Question on rebuilding my speakers

[bart_dood]

Hi Folks,

I've been out the audio and DIY scene for some time but I am back and enjoying listening to music again (my music room was piled high with trash but is now cleared out).

I am doing some upgrading on my system which originally consisted of:

Sony SACD (can't remember the model, mid level)
Preamp - homemade, can't find the schematic but battery powered, Burr-Brown opamps and quality components, alps blue etc Separate phono board
Power amp - Pass DIY penultimate zen
Rega Planar 2 TT - Rega super elys cartridge
Speakers - Home made, VIFA PL14WJ09-08 woofers, VIFA PL27TG35-06 tweeters, active sealed sub bass with 10" driver

The system sounded good, but I didn't do a great job of my home made speakers, I think I mismatched the sensitivity of the drivers (woofer was 86db/w, tweeter was 91db/w) and the crossover was not optimal, made it sound tinny and thin compared to say some good B&W speakers.

I have already made some changes:

ODAC DAC, which is PC fed right now, I am switching to a raspberry pi music server, all files lossless WAV rips
B1 preamp, Pass DIY design, stock (haven't complete this yet, but I have confirmed the ODAC has enough juice to drive the power amp)

I'd like to get a new phono amp stage too.

Next I want to fix my speakers, looking at the specs my tweeters are pretty good (I don't want to spend a fortune) so I figure I'll recycle them and simply buy new woofers and make new enclosures and re-do the crossover trying to use some of the components I already have.

What I'm looking for is some nice efficient speakers with good sensitivity, I listen to a variety of music but I like something punchy and involving, dynamic.
I found these Eminence drivers on parts-express:

Eminence Alpha-6A 6" Midrange 8 Ohm 290-400

93.6db/watt, frequency response looks pretty good. Reasonably priced.

Any opinions on these or something that might be more suitable?

I also plan on revisiting some kind of PC based frequency analysis tool to examine response for tuning crossovers, I'm sure there must be something available now?

Thanks!

Chris

[system7]

I don't get you. Tweeters are almost always more efficient than woofers. You add resistance.

Did you look at Troels Vifa PL14WJ project?
Vifa PL14WJ-

Not a big deal to adapt it for various Vifa tweeters. All he does here is change the tweeter capacitor and resistor:
Peerless HDS PPB 830860

That's what I would do.

[Inductor]

1. you design your own speaker,
2. you ask a question about/ or help to design a speaker,
3. you choose from a DIY speaker kit in the cloud.
Choose one. (Sorry to say) Its' not like a Lego. Have a nice DIY.
I was going to help but I don't know what you want (from the above).
Vifa PL14WJ-
Pi Speakers - Prices, Dimensions and Specifications

[bart_dood]

Originally Posted by system7

I don't get you. Tweeters are almost always more efficient than woofers. You add resistance.

Did you look at Troels Vifa PL14WJ project?
Vifa PL14WJ-

Not a big deal to adapt it for various Vifa tweeters. All he does here is change the tweeter capacitor and resistor:
Peerless HDS PPB 830860

That's what I would do.

Thanks system7, I decided to base my new speaker off the peerless link you sent but with the 6.5 peerless woofer. I'll adjust the crossover accordingly. Thanks again everyone!

[Inductor]

Hi. If you doing something new why not a 3-Way (your original drivers plus 1 woofer).
If you're using a new woofer please point to the specs/reference of your option(s) drivers(+ original tweeter?).
For help, you can also simulate (only software) as a starting point, mapping the graphs, output, impedance, phase and then input them in the crossover software for the 2-Way or 3-Way simulation, before you use the mic/field measurements tools.

I also plan on revisiting some kind of PC based frequency analysis tool to examine response for tuning crossovers, I'm sure there must be something available now?

[bart_dood]

Originally Posted by Inductor

Hi. If you doing something new why not a 3-Way (your original drivers plus 1 woofer).
If you're using a new woofer please point to the specs/reference of your option(s) drivers(+ original tweeter?).
For help, you can also simulate (only software) as a starting point, mapping the graphs, output, impedance, phase and then input them in the crossover software for the 2-Way or 3-Way simulation, before you use the mic/field measurements tools.

I already put my old woofers in some other speakers to give me something to listen to while I finish this project. I am going to buy a pair of Peerless 830875's for the new speakers:

Peerless 830875 6-1/2" Nomex Cone HDS Woofer 264-1092

I've done some crossover modelling, 2nd order linkwitz riley, 2210Hz crossover point allows me to reuse my old inductors which are the more expensive foil types. I just need some new resistors and capacitors. I'm adding a small L-pad to attenuate the tweeter.

I'm using winISD for the enclosure with a vented tube.

[sreten]

Hi,

You need to use some proper information if you want decent speakers.

L-padding the tweeter down to the bassmid and using a poor
crossover calculator for "2nd order L/R" will still be very poor.

FRD Consortium tools guide

rgds, sreten.

[Inductor]

Hi Chris,
sreten has a lot of details, maybe experience, on this driver; Peerless 830875
Peerless 830875 in sealed box
Then you should point to an achievable plan for the crossover. Keep posting for his ideas on the type of box/enclosure. (Also I suppose you are using it with the VIFA PL27TG35-06 tweeter). Thanks.