DIY cheap horn speaker

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I had some big tapped horns on hand and I wanted some horns to play along.

Little sub has 2x 15" subs and Big sub has 4x 15" sub. They were made for garden parties, and have been parked in the garage for the winter. So why not make more horns for a complete system.
 

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Here is the total system...

A 25w tubeamp is on the paperhorn.
And old british ITL (B&W) amp is playing the midbass and an Inuke 1000 on the subs. DCX 2494 for x-over and EQ to taste.

Total system price down to the last bolt, inc. amps and DCX2496, is 1500$:D

This bugedwise small system is kicking butt. The most realistic and "they are here" (the musician) I have heard so far. No box speaker can macth the dynamics, transient response and realism, IMHO. It´s like hearing with a microscope and I constanly find new details in recordings I thought I new.

A big thanx to John Inlow (carpenter on DIYaudio) for inspiration. These horns has been an ear opener and has made my enthusiasm for music so much more fun :p

Cheers Sebastian
 

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Very nice!
My limited experience with paper was very good. It seems to be a wonderful material for horns.

Slightly OT, have you done anything to your DCX? I ask because mine responded well to modifications. (all horn system, too).
 
Very nice!
My limited experience with paper was very good. It seems to be a wonderful material for horns.

Slightly OT, have you done anything to your DCX? I ask because mine responded well to modifications. (all horn system, too).
Thanx Pano, yes the paper horn works very well indeed, the right amount of give and without the beaming effect. Relaxed and natural sounding.

The DCX is standard model. A modified unit would be more than total systemprice :-(
maybe I will change the op-amps myself.

What changes would you recomment?
 
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I have always like the TAD drivers, but could not afford them. :(

As for the DCX, it's the analog section that isn't great. I used transformers for my outputs, other people do other things. Replacing a few of the caps in the PSU and near the DAC chips has great benefit, too.
 
schlager,Pano

The system does sound great. I use 6db passive crossover slopes ( designed by Dr. Bruce ) from the tweeter ( TAD ET703 ) down to the mid bass. I tried a modified Behringer DCX ( cap upgrade, op-amps, power supply ) but much preferred the simple passive crossover in direct comparison. The compressions drivers are very flat in frequency response as well as impedance so no EQ was required. If you have to EQ ( sometimes necessary ) then you are stuck inserting another piece of gear in the system. For subwoofers it is almost a must for EQ / electronic crossover.

I bought everything used " from friends in high places in audio " for good prices--except for the pair of TAD ET703's--paid almost $3,000 new--that hurt !!!! but was totally worth it to me. The best tweeter I have ever heard. Total price of the speaker parts is about $11,000.and my time ( therapy ). I know MANY people who paid MUCH more just for a couple of cables !!!!! and forget about the super high prices of so called " Audiophile speakers " . I look at the cost as a long time investment for my audio enjoyment---after all, who deserves it more than I !!!!
 
Hi hottatto, 1. order with 1" driver to 15" bass, where do you x-over?
What about sub? Do you have some pics on this site, if not please post :)

I also have linear impedanc, thanks to active x-over :D

My speakers is like a fighter jet, it shouldn't be able to do what it does, but the damn thing flies. It dances like a butterfly og stings like a bee.:p

Regards
 
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Hottatto: Sounds like you've got a good thing going!

As for horns and 1st order crossovers, I've never been able to get that to sound right. I usually end up at 3rd or 4th order electrical, for a 4th order acoustical result. Steeper that than also does not sound good to me.

I understand about the DCX. It needs some work. The output transformers helped a lot, in my opinion. Still, I do prefer a good passive crossover, even when using the DCX no filter as the DAC - go figure!
 
schlager,

Sorry, I should have mentioned the rest of the system. As of now, the tweeter crosses over to a field coil converted JBL 2441 drivers with beryllium diaphragm's attached to 26" Sierra Brooks solid wood tractrix horn using a single 1uf oil cap. This covers 400hz up to the tweeter. My crossover was designed by Dr. Bruce himself and can tell you it woks great---with MY drivers.

About 3 weeks ago, Jeffrey Jackson dropped off a custom pair of monster field coil compression drivers ( about 35lbs. each !!! ) using JBL beryllium diaphragm's. That will probably cover 6-8k up to 14 or15k where the tweeter will come in. I have another 12" solid wood tractrix horn that I have to attach when I have time. I have a machine shop in the basement and can make what I need.

The subs consist of a 9.5 cu.ft. sealed enclosure with two 18" TC Sounds LMS 5400's per side in a dual opposed configuration powered by a pair of strapped Crown I-Tech 5000hd amps.

Somehow, I think it will all work out !!!!!!
 
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