é o cara!

[@TijmenJanssen]

very beautiful. shouldn't there be anything between the concrete and the wooden enclosure to reduce vibration ? like rubber or some kind of glue? the wood finish is beautiful.

[@BenJamin-ou7kd]

good SOLID base

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@imranshaikh9966]

Amazing

[@amg2305]

You are the best thing dude. MAKE MORE SPEAKERS

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man! Keep on watching!

[@amg2305]

Sure men! Sure! Iam crazy with sound

[@AndersVestlund]

Awesome builds, just found your channel and subbed directly! 👌🏻

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@Bu5H84]

Very nice , i wish i had your job , awesome seeing more locals coming into TH-cam, maybe one day you can build me a system lol ill save on shipping cause I'm in Cape Town :)

[@siggixxl]

Top Video - Top Subwoofer ! Respekt!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@ItsExetic]

More vidoes! :D This channel is epic

[@alex9954181]

You are the best bro, i Like your Work!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@raghunathkumaraswamy269]

Fantastic

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@90210dustys]

Very Cool. What kind of wood is on the outside of the box?

[@ABDULQADIR-yy6qm]

you used Concrete Base but this idea i had seen almost 20 years ago in ADS subs, they used very thick solid one piece marble base, and they gave choice also so you can choose the color also. good job you had done.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@mitosiskain]

can you go into some more detail on how to find the qes and vas of a driver? I've been looking around for ages.

[@nuwan007lk]

You've got some nasty skills man, love da subwoofer. Keep it going... 👍

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@pop_star]

I use the floor instead of the concrete. Nice sound.

[@hairiauto6788]

lol

[@hamiltongonzalez7490]

Ingenioso amigo. Cuales son las medidas de ese bajo ?

[@mehmetnusretozturk9717]

Perfect 👏👏

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you! 😃

[@jedics1]

Classy stuff, I have a sub with a similar set up but it has square metal legs, your concrete base looks much better.....glad I dont have to move yours though :)

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks Jayme, luckily I don't have to move it often :)

[@albertotiene4648]

Hey it's pretty good

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@benjamind1234]

Hi there. Very nice build! I'm going to be doing soon. Is your enclosure waterproof? Did you spray a sealer on the wood? I would love to build out of MDF and the cover with a nice outdoor wood and stain to match furniture.

[@RobertNES816]

Really impressive work, the concrete base looks amazing and goes well with the overall look. But how come you don't have a bass port on this sub?

[@SoundBlab]

There is a link and explanation to the concept of the Linkwitz Transform Circuit principle I applied of a sealed subwoofer to extend the bass frequency in the description of the video.

[@justiceblackwolf369]

the box itself is freakin flawless 😍 id have tinted the cement tho 😝

[@brandonf6174]

good call

[@notchbak]

J Lynn I would have put cross braces internally on the inside of the cube too
Beautiful design and build tho

[@justiceblackwolf369]

***** i love this 💖... wish i had the tools to make it

[@gerardcollins1767]

just buy concrete garden slab.

[@Trexpass]

I ahve that exact sub in my car, doesn't need much to pack a punch tough ;)

[@cleolavandera]

genial!!!

[@paul5239]

thanks☺

[@roxtrongoopercot9017]

Exelente tutorial se puede sustituir la base añidiendole colchon de fibra de bidrio

[@SoundBlab]

Tx

[@user-zj4xk3wi8i]

great!!!!

[@fabriciodefigueiredo3426]

I wish I could heart it! Awesome!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@jaumejordavanrell1264]

Thank you for sharing your aknowlegement with all of us! Coud you share this excel (and other information) to learn how to calculate aproximately the behaviour of the speaker before being build? I mean, before being able to compute it by ARTA or symilar software? Thx! Keep going! I learn so much with your videos.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. I will be doing another subwoofer build in the future similar to this. I can include it in that video. Thanks for the feedback!

[@tharinduweerasekara5360]

Very nicely done
I see some of your own standmounters, any videos of them being built?

[@SoundBlab]

Unfortunately not. I finished them some years ago.

[@trei2unu]

excellent craftsmanship, great audio processing and you chose that entry level automotive sub :(

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. This JBL sub is entry level, however it is a very good unit that had the required specs I was looking for for this type of application. I was not looking for something that had loads of excursion or power. I wanted a balanced sub that can perform well musically and for movies up to a required point. Many other higher power subs deliver lots of low end, but lack in the detail when it comes to mid sub frequencies. Price is not always an indication of performance and this one performs more like a sub intended for home theatre application than most other car subs.

[@trei2unu]

If the result is satisfying you that's all that matters. I just thought a sub intended for car use would not have enough low end (because in car there's the natural cabin gain). But I'm sure the DSP corrects any of these issues if exist and yes, the sub is build very well.

[@ThePhilpster]

Song at the end of the video used to test the sub is "Listen" by Vaun for anyone who wants to know.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks, I could not remember.

[@casperliba]

What is the wood look called? I mean the sheets you glue on and look very good.

[@SoundBlab]

It's 5mm natural bamboo plywood sheets.

[@j00stra]

Very very nice made, specialy the concrete base. But i would have chosen for example a Hypex DS 8.0 amplifier.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. The idea was to experiment with the Linkwitz Transform in a sealed enclosure to extend the bass. The Hypex amp does not give me that functionality.

[@j00stra]

OK, i did not know that. In that case you can choose for a DSP amp like a Dayton Audio SPA.... DSP series. And to say again, looks great.

[@cranky1812]

As always great workmanship. I was wondering if you have thought about front firing sealed 10" subwoofer with 12" ported subwoofer in one cabinet and working as one subwoofer? 10" working between 120Hz to 60Hz and 12" working between 60Hz to 10Hz. I know it's bit crazy but I think it will sound really good.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. It'll be a bit like a two-way subwoofer. I haven't seen that before. Will give it some thought...

[@cranky1812]

@@SoundBlab thanks.

[@rajendraambavane3126]

What I feel badly missing in your videos is good narrative, the commentary explaining the logic behind your every step, the story the technical details, the science. I liked both your videos I saw but I feel there is a great scope to improve.

[@SlayerDarkRaver]

really cool design! the baseplate is a real turn on :) But I know from experience that curves like that aren't really telling the truth, they look good but it won't tell you how it really sounds! but overall cool build :) I would add some dampening material inside the box, like stonewool to eat up some resonating frequencies:)

[@SoundBlab]

Hey thanks! The curves you see in the video are the simulation curves for the Linkwitz Transform circuit based on the Thiele Small parameters of the chosen driver. But true, nothing is better than hearing it for yourself, the simulation is only an ideal theoretical outcome. I did actually add damping materials, didn't show it on the video, sorry :)

[@Watchingyou-daily]

Awesome

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks