Establishing the performance of a DIY Tapped Horn subwoofer

A DIY Tapped Horn subwoofer was constructed and driven using modestly priced hardware. The position of the acoustic centre, frequency and polar responses were established under pseudo-free field conditions. Polar responses and results were compared to a commercially available device. The DIY product performed comparatively poorly with respect to amplitude and frequency response, but displayed comparable polar response. Very low frequencies (<80Hz) displayed no directionality, with effective pattern control beginning at 100Hz in line with the cutoff frequency predicted by its mouth area. It was established that if processed appropriately, multiple units would provide additional SPL and lower the frequency of pattern control providing a viable alternative to more expensive products for small to medium scale outdoor events.