Can a DIY subwoofer compete with commercial subs?
In theory a commercial subwoofer has the potential to be better, since there is the benefit of expert design, a R&D team as well as tools and facilities beyond the financial means of the diy enthusiast. However, commercial subwoofers are generic solutions which have limitations imposed by the need to be able to market and ship the product and make it profitable. The diy enthusiast can spend all of the budget on materials, hence for a given budget a diy sub can have a better quality driver. Compromises can also be removed. Therefore a properly implemented diy subwoofer has the potential to offer considerably better value and performance. A clear advantage of a diy subwoofer is that it can be a custom design intended for a specific room. This means a result which is far superior, especially when one starts to implement large infinite baffle or architectural horn subwoofers, which for obvious reasons, aren’t readily available in commercial subwoofers.
