The SV-10 "Baby Titan" Lou Coraggio © 2001 All Rights Reserved

Let's face it. Not everyone has the space or the need for a mega beast, glass shattering subwoofer. But everyone likes a nice bottom end to their music. As a house warming gift for my friends Wayne and Cathy, I wanted to build a small but potent sub for their new HT system. The SV-10 /PSA1 combo from subwoofers.com really fit the bill. After some quick calculations on sag (and a confirming Email), I determined that the SV-10 is suitable for down-firing. Based on published specs, I decided a 1 cu ft sealed cabinet would do nicely.

After consulting measurements of the driver and the PSA1, I settled on a 13.5 " x 13.5" x 16" box with 2" legs. The box is constructed out of 1" mdf with a 3/4" internal brace and a 1-3/4" bottom baffle. (Cut list is below)

I began by cutting all of side pieces, the top, bottom and center brace. I also cut another 3/4 piece to be laminated to the bottom. I cut this oversize by 1/4" so I could trim it flush with my router. I then marked out locations for biscuits and used my trusty plate joiner to slot all the pieces. Next I cut the internal brace. I used a square hole leaving 1.5" all the way around. Next, I cut the back for the PSA1. The cutout is 7-3/8 high by 10-1/4 wide centered left to right and 1" down from the top. (Note: the top of the brace should line up with the bottom of the amp cutout.) I then routed the baffle hole (9-1/4" Diameter) in the center of the 1" base. I also did a 10-1/4" hole, centered, in the oversize bottom. Now it's time to clamp the sides to the top and bottom and glue. (Picture Here)

Now clamp and glue the front and back to the rest of the sub. After everything dried, I sanded all of the edges square and flush. Next, I took the oversize base and drilled it for hex drive inserts to mount the feet. Using screws and Liquid Nails, I attached this base to the sub bottom--being careful to center the cutout. (You'll note the groove around the opening, more on that later.) With everything trimmed and square, I moved to the router table and ran a 3/4" radius on all of the edges. (Don't even think about this freehand!)

I cut my veneer an inch oversize vertically, and two inches oversize in the "wrap" direction. I did the match on the back. I covered all of the veneer with contact cement except the overlap. On the cabinet, I left the middle 5" dry. I placed the cabinet on 1/2" blocks, and began veneering on the center of the front. (You can cover sides with wax paper to prevent accidents). I worked around the three sides to the back. Once I had the pieces over laid, I taped them together, and clamped a straight edge over the stack. By cutting thru both layers from the same setup, you will get a good match. I removed all the loose pieces, applied contact cement, pressed it down and sanded the joint. Here is a picture of the back.

To make the feet, I found a 1-3/4 by 9" piece of oak designated as a "turning blank". I first did 1/2" roundover on all corners. Then I cut it into 4 pieces and took them to my drill press. I cut a 3/4" counter sink, then a 1/4" hole to accept a bolt. Then I applied some glue, and bolted the stained and lacquered legs to the bottom. I sealed the bottom using a mixture of 3 parts white glue, 1 part water.

With everything dry, I mounted the driver with #8, 1" sheet metal screws (after applying foam weather stripping). I hooked up the leads from the PSA1, loosely stuffed some dacron in the bottom chamber, and mounted the amp with #6, 1", black sheet metal screws. That's some badd lookin driver!

Now remember the groove I routed? Well, one of the pets at this new house is a ferret. To prevent any major problems, I put fiberglass window screen over the driver, and used screen spline in the groove to protect the driver from little claws and teeth.

So how does it sound? Pretty damn impressive. I compared it to my Titan. It doesn't go as subsonically low as the Titan but it really moves a lot of air in the 30-40 hz range. Nice and tight for music. On my favorite DVD's, it did a pretty good job filling my great room. In reasonable room, I think this little beast will satisfy most people's bass needs. In fact, I liked it so much, I'm going to do another one for my bedroom system!