Anyone for seconds??????

[Dannyball]

Right i have just about finished my new sub and there seems to be a lot of MDF left over

So i am ready for a second project (just a cheapo one though). I would like to replace the centre speaker for my souround sound system with something with a bit more omff.

Can you guys help me though to pick what to drive it with? Do i need a tweeter or something (what does a tweeter do by the way)? Any designs would be helpfull as well.

Below here are the specks for my souround system (please don't laugh)

DigiTheatre Amplifier (in Subwoofer)
Total output power: 62.5 watts RMS
Front: 7.5W + 7.5W
Surround: 7.5W + 7.5W
Centre: 7.5W
Subwoofer: 25W
Input Sensitivity
DVD input: 250 mV
Aux input: 500mV

Max output: 1000W PMPO
Dimensions: 228mm (W) x 406mm (H) x 325mm (D)


Loudspeakers
Front
Woofer: 4 inch magnetically shielded
Tweeter: 2 inch Neodymium
Impedance: 4 Ohm
Frequency Response: 180Hz to 20KHz (no decibel range given)
Dimensions: 114mm (W) x 236mm (H) x 150mm (D)
Surround
Speaker: 4 inches
Impedance: 4 Ohm
Frequency Response: 180Hz to 20kHz
Dimensions: 114mm (W) x 151mm (H) x 140mm (D)

Centre
Speaker: 3 inches magnetically shielded
Impedance: 4 Ohm
Frequency Response: 140Hz to 20kHz
Dimensions: 260mm (W) x 106mm (W) x 155mm (D)

Subwoofer
Speaker: 6.5 inches magnetically shielded
Impedance: 3.2 Ohm
Frequency Response: 50Hz to 200Hz
Dimensions: 228mm (W) x 406mm (H) x 325mm (D)

Basiclly i want to make a centre speaker wich will work with the system above and be better than the one allready there.

Thanks for any help

[sreten]

I suggest using this driver with the filter as detailed :

http://home.hetnet.nl/~geenius/Solo103.html

But in your case a simple sealed box ~ 3L will be better.

edit : you'll need to use the FE107E, the shielded FE103E.

sreten.

[Timn8ter]

I prefer a center channel that uses essentially the same drivers and the mains so left to right movement during a movie sounds less disjointed. It's already bad enough that the sound doesn't come from the screen but that's another topic. I don't know if that's possible or sensible in your case. Should you choose to go with sreten's suggestion (which is a good one) you may want to consider Fostex mains in your next project.

[sreten]

I've been giving this some more thought, and Timn8ters
misgivings I have to agree with, its simply not possible
to reliably " improve" one speaker of a set-up.

But given low power and 4 ohm Fostex is not the way to go.

A cheap but reasonable AV reciever is the way to go.

sreten.

[Timn8ter]

I didn't know what Digi-Theater was until now. I agree with sreten. If you want to build higher quality speakers and have multi-channel you'll need to have something to drive them with. Save up, sell the Digi-Theater, get an AV Receiver and start building!

[Dannyball]

I am planing to do this but the prob just now is getting money so i want just to try my hand at building a single speaker to keep me occupied during my summer hols.

I'm sorta confused, what speaker should i use? Can you recomend a shop website who sells these?

Thanks for the help so far

[Timn8ter]

If you're building for the future and you would like to keep the speakers small, yet have high quality sound you could go ahead and build Tony's Solo 103/107 especially since you already have a sub. Here in the US we can buy Fostex drivers from Madisound. I don't know who in the UK sells them.

[Dannyball]

Can anyone recomned some good DIY audio shops in the UK?

[Dannyball]

So there isn't any good shops in britain selling speaker drivers?

[Ian J]

Hi DB,

Wilmslow Audio has the widest range of drivers, but is expensive.
IPL Acoustics is where I've got my last speakers from (Ivan is v. helpful),
Williams Hart - rather restricted range,
BK Electronics,
but the place everyone is talking about at the moment is Maplins with their Audax sell-offs - see the threads here about projects using the AP range of polymer chassis drivers. This can't be beat at the moment for value. It's either this or get something cheap from Richer Sounds and soup it up!

Ian