help me

[clk230]

right here we go (again)
i want to build some full range speakers ,i'm a total novice to speaker building ,now i have a stack of birch ply and the tools/skills to build the cabinets.
i thought i'd found the ones i wanted to build (half changs)but have been told the drivers are no longer.
so i'm after some plans for something similar in size.
my budget for the drivers is upto £100 for the pair new or secondhand i'm based in the uk which seems to limit the available drivers.

please help before the wife changes her mind on diy speakers

[chris661]

If there's WAF to consider, perhaps looking towards the Alpair range would be better. They seem to like smaller cabinets than some of the Fostex line (some of which need large horns to be heard at their best).

If you'd like to hear Fostex speakers, try to find something from the FE**7 line, they take ported boxes (I'm assuming a smaller cabinet would be preferable), though they're discontinued (you might find some second hand, but they do seem sought-after). You might have to be prepared to back them up with a subwoofer..

So, the usual questions:
How loud?
What will you drive them with?
What sort of music?
How big can they be?
How big is the room?

If you'll be using solid state, the Alpair range from Mark Audio would likely be better, as Fostex speakers tend not to mate well with SS amps (though mine seem okay on a switching amplifier). For use with a low power valve amp, the higher sensitivity Fostexes would be worth consideration, but that'll depend on how loud you want it to go.

Chris

[clk230]

cabinets can be upto say 5 foot high
decent listening levels no rave levels though
puresound 6550 valve amp
music varies from female vocal to led zep , floyd
the room is an awkward one as its open nplan with stairs aswell but the main part lounge area is about 12ft x 18ft

[chrisb]

well, since your post in another thread indicated you'd been thinking about Half Changs, the question as to "how big can they be?" could probably be revised to "can you use a pair of corners?"

if so the FH3 with Fostex FE126En or Mark Audio CHP70 would be near the top of my list


if not, then I'd consider the Pensil with CHP70 - or if your budget can stretch to 2 pairs of this budget driver, the "Castle" micro-tower


All listed are relatively straight forward constructions, with the caveat that damping/fill quantities are often tuned by ear - so fabricate with one panel / side removable until that is settled.


edit: seeing your comment regarding room dimensions post while I typed the above, another stellar performer to consider would the Woden design


Valiant/Maeshowe (depending on selected driver)

[clk230]

maybe i'm after the impossible , as this is going tobe my 1st speaker build i was hoping someone would point me to some plans and tell me what drivers to use .
Maybe i'll build another t/t instead

[clk230]

hi Chrisb , were can i find the dimensions for the above speakers ?

[aptquark]

Right now I'm listening to Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" on my Audio Nirvana dual 8 inch speakers. Goto to Commonsenseaudio.com and take a look at the Ambiance 2.8 design with the cast frame 8 inch and stamped frame 8 inch speakers. Mine has the extra speaker on the rear of the cabinet as opposed to the top of the cabinet. All I can say is amazing. From classical to classic rock to alternative...they do everything really well. No boomy bass, no shrill highs, no beaming.

[CollinA]

How do you feel about designing your own cabinets?

Download HornResp
and WinISD

HornResp is good for horns and transmission lines, while WinISD is good for sealed, vented and bandpass designs. WinISD is more intuitive, but HornResp is easy once you've read the manual.

One idea if size is an important factor is one of the MarkAudio drivers in a transmission line or vented alignment. Just running some quick simulations, a CHR-70 loaded in a 1m transmission line (200cm^2 throat, 20cm^2 mouth) provides extension to about 50hz. At 36USD a pop, they won't break the bank, either. I'm not sure where to buy them from in the UK, but a quick search proves that it is feasible.

[planet10]

Originally Posted by clk230

hi Chrisb , were can i find the dimensions for the above speakers ?

Woden Design | Maeshowe
Woden Design | Valiant

dave

[Godzilla]

Those cabinet designs are beautiful! They have an evilness about them too... love it!