# CSS Trio 12 125L Sonotube build...



## favelle

Just waiting to get the final measurements for port length and tuning, but got started today anyways:

Here's the 46" piece of 16" sonotube as well as a 31" length of 6" PVC for the port:










Easy to cut this stuff. Just measure it, mask off the one side as a guide, then use a jig or skil to cut it. Like butter!










May not look neat, but its a perfectly straight cut!


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## Lucky7!

Look forward to watching and seeing it progress. The Trio 12 looks like a great driver, just doesn't seem to get the attention some others do.


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## Mike P.

Agreed. A 12" sub with 20 mm Xmax and a XBL2 motor for $149. Definitely a value leader.


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## favelle

Well, after some deliberation with Mike P., it seems I needed a 38.5" port. So my 6" PVC was useless. As luck would have it, a friend of mine was throwing out a 45" piece of SUPER THICK 6" PVC!! Voila, new port, no cost. My favorite kind of spare part.......FREE!

Also lucky is this same friend has a sliding chop-saw. My little 8 1/4" mitre saw would have been useless with this PVC. Two quick swipes and 39" port was done!










Start cutting the circles this week.....


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## favelle

Hey Mike, one last question.....I may be coming into a free/cheap 500W BASH plate amp....will this build be able to utilize the amp or is it best to stick with the 300W?


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## favelle

Also, how is the Trio12 wired? Does it have dual coils or is it just a single one?


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## Mike P.

Which Bash 500, the P.E or the O-Audio? If it's the P.E. amp then it comes with a Hi-Pass filter at 30 hz, it would need to be changed. It would work well with your setup.

I believe the TRIO12 is single 4 ohm.


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## favelle

Mike P. said:


> Which Bash 500, the P.E or the O-Audio? If it's the P.E. amp then it comes with a Hi-Pass filter at 30 hz, it would need to be changed. It would work well with your setup.
> 
> I believe the TRIO12 is single 4 ohm.


Its either a BASH 500W or an HSPA 500W. Both have hi-pass filters set to 18hz.


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## Mike P.

If it's a BASH 500W with a 18 hz HPF then someone modified it.


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## favelle

Mike P. said:


> If it's a BASH 500W with a 18 hz HPF then someone modified it.


Bob told me when I was in the market for a BASH that all his in stock were set to 18hz. So it could have easily originated there without someone else having to modify it.


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## favelle

Well, thanks to Bob at CSS, my Trio 12 showed up today. Packaged professionally, as always. What a beauty!










Endcaps, sonotube, and port are cut. All that's left is the sanding, painting, and assembling! Really excited for this build. I am even flirting with the idea of WHITE endcaps!


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## Mike P.

White endcaps would unique, that I've never seen. Are you still going with a Bash 500?


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## favelle

Mike P. said:


> White endcaps would unique, that I've never seen. Are you still going with a Bash 500?


Its going to be run off an LT.300 for a month or so. After that, it may even get run off a Behringer EP1500 (one channel, the other channel would be for the Shiva 200L build).....


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## favelle

Here's the endcaps cut and glued. Not sanded yet. That's today hopefully, if I get my butt in gear. Got a couple dings on the top cap edge....may have to shave it down with a router or do some heavy sanding. Also got some grill covers for all the ports on my subs. Been meaning to do that for a while now....










Chickened out on the white endcaps, LOL. Bought black instead.

This should be FINISHED this week.


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## favelle

Finished this last week...never got around to uploading the pics.

Done some testing.....I don't know what to make of the results, or how its even possible. I need to do some further sound tests to make sure what I am hearing is right. I will update soon:


The endcaps, unsanded, and unpainted:




















Bottom (driver) endcap sanded and painted with the driver press-fit into place:











Painted the end of the port tube so it blends in with the top endcap:











Top (port) endcap sanded and painted:












Driver in place:











Port in place, super-secured, air leaks all sealed up!:











Bottom endcap attached to sonotube!











All put together!








'


Covered!












Next to the MUCH larger Shiva-x 200L sonosub:


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## Mike P.

> Done some testing.....I don't know what to make of the results, or how its even possible. I need to do some further sound tests to make sure what I am hearing is right.


What are you hearing?

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/33110-css-trio-12-125l-sonotube-build.html#ixzz11kw4XIhe ​


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## ironglen

Looks good- with a quick turnaround too. I'm curious how it sounds compared to the shiva...as I didn't spring for shiva's in my 12" sealed sono's (couldn't afford three), but opted for eD's 12" driver- unfortunately never even thought of the trio 12.


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## ironglen

Forgot to ask- what tuning did you build to? Also, just wanted to confirm you measured the inside diameter of the port and sonotube for measurements...but you shouldn't be surprised if you hear sweet, powerful bass coming from it:T


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## favelle

Mike P. said:


> What are you hearing?
> 
> http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/33110-css-trio-12-125l-sonotube-build.html#ixzz11kw4XIhe ​


I don't want to say for sure...I want to make sure its not placebo......but the Trio 12 seems to be digging WAY deeper and WAY louder with HALF the power! I just don't see how its possible.


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## favelle

ironglen said:


> Forgot to ask- what tuning did you build to? Also, just wanted to confirm you measured the inside diameter of the port and sonotube for measurements...but you shouldn't be surprised if you hear sweet, powerful bass coming from it:T


I tuned the enclosure to ~19hz as per Mike P's recommendation. I measured INSIDE diameter for the volume of both port and sonotube.

Cheers!


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## ironglen

The trio may be much more efficient, say 85dB vs 88dB, which would require half the power if I'm not mistaken- My eD 12's have a surprising amount of output with only 250w. Not sure about the lower frequency, what's your shiva tuned to?


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## favelle

ironglen said:


> The trio may be much more efficient, say 85dB vs 88dB, which would require half the power if I'm not mistaken- My eD 12's have a surprising amount of output with only 250w. Not sure about the lower frequency, what's your shiva tuned to?


Its got to be something. Or maybe something completely different? LOL! For example, I demo'd the IronHide slo-mo flip near the end of Transformers. With the Shiva, at -18 from reference on my receiver, I would hit about 109dB. So in the SAME location, I plug in the Trio with the 300W LT300 eD amp and I hit 112 in the SAME scene, same -18 on the receiver! How is that possible? Repeated it 5 times and had the exact same reading everytime. Ok, fine, the Trio performs better.

But then, I run a Y-cable from the receiver and run both amps at the same time, in the same corner (like pictured). Same Transformers scene and I only hit 110.5dB! How is THAT possible?


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## favelle

The Shiva is tuned low. About 18hz.


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## Mike P.

> But then, I run a Y-cable from the receiver and run both amps


I'll guess that splitting the signal provided less voltage to the amp, thus lower SPL.


http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/33110-css-trio-12-125l-sonotube-build.html#ixzz11owgOjXx ​


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## Mike P.

With the subs in the same location measure the output of a 20 hz test tone.


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## favelle

Mike P. said:


> I'll guess that splitting the signal provided less voltage to the amp, thus lower SPL.
> 
> 
> http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/33110-css-trio-12-125l-sonotube-build.html#ixzz11owgOjXx ​


The y-cable still exists when each amp is turned off or on though...


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## favelle

Mike P. said:


> With the subs in the same location measure the output of a 20 hz test tone.


Will do....


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## favelle

Ran some tests with a 20hz tone and a 30hz tone. Doesn't really reflect what I am hearing with my demo scenes though. 

Basically have 3 tests per tone. 1) Shiva-X using the 500W amp, 2) Trio12 using the 300W amp, and 3) Both.

On the 20hz tone, at -20 on my receiver, I got 87.9dB for the Shiva, 86.4dB for the Trio12, and 87.6dB for both. On the 30hz tone, I got 88.2dB for the Shiva, 87.3dB for the Trio12, and 88.2dB for both.


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## Mike P.

It's hard to determine what frequencies you're hearing in the demo scene, with tones you know the exact output from a specific tone.


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## ironglen

ironglen said:


> The trio may be much more efficient, say 85dB vs 88dB, which would require half the power if I'm not mistaken- My eD 12's have a surprising amount of output with only 250w. Not sure about the lower frequency, what's your shiva tuned to?


I looked them up: both are very close in sensitivity, so your latest measurements are probably spot-on.


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## favelle

I am wondering if I could feed these subs even more power?


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## ironglen

favelle said:


> I am wondering if I could feed these subs even more power?


More power than what? The manufacturer power rating is based on voice coil handling, so even if you're not reaching xmax with a particular enclosure design, its a bad idea to surpass their rating. With that said, contact CSS and ask them with regard to your application for the lowdown on this.

Glad you're enjoying the sub :T:T


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## Moonfly

favelle said:


> I am wondering if I could feed these subs even more power?


Dont forget, if you double the input power, you only gain +3db more max output. Maximum being the operative word. If you dont already max these out, then you wont use the additional power anyway, and you can get more output by simply upping the sub channel a touch.

3db more headroom is not to be underestimated, it can be useful when eq'ing as much as anything else, but anything less than double the power and its not really going to be that noticeable. That leaves you with one question, can these drivers handle double the power your already throwing at them? The answer is probably no.

One thing you shouldnt forget is that the simulated power figures are based on maximum power. The actual power delivered to the sub is dynamic, and most of the time is far less than the maximum modelled. If you can already listen happily at your preferred volume, and your subs is working well at that level, then there is no need to try stuff more power into them. It like a balloon, you always want to shove in another breath to get it that bit bigger, but go to far and it'll pop very easily. I think you probably have the best balance as it is. I would only swap out an amp if it is obviously struggling.


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## GranteedEV

To get more SPL / better bass integration / anything really, IMO adding more subs is a better idea than going for the ultimate sub anyways/

Time for four trio 12s


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## favelle

ironglen said:


> More power than what? The manufacturer power rating is based on voice coil handling, so even if you're not reaching xmax with a particular enclosure design, its a bad idea to surpass their rating.


Well there you go then, the PMax of the Shiva is 1000W and the Trio12 is 750W. I am feeding them 500W and 300W respectively.


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## favelle

Moonfly said:


> That leaves you with one question, can these drivers handle double the power your already throwing at them? The answer is probably no.


But the manufacturer's PMax rating say differently.


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