ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115  (Read 19263 times)

Alex Thompson

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 85
    • Central Ohio Sound
Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« on: January 21, 2014, 03:25:08 PM »

I'm contemplating upgrading my current crop of subwoofers, I've had my UCS1's longer than I care to admit publicly.

the ILF218 and TH115 are very close in size and proportions.
TH115 has a slight edge in sensitivity at the frequency range of interest but community gains a theoretical 3dB in output due to double program power rating.
TH115 rolls off a little lower but steeper
Community doesn't publish phase data
Community has an edge in price by ~$500

Overall on paper the two look like they would be very similar in sound and output but my gut feeling is the iLF218 will run away from the TH115 in higher volume due to more than double the cone area.  Also I expect power compression would be better less in trying to get the same output from to larger drivers than one smaller.

I don't deal with riders too often but I expect the iLF218 would satisfy riders better that specify x# of 18" drivers.

I have heard both of these subs but in very different acoustical environments so it's not easy to make a very good comparison based on my experience.

Any thoughts / wisdom / insight on this?


Logged
Alex Thompson
Joy Audio Visual, LLC
d.b.a. Central Ohio Sound
www.centralohiosound.com

Corey Scogin

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1266
  • Birmingham, AL, US
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2014, 03:36:38 PM »

Why not consider the TH118?  It's the same size but more sensitive and "lower and louder" as Danley marketing phrases it.
Logged

Alex Thompson

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 85
    • Central Ohio Sound
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2014, 03:44:10 PM »

Why not consider the TH118?  It's the same size but more sensitive and "lower and louder" as Danley marketing phrases it.

It's on the short list however in the freq. range of interest the TH115 is still a better value in $ per dB.  If I was primarily concerned about <35Hz I'd definitely be considering it.

TH118 is a little out of my budget anyway and too much sub for a majority of what I do.




Logged
Alex Thompson
Joy Audio Visual, LLC
d.b.a. Central Ohio Sound
www.centralohiosound.com

Ivan Beaver

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9534
  • Atlanta GA
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2014, 07:25:52 PM »

It's on the short list however in the freq. range of interest the TH115 is still a better value in $ per dB.  If I was primarily concerned about <35Hz I'd definitely be considering it.

TH118 is a little out of my budget anyway and too much sub for a majority of what I do.
I would argue that the TH118 is a better value per SPL.

Since it would take almost 2 TH115s to equal a Th118 (in the same freq range-the TH118 wins by far down lower), yet the cost of the TH118 is somewhere around 50% (I am not sure exactly) more, that means you get twice the cabinet for 50% more.
Logged
A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

Alex Thompson

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 85
    • Central Ohio Sound
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2014, 08:04:42 PM »

I would argue that the TH118 is a better value per SPL.

Since it would take almost 2 TH115s to equal a Th118 (in the same freq range-the TH118 wins by far down lower), yet the cost of the TH118 is somewhere around 50% (I am not sure exactly) more, that means you get twice the cabinet for 50% more.

It's been a long time since I've priced them so my calculations could be off.  TH118s are really not a top choice due to budget unless some turn up used for <$2000.  If that happens it's an easier decision.

Still wondering about my original question.  I know I'm comparing two radically different designs but that is exactly the point of my question - how would the 2 subs of similar specs but completely different design compare in the real world, when driven near their limits?


Logged
Alex Thompson
Joy Audio Visual, LLC
d.b.a. Central Ohio Sound
www.centralohiosound.com

Ivan Beaver

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9534
  • Atlanta GA
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2014, 08:17:16 PM »



Still wondering about my original question.  I know I'm comparing two radically different designs but that is exactly the point of my question - how would the 2 subs of similar specs but completely different design compare in the real world, when driven near their limits?
I have never heard the Community product-so have no opinion in that regards.

What you raise is a very interesting point.

Low level response (which is what is shown on spec sheets) is one thing.  What happens as you push them hard is quite another.

All sorts of "things" start to happen when cones start to move more and air movement gets larger.

This manifests itself in various sonic differences than when at lower levels.

So a side by side test is the best way to hear the differences. Although that is not always possible.  So when auditioning any loudspeaker-it needs to be run at "show level" to see how it performs.

Not all loudspeakers are as linear as others when you turn them up.
Logged
A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

Alex Thompson

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 85
    • Central Ohio Sound
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #6 on: January 24, 2014, 04:17:14 PM »


So a side by side test is the best way to hear the differences. Although that is not always possible.  So when auditioning any loudspeaker-it needs to be run at "show level" to see how it performs.

Not all loudspeakers are as linear as others when you turn them up.

Looks like I'm going to have opportunity to do a side by side test on these.  I forgot about a iLF218 that will be at the shop for a few days before going out on an install and I have a couple TH115's (8 ohm) in the shop already.

Just to keep the comparison fair, should I reduce input to the iLF218 by 3dB because it is a 4 ohm or parallel 2 TH115's for a 4 ohm load?

I think I'll try it both ways and see what happens.  Will post results if I am able to acquire any meaningful data.


Logged
Alex Thompson
Joy Audio Visual, LLC
d.b.a. Central Ohio Sound
www.centralohiosound.com

Frederik Rosenkjær

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 479
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #7 on: January 24, 2014, 05:26:07 PM »


Just to keep the comparison fair, should I reduce input to the iLF218 by 3dB because it is a 4 ohm or parallel 2 TH115's for a 4 ohm load?

I think I'll try it both ways and see what happens.  Will post results if I am able to acquire any meaningful data.

Depends on what you want to compare. If it's "how do these compare box-to-box?" then that's what you should test. And for that I'd say it doesn't matter whether one is 4 or 8 ohms - if it's the same amp you're gonna use to drive them, you just want to see how they perform under the relevant circumstances, so just run them however you would run them "should you choose to go that route", respectively.

Obviously, to get a more broadly applicable test result (to share with others etc.) it would be important to know the impedances and no. of cabinets pr. amp channel etc. used in the test.
Logged
Affiliations: Danley Sound Labs, Yamaha (MI)

Ivan Beaver

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9534
  • Atlanta GA
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #8 on: January 24, 2014, 07:17:21 PM »

Looks like I'm going to have opportunity to do a side by side test on these.  I forgot about a iLF218 that will be at the shop for a few days before going out on an install and I have a couple TH115's (8 ohm) in the shop already.

Just to keep the comparison fair, should I reduce input to the iLF218 by 3dB because it is a 4 ohm or parallel 2 TH115's for a 4 ohm load?

I think I'll try it both ways and see what happens.  Will post results if I am able to acquire any meaningful data.
Sensitivity is one test (and remember the current model TH115 is 4 ohm) so it will have 3dB higher sensitivity.

However the max output remains the same.  You just need a larger amp. 

If comparing max output-consider using an amp that is capable of driving the 8 ohm load good enough.

I would suggest around 1500-2000 watts @ 8 ohms.  You may have to bridge an amp to get that power-depending on what you have around.

Also remember that the damping factor goes in half when you bridge an amp.

You could get some freq response measurements without worrying about amp size.

I would HIGHLY suggest when doing freq response measurements to measure 1 cabinet-then move it out of the way-put the other cabinet where the first one was and then simply move the cable to the new cabinet.  DO NOT touch any output/gain controls and remeasure.

Also be sure to move "the other" cabinet during the measurement a good distance away-since the cabinet not being measured can cause a notch in the response of the cabinet being measured.

I would place the mic on the ground 2M or so away.  If you could do it outside-then further away would give a more representative response-as long as there are no reflections that would enter in to the measurement.  Even then as long as the reflections were present for all cabinets in the measurement-then they would still be comparable.

Hence the reason for the cabinets to be in the same physical position for the measurement.

It is not important to get a calibrated response-since you are doing a comparative test.  Just run it at a level that comfortable.
Logged
A complex question is easily answered by a simple-easy to understand WRONG answer!

Ivan Beaver
Danley Sound Labs

PHYSICS- NOT FADS!

Tim Padrick

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 927
  • Indianapolis
    • T.P. Audio
Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2014, 10:34:32 PM »

Used TH115s show up from time to time.  Go that way.
Logged

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Community iLF218 vs. Danley TH115
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2014, 10:34:32 PM »


Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.034 seconds with 25 queries.