$300 budget for first DIY speakers, opinions?

[5.0]

I'm going to upgrade the speakers for my dorm room and i'm looking to spend around 250-300 dollars on everything. these will be used as just stereo speakers now, but possibly as rear surrounds in the future.

Here's my current plan -
woofer- dayton reference 8" ~$45
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=295-366&DID=7
midrange- dayton 2" dome ~$30
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=285-010
tweeter- dayton 1-1/8" silk dome ~$17
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=275-075
crossovers- parts express 3 ways ~$14
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=260-210
parts total = $210
after terminal cups, MDF, and paint, roughly $250.
possible front dimensions - 10" x 22" tall
QUESTIONS--
i'd like to arrange the speakers in a line (instead of having tweeter/mid horizontal). However, this would put the tweeter roughly 8 inches above ear level. would this be bad for imaging?

what would be a good sealed box volume? winISD suggests 1 cu ft.

would those components sound good together?

can I do better for the money?

 

[ScottG]

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46934

same driver as this:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/omega2/super3.html

amp of choice (though limited spl's)

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/sonicimpact/t.html
and here:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/t-amp_e.html

perhaps make a powered sub latter from PE's stuff.

 

[cjd]

If you use a stock crossover, don't bother with the RS. IMHO, they're not worth a whole lot since they assume perfect flat impedance on the drivers, and that's not realistic. I'm also not sure a stock XO would suit that dome mid at all.

In fact, I wouldn't bother with the RS using that mid and tweet - check out the Lyra - I think it may be just what you're looking for.

And, absolutely keep the tweeter to mid alignment vertical if you can!

Or, step up to the higher end drivers and simplify things a bit and go with a 2-way. Lots of options out there. One such as this one I just completed might do well, particularly if you go with the sealed alignment. Cost is about $250 with enclosure.

C

 

[Greg B]

Ditto on everything. The lyra looks like the answer to me.

AFA imaging, 8 inches above your head is pretty irrelevant, IMO, but good phase matching in the crossover is very important.

GB

 

[Ahab97]

With the drivers you have, you could basically build these:

http://www.partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/jubilee/

You'd end up spending a little bit more for the more complex crossover, but the improvement in SQ because of it would be worth it.

 

[5.0]

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46934

same driver as this:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/omega2/super3.html

amp of choice (though limited spl's)

http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/sonicimpact/t.html
and here:
http://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/t-amp_e.html

perhaps make a powered sub latter from PE's stuff.

i won't be needing an amp, i've got a reciever thats running my current speakers. actually i built a sub too (a housewrecker - from decware.com)

i took a look through that thread, the idea of a single driver is probably something i'll try sometime, but not this time around. thanks though!

 

[5.0]

i'm more than happy/capable of custom making a crossover, roughly how much would that cost me?
if that tweeter/mid aren't up to par w/ the Reference, could you suggest others that would be?
this tweeter any good? - http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=264-582&DID=7

 

[cjd]

The XT19 still needs a rather capable midrange. Good tweeter though - right range. The XT25 can be crossed straight to the RS225 with the right crossover, but that's not cheap.

For what it's worth, I have a TMWW sketched out that would cost about $350 *each* using a pair of RS225's, an RS150, and a Seas 27TDFC (that cost includes crossover). I just sketched out a TMWW using the same tweeter but the RS125 and a pair of RS180's that isn't that much cheaper (though it is still less - I think ~$250+ ea.
maybe?) The big difference is size and bass extension.

A similar TMWW I did using Dayton Classic drivers (with the tweeter you initially picked out) is about $350 for the pair.

Using the tweeter and mid you picked out up front, the Lyra is a standout, done by a very respected designer. I do not think you would be unhappy.

If you really want to go with those RS drivers, take a peek here for a 2-way. Somewhat complex in the crossover.

For 3-way speaker expect to spend as much or more on the crossover as you do on drivers.

C

 

[downward_dog]

i'm more than happy/capable of custom making a crossover, roughly how much would that cost me?
if that tweeter/mid aren't up to par w/ the Reference, could you suggest others that would be?
this tweeter any good? - http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&PartNumber=264-582&DID=7

Have you ever designed a crossover before? If not, know that it is a lot more difficult than just choosing a crossover point and slope. A good crossover shapes the frequency response and impedence of the speaker, in addition to dividing the signal. This requires a lot of calculations, measurements, listening, and time.

For the money, here are some great options:

1. The MB20 or MB27 (www.murphyblaster.com) are widely respected and inexpensive. Dennis Murphy is one of the leading DIY crossover designers around.

2. Wayne J's Dayton III is a GREAT sounding speaker. It doesn't use high-end drivers, and I'm sure it doesn't measure very well, but it is extremely nice to listen to. Most non-audiophiles would probably think it sounds far better than a lot of high-end systems. The bass in particular is very strong, and I think you can build it for $150.

 

[planet10]

For the money, you'd be way ahead with a 1-way or 2 way speaker (given that you already have a sub, these become 2-way and 3-way anyway)

dave

 

[Greg B]

Yep.

There's also the Adire Kit81, which falls exactly in that price range, and includes all parts and plans. Forgot about that one.

Actually, there's a bunch of kits out there in that price range. A kit would be a better starting point, IMO. Designing decent sounding crossovers is a royal pain.

GB

 

[planet10]

There's also the Adire Kit81, which falls exactly in that price range, and includes all parts and plans. Forgot about that one.

Actually, there's a bunch of kits out there in that price range. A kit would be a better starting point, IMO. Designing decent sounding crossovers is a royal pain.

The Adire HE 10.1 falls into the price range too.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

http://www.adireaudio.com/TextPages/HE101PageFrameText.htm

dave

 

[ultrachrome]

Another vote for the Dennis Murphy MB20 and variants. I built mine for just over $200. Very impressive little speaker with very pleasant bass extension.

 

[cfbuck]

Another 2-Way Kit

5.0,

Another 2-Way kit which would fill the bill is the GR Research AV-1 kit. It sells for $229 for all the drivers, crossover parts, solder, etc. The enclosures are extra. I have build the AV/1 and Dennis Murphy's MBOW1 2-Ways. The AV/1 is a notch below the MBOW1but still excellent at almost half the price.


www.gr-research.com

Cheers

 

[5.0]

i looked through a bunch of that stuff and i think i've decided on the dayton III's. dayton parts and plans are easily available in case i wind up building more speakers for home theater use.

i am curious if i can seal that cabinet. i don't need the lower bass - the sub can handle that. anybody done this before?

 

[downward_dog]

i looked through a bunch of that stuff and i think i've decided on the dayton III's. dayton parts and plans are easily available in case i wind up building more speakers for home theater use.

i am curious if i can seal that cabinet. i don't need the lower bass - the sub can handle that. anybody done this before?

I'm sure you could seal these speakers, but you may want to change the cabinet volume in order to do this. Download UniBox (an Excel spreadsheet that helps you model speaker cabinets), plug in the t/s parameters for the Dayton mids (parameters at PartsExpress), and see if the cabinet volume gives you a Qtc of .7 or below. I would aim at somewhere between .5 and .75. The differences will be minor.

That said, I think you'd be better off running these full range and just using your sub for the bottom octave (20-40hz) and for home theater. You'll get a much better, more coherent sound that way. The bass performance of the Dayton IIIs is their biggest advantage.

 

[5.0]

That said, I think you'd be better off running these full range and just using your sub for the bottom octave (20-40hz) and for home theater. You'll get a much better, more coherent sound that way. The bass performance of the Dayton IIIs is their biggest advantage.

thats what i was thinking. my current bookshelves are rated down to about 50 hz (cheap KLH 3 way bookshelf w/ 8 inch woofer), and i usually have the crossover for the sub set at 50. i
was also looking at the impresario on the PE website, since its sealed and a 3-way - http://www.partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/impresario/
few questions about these.
anyone build them/hear them before?
do you think i could make simpler, flat tops and bottoms?

i used winISD to model both the woofer chamber on the impresario and the dayton III. -3 dB on the impresario is at about 75 hz (significantly lower for the dayton iii).
would the overlap between the sub and impresario's make up for the 75hz cutoff?
i also looked at the group delay graphs. down to about 75 hz, they're almost identical, but from 75 down the dayton is considerably slower. is this the "sloppy" factor?

 

[foo]

I would recommand VIFA XT25 + P13WH 2 way vented .
I am currently using it , and is satisied with it's P/cost .
I spent $600 on it .
However, the crossover cost about $300 .
if u use less expensive components i think it can be done within $400 .

 

[cjd]

5.0:

If you are going to be using a sub, build the Triune instead.

The midrange on the 5.25" Dayton is superior to the 6.5, yet it will reach plenty low to integrate well with your sub. All around you will get a better balance.

The MTM I build is a Triune upgrade of sorts. Same philosophy, much better parts (and of course, more expensive!) Also Dayton. The breadth of designs will exist soon enough with these (or similar) drivers. I'm working on some of them, others are doing their own.

C