Best sub - 2242 or 2245 for Hi-Fi?

[robertbartsch]

I have a couple of 2245s in a basement system and one 2242 in a HT set up in the TV room. These are in appropriate sized ported enclosures and are driven by at least 500 watts.

Both drivers are very capable of delivering good punch but I think I favor the 2242 for home use. It is a little easier to match other components with its rated sensativity.

Is this a typical view that others find true also?

Thx...

[Mr. Widget]

http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=227138


Widget

[Doc Mark]

Hey, Robert,

Interesting comment, actually. Most of the folks who have expressed a view on this, have preferred the 2245 over the 2242, for home use, with the 2242 winning out for movie/theatre use. I now have a 4645 cabinet, which I bought from Grumpy, and I've installed my 2242 in it. But, unfortunately, I have a horrible hum in the system when trying to use the Ashly crossover with that cab. Bo, and others, offered lots of good suggestions for helping me track down the source of the hum, and I'm thinking it's the preamp in my H/K AVR. But, I've not verified this empirically, as of yet. In any case, I'm thinking about getting a good 2245, so I can compare it to the 2242, both in the same cabinet, with our regular system. Then, I'll know, for sure, which one I prefer. But, so far, it's all a moot point, due to a lack of time. Sorry I can't be more helpful than that. Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[4313B]

Deja Vu all over again...

Yep, I just flag them as trolling threads at this point...

[robertbartsch]

Obviously, the shear size and weight of these systems prevents me from doing an "A" Vs. "B" test in the same room with the same amps and same accustics.

There are many variables in my two systems including:


1. Box sizes and tuning (my 2245s are in slightly smaller boxes)

2. Amps/equalization - (my 2242 uses a plate amp with adj. equalization, my 2245s use a Crown w/ no adj)

3. Rooms - my TV room is 10 x 24 and is carpeted; my basement 24 x 30 and has a concrete floor and walls; ceiling is wood plank

4. Loading - my 2242 is firing downward about 10 inches off the floor. My 2245s are front loaded.

I suppose I could swap out drivers into the different boxes and do a similar "A" Vs. "B" test.

Anyway, I'm somewhat surprised that the 2242 can really crank and blow the doors off the rest of the system, if necessary.

The 2245s seem to require TONS!!!! of power. I even have these two boxes wired in a 4 ohm load for which the Crown should be able to produce >1000 watts and it is not capable of overtaking the rest of the system.

[Doc Mark]

Morning, Robert,

Where have your crossed the 2245's and 2242's into your system? Take care, and God Bless!

Every Good Wish,
Doc

[robertbartsch]

Hi Doc:

My basement system with the two 2245 subs is running off a 5.1 channel Adcom pre-amp that feeds into 3 Crown stereo power amps - each amp is 500wpc into 8 ohm loads. As reported above, the two 18s are running in a parallel circut (4 ohms) so they should have about 1000 watts available from one channel of a Crown 802.

My TV system with the 2242 is running off an Onkyo integrated amp w/130WPC. The Sub amp is a plate model w/500 watts and some variable adjustments for frequency cut offs.

Anyway, if I turn up the plate amp (2242) anything placed on top of the cab (e.g., CD case, wine glass, screw driver, etc.) will vibrate off and onto the floor within 30 seconds.

The two cabs each running 2245s will not do the same at full tilt.

I should go back and research the sensativity ratings for these drivers as I suspect that could be one significant difference.

[4313B]

Ten cubic foot box tuned to 28 Hz.
2242H = Orange
2245H = Yellow

[grumpy]

...research the sensativity ratings for these drivers...

It would take a good bit more than that to address all of the possible
variables in your comparison.

You could -start- with the sensitivity of the drivers, in their cabinets, with
the implemented port tuning, in the frequency range of operation... which
Doc tried to steer you toward with his question.

Room size and losses/standing waves/face-down mounting, cabinet
construction techniques, boundary reinforcement, proper EQ, etc...
could all affect -perceived- level and vibration.

I'm not trying to dissuade you of your personal experience, just the
difficulty of a proper comparison of two highly room sensitive systems
in two different rooms.

As a counter-experience, a few of us listened -briefly- to identically
set up 4565 JBL cabinets with 2245H and 2242H drivers mounted,
crossed over at 80Hz using L-R 24dB/octave low-pass filtering on the
"sub" channel, levels roughly matched, using a bridged 6260 amp,
and could effectively hear no real difference.

I have no doubt that a better prepared, measured, set up comparison
could allow differences to be heard (and/or felt), but there was no
"day/night" experience on this particular occasion.

[grumpy]

... then there are the illustrative plots 4313B has kindly posted over, and over, ...

[robertbartsch]

OK - thanks all for the info, graphs etc.

...I did not intend to beat a dead horse!

I honesty read a bunch of these comparisions many many months ago and I had the two freshly reconed 2245s siting in my basement for 6 months or so. I only recently got cabs and set up the units and I was surprised at the contrast to the other system that I have been running for >1 year.


...some of the guys here are mere hobbests and others are true pros. I'm the former and hang here just to learn more....

[toddalin]

Hi Doc:

My basement system with the two 2245 subs is running off a 5.1 channel Adcom pre-amp that feeds into 3 Crown stereo power amps - each amp is 500wpc into 8 ohm loads. As reported above, the two 18s are running in a parallel circut (4 ohms) so they should have about 1000 watts available from one channel of a Crown 802.

My TV system with the 2242 is running off an Onkyo integrated amp w/130WPC. The Sub amp is a plate model w/500 watts and some variable adjustments for frequency cut offs.

Anyway, if I turn up the plate amp (2242) anything placed on top of the cab (e.g., CD case, wine glass, screw driver, etc.) will vibrate off and onto the floor within 30 seconds.

The two cabs each running 2245s will not do the same at full tilt.

I should go back and research the sensativity ratings for these drivers as I suspect that could be one significant difference.

I suspect, because I've also faced this, that the sub channel on your pre-amp not "hot enough" to power the amp up to a volume level to be compatible with the rest of the system.

You may just need to "goose" this signal a little more (or turn down all of the other channels and turn up the master volume). I find that the gain control of the dBx subharmonic synthesizer is capable increasing the input level to the power amp filling in this gap.

[eso]

I actually prefer K151 drivers, but with the caveat that my subs are 30Hz bass horns build into my listening room from a Cement/Stucco assembly. Absolutely effortless bass with much lower distortion than any reflex cabinet I've ever heard. In this set-up they are down ~8db at 20Hz but still have output that will shake the the room at 15Hz.

YMMV


eso

[Fred Sanford]

I suspect, because I've also faced this, that the sub channel on your pre-amp not "hot enough" to power the amp up to a volume level to be compatible with the rest of the system.

You may just need to "goose" this signal a little more. I find that the gain control of the dBx subharmonic synthesizer is capable increasing the input level to the power amp filling in this gap.

I'd also do the easy thing & test the "fresh re-cones" to see that they're in phase with each other.

je

[@3aan]

Hello, and an very good 2010 from the Netherlands

the following i'm trying to find out; are there recones on the market for the 2245 in 4 Ohm ??

I do have 2 x 2245H baskets, and like to use these if possible on 4 Ohms, in my corner-horns, i do have allready 2 cornerhorns with 18" Jbl's in conjunction with JBL 3160 crossover-networks

And do have six x 3160 for spares and would build an other set of corners, some idea ??


Regrads
sorry, Regards :-)

[Eaulive]

Hello, and an very good 2010 from the Netherlands

the following i'm trying to find out; are there recones on the market for the 2245 in 4 Ohm ??

As far as I know there is no C4R2245 and never was.

[@3aan]

As far as I know there is no C4R2245 and never was.

is this something to use?

http://legacysoundservice.com/catalog1/product_info.php?products_id=1064

Adriaan

[Mr. Widget]

is this something to use?

http://legacysoundservice.com/catalog1/product_info.php?products_id=1064

AdriaanIf you want a 2245, that wouldn't be anything to consider. Why are you concerned about 4 ohms?

Here is the impedance plot of the 2245H... why won't that work for you?

EDIT: I just read your first post in this thread... I see you are interested in horn loading. Personally I'd go with a pair of vented 2245s instead, but if you really want horn loaded subs, I'd look at different woofers entirely. Putting those aftermarket kits might work, though I am not sure if they would even fit.

Widget

[scott fitlin]

is this something to use?

http://legacysoundservice.com/catalog1/product_info.php?products_id=1064

AdriaanI don't know, and have never heard of LSS. However, I do know some that tried an off brand aftermarket recone kit for a JBL 18in woofer, and was quite DISSATISFIED with it sonically, and it blew out very prematurely. I think if you want a JBL 2245, stick to JBL parts.