Jump to content
matthubb123

can i replace my home powered sub with F.I. woofer?

Recommended Posts

so heres the deal, i have a 15" powered woofer in my apt hooked up to my pioneer ELITE 7.1 receiver, here are some of the specs, powered by a built in (Bob Carver) 500 rms sunfire amp

Specifications ( Brand) Acoustic Research (model) ARS500

Driver Complement High power handling 15" Woofer (110oz magnet)

Frequency Response 18Hz-120Hz±2.5dB

Crossover Frequency 50Hz(24dB/Oct.)~120Hz(36dB/Oct.) Continuously Variable

Rated System Power 500 Watts RMS

Enclosure Dimensions 18 1/4" x 17 3/4" x 24"

this woofer still sounds good but after years of abuse i have been wanting to replace it but dident know what would work with the built in amp if anything from F.I., was maybe thinking a F.I. Q15 or the SSD ? here are a few reviews, payed around 500 brand new years ago, still shakes my entire apt complex (my neighbors hate me)

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/subwoofers/acoustic-research/ars500/PRD_118998_2741crx.aspx

http://www.digital.com.uy/ar/hi_res/ars500.htm

http://www.cinenow.co.uk/products/2319-acoustic-research-ars500

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Will you be building a new enclosure to house the woofer?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Will you be building a new enclosure to house the woofer?

no, ill be putting it in the same double ported box that the AR sub came in, it is a good size box

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Box is aprox. 4 cubes in my calculations.

I'd say an SSD!

:)

If you want SQ sorta type stuff, the Q.

But both can handle the power from that amp :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

youll need to find out what ohm load that amp is built for. home audio and car audio dont always mix in that department. research that amp and see if its peak power is at 4 ohm. if so, you should be able to get a Fi woofer that will work perfectly. if its peak power is 8 ohm, then a Fi sub will still work, but it might seem like its lacking the oomph you are used too.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

youll need to find out what ohm load that amp is built for. home audio and car audio dont always mix in that department. research that amp and see if its peak power is at 4 ohm. if so, you should be able to get a Fi woofer that will work perfectly. if its peak power is 8 ohm, then a Fi sub will still work, but it might seem like its lacking the oomph you are used too.

that is my main concern is the ohm load, i cant seem to find any info anywhere and i lost the owners manual a long time ago, what are the odds this is a 8ohm sub?? i really think it is a 4 but i need to find out before i start spending money on a new replacement does anyone know where i can find out?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

youll need to find out what ohm load that amp is built for. home audio and car audio dont always mix in that department. research that amp and see if its peak power is at 4 ohm. if so, you should be able to get a Fi woofer that will work perfectly. if its peak power is 8 ohm, then a Fi sub will still work, but it might seem like its lacking the oomph you are used too.

that is my main concern is the ohm load, i cant seem to find any info anywhere and i lost the owners manual a long time ago, what are the odds this is a 8ohm sub?? i really think it is a 4 but i need to find out before i start spending money on a new replacement does anyone know where i can find out?

Best way to find out would to just measure the impeadance of the current driver.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

youll need to find out what ohm load that amp is built for. home audio and car audio dont always mix in that department. research that amp and see if its peak power is at 4 ohm. if so, you should be able to get a Fi woofer that will work perfectly. if its peak power is 8 ohm, then a Fi sub will still work, but it might seem like its lacking the oomph you are used too.

that is my main concern is the ohm load, i cant seem to find any info anywhere and i lost the owners manual a long time ago, what are the odds this is a 8ohm sub?? i really think it is a 4 but i need to find out before i start spending money on a new replacement does anyone know where i can find out?

Best way to find out would to just measure the impeadance of the current driver.

x2

Use a DMM.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

youll need to find out what ohm load that amp is built for. home audio and car audio dont always mix in that department. research that amp and see if its peak power is at 4 ohm. if so, you should be able to get a Fi woofer that will work perfectly. if its peak power is 8 ohm, then a Fi sub will still work, but it might seem like its lacking the oomph you are used too.

that is my main concern is the ohm load, i cant seem to find any info anywhere and i lost the owners manual a long time ago, what are the odds this is a 8ohm sub?? i really think it is a 4 but i need to find out before i start spending money on a new replacement does anyone know where i can find out?

Best way to find out would to just measure the impeadance of the current driver.

x2

Use a DMM.

only thing i can find says 2-4 ohms but im not even sure if that is right, im not even sure if Acoustic Research is even still in business, i know this is a noob question but what is (DMM) and how do i go about finding this out?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Which will give you the DCR not the impedance, but you'll basically know from there. At the same time you can take better measurements of the box. Most off the shelf stuff is in something that is terrible for most applications. IMO if you want to upgrade on the cheap, figure out what the amp will do impedance wise and then build a box for a woofer that corresponds to the size that the woofer you choose fits in. Just use the amps load capability to pick the coils.

The other thing you may need to worry about is built in equalization. Carver is known for plopping extra electronics into the amp to optimize the enclosures they use. If that is the case you may be better off selling what you have and starting from scratch with a plate amp.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

×