Some expert advice please!

[Tikkis]

Hello,

I am a new member of this forum. Being a pensioner, I have lot's of time, and I'm also quite handy in woodworking. I have been contemplating of building project of bookshelf/pedestal size speakers with full range driver.

My budget is limited, so I would like to hear some suggestions for drivers that are prices around 100 euros/pounds each. The construction of these DIY enclosures would be either bass reflex or transmission line. The inner volume of afore mentioned boxes would around 20 litres or less.

Which drivers, considering the price limit, would offer a decent bass reproduction down to 50 Hz (-3 dB) or around that figure? Of course the reproduction of higher frequencies should be satisfactory as well.

I would like to hear the experiences and recommendations from more experienced fellow enthusianists.

Thanking you in advance,
Best Regards

Jukka Tikkanen, Helsinki Finland

 

[chrisb]

no experts here

oops, that should be no consensus, and without a bit more info on your application / listening habits, etc, hard to make any helpful suggestions

but - as this is the "full range" forum, you're most likely to be steered towards single driver solutions, with candidates from each member's current personal favorites

Unless you're constrained from using a small footprint floorstander, I'd generally recommend that class over smaller bookshelf / stand -mounters.

I'd suggest Alpair A10.3 metal, or Fostex FF165WK in an MLTL or similar

 

[Tikkis]

no experts here

oops, that should be no consensus, and without a bit more info on your application / listening habits, etc, hard to make any helpful suggestions

but - as this is the "full range" forum, you're most likely to be steered towards single driver solutions, with candidates from each member's current personal favorites

Unless you're constrained from using a small footprint floorstander, I'd generally recommend that class over smaller bookshelf / stand -mounters.

I'd suggest Alpair A10.3 metal, or Fostex FF165WK in an MLTL or similar

Thank you for your prompt answer. As what comes to my listening habits, I prefer acoustic music over electronic. I mostly listen to Roots-type of music, Blues, Bluegrass, Jazz and some etno and classical. Living in an apartement house I usually keep the sound levels quite modest.

I am sad to admit that any floorstanding cabinet is out of question. The main reasons are my moderate size living room, and that floorstanders have a low WAF.

So I have to do with a speakers that can be placed on a wide and sturdy long shelf that also carries my rather big flatscreen TV and some of big flower pots of my old lady.

These are the premises I have to live by.

Tikkis, Helsinki

 

[planet10]

A standmount/shelfmount with either of the 2 drivers Chris mentioned are doable -- FF165 is good in 17-18 litre, A10.3 likes a bit less. There are also good smaller drivers A7.3, FF105wk amounst those i am familiar with. FF125wk, A7p also. There are good Tandbands, and others too that i have less experience with. They should all fit your budget.

dave

 

[xrk971]

Try a 0.53x scale Karlsonator with either dual Faital Pro 3FE25's (8 ohms in parallel for 4 ohms). Or 0.53x scale Karlsonator with a single Dayton PA130-8. Don't laugh because it is only a $18 driver. It sounds great and hits 55Hz and is perfect for the music you describe. You can spend more on a driver but it may not sound any better. As far as stand mounts go - it is about the right size - sounds much bigger than it looks, has very wide uniform polar coverage due to K aperture, has great transient detail. Listen to sound clips.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/239338-mini-karlsonator-0-53x-dual-tc9fds.html

It is a compact ML-TQWT TL. If you want more bass emphasis - add 1mH and 7ohm BSC when used on stands away from walls.

 

[chrisb]

Well, don't assume that all floorstanders have low WAF - in fact in my case it's the opposite - or a large footprint. For example a very popular design for the Alpair 7.3 mentioned above is the Pensil - total footprint of approx 80in ^2, and 37" tall.

The 7.3 will also work well (except for depth of bass extension) in a smallish stand-mounter


Of course there isn't a "bookshelf" in rooms occupied by either of my two main systems, so that means stands - decent examples of which can occupy similar or greater footprint and cost more than the difference between floorstander - just one of my quirks, I guess.

 

[Tikkis]

Thank You all of your kind opinions and recommendations. After studying a bit more of the subject, I tend to lean to Fostex FF165WS's, but I will also check all the Possible tangBand -drivers.

I am not in a hurry, so I will advance this project cautiously.

Best Regards,

Tikkis, Helsinki

 

[Godzilla]

The Tangband's are more laid back sounding than Fostex and certainly less efficient. In the past I've sealed up Tangbands in small boxes to good effect. Fostex will require ports / slots to sound balanced but they are nice drivers. Perhaps you can build small stand mounted speakers then sneak in a powered subwoofer in the future - like I did over 20 years ago. I put a plant on it. Wife noticed about two weeks later when I claimed it was always there.