DIY Desktop Speakers Suggestions

[underwurlde]

Hello,

Are there any DIY desktop speaker designs buried in here anywhere? Say 10W. Something to replace those crappy speakers one usually gets with a PC (computer)?

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Jim Shearer]

Absolutely! Check out the micro-Fonken! Dave at Planet 10 has a real winner here. The enclosure is great, and the FF85k is a very special driver. You may want to use it for more than just computer speakers.

http://www.planet10-hifi.com/fonken.html

 

[underwurlde]

Thanks!

Man they look cool. Defo gunna try to knock some of those up. Glad I'm better at my woodwork than my knowledge of audio hifi elelctronics.

Q) where to get the those speakers from. are they Fostex FE103's? Where can I get my mitts on some of those in the UK or something equivalent etc.

Thanks again!

Andy

 

[chris skelton]

Desk top -well, ...SIDE.

I use Zigmahornets for desk use. Lovely imagery.
See Merrill Zigmahornets, on 6 Moons site.






Mine are Polystyrene.....

 

[amiklos]

Another vote for the micro-fonken. I'm using a pair and really like them. Took less than an hour for all the cuts, half a day for assembly letting the glue set for 30-45min at each joint, and I cheaped out and just sanded them down and applied some stain and clear coat.

A crappy pic of them sitting on top of some other bookshelf speakers.

 

[madqwerty]

don't know here..
if you're searching for more economical solutions,
in our little italian forum
recently 2-3 users presented their works, with Tangband w3-871s and/or HiVi B3N
http://t-class.niceboard.net/diy-hi...c-by-diechirico-ivan-fase-operativa-t3135.htm (taken from http://www.webalice.it/loziopino1/Sito/Home.html)
http://t-class.niceboard.net/autocostruzione-f31/costruzione-diffusori-w3-micro-di-chf-t2726.htm (taken from http://www.audiomaxitalia.com/fileadmin/fileprodotti/micro.pdf )
both of them are based on precedent projects, presented on magazines or internet..
i've also listened to these :
http://hxos.altervista.org/u-B3N.html
(presented also in http://www.audiocostruzioni.com/ search for diy speakers, full-range section) good nearfield sound, big value4money..
it's all in italian, but i think you can give a try, they're full of links and images...

 

[planet10]

Here is a 1st impression from scottmoose on the uFonken i sent him:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/blog.php?b=26

dave

 

[chrisb]

I took some time off other projects to spend a few hours this past Sunday on a listening session with Jeff (VinylKid), and a couple more yesterday evening solo.(wait, that sounds a bit wrong)

With a total of 3 Mark Audio and 2 Fostex enclosures, and 4 different tube and 1 class T SS amp to choose from*, things can get very confusing, or very revelatory (as when things just gel) .

For me the latter was the case.

We've used the FF85K in 3 basic configurations; small OB, "Tysen" 2-way with powered woofers (PLLXO at approx 330Hz), and the microFonkens. This little driver is quite amazing, and even with the severe headroom limits of a pair of 2A3 SE (i.e. well under 4w), and lack of any servicable low end, the dynamics/textures/ imaging and soundstage has more than a few folks shaking their heads.

* equipment list for the session

speakers:
Mark Audio Alpair 5 (stock)/ mini TL
Mark Audio Alpair 6 (stock) 5L slot ported
Mark Audio/CSS EL70 (EnAbled) castle top dual driver (i.e. not "really" a bipole?) microtower
Fostex FE167En - 24L floor Fonken
Fostex FF85Ken - 2L microFonken

amps:
Bottlehead Paramour 2A3 (choke filtered/film cap power supply)
George Wright Mono7 300B
DIY EL84 class A PP triode ("El Cheapo" clone)
Jolida SJ302 EL34 triode wired PP
Kingrex T20U class T

source:
Jolida CD player

The microtowers do a great job of filling a 320 sq ft room and can certainly surpass the SOA of FF85K, but for a small desk top/ computer monitor the latter driver in the 2L slot ported box is a great choice.

Yes, we did try stock round ported variations of smaller boxes with earlier variants of the "fonken family", and definitely found the high aspect ratio slot ports gave more control and smoother extension from the mid-bass down. Of course, with the FF85K, the mid-bass is about as far as you'll safely get when running full range, even with EQ, but add a separate powered woofer and it's a whole new game.

 

[underwurlde]

Americano's & Canadians abound! Great speaker design guys, shame about the Fostex Drivers in as much as where can I get my paws on some without spending a FORTUNE as I live in the UK (as my flag would suggest).

I see that speaker design and think oooooo, and then I try to source Fostex drivers and think arrrrrggggggggghhh.

Andy

 

[Chaz H]

Hello Chrisb,

I'm curious to know how those alpairs you listened to compared to the fonken. Was the A5 in Henkjan's desktop TL? Did your impressions match those of others I've read, i.e. the alpairs are more neutral but the fostex still have a special magic?

 

[chrisb]

Americano's & Canadians abound! Great speaker design guys, shame about the Fostex Drivers in as much as where can I get my paws on some without spending a FORTUNE as I live in the UK (as my flag would suggest).

I see that speaker design and think oooooo, and then I try to source Fostex drivers and think arrrrrggggggggghhh.

Andy

"there's more than one of everything", including distribution sources for Fostex drivers (stock or otherwise)

 

[Bigun]

[...]HiVi B3N
i've also listened to these :
http://hxos.altervista.org/u-B3N.html

I love Italy, but the language isn't familiar - can you help - I was particularly intrigued by the HiVi designs. I have been considering this driver for a pair of desktop monitors myself but have read reports that they 'sound muddy' at low frequencies (I refer you to Zaph Audio for example). Your links show two boxes designed for extended bass response, a double BR and a TL (both look very interesting options) - what were your impressions ?

 

[human.bin]

interesting parts of the page you linked:

FE83E was not considered due to high price.
Tangband W3S481 and Hi-Vi B3N, where considere.
The hi-vi was said to have less distortion, altought less efficency, an fs=90hz and too high Q made it not versatile for bassreflex.
Marine Maogan in the garage was all he needed to finally try out a transmission line in his life
Thanks to MJK worksheets a tapered line of lenght=126cm, with dracon in the first two spans was choosen.
16mm of the said wood for the walls except back and internal line of MDF.
Experimenting with stuffing let he think that it doesn't make much difference and that HF attenuation is mainly obtained by the folding itsef.

photos than listening:
In his small office they sounded like 'miracle', on every music kind (???).
they go down to 60hz with good presence, mids and highs very realistic altought not top-class exstension over 15hz (don't ask me what this means).
Putted against the walls, no BSC but little eq down 200hz.
Although the efficency the t-amp pot never passes 10 o'clock.
Thumb-up on stage and realism, like his other fullrange project (a fostex 206e in BR)
Probably only suited for near-field, at least compared to the 206.

That's all folks, I'll add: why not the little lovely fostex, price is higher but affordable it seems... why not one of those aluminium cones whose name i'll not say?

 

[Bigun]

Experimenting with stuffing let he think that it doesn't make much difference and that HF attenuation is mainly obtained by the folding itself.

This is a very interesting statement. It reminds me of some designs I saw once with folded spirals.

 

[human.bin]

perhaps a kind of design i tried and failed on miserably but maybe the most understimated design around

 

[madqwerty]

Your links show two boxes designed for extended bass response, a double BR and a TL (both look very interesting options) - what were your impressions ?

my soooo rookie impressions, 'r u sure?
well, i've listened only these, nothing about other solutions..
anyway i was quite surprised in 1st listening, something similar as 1st time with TA2024.. so little things you work, and well too!
i remember a very pleasant sounding, maybe a few not disturbing loudness, nice midrange presence and not so extended highs,
generally balanced and ..smooth?

in DCAAV box HiVi require a notch filter, TB's not, because of their better linearity in mid freqs.. TB seems to be considered better for mid-high sharpness, and less loudness, can't explain that well i'm sorry
TB seems also to be out-of-production?

no direct comparisons until now from no one..

this was written by DCAAV father :
Purtroppo paragoni non ho avuto modo di farne, ma mi è capitato in passato di costruire un piccolo diffusore in linea di trasmissione (è sempre su audiocostruzioni.com) e credo sia un'ottima soluzione, anche se i bassi sono più presenti con il dcaav. In linea teorica, con un carico reflex si ottengono bassi potenti ma poco puliti, con il dcaav restano i bassi ma con più pulizia, con la linea di trasmissione sono ancora più puliti, ma meno presenti.
Per quanto riguarda l'utilizzo del filtro, sull'hivi serve solo a linearizzare la risposta tra i 2000 e i 7000 Hz, cosa non necessaria col tb.
Il suono dell'hivi risulta più potente sui bassi ma un po' più "scuro" sugli alti, mentre il tb suona più cristallino e arioso.
La scelta dei due dipende solo dai gusti personali e dall'amplificatore: con un ampli tendente al caldo forse è meglio il tb e viceversa. Anche se io uso i tb con il t-amp2… questione di gusti.
trad :
no direct comparisons for me, i did in the past a little TL speaker (also presented in audiocostruzioni.com) i think it's an optimum solution, even if bass are more present in dcaav.
theoretically, with a reflex you obtain powerful but dirter bass,
in dcaav bass is still present but more clean,
TL has the cleanest, but the least bass presence..
filter is useful only on hivi, to flatten freq renponse in 2KHz-7KHz range, TB don't require this.
HiVi sounding gives more basses but a little "darker" hights, TB is more crystalline and.. ..airy?
choosing which one is a personal decision, maybe tb for warmer amps and hivi for the colder's.. i use TB's with T-Amp2, de gustibus

 

[Kravchenko_Audio]

My recomendation

Dual CSS EL70 in .5 cubic foot box ( 14 litre ) been playing with eight of them for about a month. Beats the Tang Band with a big stick.

Mark

 

[Bigun]

Dual CSS EL70 in .5 cubic foot box ( 14 litre ) been playing with eight of them for about a month. Beats the Tang Band with a big stick.

Mark

Sounds very encouraging - but for me 14L is too big for my current desktop reqmnts.

 

[underwurlde]

^ I wish I knew what you guys are talking about there!

transmission line? Dual CSS EL70? Tangband W3S481? TA2024? DCAAV box HiVi? Hi-Vi B3N? double BR and a TL ?

why not one of those aluminium cones whose name i'll not say?

Go on, say it! I'd love to know what you're on about so I can further research making my own speakers.

I stumbled across 'Enable' modding techniques.. any comments on this? Worth looking into & applying?

"there's more than one of everything", including distribution sources for Fostex drivers (stock or otherwise)

Indeed, however I could only source ONE supplier so far & the price seemed a bit excessive!

Thanks everyone,

Andy

 

[Henkjan]

Dual CSS EL70 in .5 cubic foot box ( 14 litre )

or 1 CSS EL70 in a larger version of the Desktop TL I did for the Alpair5 (EL70 version comming soon, I just received my EL70's, test cab allmost ready). I still have the Alpair5 speakers at my desk, love them more every day. just a small T-amp to power them.