T Amp Fostex FE127E plans

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Hello,

I am planning to build a simple set up using a Sonic Impact T Amp, Fostex FE127E drivers in a mFonken enclosure design.

My primary source is a Macbook Pro, (though I'm going to find a nice turn table once I find a house I'm living in for longer than a couple of months). I listen to anything from punk, post punk, new wave, jazz, classical, 60s, 70's and current indie. The room my set up will be in is not certain yet so I can't give details, but I'd like to listen while at the computer and to fill a medium room when not staring at a screen.

I'm going to rebox the T Amp in a stainless steel custom case with a power supply in the same box. Do I need to think about shielding the power supply? Is there a recommended pot I can replace the stock volume control on the T Amp with?

Also, Do you think the speaker / amp combination will be ok? Will the small bass reflex boxes produce enough low end from the FE127Es? Do I need to include any filters or other electronics into the speakers to get the best from them?

I have access to lots of fun toys at work, including a huge CNC cutting machine, so complexity is not an issue. I also have access to lots of nice wood. Can I use oak instead of birch ply, or is oak too porous for speaker design?

Here is the link to the Fonken design I am considering.

I have never built speakers or hifi before, so I am relying on your expert opinions!

Thanks for any help you can be of,

David
 
When you say "A medium sized room", what dimensions are we looking at? We have some differing opinions about room size here. I consider my 10'-8" x 12'-8" room with 8' ceilings "small" while some call that medium.

If your springing for the FE127s anyway, My suggestion is to go ahead and build the full-size Fonken. The mFonken is purposely bass-limited. I believe that they were designed for listening to them at you desk as High-End computer speakers and not really for full-room use. Planet 10 can correct me if I'm wrong.

There have been quite a few who have built the floor standing Fonken with good results. They don't have that much more of a foot print than a stand mounted mFonken. Plus no need to build/buy stands.

Slightly off topic, how were you planning to get the tunes from the Macbook Pro(Nice chioce BTW. I love me some Macs)to the T-amp? USB dac? I used a Headroom Bithead with my Mac Mini to good effect. Recently I have just hooked up a DiyParadise Monica and it smokes! Highly recomended if you can get one.

Regarding the t-amp. I have a GenII Sonic Impact that I have yet to put through it's paces but based on initial listening sounds pretty good for the money. However, if your feeling a little more crafty, the amp from this thread is said to offer a bit more sonicwise. I think the prices should come out pretty close once you get all the hardware and PS for the Sure board.

Geez, I had a whole bunch of opinions today. I'll step back and make way for those who have more actual experience now. :)

Gents?
 
Hi,

Even though the Sure Electronics boards offer good bang for the buck they do suffer from a constant hiss that can be annoying. They now sell the TA2024 (like T amp) based PCB for 15 USD and also have 2 x 100W or 4 x 100W Class D amp. Once you move about 6 inches away from the speaker the hiss is gone. I have tried with a 9V battery and with putting the signal L-R input connector to gnd but the hiss is always there.

Good luck with your project.
Regards,
Eric
 
gurley123 said:
When you say "A medium sized room", what dimensions are we looking at? We have some differing opinions about room size here. I consider my 10'-8" x 12'-8" room with 8' ceilings "small" while some call that medium.

If your springing for the FE127s anyway, My suggestion is to go ahead and build the full-size Fonken. The mFonken is purposely bass-limited. I believe that they were designed for listening to them at you desk as High-End computer speakers and not really for full-room use. Planet 10 can correct me if I'm wrong.



pretty much sums it up; having built/listened to more pairs of the various members of the Fonken family than probably anyone posting here, if I may offer a couple of observation:

The original enclosure design with the large side bevels and slot ports is a PITA build, but IMO well worth the effort in terms of imaging and bass articulation vs the "Classic GR" (rectangular) version. Note, there's likely to be minor revisions to the plans for this version to incorporate additional/revised bracing. Contact Dave - he can still usually draw them up faster than I can build them.





There have been quite a few who have built the floor standing Fonken with good results. They don't have that much more of a foot print than a stand mounted mFonken. Plus no need to build/buy stands.


right again, but still somehow lacking the magic and quality of bass of the beveled stand-mounters. Of course you could add a couple of layers of material to the side panels to allow for the large bevels that I'm certain has something to do with the performance.





Slightly off topic, how were you planning to get the tunes from the Macbook Pro(Nice chioce BTW. I love me some Macs)to the T-amp? USB dac? I used a Headroom Bithead with my Mac Mini to good effect. Recently I have just hooked up a DiyParadise Monica and it smokes! Highly recomended if you can get one.

Regarding the t-amp. I have a GenII Sonic Impact that I have yet to put through it's paces but based on initial listening sounds pretty good for the money. However, if your feeling a little more crafty, the amp from this thread is said to offer a bit more sonicwise. I think the prices should come out pretty close once you get all the hardware and PS for the Sure board.

Geez, I had a whole bunch of opinions today. I'll step back and make way for those who have more actual experience now. :)

Gents?


If you want to reconsider the time & expense of rebuilding the SI T-amp, and wouldn't mind a simple one-box (well, 2 with the PSU) solution, take a look at the Kingrex T20U - comes complete with a USB input DAC that can run directly off your Apple (in my case iMac)

pretty slick little piece, and for me sounds much better than the original SI or the Trends TA-10.1

http://www.audio-magus.com/product_p/krt20u.htm

"tube-like sound", well ..... maybe not
 
Hey, thanks for the input.

Since posting, I've been looking at the diyParadise Charlize. From what I have read, it's tuned to offer a little more low end, which would be great for my small fonkers.

I would like to keep the enclosures quite small, to aid portability, but I suppose if I need to get someone with a car to move my stuff, an extra 60cm is not going to do any harm.

gurley123, I hadn't even thought about getting the tunes off the Mac, there goes another 100 euros.


chrisb, the Kingrex T20U looks ok, but just out of my price range. I also want to go as self-made as possible, apart from soldering components on, I will leave that to someone who knows what they are doing.

Let me know your thoughts on the Charlize and fonkers.

Cheers,

David
 
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