DLS Svenska AB RW15 User Manual

REFERENCE SERIES

SUBWOOFERS

RW15

WELCOME

Thank you for buying a DLS REFERENCE subwoofer.
The subwoofer must be installed correctly in order to work
well. This manual will show you how to install it like a pro.
Please read the entire manual before beginning the in­stallation.
Install the subwoofer yourself if you feel confident with
our instructions and if you have the proper tools. However
if you feel unsure, turn over the installation job to someone
better suited to it.
The speakers are designed for enclosure mounting. In
"open air" installations the power handling capacity is
reduced by 30% from the nominal value.

CONNECTION OF SUBWOOFER

How to connect depends on what type of amplifier you
use. The best is to follow the instructions given in the
manual for the amplifier. Most amplifiers today have built­in lowpass crossover and possibilities to connect your
subwoofer in bridge mode.
Two 4 ohm subwoofers are often connected in stereo mode
since most amplifiers can´t handle bridge mode loads
below 4 ohms. If you have a DLS Ultimate amplifier it´s
possible to connect two 4 ohm subs in bridge mode, these
ampliers are 1 ohm stable.
RW15 has double four ohm voice coils which makes the
subwoofer more flexibl. You can connect a single voice
coil in 4 ohm. If you want to use both voice coils you can
either connect them in series to 8 ohm or in parallell to 2
ohm. If you want to connect more than one subwoofer
the dual voice coils system gives you great possibilities
to connect in a way that suits your amplifier.
We also recommend the use of a subsonic highpass fil­ter. This gives a better bass reproduction with less
"rumble". In most DLS amplifiers this feature is already
built-in.
For wiring use high class speaker wires, min A WG13 (2.5
mm2). For example DLS SC 2x2,5.

WARRANTY SERVICE

This speaker is covered by warranty, depending on the
conditions in the country where it is sold. If the speaker is
returned for service, please include the original dated
receipt with the product.

SUBWOOFER ENCLOSURES, GENERAL

Build your enclosure in a stable and airtight material. The
best is MDF-board, 19 mm, or particle board, 22 mm.
Larger enclosures must have bracing inside to avoid
vibrations. The enclosure must be completely airtight. Use
sealing compound in all joints, also around the cable
terminals. The size of the enclosure is decided by the spea­ker data.

SEALED ENCLOSURES

Sealed enclosures are easy to build. The size is not critical,
but it can´t be too small. The speaker data such as Fs,
Qts, V as and X-max decides the size of the enclosure.
Large speakers need larger boxes. T wo speakers need a
box of the double size etc. The enclosure must be
completely airtight.
A sealed enclosure should be filled with acoustic wool up
to 75 - 100%.
A sealed enclosure has a lower efficiency than vented
enclosures but they can handle high power and are easy
to build. A subwoofer in a sealed enclosure creates a
tight bass suitable for the audiophiles listening to classical
music, jazz and soft rock. You can use RW15 in sealed
enclosures if you use single voice coil connection.

VENTED ENCLOSURES

A speaker in a vented enclosure has a higher ef ficiency (3
dB) and higher power handling capacity than in a sealed
enclosure. In a vented enclosure the sound from the spea­ker and the port work together creating a higher sound
level. The sound from the port must come out in the same
phase as from the speaker otherwise the result is bad.
The size of the vented enclosure is decided by the spea­ker data just as for the sealed one.
The size of the vehicle often decides the practical size of
the enclosure. A smaller enclosure has a higher resonant
frequency than the larger one. The size of the enclosure
should not be so big that the speaker plays below it´s own
free air resonance (Fs), then it looses in power handling
capacity.
The port does not have to be fully inside the enclosure as
long as the area and length are correct.
Sometimes you need two or more ports in an enclosure.
Y ou can convert from one to two or more ports as long as
the total port area is the same.
All DLS subwoofers works well in vented boxes.

DLS Svenska AB

P.O. Box 13029

SE-40251 Göteborg, Sweden

Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

www.dls.se

BANDPASS ENCLOSURES

In all bandpass enclosures the speakers are hidden in­side the enclosure, all sound is coming out through the
ports. There are different types of bandpass enclosures
and they have in common that they are a bit more difficult
to build. Most DLS subwoofers can be used in bandpass
enclosures.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR DLS REFERENCE SUBWOOFERS

RW15

Size 37,5 cm (15")
Impedance Z 2 x4 ohm
Nom.power (RMS) 400 W (max 600)
Frequency range 15 Hz - 1 kHz
Voice coil diameter 75 mm (3”)
Voice coil length 40 mm (1,57”)
X-max +-14 mm (0,55”)
CMES 117,8421
SD 830 cm
Cone material Paper
Magnet, weight 160 oz (4,5 kg)
Magnet, diameter 180mm (7,08”)
Installation depth 180 mm (7,08”)
Mounting hole 353 mm (13,9”)
Outer diameter 385 mm ( 15,15”)
Weight 12,5 kg (27,55 lb)

Data that varies depending on way of connection:

Re / Z 3,6 ohm / 4 ohm 7,1 ohm / 8 ohm 1,6 ohm / 2 ohm
BL product 13,3 25,6 13,2
Sensitivity 86,7 dB 89,4 dB 90,1 dB
Fs 29,4 Hz 28,7 Hz 28,7 Hz
Vas (liter) 116,3 122,2 122,2
Vas (ft3) 4,1 4,3 4,3
Qms 3,2 3,2 3,2
Qes 0,75 0,42 0,38
Qts 0,75 0,43 0,30

2

Single VC, 4 ohm VC:s in series to 8 ohm VC:s in parallel to2 ohm

chassis

voice coil
magnet

speaker cone

dust cap

upper
suspension

spider

pole plate
T-yoke

RECOMMENDED ENCLOSURES FOR RW15

F3 = approximative lower frequency for
vented boxes in Hz. Often called F-3 dB point
= the point where the power is 50% lower.
Fb = Box resonant frequency

VENTED ENCLOSURE

Subwoofer Volume (liter/ft3) Port Dampning F3 Fb

RW15* vol: 46 / 1,62 4” x 27 cm/ 10,6” Line inside 44,4 Hz 40 Hz
RW15** vol: 56 / 1,98 4” x 29 cm/ 11,4” Line inside 38,7 Hz 35 Hz
*=voice coils in parallel to 2 ohms. **=voice coils in series to 8 ohms.

SEALED BANDPASS

Vb1=rear chamber
Vb2=front chamber

RW15

Vb1 Vb2 port Vb2

29,78 26,76 2x10,2x44 cm
1,05 ft30,94 ft32x4"x17" (US)
F3 Vb1: 40 Hz, Vb2: 109 Hz

The speaker is installed in Vb1
playing into chamber Vb2 where
the port(s) are installed.

In this example the voice coils
are connecten in parallel to 2
ohms.

CALCULATE YOUR ENCLOSURE

Box volumes:

When caculating the volume of an enclosure you simply
multiply the width (W) x heigth (H) x depth (D).
Use measures in dm and you will get the answer in
liters.

A trapezoid box is calulated as below:

Vol=width (W) x heigth (H) x upper depth (UD) + lower depth (LD)

2

B

ÖD

H

Be sure to measure the
inside dimensions.

SEALED ENCLOSURE

Sealed enclosure:

Volume 58 liters
F3= 38,5 Hz
Use single voice coil 4 ohm

ND

RUNNING-IN PERIOD

Allow the speaker to play for at least
15-20 hours. After this time the
performance is correct.