Running One VC on a DVC Sub

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1lowgalant

Copper - Posts: 116

Joined: September 15, 2005

Location: United States

Posted: March 17, 2006 at 3:16 PM / IP Logged

We'd like some feedback from other installers out there. We're having a little debate on how you can wire a 4 ohm dvc sub. One of our installers says you can run only one voice coil to get a 4 ohm load with no problems. He says he's done this for years with no problems. I, on the other hand, disagree. If you are running one 4 ohm dvc sub, the only ways to do it are a 2 ohm load or an 8 ohm load using both voice coils. I know I've seen subs suffer damage due to running only one voice coil on a dvc. Any feedback would be great. Thanks.

bmwpwner

Copper - Posts: 174

Joined: January 28, 2006

Location: United States

Posted: March 17, 2006 at 3:35 PM / IP Logged

i am the other installer in the mentioned shop. i have used only 1 4 ohm coil on DVCs for years with no ill effects. why is this not considered a proper method. from my understanding that is the whole point of having a DVC. you can go either 4, 8, or 2 ohm loads depending on the wiring. what is the downfall of using only one voice coil? and if i am wrong then i am the luckiest man alive because i have never had a setup come back broken for such an improper connection. everyone needs to take me to the casinos LOL! seriously, i would like to know if i've been wrong all these years.

thanks

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haemphyst

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Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: March 17, 2006 at 4:07 PM / IP Logged

1lowgalant wrote:

I know I've seen subs suffer damage due to running only one voice coil on a dvc.

No, you have not. Not SPECIFICALLY from only running one voice coil. What was probably the CAUSE of the damage, if there was truly damage done, was from overpowering the single voice coil. When you are running one coil, the power handling is cut in (close to) half - i.e. a 200 watt DVC woofer will only handle 110 watts (or so) when one coil is powered - NOT the full 200 watts the woofer is RATED for... I also have run one coil from DVC woofers for MANY moons, and have never had any issues.

I have actually used the second voice coil for a system "tuning" device. By adding a fixed or adjustable resistor, you can actually adjust the elctrical Q of the woofer, ( ala this article, posted by Steven Kephart of Adire Audio) which will affect the toal Q of the system. Nice. Thanks, Steven!

I have also built RLC networks in equal and opposite resonant peaks (equal and opposite peak of the woofer in the enclosure) for tuning out peaks in enclosures that are too big... a "passive, fixed, single band, parametric EQ", as it were...also nice. Steven, you DO know I was doing that before you posted that link originally, right? Running One VC on a DVC Sub -- posted image.

Running One VC on a DVC Sub -- posted image.

No, ABSOLUTELY NOT, there is NO (as in none, nada, niet, niente) damage that can be done to a DVC woofer just by runnning one coil, as long as the system's power handling is adjusted. I will say that forever, until I am proven wrong. Nice thing about blowing one coil? You have a second one to go through BEFORE you have to buy another woofer! Running One VC on a DVC Sub -- posted image.

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

Francious70

Silver - Posts: 629

Joined: July 26, 2004

Location: United States

Posted: March 17, 2006 at 4:36 PM / IP Logged

There really is no problem with running only 1 voice coil. Check out Ascendant Audios old subwoffers. They were DVC and reccomended you use only 1 voice coil, and use the other one with a potentiomoter for a varaible QTS system.

stevdart

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Posted: March 17, 2006 at 7:06 PM / IP Logged

I agree with haemphyst as well, so bmwpwmer wins this argument IMO. (But haemph...I believe Dan Wiggins wrote that paper and I've seen S.Kephart attribute it to him.) Anyway, this doesn't delve into the issue of why such a thing is done in the first place though. Did you need to use those particular subwoofers so badly that you had to rig normal wiring methods to make them work?

Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

jeffchilcott

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Posted: March 17, 2006 at 11:50 PM / IP Logged

very very interesting article...gives me some new ideas!

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bmwpwner

Copper - Posts: 174

Joined: January 28, 2006

Location: United States

Posted: March 18, 2006 at 12:12 AM / IP Logged

i used to work for a "mom & pop" shop that didn't know mobile from a hole in the ground so instead of confusing them with single 8ohm and 4ohm woofers we told them to just get DVC because they are kinda like a hermaphaite speaker. they can be wired to be a 4 ohm speaker in single woofer apps, 8 ohm woofers if using 2 woofers and bridging it into a 2 channel 2ohm stable amp, or 2 ohm if we needed to use a mono amp. like i said before i have been doing it that way for 10 years and haven't had a problem yet so i was very curious to see if i had been doing it wrong all these years. also, i have seen woofers come back abused enough to blow the single voice coil that had been used and just switch the wires to the other coil and it work perfectly. anyway, thanks for all the feedback on this bet. i guess i win and the other installer will be working a double shift for me now LOL.

"I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."

-Socrates-

willdkartunes

Copper - Posts: 250

Joined: February 01, 2006

Location: United States

Posted: March 18, 2006 at 12:22 AM / IP Logged

bmwpwner wrote:

from my understanding that is the whole point of having a DVC. you can go either 4, 8, or 2 ohm loads depending on the wiring. what is the downfall of using only one voice coil?

You are completely correct! That is exactly the point of having a DVC subwoofer. Different wiring options! The only downfall to wiring only one voice coil is you have to run lower wattage to the subwoofer. Of course, there is an upside too. (already stated earlier by haemphyst)

I knew guys that use to do this all the time when I was younger. (hook up only one voice coil of a DVC sub) They loved this new idea of subwoofers having dual voice coils. Don't know how it first started, but a very cool invention. So is the removable voice coil.... very sweet. Much cheaper too!

Do whatever makes you happy in life without diminishing the happiness of others

haemphyst

Platinum - Posts: 5,059

Joined: January 19, 2003

Location: Michigan, Bouvet Island

Posted: March 18, 2006 at 11:00 AM / IP Logged

stevdart wrote:

(But haemph...I believe Dan Wiggins wrote that paper and I've seen S.Kephart attribute it to him.)

Ahhhh, but if you re-read my post, I only said Steven POSTED it, not wrote it... Running One VC on a DVC Sub -- posted image.

To whit:

haemphyst wrote:

( ala this article, posted by Steven Kephart of Adire Audio)

It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."

stevdart

Platinum - Posts: 5,816

Joined: January 24, 2004

Location: Pennsylvania, United States

Posted: March 18, 2006 at 12:15 PM / IP Logged

wrote:

Ahhhh, but if you re-read my post, I only said Steven POSTED it, not wrote it... Running One VC on a DVC Sub -- posted image.

Running One VC on a DVC Sub -- posted image. Sorry...my bad.

Build the box so that it performs well in the worst case scenario and, in return, it will reward you at all times.

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