Home-made Speaker System

[ashman131]

Hey.
i would like to make a 2 way speaker system with a ported box enclosure for my school project.

But i don't know which speakers and tweeters to get. i need something that is cheap but does the job well.

Depending on the impedence and bass resonance of the speakers, depends on the volume of the box i make.. correct?

maybe someone could suggest some alternatives to a ported box if they think it would suit me better.

Thanks for all your help!

[Cal Weldon]

Moved to loudspeaker section.

[AndrewT]

look up Linkwitz and elliot sound products sites.
Find how to configure a single pole (6dB/octave) crossover.
Look up some retailers in your area and find some really cheap drivers.
An 8ohm treble driver using a 2inch cone or 1inch dome would do the higher frequencies
An 8ohm Mid/Bass using a 4inch to 6inch cone would do the lower frequencies.

Read up on sealed box speakers (simple but little low bass) and vented box (more complex but bass goes a bit deeper and more efficient in the lower range).

[planet10]

You might also want to do a search on Jaycar... they are an Aussie perveyor of cheap drivers and some of the guys lon your continent have talked about projects done with those drivers.

dave

[PeteMcK]

Some suggestions for cheap drivers:

Jaycar 8”woofer ($40):
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...T&SUBCATID=396

Visaton 6.5”($49): http://www.soundlabsgroup.com.au/p/V...+170+S+-+8+Ohm

if you want something smaller, this 5”Altronics woofer looks good($32):
http://www.altronics.com.au/index.as...=item&id=C3084

cheap tweeter: http://www.altronics.com.au/index.as...=item&id=C3010

download WINISD to help you figure out the box size & tuning:
http://www.linearteam.dk/default.aspx?pageid=winisdpro

[Moondog55]

Please define "Cheap" for us.

If you give us your budget for this project we may be better able to help you with driver selection.

Are these to be "Keepers" or is it just a pair to get a pass in a particular subject??

Can you combine projects for your schoolwork? for instance do you have access to a woodworking class with machinery?

How big can you build? i:e are you after something floor-standing or something small to put on stands or perhaps on a bookcase?
How loud do you want them to play??

I have used the tweeter Peter gave a link to, it is OK but needs to be either crossed quite high 6k, or second order no lower than 3.5k.

And do you have a time-line in which these have to be finished??

You could use the trading post section asking if there are any second hand drivers available for the right price ( most of us have spare drivers sitting on the shelf )

Also you may have a preference for a certain type or style of music, if you decide to keep the speakers you may want them to be able to reproduce your favourites to your personal satisfaction.

Lots of information helps to make recommendations easier.

Regards Ted

[ashman131]

wow thanks for all your help guys!

in reply to moondog:
i would hopefully like to be able to get the 2 speakers and the 2 tweeters for $100. is that too unrealistic?

well i would like to pass but i would also like to use them for my ipod. I have a kit amp (from jaycar.. i think) coming which will power them. and i'd like them to be quite portable. for example so i can take them outside when i have people over and play some music in the background.

yes i will have access to woodworking tools and all that .


i have read up on sealed and ported box enclosures and i thought a ported box would be better, but for what i have now described, am i wrong?

thanks.

[Moondog55]

It is a little low for reasonable quality drivers.

Kit in Australia

Matt has similar aspirations but has a bigger budget.


A full range driver may do what you want, but drivers a cheap 2-way is just on the cards for that, don't forget that the cross-over and the box will be approximately equal to the cost of the drivers.

If you want them to be reasonably portable bookshelf type speakers are in, tall transmission lines and BIB's are out ( you may need to research those types to see what I mean )

I haven't used the Visaton woofer myself but specs look good for a small sealed box and the price is right, don't forget postage costs though

[Alex from Oz]

G'day,

Why not try this:
1. find some cheap/free bookshelf size speakers
2. pull the drivers out
3. measure the internal dimensions of the box
4. build new boxes with identical internal dimensions
5. install drivers in the new box.

Gets you a pass, ipod speakers and saves money.

Cheers,

Alex

[gainphile]

Well those Jaycar bookshelves are $50 a pair, and from ebay maybe $15

Get those just for the boxes and replace the drivers using a pair of 4" of 3" fullrange. The sound is very..very.. respectable

http://gainphile.blogspot.com/2008/1...3-monitor.html

A fullrange will always sound better than poorly designed 2-way, and designing a proper 2-way without measuring tools is almost futile. Ported being more complex than sealed.

If you want to build the boxes yourself:

http://zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker18.html