Hey,
I am looking to start my first DIY project, I am a recent EE grad with a good understanding of the fundamentals.
After some reading a lot of people suggest starting with a proven design, my goal is to put together a pair of tower speakers with 1 or 2 mid range drivers and a single tweeter (w crossovers).
Here are 2 of the designs I like the looks of:
https://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/diy/amiga
Zaph|Audio - ZRT - Revelator Tower
Looking for some help with a couple questions:
1. Best place to start to get the project rolling / whether these design are good for 1st project or too complex
2. What type of receiver do i need / how much power output / whether I should custom build my own amp for my system
3. Best things to know when starting a DIY project (tips, hints / road blocks from experience).
Really anything to help a new guy get started on his own project.
Thanks,
Luke
I am looking to start my first DIY project, I am a recent EE grad with a good understanding of the fundamentals.
After some reading a lot of people suggest starting with a proven design, my goal is to put together a pair of tower speakers with 1 or 2 mid range drivers and a single tweeter (w crossovers).
Here are 2 of the designs I like the looks of:
https://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/diy/amiga
Zaph|Audio - ZRT - Revelator Tower
Looking for some help with a couple questions:
1. Best place to start to get the project rolling / whether these design are good for 1st project or too complex
2. What type of receiver do i need / how much power output / whether I should custom build my own amp for my system
3. Best things to know when starting a DIY project (tips, hints / road blocks from experience).
Really anything to help a new guy get started on his own project.
Thanks,
Luke
Both of those seem to be well documented designs, so possibly a good choice and either one should give very good results. How are your wood working shills?.Since the hard stuff had been done with these(x over design etc) it leaves you with building some decent boxes. If your not able then you may want to pick something that uses comercially available boxes.
Why are you doing this? Do you want to save money on speakers? Are you bored? Is your wife so picky no commercial enclosures make her happy? Do you want to show off your EE skills?
If the goal is fun or learning:
1) Go through Zaph's site and finding drivers that fit your needs and budgets
2) play with everything on paper
3) build a protype with MDF
4) learn to measure really well and modify your design
5) build it for real
6) start over with a new project
If the goal is just wanting better speakers or doing some woodworking:
1) Pick the best kit in your budget for your design
2) Build it
Being in this for fun, I am not a fan of starting with other people's designs, but certainly see why everyone recommends that. For me, I'd rather have more fun, even if it takes longer, costs more or I don't get as good a speaker out of it.
If the goal is fun or learning:
1) Go through Zaph's site and finding drivers that fit your needs and budgets
2) play with everything on paper
3) build a protype with MDF
4) learn to measure really well and modify your design
5) build it for real
6) start over with a new project
If the goal is just wanting better speakers or doing some woodworking:
1) Pick the best kit in your budget for your design
2) Build it
Being in this for fun, I am not a fan of starting with other people's designs, but certainly see why everyone recommends that. For me, I'd rather have more fun, even if it takes longer, costs more or I don't get as good a speaker out of it.
kendt
Fairly comfortable with woodworking so that shouldn't be a problem,
bvbellomo
The initial goal is to build a proven design, get more comfortable and have a decent set of speakers to show for it.
My next project I think I will go a little deeper and start playing around with some designs / simulations learn how to take measurements and further my knowledge.
No wife to please yet so to start I want to start with getting more familiar in my first project see how I like it, then hopefully get into more detail and make it a hobby.
Thanks for your responses, I plan is to start with the Overnight Sensations MTM (by Paul Carmody) seems like a fairly proven design that deliver some good sound at the price.
I will keep posting with my progress once parts arrive.
Luke
Fairly comfortable with woodworking so that shouldn't be a problem,
bvbellomo
The initial goal is to build a proven design, get more comfortable and have a decent set of speakers to show for it.
My next project I think I will go a little deeper and start playing around with some designs / simulations learn how to take measurements and further my knowledge.
No wife to please yet so to start I want to start with getting more familiar in my first project see how I like it, then hopefully get into more detail and make it a hobby.
Thanks for your responses, I plan is to start with the Overnight Sensations MTM (by Paul Carmody) seems like a fairly proven design that deliver some good sound at the price.
I will keep posting with my progress once parts arrive.
Luke
Hi,
The ZRT is in a different ballpark to the Amiga regarding
cost and the quality of ancillary equipment it suits. It
also needs IMO a higher quality level of cabinet build
than the Amiga which itself needs good quality cabinets.
The Amiga is a fine choice for a first build. As an EE
you should quickly realize building amplifiers is near
pointless given what you can buy used on a budget.
e.g. I like the Pioneer A-300X, available in the UK
used for < £50*, a very good CD player, e.g. a
Marantz SE can be found for < £25.
The Amiga will work fine with quality amplifiers
typically about 40W to 70W into 8 ohms. In
the US I like some of the older HK amplifiers.
Personally I'd say the Amiga is a much better
bet than the OS MTM, and I prefer the MT OS
of the two versions, for complicated reasons.
(The MTM is a bit of a fudge, fair enough.)
The OS MT you can get good value cabinet kits.
It wouldn't be a bad speaker to build, paired
with a decent T-amp and a MP3 player/dock.
rgds, sreten.
* As an EE buy one and then contemplate the cost of actually
building one, with all the lovely hardware that it is built from.
The ZRT is in a different ballpark to the Amiga regarding
cost and the quality of ancillary equipment it suits. It
also needs IMO a higher quality level of cabinet build
than the Amiga which itself needs good quality cabinets.
The Amiga is a fine choice for a first build. As an EE
you should quickly realize building amplifiers is near
pointless given what you can buy used on a budget.
e.g. I like the Pioneer A-300X, available in the UK
used for < £50*, a very good CD player, e.g. a
Marantz SE can be found for < £25.
The Amiga will work fine with quality amplifiers
typically about 40W to 70W into 8 ohms. In
the US I like some of the older HK amplifiers.
Personally I'd say the Amiga is a much better
bet than the OS MTM, and I prefer the MT OS
of the two versions, for complicated reasons.
(The MTM is a bit of a fudge, fair enough.)
The OS MT you can get good value cabinet kits.
It wouldn't be a bad speaker to build, paired
with a decent T-amp and a MP3 player/dock.
rgds, sreten.
* As an EE buy one and then contemplate the cost of actually
building one, with all the lovely hardware that it is built from.
Last edited:
Troels have lots of good info, and many well documented projects (but may be worth to notice date codes)
DIY Loudspeakers
DIY Loudspeakers
sreten,
Thanks for the response!
So I put some parts on order for building the OS MTM (maybe try the amiga on my next project), out of curiosity what is it you like on the OS MT over the MTM? Is there some adjustments that could be made to improve that design? Or is it worth changing projects to the OS MT, is there significant improvement?
I like the idea of pairing with a small T-amp, do you have any suggestions on suitable Amps? Or what amp power level I need to drive either the OS MT or MTM; I have read something like 1.6 - 2.2 times the RMS speaker rating for amp power is suitable (obviously the extra woofer on the MTM will vary the impedance the amp needs to handle).
Is a 30W T-amp enough to power the OS MT speakers?
Still on my way up the learning curve so the help is greatly appreciated!
Luke
Thanks for the response!
So I put some parts on order for building the OS MTM (maybe try the amiga on my next project), out of curiosity what is it you like on the OS MT over the MTM? Is there some adjustments that could be made to improve that design? Or is it worth changing projects to the OS MT, is there significant improvement?
I like the idea of pairing with a small T-amp, do you have any suggestions on suitable Amps? Or what amp power level I need to drive either the OS MT or MTM; I have read something like 1.6 - 2.2 times the RMS speaker rating for amp power is suitable (obviously the extra woofer on the MTM will vary the impedance the amp needs to handle).
Is a 30W T-amp enough to power the OS MT speakers?
Still on my way up the learning curve so the help is greatly appreciated!
Luke
ZAPF revelator (large option)
I built the 65 L cabinets:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2198606537629.119347.1621248869&type=1&l=72484a4217
My only comment about build support from Zapf is that it does not exist. Details for damping material were sketchy and it took me a <large> number of experiments to get it right.
I can't speak for the smaller cabinets but these speakers need a lot of room. I power them with 100WPC Sony integrated amp and they will run you out at about 2:30.
While the drivers were expensive, the results area near astounding: everyone wants to know where the subwoofer is. Madisound calculated the F3 based-on my slightly reduced cabinet volume at about 34. (As you can see, I used 1" material and a forest of braces that reduced the air by about 2.5 L
Paul
I built the 65 L cabinets:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2198606537629.119347.1621248869&type=1&l=72484a4217
My only comment about build support from Zapf is that it does not exist. Details for damping material were sketchy and it took me a <large> number of experiments to get it right.
I can't speak for the smaller cabinets but these speakers need a lot of room. I power them with 100WPC Sony integrated amp and they will run you out at about 2:30.
While the drivers were expensive, the results area near astounding: everyone wants to know where the subwoofer is. Madisound calculated the F3 based-on my slightly reduced cabinet volume at about 34. (As you can see, I used 1" material and a forest of braces that reduced the air by about 2.5 L
Paul
Sure those levels are clean, unclipped with the volume control (attenuator) set at this position that's not running you out?
I say it is uncomfortably loud. Nothing is breaking. It sounds great outside the LR door on the deck.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.