I am looking for a complete DIY system (except source) for mainly listening to classical and jazz music in a relatively small room. I think about a tube amplifier and a sensitive loudspeaker (like every Fostex based one). My budget is max 1000 USD but I think it is not impossible to make it.
I really like the philosophy behind ptsoundlab.com, but there are too many variations there and everything is in french. For that kind of music there was an advice: a 11W integrated KT88 amplifier and a Fostex FE208ES based loudspeaker (almost full range driver)
http://ptsoundlab.com/sectubes/schemas/kt88/classakt886sn7/classa6sn7kt8811w.htm
http://www.ptsoundlab.com/secenceintes/fe208esbh/fe208esbh.htm
The other interesting things I came across were the ORIS horn based speakers using AER drivers. The entry level DIY KIT is about 450 USD, but I know nothing about how good does it sound. The other idea is not a DIY speaker but a very cheap commercial one, the Magnepan MMG W. It won a Blue Moon award at 6moons and it is only 300 USD. It says nothing about how difficult is it to drive with a SE tube amplifier.
http://www.diy-systems.com/
http://6moons.com/audioreviews/magnepan/mmgw.html
OR
What do you think about buying a Stax SR-404 and building Kevin Gilmore's Blue Hawaii hybrid amplifier. I know nothing about the KGBH but once I heard a Stax Classic system and it was really musical.
I really like the philosophy behind ptsoundlab.com, but there are too many variations there and everything is in french. For that kind of music there was an advice: a 11W integrated KT88 amplifier and a Fostex FE208ES based loudspeaker (almost full range driver)
http://ptsoundlab.com/sectubes/schemas/kt88/classakt886sn7/classa6sn7kt8811w.htm
http://www.ptsoundlab.com/secenceintes/fe208esbh/fe208esbh.htm
The other interesting things I came across were the ORIS horn based speakers using AER drivers. The entry level DIY KIT is about 450 USD, but I know nothing about how good does it sound. The other idea is not a DIY speaker but a very cheap commercial one, the Magnepan MMG W. It won a Blue Moon award at 6moons and it is only 300 USD. It says nothing about how difficult is it to drive with a SE tube amplifier.
http://www.diy-systems.com/
http://6moons.com/audioreviews/magnepan/mmgw.html
OR
What do you think about buying a Stax SR-404 and building Kevin Gilmore's Blue Hawaii hybrid amplifier. I know nothing about the KGBH but once I heard a Stax Classic system and it was really musical.
erozsolt said:
I think if you take your time and are thoughtgul you can do so _grin_
erozsolt said:
If you can come up with a good price on a pair of Oris 200's I suggest you put a pair of Fostex FE206E's in them. The FE206E's sound like they cost a lot more than they do when used in a front horn.
Then you would be well on the way to something _magical_ for a relatively low cost.
Few things sound as good to me as front horns. I haven't heard the Oris horns but know several people that have. The Oris are well thought of, I'm using Azurahorns which are similar - but with a different flare and larger.
It would be a minor challenge to match a sub but that is doable also.
Put that with a homebrew 2A3 amp and you're well on the way to reaching your goal and getting maximum sound for your money.
Regards
Ken L
Do you think it is possible to DIY an electrostat with amp under 1000$?
At the moment I am thinking of a 2A3 and a very efficient horn speaker. I can choose between two rooms: one of them is 3 x 3 metres, the other is 6 x 6 metres. What do you advice: a 2A3 or a cheap 300B based amplifier?
Are ORIS horns in this budget or it is better to do some back loaded horn or TWQT?
At the moment I am thinking of a 2A3 and a very efficient horn speaker. I can choose between two rooms: one of them is 3 x 3 metres, the other is 6 x 6 metres. What do you advice: a 2A3 or a cheap 300B based amplifier?
Are ORIS horns in this budget or it is better to do some back loaded horn or TWQT?
JohnR said:The Oris doesn't seem like a very good choice if the total budget is $1000. To the 427 Euros, don't you need to add the drivers, plus bass drivers, cabinets, and another amplifier? And you still haven't paid for your main amplifier
Yes, this was what I thought about...
Do you know any "best value" DIY high efficient speaker? What do you think about this japanese design using FE208ES?
http://world.altavista.com/babelfis...l=http://homepage3.nifty.com/spida/pag9-1.htm
erozsolt said:
Yes indeed. Materials cost for electrostats is very, very low. Some film, some bits of plastic, some perfed metal. To build a pair of roughly the size of Quad ESLs would cost you under $100. Then figure another $100 or so to get some step-up transformers (reversed 8000:16 ohm output transformers in the 15 watt class are perfect for this). There's more labor in it that just buying an off-the-shelf cone driver, but that's part of the fun of diy.
Get some 'stats together, a nice little 25-35 watt classic design tube amp (you've got $800 left in your budget!) and those strings will sound unbelievably good.
erozsolt said:
To be honest, I've had better luck with Jordans than Fostex. I know people love Fostex, this is not a knock. Just for the record I've used the FE108E (I think) in TQWT and FE207E (I think) in bass reflex. The efficiency is lower w/ the Jordans yes indeed...
You might like to look at the EL84 amp from diytube.com.
Good luck! I'm sure you will get lots more opinions
JohnR:
Yes, I've heard many opinions that Fostexes are not the best. There is a local driver builder company, who produces full range drivers much better than the Fostexes for the same price, I might pick from their drivers. There is a link, the page is in hungarian but the specs are the same.
http://www.sonido.hu/1.htm
http://www.sonido.hu/info/sfr200.htm
SY:
I have found some DIY ESL link, but it looks more complicated to me than a full range driver loudspeaker. Is a crossover and a sub always needed for ESLs, or there are some alternatives (like almost-full-range)?
Yes, I've heard many opinions that Fostexes are not the best. There is a local driver builder company, who produces full range drivers much better than the Fostexes for the same price, I might pick from their drivers. There is a link, the page is in hungarian but the specs are the same.
http://www.sonido.hu/1.htm
http://www.sonido.hu/info/sfr200.htm
SY:
I have found some DIY ESL link, but it looks more complicated to me than a full range driver loudspeaker. Is a crossover and a sub always needed for ESLs, or there are some alternatives (like almost-full-range)?
Well, you've got a small room and you're not listening to heavy metal. A reasonable size panel (say, 80x120cm) will do nicely without a sub. Running a panel full-range, no crossover, has a certain purist appeal.
Yes, there's some complication, but it's more on the order of gluing together fiddly bits than trying to debug complex circuits. ESLs are simple devices. Take a look at Sheldon Stokes's web page for his version. And the Roger Sanders book, though deeply flawed, has excellent practical advice on building panels.
Yes, there's some complication, but it's more on the order of gluing together fiddly bits than trying to debug complex circuits. ESLs are simple devices. Take a look at Sheldon Stokes's web page for his version. And the Roger Sanders book, though deeply flawed, has excellent practical advice on building panels.
Do you think is it a good idea for me to do the DIY ESL 1.0 hybrid?
Or better to look at some project at http://www.audiocircuit.com/?
Or better to look at some project at http://www.audiocircuit.com/?
erozsolt said:
You will definitely need equalization. Nothing wrong with that, and the proper EQ is passive and inexpensive. In theory, one can combine the tube OPT and the ESL step-up. As a practical matter, it's a very tough project and more suited for an advanced amateur with a sizeable budget.
planet10 said:
For me it is the only alternative to ESLs. The designer started by listening to Fostexes and made a driver without Fostexes' flaws, so it must be better. I havn't heard the B200, but this Sonido salon is just 10 minutes from my home, where I can listen to working speakers and I get a free design plan with the driver (and no shipping/insurance/EU VAT).
SY said:
OK, that equalisation will not be a problem. But is there anything below 80 Hz without using a sub? What amp does it need to have good bass, a single-ended one?
I don't understand why should I pay more for one combined transformer than for two separate? Or why is it more difficult to build?
It's a matter of stability- the ESL is a highly capacitive load, and it's hard to get an amp to not go crazy when the output tubes are loaded by a nearly pure capacitance. It's doable, but not easily.
With a panel area of 1 m2, you should have no problem hitting 50 Hz as an f3 in your room.
I'm the wrong person to comment on SE amps. They're wonderful for cheap TVs, radios, and kiddie phonographs. For hifi, I prefer an amp with low distortion and low output impedance. You can get fine bass out of a push-pull amp using triode-strapped EL34 or 6550.
With a panel area of 1 m2, you should have no problem hitting 50 Hz as an f3 in your room.
I'm the wrong person to comment on SE amps. They're wonderful for cheap TVs, radios, and kiddie phonographs. For hifi, I prefer an amp with low distortion and low output impedance. You can get fine bass out of a push-pull amp using triode-strapped EL34 or 6550.
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