Newbie looking for first project advice

[chirs]

Hi all,

I've been lurking the forums here for a while and have really appreciated this little corner of the internet!

I have a friend who is a wood worker and is offering to build me some nice speaker cabinets...I am having my Fisher 400 restored and am looking to build something that follows this criteria:

1. Simple in design/philosophy
2. A floorstanding design that has drivers/grill placed at the top of the tower, so as to avoid my cat using the speaker as a scratching post. (I may be persuaded to go bookshelf, but that forces me to use stands...which I think are ugly)
3. Electronics either easy enough for a complete newbie to do (BSC I would probably feel comfortable with). If I go two way for some reason I would want crossovers as kit.
4. Cost under $350 for drivers / electronics
5. I listen to mostly jazz, krautrock, soul and classical

A JX92 MLT like this seem right up my alley. Not sure if it's a good fit with my amp (too much midrange?).
Given that woodwork is not a cost issue, where is the performance/cost ratio benefit me more? Using my full budget on something like the Jordans or buying a 2way + crossover kit?

thx!

[c2cthomas]

P10 has some nice designs for several different full range drivers - esp. the Fostex and Mark Audio drivers.

As far as distress concerning the cat using the speakers as a scratching post - well I have a way that "goes with the flow" in those regards - see photo - called "cat scratch speakers".

[chirs]

Originally Posted by c2cthomas

As far as distress concerning the cat using the speakers as a scratching post - well I have a way that "goes with the flow" in those regards - see photo - called "cat scratch speakers".

Brilliant!

[vinylkid58]

Originally Posted by chirs

2. A floorstanding design that has drivers/grill placed at the top of the tower, so as to avoid my cat using the speaker as a scratching post. (I may be persuaded to go bookshelf, but that forces me to use stands...which I think are ugly)

Take a look at the Pensil 10.2:

http://homepage.mac.com/tlinespeaker...aps-211010.pdf

jeff

[jimbro]

It always helps to give dimensions of your room, where you will be sitting with respect to the speakers, and how far from the back and side walls the speakers can be.

[chirs]

Originally Posted by c2cthomas

P10 has some nice designs for several different full range drivers - esp. the Fostex and Mark Audio drivers.

So these Fostex full range designs from Planet 10 don't need any electronics?

[c2cthomas]

Originally Posted by chirs

Brilliant!

Yeah - buuuuuuut that is an omnidirectional design and drives the constant directivity school of thought crowd absolutely outta their freak'n gords!!!

Dat's ok - I like the omni sound - but I would like to build up a pair of Econo-Wave speakers AK Design Collaborative - Econo-Waveguide Speaker - AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums and a set of OB's using some Mark Audio A10's I have my hands on.

I would also like to explore Mars, discover a way to break the speed of light barrier, win the lottery (THE lottery), and be able to keep up with a 24 Y/O mistress (and not get caught) etc.

1st on the list of things to do - check my medications - I think I might be off a couple of doses.

[c2cthomas]

Originally Posted by chirs

So these Fostex full range designs from Planet 10 don't need any electronics?

Most full range speakers do not need crossovers etc. Some people like to fool around with transformers and sub-woofers tho. Don't go there - at least not yet.

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by chirs

So these Fostex full range designs from Planet 10 don't need any electronics?

well amps to power them of course, but certainly no XO for full-range designs, and lots of folks quite happy without passive or line level BSC/ Zobels / contour EQ etc.

Even if you add helper woofers, the most filtering you'd probably need on the wide-band driver portion would be high pass to allow for more dynamics and power handling over their operating range - and that can easily be incorporated by adding / adjusting values of input or coupling caps on most amplifiers.

As for low pass filtering to add tweeters, my personal attitude is that if the wide band driver has sufficient "issues" with tonal balance to require compensation more than achieved by a simple first order on the added "helper" tweeter, then it's the wrong wide-band driver for the job

[chirs]

Originally Posted by jimbro

It always helps to give dimensions of your room, where you will be sitting with respect to the speakers, and how far from the back and side walls the speakers can be.

I haven't decided which room to put them in yet. Trying to figure out where to build record shelves...
Either way, both potential rooms mare 15x15ft. One room is minimally furnished at is very resonant. I'm assuming that's a bad thing.

Most likely it will be in the living room (16x15ft...lots of "stuff" in there). Speakers 10-12 ft apart, with the listening couch about 10ft out from the center.