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I have scoured the internet (via Google 
) and could not find 1 decent review of this subwoofer offered at Parts Express, so I thought I would write my findings in the hopes of helping others in making a purchasing decision. The following was first published at HDTVoice.com and I thought it belonged here as well
. First is a link to the sub itself, followed by my review...
Parts Express Dayton SUB-120 12" 150 Watt Powered Subwoofer
Got the sub just before dinner. After dinner the wife went out and it was time to play!!! Unpackaged the sub (it is 8lbs lighter than the Infinity it was replacing) and it was not as wide as the Infinity (all comparisons are to my beloved Infinity RS12 Servo sub), a hair shorter (not as tall) but approximately the same length.
The Dayon sub description states that there are 2 rear ports...My RS12 has a bottom flared port. When initially played these 2 rear ports made for a boomy appearence during playback of movies and music. I did NOT attempt to plug either port as I feel if that should need to have only 1 port, it would have been designed that way. So I was not thrilled with this but all in all it sounded acceptable for the most part.
The subwoofer itself is a treated paper cone with foam surround. A far cry from the IMG injected cone on the RS12. But again we are speaking about a $150 sub vs. $1000 sub (when new). The sub has excellent extension, maybe a few millimeters less than the IMG sub but the treated paper cone has a noticeably larger voice coil than the IMG sub. I attribute the excellent power handling capabilities to that motor structure.
The 150watt plate amp is made in China and does not have a removable power cord. It has a 3 way power switch, ON/Automatic ON/OFF which I like having the option of having the sub continuously on for those extended periods during a movie that has little or no bass. So far I have not noticed any off/on action when leaving the amp set to 'Auto' so no 'popping' from suddenly powering up can be heard.
The plate amp also has a phase reversal switch, a frequency cutover dial, and of course a volume dial. I always leave the phase reversal switch to 'norm' on these type amps and integrate the speaker using the volume and frequency dials and that has worked well for me over the years.
Even though this plat amp is a cheapy, it sounds rather good which surprised the heck out of me. I was not expecting the distortion free power that this plate amp produces. It is very clean and very powerful and could probably blow the subwoofer if cranked loud enough but then if it was cranked that far it would probably sound like crap as there would be no headroom left.
The amp has the typical L/R low level input RCA jacks along with cheap spring loaded high level speaker in/output terminals. I use a 'Y' jack on the low level RCA jacks. This plate amp also has something I am unfamiliar with and that is it also has low level RCA output jacks. For 99% of all applications today I see this as about worthless and have not and will not utilize this feature.
Now up to this point in the review the materials (subwoofer & plate amp) are rather high quality in my opinion for the price point. I honestly have no plausable complaints. But the sound just wasn't what I thought it should/could be even keeping in perspective what the Dayton Sub 120 costs.
The cabinet is this subwoofers downfall. While my RS12 is solid 3/4" MDF construction with a flared bottom port with real wood venere, the Dayton 120 Sub is...get this...nothing more than pressed cardboard!!! I knew this would not be built with 3/4" MDF materials but I thought at the very least it would still be made with wood...Nope, not the case. It is pressed cardboard with a textured black contact paper covering. Once I discovered this I knew right then and there why the sound was not what it should/could be. The 2 rear ports are nothing but cardboard tubes capped with a short plastic port opening to complete the appearence. Has nothing to do with the sound.
The port tubes are about 1 1/2" from the front of the cabinet and does not allow enough room in my opinion for proper air flow out of the enclosure. I was pretty disappointed with this finding but happy it answered all the questions I had regarding the final sound quality.
The inside of the cabinet has a thin layer of sound insulationon the sides and top but nothing on the floor or bottom. Again I was rather disappointed with this discovery as my RS12 has thick insulation enveloping the entire inside surface.
The Dayton Sub 120 cabinet comes with 4 isolation cone feet which was a nice thought but being hollow I feel is only for cosmetic purposes. My RS12 has solid isolation cone type feet. As far as the actual effectiveness to isolation cones I am still debating as I for one have not found any real effectiveness over normal 'feet'.
Now remember I bought this budget sub as a temporary replacement for my Infinity RS12 that didn't survive a power surge very well. I loved this sub as it was the finest home sub I have ever heard for both movies & music. It integrated well with all speaker choices and received wide approval from all tat heard it.
Well after all my discoveries with the Dayton 120 Sub I decided to use all the electronic components from the Dayton sub and fit them to the RS12 cabinet. First I replaced the subwoofer itself because the RS12 was a Servo Subwoofer and I was told had a different motor structure than a non servo type speaker. Though nobody could tell me for sure if using a servo motored speaker with a non servo amplifier would damage the non servo amp, I decided it would be best to just replace the whole kit & kaboodle. Besides, The foam surround had torn in a couple of places over the years and had been repaired with rubber silicone as the IMG injected speaker had long since been discontiued and a refoamed speaker (at least the ones I have heard) never sounded quite right to my ear.
The first thing I encountered was a different mounting hole pattern in the stamped basket for the new Dayton sub. That was easily remedied by just drilling new (additinal) mounting holes in the RS12's cabinet. Although I could not use the original trim ring from the IMG injected speaker, it still looks pretty good and I keep the grill on it anyway so no harm, no foul in that department.
The plate amp was another issue however as it was a couple of millimeters too big for the original cutout in the RS12. A little persuasion got the Dayton plate amp installed tightly & securely however, though the Dayton amp sticks out about 1/2" further than the original RS12 amp did. Really no problem since it is in the rear, is not noticeable whatsoever, and does not affect the performance one iota.
The sound from this modification I can honestly say sounds absolutely superb with deep hard hitting bass when called for with no hissing, rumbling, boomy, humming noises. It is the quality of the RS12 cabinet itself that brought out the full potential of the Dayton parts that were installed. I honestly could not be more pleased with the results and am really surprised at the overall quality of the inexpensive sub & plate amp. While still noticeably NOT as high quality as the infinity sounded mit is VERY acceptable and not shabby at all. I can confidently recommend Dayton speakers and plate amps for any DIY'r out there. Lots of bang for the buck! The true test will be longevity and I think these parts will last for quite a few years if not abused.
I cannot wait to order what I want from Parts Express and get the Dayton subwoofer/plate amp combo that I couldn't afford this time around. When I install those components in my RS12 cabinet, based on my experience with the lesser components, I truely should be set for many, many years to come.
Now, when all is said and done, I do recommend the Dayton Sub 120 from Parts Express as an entry level subwoofer. It does have lots of power albeit a boomy sound. For the money it really can't be beat as I spent about the same amount of money at Best Buy on an 8" 60watt Aiwa sub a few years ago that was really poor when you consider you can get computer speaker/sub systems for less that sound better. So bang for the buck, I rate the Dayton Sub 120 a 9 out of 10. The price I paid for the Dayton Sub 120 was $148.88 w/free shipping which really sweetened the deal.
) and could not find 1 decent review of this subwoofer offered at Parts Express, so I thought I would write my findings in the hopes of helping others in making a purchasing decision. The following was first published at HDTVoice.com and I thought it belonged here as well. First is a link to the sub itself, followed by my review...Parts Express Dayton SUB-120 12" 150 Watt Powered Subwoofer
Got the sub just before dinner. After dinner the wife went out and it was time to play!!! Unpackaged the sub (it is 8lbs lighter than the Infinity it was replacing) and it was not as wide as the Infinity (all comparisons are to my beloved Infinity RS12 Servo sub), a hair shorter (not as tall) but approximately the same length.
The Dayon sub description states that there are 2 rear ports...My RS12 has a bottom flared port. When initially played these 2 rear ports made for a boomy appearence during playback of movies and music. I did NOT attempt to plug either port as I feel if that should need to have only 1 port, it would have been designed that way. So I was not thrilled with this but all in all it sounded acceptable for the most part.
The subwoofer itself is a treated paper cone with foam surround. A far cry from the IMG injected cone on the RS12. But again we are speaking about a $150 sub vs. $1000 sub (when new). The sub has excellent extension, maybe a few millimeters less than the IMG sub but the treated paper cone has a noticeably larger voice coil than the IMG sub. I attribute the excellent power handling capabilities to that motor structure.
The 150watt plate amp is made in China and does not have a removable power cord. It has a 3 way power switch, ON/Automatic ON/OFF which I like having the option of having the sub continuously on for those extended periods during a movie that has little or no bass. So far I have not noticed any off/on action when leaving the amp set to 'Auto' so no 'popping' from suddenly powering up can be heard.
The plate amp also has a phase reversal switch, a frequency cutover dial, and of course a volume dial. I always leave the phase reversal switch to 'norm' on these type amps and integrate the speaker using the volume and frequency dials and that has worked well for me over the years.
Even though this plat amp is a cheapy, it sounds rather good which surprised the heck out of me. I was not expecting the distortion free power that this plate amp produces. It is very clean and very powerful and could probably blow the subwoofer if cranked loud enough but then if it was cranked that far it would probably sound like crap as there would be no headroom left.
The amp has the typical L/R low level input RCA jacks along with cheap spring loaded high level speaker in/output terminals. I use a 'Y' jack on the low level RCA jacks. This plate amp also has something I am unfamiliar with and that is it also has low level RCA output jacks. For 99% of all applications today I see this as about worthless and have not and will not utilize this feature.
Now up to this point in the review the materials (subwoofer & plate amp) are rather high quality in my opinion for the price point. I honestly have no plausable complaints. But the sound just wasn't what I thought it should/could be even keeping in perspective what the Dayton Sub 120 costs.
The cabinet is this subwoofers downfall. While my RS12 is solid 3/4" MDF construction with a flared bottom port with real wood venere, the Dayton 120 Sub is...get this...nothing more than pressed cardboard!!! I knew this would not be built with 3/4" MDF materials but I thought at the very least it would still be made with wood...Nope, not the case. It is pressed cardboard with a textured black contact paper covering. Once I discovered this I knew right then and there why the sound was not what it should/could be. The 2 rear ports are nothing but cardboard tubes capped with a short plastic port opening to complete the appearence. Has nothing to do with the sound.
The port tubes are about 1 1/2" from the front of the cabinet and does not allow enough room in my opinion for proper air flow out of the enclosure. I was pretty disappointed with this finding but happy it answered all the questions I had regarding the final sound quality.
The inside of the cabinet has a thin layer of sound insulationon the sides and top but nothing on the floor or bottom. Again I was rather disappointed with this discovery as my RS12 has thick insulation enveloping the entire inside surface.
The Dayton Sub 120 cabinet comes with 4 isolation cone feet which was a nice thought but being hollow I feel is only for cosmetic purposes. My RS12 has solid isolation cone type feet. As far as the actual effectiveness to isolation cones I am still debating as I for one have not found any real effectiveness over normal 'feet'.
Now remember I bought this budget sub as a temporary replacement for my Infinity RS12 that didn't survive a power surge very well. I loved this sub as it was the finest home sub I have ever heard for both movies & music. It integrated well with all speaker choices and received wide approval from all tat heard it.
Well after all my discoveries with the Dayton 120 Sub I decided to use all the electronic components from the Dayton sub and fit them to the RS12 cabinet. First I replaced the subwoofer itself because the RS12 was a Servo Subwoofer and I was told had a different motor structure than a non servo type speaker. Though nobody could tell me for sure if using a servo motored speaker with a non servo amplifier would damage the non servo amp, I decided it would be best to just replace the whole kit & kaboodle. Besides, The foam surround had torn in a couple of places over the years and had been repaired with rubber silicone as the IMG injected speaker had long since been discontiued and a refoamed speaker (at least the ones I have heard) never sounded quite right to my ear.
The first thing I encountered was a different mounting hole pattern in the stamped basket for the new Dayton sub. That was easily remedied by just drilling new (additinal) mounting holes in the RS12's cabinet. Although I could not use the original trim ring from the IMG injected speaker, it still looks pretty good and I keep the grill on it anyway so no harm, no foul in that department.
The plate amp was another issue however as it was a couple of millimeters too big for the original cutout in the RS12. A little persuasion got the Dayton plate amp installed tightly & securely however, though the Dayton amp sticks out about 1/2" further than the original RS12 amp did. Really no problem since it is in the rear, is not noticeable whatsoever, and does not affect the performance one iota.
The sound from this modification I can honestly say sounds absolutely superb with deep hard hitting bass when called for with no hissing, rumbling, boomy, humming noises. It is the quality of the RS12 cabinet itself that brought out the full potential of the Dayton parts that were installed. I honestly could not be more pleased with the results and am really surprised at the overall quality of the inexpensive sub & plate amp. While still noticeably NOT as high quality as the infinity sounded mit is VERY acceptable and not shabby at all. I can confidently recommend Dayton speakers and plate amps for any DIY'r out there. Lots of bang for the buck! The true test will be longevity and I think these parts will last for quite a few years if not abused.
I cannot wait to order what I want from Parts Express and get the Dayton subwoofer/plate amp combo that I couldn't afford this time around. When I install those components in my RS12 cabinet, based on my experience with the lesser components, I truely should be set for many, many years to come.
Now, when all is said and done, I do recommend the Dayton Sub 120 from Parts Express as an entry level subwoofer. It does have lots of power albeit a boomy sound. For the money it really can't be beat as I spent about the same amount of money at Best Buy on an 8" 60watt Aiwa sub a few years ago that was really poor when you consider you can get computer speaker/sub systems for less that sound better. So bang for the buck, I rate the Dayton Sub 120 a 9 out of 10. The price I paid for the Dayton Sub 120 was $148.88 w/free shipping which really sweetened the deal.
3 Replies
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15009 views
Nice Review 
So what your saying is that you cannibalized the Dayton for parts and installed them into the cabinet of the Infinity? 
Would it not been easier to buy a new Infinity sub?
Amazon.com: Infinity 12" Subwoofer (PS 12) (PS 12): Electronics
Would it not been easier to buy a new Infinity sub?Amazon.com: Infinity 12" Subwoofer (PS 12) (PS 12): Electronics
Yes I did...Sure it would have been easier maybe...but at almost twice the cost...and it wouldn't have been as fun to play with...Not to mention I can't yet afford twice the cost...and I can still put everything back the way it was in less than 20 minutes...
...Not to mention I can't yet afford twice the cost...and I can still put everything back the way it was in less than 20 minutes...
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I'm surprised Walmart hasn't banned this guy from all of their stores. He has been on their CASE the past few months.
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f3zr37ekgKM?feature=share
37 Replies
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407 views
Unless the specific product or its packaging is known at the time of weighing, estimating the tare weight for a PoS system is a tall order.
I'm pretty sure that produce bags can't get any thinner.
You certainly don't want to put unbagged produce on a belt, scale, or in a clerk's hands (gloved or not).
I would think that all the packaging would already be accounted for ... they weigh the container, subtract that from the scale, then add the product , so its weighing the Product onlyUnless the specific product or its packaging is known at the time of weighing, estimating the tare weight for a PoS system is a tall order.
I'm pretty sure that produce bags can't get any thinner.
You certainly don't want to put unbagged produce on a belt, scale, or in a clerk's hands (gloved or not).
Staff member
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
In order to participate in any Cutting Edge testing, you must sign a Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Attached are a .docx (Microsoft Word) and PDF version of the latest DirecTV NDA. I found it easiest to complete the .docx version then paste a photo or scan image of my signature, cropped closely to just the signature into it as a picture. Then set Word to wrap text around the picture so that the picture follows the text "Signature".
People who have better PDF tools than I do may prefer that version.
When you apply for any Cutting Edge testing, you will be told how to send the signed copy.
People who have better PDF tools than I do may prefer that version.
When you apply for any Cutting Edge testing, you will be told how to send the signed copy.
2 Replies
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69 views
TWiT Tech Podcast Network
Time for another AWESOME video from the TWIT Network!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXOU5kJ8crU
Direct YouTube Link - Artemis III
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXOU5kJ8crU
Direct YouTube Link - Artemis III
TWIT's Website
TWIT Live Feed
0 Replies
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5 views
Staff member
Pub Member / Supporter
Cutting Edge
The TPN Map Excel Presents all DIRECTV Channels:
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
National (50-States or wide/NAT+PR beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Local (Local-Into-Local or narrow/Spot beams)
Additional tabs provide:
OTA the (Over-The-Air) Database
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
VOD (Video On_Demand) Records
Offline Records
Engr Records
Net Decoder a graphic presentation of all satellites and transponders
Domestic Satellites
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
@99W...... D11, D14
@101W.... D16
@103W.... D12, D15
@110W.... D5
@119W.... D8
Understanding the TPN Map
Making Sense of the TPN Map Display Conventions
2164 Replies
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937351 views
Supporting Founder
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This thread is a place to discuss the 4K events that appear on channel 540. We are getting, at this point, one college football game a week. Let's hope there is more coming.
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299554 views
Hmmm, I'm not seeing anything like those events in our Hopper 3 guide for tonight or Saturday.
I went into the Tools menu and requested a Guide Update. I'll try looking at it after the update completes.
edit — I now have the 148-01 4KFox events for Saturday, but not anything for 148-02 or 148-03 which don't even show as available channels. I do have 148-04 4KUSA.
As I recall you have the Flex package. Do you sub to multisport? -02 is FS1 and -03 is ESPN. -01 is Fox so you would get that if you sub to locals.Hmmm, I'm not seeing anything like those events in our Hopper 3 guide for tonight or Saturday.
I went into the Tools menu and requested a Guide Update. I'll try looking at it after the update completes.
edit — I now have the 148-01 4KFox events for Saturday, but not anything for 148-02 or 148-03 which don't even show as available channels. I do have 148-04 4KUSA.
Even though it didn't work out for the Hoosiers, this event recorded and I was able to watch it in full 4K HDR.
Timer is set to Record the Series. Thanks, Bobby!
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HERE TO HELP YOU!
Cutting Edge
Sometimes a thread gets so many posts in it that is can cause issues for the server so that why today we introduce The Song Name Game Part 3!
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
So let the game continue!
The last song was added by Bobby who posted...
One Meat Ball - Andrews Sisters
CONTINUE ON AND HAVE FUN! WELCOME HOME TO SATELLITEGUYS.US!
Here are the original rules for the game as posted by WebbyDude back in 2006. http://www.satelliteguys.us/threads/68645-Song-Name-Game
Just name a song title and the band who performed it. The next person does the same thing, but needs to list a song title or band name which includes a word from the previous entry. Pick songs from any genre.
Example:
Long Live Rock and Roll -- Rainbow
Rainbow in the Dark -- Dio
Another example:
Ride the Lightning -- Metallica
Lightning Strikes -- Ozzy Osbourne
Get it?
An additional note: we all know that song titles, sometimes, use profane words. Because this is a family friendly website it is advised that you clean up that title up a bit. This is accomplished by using something like sh!t instead of the real word. Thanks....
68586 Replies
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2676546 views
iJustine
Time for another AWESOME video from iJustine!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8XjBdqOb-0
Direct YouTube Link - iPhone Duo Day at The Apple Store Los Angeles!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8XjBdqOb-0
Direct YouTube Link - iPhone Duo Day at The Apple Store Los Angeles!
The official iJustine Website's Website
Buy her book!
0 Replies
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10 views
Why are ViP922s So rare? like its crazy how ebay has none, i checked everywhere, also, i got a ViP222k now, which is actually activated!
32 Replies
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901 views
I remember this in the news too...
www.nbcnews.com
$14,000 spent on rented rotary phone
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now- outdated phone.
www.nbcnews.com
That is a misnomer. In the old days you subscribed to telephone service. That included the telephone line and one telephone. An extension cost $1 a month extra. So that $14,000 over 42 years was for the service not the leased telephone. There is no way they paid $28 a month for 42 years for a leased telephone.I remember this in the news too...
$14,000 spent on rented rotary phone
A widow rented a rotary dial telephone for 42 years, paying what her family calculates as more than $14,000 for a now- outdated phone.
Lifetime Supporter
I know HipKat said that they were working on conversions but we got the official news yesterday right from Dish that starting next month all DMA's will be on the western arc, and all customers will be assigned to that. That's gonna mean a lot of customers around here aren't gonna get Dish unless there are exceptions. Too many mountains and trees.
145 Replies
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3756 views
