Im looking at making a set of 3 way floor standing speakers for music and movie watching. I am by no means an 'audiophile' but can appreciate good sounding equipment.
I'm an engineer and Ive made a few loud speakers before.
My idea is to use 8" PVC soil pipe with a wooden baffle cut into one side for the tweeter and mid. This may extend the whole length of the floorstanding speaker, or I just the top foot or so and with a down firing sub at the bottom end.
My first question is what would be a good drive to use for the down-firing subs (i.e. 6-1/2 woofer) I was looking at the Tand Band W6-1139SIF. the internal volume of the cabinet for the sub probably needs to be limited to about 26 litres.
Any help would be gratefully received. Ill post with some more info soon (after work).
Matt
I'm an engineer and Ive made a few loud speakers before.
My idea is to use 8" PVC soil pipe with a wooden baffle cut into one side for the tweeter and mid. This may extend the whole length of the floorstanding speaker, or I just the top foot or so and with a down firing sub at the bottom end.
My first question is what would be a good drive to use for the down-firing subs (i.e. 6-1/2 woofer) I was looking at the Tand Band W6-1139SIF. the internal volume of the cabinet for the sub probably needs to be limited to about 26 litres.
Any help would be gratefully received. Ill post with some more info soon (after work).
Matt
How about just building a proven design? There are many on the web, from low budget to expensive ones. Some good ones have been mentioned a few times in this site.
It is not a good idea (financially, when related to performance) building your own design unless you are tied to certain unpopular drivers.
It is not a good idea (financially, when related to performance) building your own design unless you are tied to certain unpopular drivers.
Thanks guys,
Actually a proven design would be fine with me as long as its less that ~£300 in speaker parts and I can fit it in the design I want.
The reasons why I want to use PVC pipe for the main part of the cabinet is for a number of reasons but include:
1) Easy of build... I have built a few cabinets before and also used to built bespoke electric guitars as well as worked at a cabinet makers for a short period of time. I do not however have access to all the tools (and garage space) I used to have, (father is now a cabinet maker). So my idea of the design would help me in this regard.
2) Cost.. Id like to make something that sounds great but for a limited budget (20-80 rule)
3) Aesthetics... I like the idea I have and the look of it. TBH if space and tools werent an issue... Id build something along the lines of the VOX Olympian (big horn, nice wood etc).
So taking what you have said into account I will probably mount all three speakers on the front baffle.
As you say there are many designs out there, but too many to choose from. Would you guys have any recommendations for my requirements?
I was initially going to tune the 'sub' down to 35hz (Fs of driver).
Thanks
Matt
Actually a proven design would be fine with me as long as its less that ~£300 in speaker parts and I can fit it in the design I want.
The reasons why I want to use PVC pipe for the main part of the cabinet is for a number of reasons but include:
1) Easy of build... I have built a few cabinets before and also used to built bespoke electric guitars as well as worked at a cabinet makers for a short period of time. I do not however have access to all the tools (and garage space) I used to have, (father is now a cabinet maker). So my idea of the design would help me in this regard.
2) Cost.. Id like to make something that sounds great but for a limited budget (20-80 rule)
3) Aesthetics... I like the idea I have and the look of it. TBH if space and tools werent an issue... Id build something along the lines of the VOX Olympian (big horn, nice wood etc).
So taking what you have said into account I will probably mount all three speakers on the front baffle.
As you say there are many designs out there, but too many to choose from. Would you guys have any recommendations for my requirements?
I was initially going to tune the 'sub' down to 35hz (Fs of driver).
Thanks
Matt
You generally need to have them facing forward regardless of Dissi was talking about. In a typical 3-way, the woofer is still producing a large bulk of the critical midrange (most of speech, for example). If you want it pointing down, it needs to be running as a subwoofer, which generally means with an active crossover to be practical. That is actually an easier project to get good results with, though: a pair of 2-ways and a pair of active subwoofers.
I wouldn't recommend it either, but c'mon, of course you can build 3-ways for 300. Or, much less:
SpeaKa Kit 2, 3-Way Speaker Construction Kit from Conrad Electronic UK
TBH this is what I was planning on. My plan is to use a Vifa tweeter (exact model not to hand) and a Tang band W5-704D 5-1/4 $31, then have a Tang Band W6-1139SIF 6-1/2" Paper Cone Subwoofer $48 as the 'sub woofer' for each speaker crossed over down low (200 hz or so).
£300 is ball park and I think quite realistic for the parts I am looking at buying.
Now I realise the crossover may start to become problematic but that's part of the fun
.As much as Id love to make a nice cabinet with some Lowthers or Fostex full range drivers in... I cant.
Ill try model something up after work tonight and if after the weekend people still think Im going about things wrong then I will change tact.
Consider yourself Fortunate
From Experience: Lowthers are Horrid and Ludicrously overpriced drivers. Owners usually build a sequence of complex 'enclosures' for them.. in hope of taming the critters. Rarely happens though. Then they give up
I have a pair of 40 yr old 8" full rangers (bought new) that I keep (as spares) simply because they sound Sooo pleasing. Definitely Not Audio Weenie approved But outstandingly pleasing Music producers.
A genuine refreshing (sanity saver) change from Myriad Lowther adventures.
Google up simple stoopid Peerless drivers/kits.
Really inexpensive, but one has to spend multiples more to achieve genuine improvement over those.
G'luck
That's not low enough. No need to get into technical talk really - just listen to 200Hz. That's not a subwoofer, and shouldn't be pointed at the floor. You can do what you want with most any 2-way kit, of which there are zillions, but you need to use a subwoofer plate amp for the subwoofer part.
Hi,
Madisound and PE are not very cost effective from the UK.
I can't really visualise the planned tubular 3-way, as ever
3-way are do-able, but very difficult to get right and very
easy to get wrong, so take much more design effort.
If the point is to make something interesting the bass driver
at the top of the tube and a vent near the bottom will give
some form of MLTL - could work well with TB 6" subs.
Though given that, in a proper design the senstivity would
low, and I'd expect a 3" or 4" mid/ FR to be more suitable
than the W5, all of them not needing an expensive tweeter.
rgds, sreten.
Madisound and PE are not very cost effective from the UK.
I can't really visualise the planned tubular 3-way, as ever
3-way are do-able, but very difficult to get right and very
easy to get wrong, so take much more design effort.
If the point is to make something interesting the bass driver
at the top of the tube and a vent near the bottom will give
some form of MLTL - could work well with TB 6" subs.
Though given that, in a proper design the senstivity would
low, and I'd expect a 3" or 4" mid/ FR to be more suitable
than the W5, all of them not needing an expensive tweeter.
rgds, sreten.
mcmeat51,
If you live in Europe, please check only prices from European suppliers. Cargo from USA to Europe is huge, then add taxes and VAT! Europeaudio.com is in Netherlands and lautsprechershop.de - I guess there are some suppliers in UK too.
I second sreten, if you really want to use a sewer tube as cabinet - 1 or two 3-4" full rangers can give a supprisingly good result. Put lots of wadding in the tubes. I've made speakers of TangBand 4" FR and CSS 125FR. The efficiency is not amazing but decent. You will spare the xo expenses and I'm sure that you'll find that the bass quality is amazing! However I can recommend these only for nearfield use.
I know there are cheap ready-made xo-kits and drivers of reasonable prize (to fit 300£/pair), but I don't think they are worth the effort!
If you live in Europe, please check only prices from European suppliers. Cargo from USA to Europe is huge, then add taxes and VAT! Europeaudio.com is in Netherlands and lautsprechershop.de - I guess there are some suppliers in UK too.
I second sreten, if you really want to use a sewer tube as cabinet - 1 or two 3-4" full rangers can give a supprisingly good result. Put lots of wadding in the tubes. I've made speakers of TangBand 4" FR and CSS 125FR. The efficiency is not amazing but decent. You will spare the xo expenses and I'm sure that you'll find that the bass quality is amazing! However I can recommend these only for nearfield use.
I know there are cheap ready-made xo-kits and drivers of reasonable prize (to fit 300£/pair), but I don't think they are worth the effort!
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A quick SLDWRKS model of what I intend to do.
Body would be thick ridgid 8" soil pipe. Baffle would be MDF or similar. Then all veneered with a nice wood veneer.
I have yet to model the drivers but you can see there rough positioning, as well as the port at the bottom.
Can anyone recommend a 6 or 6-1/2" woofer for the low's. Something that would match an internal volume of roughly 10 litres and have a decent low bass extension?
I know there are kits out there, but part of the reason I am building these is for interest... especially when it comes to designing a crossover.
Thanks
Matt
Body would be thick ridgid 8" soil pipe. Baffle would be MDF or similar. Then all veneered with a nice wood veneer.
I have yet to model the drivers but you can see there rough positioning, as well as the port at the bottom.
Can anyone recommend a 6 or 6-1/2" woofer for the low's. Something that would match an internal volume of roughly 10 litres and have a decent low bass extension?
I know there are kits out there, but part of the reason I am building these is for interest... especially when it comes to designing a crossover.
Thanks
Matt
Attachments
If you want to design a crossover, then buy gear to take response and impedance measurements properly first. You can get a calibrated mic new and a USB interface/pre used for under 200 USD (€150 or so, is it?). Then all you need is some cables and a mic stand, and either some resistors to make an impedance jig or you can buy one of those "woofer tester" gadgets. Well, and a stand-alone power amp would be good.
Oh yeah, there's also that UMIK-1 that the miniDSP guys came out with recently. I don't know if it's known how well it works yet, but one of those takes care of mic and preamp/ADC/DAC interface in one shot for cheap.
I guess I'm kind of assuming you haven't already done this. If you're already set up, that thing you just posted could probably work fine, but you'll thank yourself for trying 2-way first.
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Your probably right.
I dont have those to hand at the moment... however I do have access to some pretty neat stuff at work. (shame, last place I worked built broadband seismometers and the HP we used to calibrate them would have been perfect for measuring the drivers frequency response etc. )
I dont have those to hand at the moment... however I do have access to some pretty neat stuff at work. (shame, last place I worked built broadband seismometers and the HP we used to calibrate them would have been perfect for measuring the drivers frequency response etc. )
Oops, got carried away there: not the DAC part, so you still have to use your computer's sound output if you don't have one already. That's not ideal, but you can probably make it work.
Im now leaning toward a 2 way using this
Peerless 830946 6-1/2" Paper Cone Woofer Speaker 4 Ohm 264-1148
with a decent full range driver.. yet to be decided.
Peerless 830946 6-1/2" Paper Cone Woofer Speaker 4 Ohm 264-1148
with a decent full range driver.. yet to be decided.
Are you reading frequency response ranges off spec sheets? Be careful with that. The only way you get 20Hz with that driver is with a passive radiator and extreme extended bass shelf tuning, which potentially works with a subwoofer amp (to rather low maximum output levels in the 95dB range), but if you're using it for a regular woofer, you've brought your bass sensitivity down into the 78dB range, and then it's rising to the mid 80s in the midbass - doesn't really work out unless you use two amps and an active crossover, and that's a pretty expensive setup for such limited output..
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