Best speaker kit for 40L enclosure

[aryaruoh]

Hello !

Plain simple and all in the title I have an enclosure that measures exactly 26 x 9 x 11 inches HxWxD (which is 65x23x28 cm for Europeans) for a corresponding volume of 42L (the measures refer to the interior box of course). I made some research already but I thought I could get some advice here regarding low cost speaker kits that could do the trick just fine. I would like spending less than 300$ if possible, the best bang-for-your-buck 3way system for a loudspeaker that would rather be classified in the floorstanding tower power range rather than a bookshelf type. It's for a home cinema. If it may help, let me describe the other specs:

yamaha 6.1 amp at 510w RMS
"celestion CSC" center channel at 85w RMS
salvaged Scott 177b tuned to fit as 50w RMS surround speakers
Jamo SW5000 active sub at 70w RMS

of course the scott pair might be used as a regular 2.1 system (they definitely need a sub for music) as soon as I can afford a proper surround replacement for them. And the celestion center channel can be perfectly fit as rear surround channel, so this means I am perfectly open for a whole diy design series of speakers, be it 2 floorstanders + 2 surrounds, 5 channels or the whole 5.1 system (I got my sub for a very cheap 20e so I wouldn't mind getting rid of it, not that it sucks but an assorted sub to a whole system might certainly be a more logical alternative).

Thank you for your interest !

[jerome69]

Hi,

A 3 way for less than 300$
Jamo S718 Enceintes colonne sur Son-Video.com
Nothing to do.

Find an eltax 400 for less 100€ and tweak.
Tweak Eltax concept 400


For less than 300$, 3 ways in the DIY world, i don't have idea. You can make a 2 ways and you will have more possibilities.

Have fun

[aryaruoh]

Well tbh I'm not sure about the 3 way idea nor the budget. I may go higher if the design is vouched to be worth it (good evaluations etc). What I am the most worried about at the moment is my enclosure... I worked on it and I don't want to get rid of it just because it has uncommon interior box dimensions. I have ran some theoretical estimations regarding the incidence of lacking depth, they seem not to be considerable at all. I'm well aware I could be totally wrong and this is why I'm posting here.

tl;dr version for both of my posts:
I have a 40L enclosure boasting a 26x9x11" interior box and I'd like not to throw it away, but I find it difficult to find adequate drivers-crossover kits out there for such a thing.

[elac310]

What about a classical Audax 2way combo with a 20cm bass/mid and the legendary Audax 34mm textile dome ...

Audax is almost dead in France but the German distributor remained strongly attached to this brand and he manages to have special series built for him by the last French Audax employees. He has his own anechoic room for measurements and is well equipped to develop networks. The measures of his kits that I've seen in German magazines are always excellent.

http://www.audax-speaker.de/index.ph...articles&index[shop_articles][action]=details&index[shop_articles][category]=2&index[shop_articles][data][shop_articles_id]=95

Your enclosure is a bit larger but I think it would be OK - you would go a bit deeper (perhaps the BR vent would need to be shortened by a couple cm). I would place those on a good stand. Should fit into your budget.

Chris.

[aryaruoh]

thank you (merci ) for your answers !

I considered the links, the advices and it seems my best option consists in modifying the enclosure. I didn't want to do that because of the work invested but come to think of it it won't be much of a problem because the holes were very well made and the screws used were big (thus there is a nice screw corridor I can re-use, and if I don't, if it is something you think I should avoid, I'll simply make other holes & fill the actual ones with some dense substance).

Since I am now at 65 x 23 x 28 cm, I will go closer to a common design for 3way (or 2way) tower speakers kits. I think I will start by reducing the depth to 18cm instead of 23 (to reach the apparently very, very common ratio of depth/width roughly equalling two thirds). Then, for the height, I will see. But of course the best is some design already tried, tested, confirmed as financially and acoustically worth it. I am ready to spend up to 400~500e for the components (including crossover of course), anything beyond seems to be overkill considering the consequent sound quality might be achieved at a better price with a retail floorstander.

If possible, I would love something that looks like the B&W CM7 regarding the driver layout - i.e. something very simple, steamlined, regular combo of tweeter-mid near each other and either the mid or the woofer in kevlar. I know I'm a bit superficial with this, but I fell in love with its design and it's been my secret ambition from the start to create something similar.

Thanks again for the consideration, much appreciated - and helpful !

[jerome69]

http://www.audax-speaker.de/index.ph...hobby-hifi.pdf

http://www.audax-speaker.de/index.ph...hobby-hifi.pdf

[aryaruoh]

me no sprache die deutsche

I have found something perfectly adequate for what I have and what I need:

Parts Express DIY Project

This is great. It's really, really top budget, rave "reviews" from DIY renditions of the model judging by the forum, and the dimensions of the enclosure are very similar to mine (I'm only lacking one inch in depth). As for the height and the width, I am now decidedly going to make some jigsaw adjustments.

The only negative downside with this remains the shipment fee from parts-express (100$, why fedex international when USPS would most likely charge half the price ?)

Anybody know of a similar design I can afford in Europe ? Because I've tried finding these two drivers in other dayton selling shops, with no success. As for the crossover components or acoustic isolations (foam, etc) I most likely will be able to find this in my local electronic store - that is, if I manage to get the drivers in Europe to ease on the fee - or ones with similar T/S parameters?

Having said that, I'm not all that sure the hassle is worth it, since the same items are, to my general experience in online shopping, overpriced in Europe (already taking into account the shipping costs) so in the end, am I simply going to spend time searching for an alternative, just to save a measly 20 or 40 euros ?