My basic concept for the cabinet construction was to use
6" nominal inner diameter PVC. The tubular cabinet design
dictated the use of a woofer that would have a mounting
cutout of 6" or smaller. Due to the fact that I wouldn't be able
to create a substantial internal volume with this approach, I
started modeling woofers to see what could be achieved in
terms of low-end with the limited volume available.
Dayton DA175-8: I was surprised to learn that the Dayton
DA175-8 would be able to achieve an F3 of less than 50
Hz when loaded in a 6" diameter by 20" long PVC tube
enclosure. This driver also exhibits low distortion and a
relatively fl at frequency response up to 1800 Hz. In order
to decrease distortion and also raise sensitivity and power
handling, I decided to use two woofers wired in parallel. The
color I had chosen for the cabinets contrasted nicely with
these very attractive aluminum-cone drivers, so their pleasing
appearance was a bonus.
Dayton RS28A-4: Needing a tweeter with roughly 91dB
sensitivity and the ability to acoustically crossover below 2
kHz (due to the center-to-center distance between the PVC
"modules"), the RS28A-4 was a natural selection. This driver
also exhibits low distortion in the targeted high frequency
pass band, and exhibits a fl at frequency response. As a side
benefit, the look of the driver (with the dome being hidden
behind its protective screen) complemented the aesthetics of
the overall cabinet design.