[dvenardos]

I thought this was a great idea. The small cylinder required for the SW-12B would make it really easy to put a couple of these around the room.
Anyone have any experience with sonotubes want to comment?
The cylinder is supposed to be the ideal shape for a subwoofer and veneering one would be a piece of cake, especially if you used a trim piece at the seam.

How well would these drivers work in a sonotube application?

Let me back up and say that my goal is to build an "end table" for the Wife. I am still deciding if I want a box type or sonotube type. I am concerned that the sonotube might need to be too tall to use as an end table.

Any thoughts and suggestions?

Something like this with a larger top. Basically I just want it at a height that would work as an end table, not 6 ft tall like many of the sono builds are.

[django11]

For the veneering part, once you wrap the veneer around you can just cut through both thicknesses of veneer  with a razor knife and a straight edge for a perfect seam.

[corndog71]

I have a sneaking suspicion that the walls of that would vibrate like crazy.

I had a similar idea last year but never followed through on it.

Instead I built this:

[hibuckhobby]

As long as you have a reasonably heavy duty tube, you
should be fine.  That's essentially what SVS does and
their cylindrical subs are hard to be in terms of bang for
the buck. 

[dvenardos]

I did some research on sonotubes when I saw this post and, according to the theory, since the pressure is uniform in a cylinder it doesn't resonate. Apparently, it is the same reason that the thin piece of dense material is designed as a form for concrete columns. 

I have a sneaking suspicion that the walls of that would vibrate like crazy.

I also thought of your sub. 

[dvenardos]

You could also do this for your MFW-15 sub. It would probably take you all of fifteen seconds. 

For the veneering part, once you wrap the veneer around you can just cut through both thicknesses of veneer  with a razor knife and a straight edge for a perfect seam.

[newportcycle]

If your really worried about resonance, go with a smaller ID sono tube and fill the anlar space with concrete.

[dvenardos]

or sand. 

If your really worried about resonance, go with a smaller ID sono tube and fill the anlar space with concrete.

[Tyson]

Yeah, but the sound of sonosubs sucks.  I've heard a ton of them and box subs with a forward firing driver just sound better.

[dvenardos]

Same driver and amp?

Yeah, but the sound of sonosubs sucks.  I've heard a ton of them and box subs with a forward firing driver just sound better.

[Tyson]

No.  But on the other hand, I've never heard ANY sonosubs that sounded good for anything other than HT special effects. 

[dvenardos]

But that could just be a bias toward HT in sonotube design. I don't see any reason why a cylinder would sound bad compared to a rectangular prism.

No.  But on the other hand, I've never heard ANY sonosubs that sounded good for anything other than HT special effects.

[Tyson]

Sonosubs always sound muffled to me.  I know a cylinder should not vibrate, but they just don't seem to be a inert as a good solid, braced sub.  I also think the upfiring (or down firing) orientation is a less optimal orientation than a front firing sub.

[corndog71]

On my sub the mdf is 1 1/2" thick around the driver for the top 3 layers and 1" thick down the rest of the tube.

And at high volumes the cabinet vibrates quite a bit.  As far as I can tell it's not audible but then it's pretty loud at that volume.  At moderate volumes I can just barely feel the wall of the tube vibrate.

While I have no problems with the overall performance I am a little disappointed the tube resonates as much as it does.  I should've gone thicker on the walls.  Maybe 2" would've been more ideal.  There's no fancy bracing inside either.  I don't think the upward firing woofer suffers.  But then I'm rocking the servo amp!

Next I'm gonna build the OB subs.

[dvenardos]

Hey, thanks Rob and Tyson, I always love learning new stuff. Surprised Danny doesn't have an opinion here. 

So, if vibration is an issue, then maybe the sandbox sonotube would be the option to go with. 

[corndog71]

Do it!

I had considered that idea as well.  Having sand-filled walls might just do the trick.

It's certainly cheaper.

[DougSmith]

I built a bandpass sonotube with port on top by wrapping first with 1/4" cork, sanding smooth to get rid of the bumps created by the spiral ridges on the sonotube, then veneering with wood backed veneer.  The look great and sound nice as well, with low distortion in the passband.  The walls really don't vibrate much at all.  You can see them here:  http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=65332.msg725378#msg725378

[dvenardos]

Nice. 

[taoggniklat]

I have done a sonotube before with sand filled walls and it does not vibrate one bit. I have also done concrete and i found that it only added weight...sand is easier.

I have heard what Tyson is saying, but I don't think it is necessarily because of a sonotube (or any cylander shape) that causes it. I suspect it has more to do with the crossover and or other design parameters.