Vifa DIY

[xneakers]

Hi everybody..
I've just registered here... and I'm a newbie in DIY project

I've planned to build a bookshelf 2-way with these drivers:
* Vifa PL27TG-35-06
* Vifa PL18WO-09-08 or PL14WJ-09-08

So my question is:
- I heard that this PL27TG has some problem in resonance... any of you have bad experience with this tweeter? anyone has recomendation circuit to eliminate this problem?

- Anyone has pararel compensation for the PL27TG? I've downloaded the driver's manual but no pararel compensation for that driver (there is one but for the D27TG). Does this driver need pararel compensation?

- I expect a better low. So, I look for the PL18WO. I heard that this driver need to be cut off lower than 2.5K. Is that correct?

- Any recommedation/comparison between PL18WO and PL14WJ? Actually, I prefer the PL14WJ... but since its driver is too small, I scare that I will got not enough low freq...so, I look around for PL18WO... Any suggestion between those two?

- Any recommendation x-over design for PL25TG+PL14WJ and PL25TG+PL18WO? I prefer the 2nd order Butterworth or Linkwitz Riley? Any suggestion?

- Finally, is there any Vifa's product (at value level, cost less than my combination) that have a good sound?

Thanks and sorry for a long post (and my bad english, since I live in a country which english is not the formal language).

[tktran]

Have you got the drivers already?

If not, why not consider an existing design? Eliminate a lot of guesswork and get straight into building and listening.

Here's one with PL18 and DX25 tweeter:
http://home1.stofanet.dk/troels.grav...x_b/PL18XT.htm, one of the handful of projects from Danish DIY'er Troels Gravesen

[lufbramatt]

another idea if you havent already bought the drivers is ken perkins nebula speaker- which uses the xt25 instead of the pl27. ive recently finshed the pair, albeit with a cooler cabinet (think wilson benesch discovery) than on the pe website.
The sound is very smooth and much better than a pair of acoustic energy AE1 mk3's (which also use the xt25 tweeter) i recently heard at the bristol hifi show- and they are a £1800 pair of speakers - the electronics was the same on both the AE's and mine at home so was pretty much a direct comparision.
The pl18 is an excellent midwoofer and goes suprizingly deep.

[xneakers]

For tktran:
Hmm... I think the XT kind driver will cost me twice (and four times for a pair).... Have to check my budget first.... So, anyway who have x-over design for pl27 will be prefered (esp. for it's parallel compensation).


For lufbramatt:
can you explain me your x-over design? the cutt-off especially. The PL18 should be cut under 2.5 kHz right?

Thanks.

[lufbramatt]

hi

i used the xo schematic detailed here: nebula

it uses a series filter, second order, at 2.3khz, so yes it does cross under 2.5khz. apparently there is some breakup at 5khz that will not attenuated sufficiently if a higher xo point is used.

matt

[JC Fardo]

Originally posted by lufbramatt
hi

i used the xo schematic detailed here: nebula

it uses a series filter, second order, at 2.3khz, so yes it does cross under 2.5khz. apparently there is some breakup at 5khz that will not attenuated sufficiently if a higher xo point is used.

matt

Hi matt

I just about to finish a TL built around Nebula XO and drivers.
How do you like the sound?

TIA

JC

[zlast]

Well what are you goals in building speakers? If you are interested in learning, devoting a great deal of time, money and effort then I would recommend designing and building speakers from scratch. If your goals are to have a decent pair of speakers but not go through the trials of design, I would recommend going somewhere like here:
http://murphyblaster.com/content.php?f=main.html

The MB20 is inexpensive to build. I have built the MBOW1 (was using WARFEDALE DIAMOND speakers) the MBOW1 made me throw the WARFEDALES out... absolutely no comparison. Mr. Murphy has several different desings advailable which are excellent for first time DIYers.

[xneakers]

So, any comment for the XT25 and PL18WO?

Thanks.

[slurve]

Hello xsneakers

Take a look here:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...number=302-910

It is an existing kit using the PL14 and the PL27. The crossover schematic is published in the manual. I have this design, and am especially pleased with the tweeter. The description says "The overall sound is very rich and warm, yet the treble is still very defined and is not recessed in nature. A great speaker for jazz and classical listening, these will continue to impress you with their easygoing nature that sounds good every time you listen to them." I couldnt describe them any better, they fit that to a T. If you have a smaller room and dont listen to a lot of hard rock, they go plently low enough, or you copuld pair with a nice sub.

Feel free to shoot me any questions you might have on them
JCP

[lufbramatt]

i have been very pleased with the sound of the xt25/pl18 speakers- they have a very natural presentation, very very detailed and need good partnering electroncs to sound at their best- i now cant listen to my computer soundcard output as they show up mp3 compression and lack of detail so badly!
The tweeter makes acoustic music very lifelike indeed, artists such as eva cassidy really sound nice. They dont have any of that exagerated "hifi" sound that speakers from companies like mission have- they beat the pants off my dads mission 782's (£700) and i only spent around £300 building this pair- so naturally im very pleased! I recently also listened to the acoustic energy ae1 mk3's, which although sounded fairly similar in the treble, sounded much more strained lower down. I think the pl18 is probably much better than the aluminium woofer they have used. Main gripes are that they sound awful with harsh music like oasis but no big loss there and the ideal listening position is quite localised as the tweeter does weird stuff off axis.

Cabinet i designed is 17 liters tuned to 46hz, seems to work pretty well
proEngineer screenshots of cabinet . . .