Guidance/Mentorship Wanted (pretty please)

[NickJ]

Dear DIYers

I really want to join the club, but as I prepare for my first foray I have several reservations, and I was hoping for some direction. (I apologize if this is TLDR)

First, as some background, I have a notorious habit of biting off more than I can chew. That said I do have some resources. First my GF is a woodworker and can build basically any enclosure that I can design (and has plenty of mdf lying around). Two, I have a good ear, and am not afraid of math, and I have been doing my homework, and think that I have a basic understanding of acoustics and cabinets. What I am short on is electrical knowledge and crossover schematics are as yet gibberish to me, but hat said I can solder and I can follow directions.

Here are my major issues. I would be building speakers for my office which is a well insulated 10x10 room. Currently I am using Berringer MS40 powered monitors (which to my ears sound fairly clear but are lacking in stage and impact), hooked up to my computer (source of all music) via optical connection. If I build speakers it will be an investment not only in speakers, but I will also probably need some sort of sound card, some sort of amplifier (I have my eye on the sure class d/t amps), not to mention the speakers. How much money am I going to need to spend to get something that is significantly better than what I already have? Would that money be better spent on a better pair of pre-fab monitors (audioengine a5?)

I have seen a lot of cool designs and have sketched out some of my own, and I like the idea of a project for the summer, but I want to know that there will be a high likelihood of worthwhile results, given that I will mostly be listening to MP3s (some at high encoding rates, and some at less that 192kbs) and am not as concerned with audiophile quality (incredibly flat and accurate response) as I am to enjoying the music that I have as much as I can (lots of modern music is not produced terribly well).

Best and thanks in advance for those of you brave enough to tackle this question.

Nick

[badman]

Warmup time!

Zaph|Audio

I think you'd be well served to build this- plenty of zoot and bass for your room size, waveguides to lessen the deleterious effects of the small room.

There's a reason most people in your spot are advised to build a tried- and true, and you'll learn a lot to get you closer to your own design.

Good luck!

[NickJ]

A cool suggestion, but perhaps more sizable than I had intended. I have to be able to fit them on my desk sadly, and am more interested in building a pair of near field monitors because of this limitation. Also, it looks like each of the speakers would cost approximately 170 dollars in drivers per speaker, plus the crossovers plus the cost of other materials and that drives the speakers up to well over 400 dollars for the pair, plus 150 dollars for card and amp and at that amount of money there are a lot of midrange powered monitors. Are they going to be better sounding?

[badman]

Some of the modestly priced active monitors punch well above their price, and are good values.

You might consider the planet10 fonken/etc style enclosures, given your size and budget limitations. There's a ton of discussion on the full range section on those.

[planet10]

Originally Posted by NickJ

... hooked up to my computer (source of all music) via optical connection...

That's not part of a sound card? Best way to use your computer as a source, ouputting optical (or USB, or Firewire) to an external DAC. Typically store bought for $100 to more than you want to think about, boards, pre-built or not, kits or part kits all available.

If you are nearfield (3 or 4 ft) you need a 1-way or a co-ax with a REALLY good XO. Taking into account the investment you want to make and that probably rules out a coax.

The sure amps are interesting. I just picked up one of the 4x100.

60ndown was recently asking about a similar situation, and today he just posted after executing his choice. My brief CSS EL70 review

Follow back to his original thread, check out the other posters back history. Questions similar to yours have been the subject of a number of recent threads. You can cover a lot of territory by searching those out.

By standing on the shoulders of other's experience, you should be able to do MUCH better tan anything storebought.

dave

[SoNic_real_one]

Originally Posted by planet10

That's not part of a sound card? Best way to use your computer as a source, ouputting optical (or USB, or Firewire) to an external DAC.

He has active monitors with optical input, DAC and amplifiers...

[planet10]

I understand that, but the computer has an optical output, is that not part of a sound card?

dave

[Lerg]

It would be part of the sound card. If he has an optical output there will be an analog stereo output to go with it.

[planet10]

So, at least for a start, he could use the line out of his existing card.

dave