Calling all knowledgeable DIYers

[dis]

Hi guys,

Just a few months ago I took apart my speakers out of curiousity and realized that for the money I paid and a little bit of research I could do a better job...nothing new to you guys

What I do need some help with is cross-over design theory, basically a know very little (see below) and would like to learn about the various design/implementations used in the loudspeaker industry today. If any of you have come across and relevant material be it a website or textbook or anything else, please let me know.

Btw, I do have a book "Microelectronic Circuits 4ed" by Sedra/Smith but that only deals with 1st and 2nd order butterworth and chebyshev filters.

I've started reading about TL speakers...very interesting stuff.

Cheers!

[Timn8ter]

True Audio has some interesting on-line reading. A good book to "cut your teeth on" is The Great Sound Stereo Speaker Manual by David Weems. If you want more, many recommend Vance Dickinson's book The Loudspeaker Cookbook.

I've started reading about TL speakers...very interesting stuff.

Another option to get started on are designs using extended bandwidth drivers many of which require minimal electronics. Have you been looking at the T-Line website ?

[sreten]

Try Martin Colloms 'Loudspeakers' book.

/ sreten.

P.S.
a little knowledge is very dangerous when it
comes to building your own loudspeakers !

[Jay]

Originally posted by sreten
a little knowledge is very dangerous when it
comes to building your own loudspeakers !

Especially if the drivers are expensive. Is that it, sreten? But still not as dangerous as building your own amplifier

[CeramicMan]

Check out http://ccs.exl.info/calc_cr.html
Also, get your hands on a free trial copy of Electronics Workbench. I've found it really useful in designing both passive and active crossovers.

CM

[busterno1]

Here is a couple to have a look at as well
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu.../cross.html#c1

http://www.crossovers.com/index001.html

http://www.eatel.net/~amptech/elecdisc/xoorder.htm

fairly basic sites hope they help

[sreten]

Originally posted by Jay


Especially if the drivers are expensive. Is that it, sreten? But still not as dangerous as building your own amplifier

Well is not that difficult to build an amplifier that does moreorless
what you expect it to, assuming you can get it to work, and don't
blow it up at some point.

Conversely without understanding all the factors involved, designing
and building a loudspeaker that does what you expect it to is very,
very difficult.

Taking everything into account, and getting the compromises right
between various aspects of the performance is a minefield for the
beginning designer / builder.

But there are some well documented and measured good
amateur designs out there.
Your best bet is to understand more and then find a good
design that suits your requirements and build that.

/sreten.

[dis]

It's just a matter of understanding the theory and the associated variables (Qes,Qms,Fs...etc etc)

The next issue is mating a tweeter+woofer that will sound good together.

PS: I'd like to built my own kit (box & cross-over) from scratch if possible since finding the particular drivers used in other kits can sometimes be either too difficult or too expensive depending on where you live.

[sreten]

Originally posted by dis
It's just a matter of understanding the theory and the associated variables (Qes,Qms,Fs...etc etc)

"M'lord I rest my case" /sreten.

[Ken L]

Originally posted by sreten

Taking everything into account, and getting the compromises right
between various aspects of the performance is a minefield for the
beginning designer / builder..........and then find a good
design that suits your requirements and build that.

/sreten.

I'm in agreement with sreten on this

This is one of those things that looks easy, but isn't. The more I learn about this, the more I learn that I don't know.

Regards

Ken L