Hello gentlemen,
I was recently introduced to DIY audio via the sonic T-amp which has now been improved into quite a tidy little amp. I now need to get some decent speaker attached to ensure I'm getting the most out of my investment (however cheap it was!)
If I look at low budget monitors like the Wharf. diamond 9.1's for example, they are cheap and sound pretty good in a room as small as mine (approx. 3Mx5M).
My question is: (at last! you say), what could I produce by hand that would sound better than that, at a similarily low cost?
Any (polite) sugestions on drivers/enclosure etc would be most appreciated.
I used to be a model maker so the cabinets would not be an issue.
Thanks in advance....
I was recently introduced to DIY audio via the sonic T-amp which has now been improved into quite a tidy little amp. I now need to get some decent speaker attached to ensure I'm getting the most out of my investment (however cheap it was!)
If I look at low budget monitors like the Wharf. diamond 9.1's for example, they are cheap and sound pretty good in a room as small as mine (approx. 3Mx5M).
My question is: (at last! you say), what could I produce by hand that would sound better than that, at a similarily low cost?
Any (polite) sugestions on drivers/enclosure etc would be most appreciated.
I used to be a model maker so the cabinets would not be an issue.
Thanks in advance....
Welcome aboard! It has become common knowledge around here that it is harder for DIY to compete with cheaper speakers which are produced by the thousands and offer pretty good value. Be that as it may, there are some good inexpensive designs out there. I'll try to get a list together. HOw much do trhe Wharfs sell for in your area? Some of the full range type speakers offer a lot of value. I hope others see this thread!
Thank's Variac and Velmeran42, it's nice to have a warm welcome.
Please understand that I am somewhat of an infant in the world of High Fidelity so treat me with kid gloves as they say.
I will be listening to quite low/medium volumes with easy listening the key! Some rousing tunes will stir many an evening but currently I'm listening to a mix of Pink Floyd and Damien Rice with a sprinkle of Jazz(not too off-the-wall).
The Diamonds are a seriously good buy at £180 + stands (about $320 + stands) but I am willing to spend more if the returns are justifiable.
I guess with this amp I need pretty sensitive drivers that respond at lower volumes, is this directly linked with the 4>6 ohm units?
Now I'm starting to assume......I'll let the professionals show me the way.
Please understand that I am somewhat of an infant in the world of High Fidelity so treat me with kid gloves as they say.
I will be listening to quite low/medium volumes with easy listening the key! Some rousing tunes will stir many an evening but currently I'm listening to a mix of Pink Floyd and Damien Rice with a sprinkle of Jazz(not too off-the-wall).
The Diamonds are a seriously good buy at £180 + stands (about $320 + stands) but I am willing to spend more if the returns are justifiable.
I guess with this amp I need pretty sensitive drivers that respond at lower volumes, is this directly linked with the 4>6 ohm units?
Now I'm starting to assume......I'll let the professionals show me the way.
You're welcome Lostcause. I'm a newb on these forums myself, and new to hi-fi (my experience lies in car-fi). So now that you've established the cost of what you where looking at, and your music preference people may start to throw in some recomendations. Other usefull info is if you have a sub already, are willing to get one, or are looking for an "all in one" solution. I'm currently finishing up a set of MTM ported speakers w/ a response down to <40Hz to save myself from needing a sub for the moment. Good luck with your journey into hi-fi.
Thanks again, the thought of a sub is also at the back of my mind, however I like punchy sharp bass and not too much of it as I will be quite close to them.
Saying that..... give it a couple of months of reading the antics of this lot and I'll be spending a fortune on making my home into a sound stage
Saying that..... give it a couple of months of reading the antics of this lot and I'll be spending a fortune on making my home into a sound stage
As far as I know the sonic T-amp is a low power amp so why don't you watch to :
Full-range NG
for high dynamic speakers.
Good luck.
Full-range NG
for high dynamic speakers.
Good luck.
Lostcause said:
Yesterday a friend of mine picked up the CesT's he ordered from me. They are 10 liter bass-reflex cabinets with one Monacor SPH-60X in it, with an F3 of 60hz.
One driver is around 27€. So lets say 60€ material cost/pair.
the same evening he sent me an email saying they give a lot more bass than he expected in his 3*4m room, and I quote: "wie-hie ;-)"
Long live room gain! I'd say
He listens mostly to Enigma, Bent, Saint germain, and other jazzy and lounge stuff. So maybe you like this design.
If you want, I could post all the (construction)details and my source for the drivers ...
Edit: Woops, seems my proposition is WAY under your budget. I read your post too fast.
Maybe something with Fostex 206E in it? There is lots of info on those in the fullrange forum, and they are rather high efficiency too.
On thinking it over, I think you really should concentrate on the fulll range designs (many have add on tweeters if it turns out you need more high end) The reason is more their efficiency. The amp you have is pretty low output, and the efficient speakers make it "come alive"
I have an unmodded Sonic Impact, and my Fostexes (full range 96dB efficiency) make it sound like there is no compromise.
The 8" full range drivers tend to be more efficient. For that reason I'd look at designs using the Foestex Fe 206 and Fe 207 drivers ( I believe they are about 95 db- that's about 4 times more efficient than regular speakers)
There are lots of designs on this forum and linked to it. You should do some searches on Fostex, and the specific models. This ground has been discussed a lot , and it is unlikely that people will want to remention all the designs that you could use...
I have an unmodded Sonic Impact, and my Fostexes (full range 96dB efficiency) make it sound like there is no compromise.
The 8" full range drivers tend to be more efficient. For that reason I'd look at designs using the Foestex Fe 206 and Fe 207 drivers ( I believe they are about 95 db- that's about 4 times more efficient than regular speakers)
There are lots of designs on this forum and linked to it. You should do some searches on Fostex, and the specific models. This ground has been discussed a lot , and it is unlikely that people will want to remention all the designs that you could use...
For a low volume system I'd be looking at a 'full range' + single sealed 12" sub solution crossed at 80 Hz ish... Or possibly a 2-way with a full range on top crossed to a decent bass unit (ported) around 200- 300Hz per side.
Good luck with your project,
Rob.
Ooh,
Did I mention I'm selling a pair of excellent bass units that would suit the second idea perfectly.
EDIT: Lose the idea of buying stands. Build a 'bass unit' stand with a bass driver per side (mounted near floor) then put your full ranger on top at ear height.....
Good luck with your project,
Rob.
Ooh,
Did I mention I'm selling a pair of excellent bass units that would suit the second idea perfectly.
EDIT: Lose the idea of buying stands. Build a 'bass unit' stand with a bass driver per side (mounted near floor) then put your full ranger on top at ear height.....
Attachments
Rob
If I went for the Fostex full range would I need a sub?
I modified my Tripath as per this:
http://www.michael.mardis.com/sonic/news.htm
2-way - This is a diferent slant on things....I've only ever thought about Tweets and Full. Do you think the Wharf configuration would be seriously lacking in bass then?
Which bass and fullrange drivers would you recommend?
What type are your Bass units?...how much?
When you say ported, do you mean to each other?
Questions....questions...just tell me to go away if I'm irritating anyone.
Remember, I need to get my jargon sorted at this early stage.
If I went for the Fostex full range would I need a sub?
I modified my Tripath as per this:
http://www.michael.mardis.com/sonic/news.htm
2-way - This is a diferent slant on things....I've only ever thought about Tweets and Full. Do you think the Wharf configuration would be seriously lacking in bass then?
Which bass and fullrange drivers would you recommend?
What type are your Bass units?...how much?
When you say ported, do you mean to each other?
Questions....questions...just tell me to go away if I'm irritating anyone.
Remember, I need to get my jargon sorted at this early stage.
I have an unmodded Sonic Impact, and my Fostexes
Variac, you seem to be speaking my exact language and talking from experience with the T-amp.
Where is the cheapest place in the UK to get these drivers?
I take it there is a direct correlation between the sensitivity and the ohms rating, as the fe206/7's are 8ohm units and that reduces the wattage (very lacking in the T).
Variac, you seem to be speaking my exact language and talking from experience with the T-amp.
Where is the cheapest place in the UK to get these drivers?
I take it there is a direct correlation between the sensitivity and the ohms rating, as the fe206/7's are 8ohm units and that reduces the wattage (very lacking in the T).
Lostcause said:
I'd always use a sub or 'dedicated' bass units. Not necessarily to give low, low bass but to free the smaller mid / fullrange from the large excursions. Yes imo the typical wharfdale type 2 way is missing bass. As to whether I think you'd need a sub - I've no idea, only you and your ears can decide that.
""Which bass and fullrange drivers would you recommend?""
I'd look at a decent 8" or 10" per side from the usual suspects - Seas, scanspeak, vifa, peerless etc etc.
As to recommended full rangers, They're not for me. I listen loud (Home cinema reference loud). The best place to look is in the fullrange forum - loads of projects to read about. I'd probably look at the fostex and jordan stuff first though.
""When you say ported, do you mean to each other ?""
I mean run the fullrange in a sealed box, and use the bass unit in it's own ported box to 'fill in' below where the fullranger naturally rolls off. You could also add a 1st order highpass on the fullrange to keep it a bit cleaner on louder peaks., using a 3rd order on the bass units.
Dave (Planet 10 ) is a good man to talk to about these types of speakers..
My bass units are here :
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60477
In a 100L box they'd give you nearly the same bass response as a tempest 15" sub in a sealed 200L box ( not go loud though obviously) And sound a lot better in my opinion. (again at lower listening levels)
hth,
Rob
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