Hybrid Audio Technologies Imagine Series Subwoofer - Manual (Page 4)

The Imagine I6SW was
the first subwoofer
ever offered by Hybrid
Audio Technologies.
Originally designed
to suit saddle-bag
installations on
touring motorcycles,
the efficacy of the
design was quickly
proven in a wide
variety of installations
in virtually any
automobile, where
a small enclosure
subwoofer could be
used where space was
at a premium.
In Spring 2009, the first I6SW prototypes were
developed by company founder and lead designer
Scott Buwalda, and the concept of an Imagine
subwoofer line-up was born.
All the while the I6SW had been developed
and launched to an enthusiastic reception of
enthusiasts, custom installers, and motorcycle
and ATV riders, we were working on the larger
counterparts to the Imagine I6SW, the 8-inch
Imagine I8SW and the 10-inch I10SW. In January
2011, final prototypes were approved for
production after a long and strenuous program
of evaluation by several Hybrid Audio specialty
retail dealers for their use and assessment in the
field. The combined efforts of our dealers and our
own R&D team affirmed the design concept for a
budget-friendly high-end sound quality subwoofer,
and the I8SW and I10SW product was commenced.
Production began in August 2011, and was
completed in October 2011, after an in-process
change was made to the reverse-roll surround to
ensure reliability and longevity operation. The
Imagine I8SW and I10SW were launched in late
November 2011.
In September 2013, the Imagine subwoofer line-up
was deemed complete with the long-anticipated
Imagine 12-inch offering, named the Imagine
I12SW-V2, or version 2, as the Imagine subwoofer
line-up now enters its Version 2 phase to include the
Imagine I6SW-V2 (the Imagine I8SW and Imagine
I10SW remain the most-current 8-inch and 10-inch
subwoofer models in this line-up, respectively). The
Imagine I12SW-V2 was the subject of a considerable
level of prototyping and real-world testing to
conclude on a design that incorporates exceptional
output and power handling, but also low distortion,
moving mass, and inductance. Likewise, the V2
version of the widely-acclaimed Imagine I6SW
incorporates several mechanical enhancements,
making the driver more amenable to a wider variety
of enclosure designs
Attributes
Basket/Frame
The basket of the I6SW-V2, I8SW, I10SW, and
I12SW-V2 is a stamped steel design with semi-gloss
black powder coating. The frame includes spider
venting for improved thermal power handling.
The frame includes reverse-roll surround tooling
proprietary to Hybrid Audio Technologies, allowing
for close-tolerance flush and iso-mounting for easy
grille clearance and locational clearance (such as
underneath a seat, in a touring motorcycle saddle
bag, or in a center console enclosure).
Motor and Voice Coil
The motore of the Imagine subwoofer is
conventional dynamic with a large, high-grade
ferrite magnet assembly with bumped and vented
pole piece. The voice coil diameter for the four
subwoofers is 51mm (2-inch) for elevated power
handling, dissipation of heat (thereby lowering
power compression), and maximizing the size of
the magnet around the voice coil for enhanced
motor compliance. The voice coil is a four-layer,
high-purity aluminum, which is superior to copper
for heat dissipation, as well as significantly reduced
moving mass. The result is an extremely light weight
winding, with low inductance and good power
handling.
Suspension, Cone, Tinsel Leads & Terminals
The inverted surround is butyl rubber which is
highly consistent, and does not suffer the variance
of natural rubbers. This rubber surround terminates
mechanical vibrations well, having a low stiffness for
positive damping of resonances. The spider material
was chosen for optimal performance; the spider
is a 90/10 cotton/Nomex blend with single-dip
low viscosity phenolic. This material provides the
stiffness desired without being overly brittle or stiff,
where vibrations in the spider are well damped and
do not translate into the former or the cone.
The Imagine subwoofers are cone-type drivers
consisting of a polypropylene diaphragm with
low moving mass. Polypropylene provides a good
balance of strength, moving mass, and water
resistance, in the event the Imagine subwoofers are
used in all-weather climates, such as motorcycle,
ATV, golf cart, and marine uses. The tinsel leads
are bonded directly to the former and brought out
to the terminals, which keeps tinsel lead slap to a
minimum and does not compromise the structural
integrity of the cone. The Imagine subwoofer
comes equipped with heavy-duty PCB-mounted
male blade-type terminals on the Imagine I8SW
and I10SW, and nickel-plated push terminals on
the I6SW-V2 and I12SW-V2, and give the end
user flexibility in tinned wire or crimp terminal
terminations.
Summary
The Imagine subwoofers are the ideal multi-purpose
sound quality subwoofer speaker driver. Mechanical
and electrical parameters are amenable to a variety
of vented and sealed enclosures. At home in
virtually any arrangement, the Imagine subwoofer
is Hybrid Audio’s Stage II subwoofer, boasting
exceptional performance and a high-fidelity design
philosophy.
The Imagine
Subwoofer
A Brief History
© Hybrid Audio Technologies • Cumming, GA • 770.888.8200 © Hybrid Audio Technologies • Cumming, GA • 770.888.8200 6 7