3-Way design

[stueyh]

I would like some feedback on this idea please:

A 3-way design using the 8" Silver Flute woofer in a ported box, the audax PR170M0 in an open baffle for the mids and the fountek neo3.0i ribbon tweeter.

Its early days but yes/no?

[derf]

I'd think about using a bigger bass driver, as big as you can fit in your living space really.

For me, the whole point of constructing a 3-way is unrestrained dynamics, which I'd be doubtful a 8" bass driver could provide.

[Artmaster]

nice idea - about open baffle middle range! but I'm agree about bigger bass box capacity and would you make it sealed? or your driver has Qts less 0.5?

[derf]

If you're going open baffle mids, why don't you go open baffle bass aswell. I suspect integrating the two will be easier that way.

We need some parameters to work with:

£'s available
Space available
Goals you had in mind
Music tastes

blah blah...

[stueyh]

Hmmmmm.....

This is my 1st speaker build although Ive done quite alot of audio diy. Im lucky in the fact my dads a carpenter and I have alot of carpentry equipment at work which is at my disposal.

I have had alot of help from Thorsten L on a design but Im just covering all idea's really. Original plans were to use 2 x 8" Silver flutes in a 40L ported box tuned to 28hz and a third Silver flute parallel to this in a 20l ported box tuned to 45hz. The Audax PR170M0 is to be in a open-backed design and the fountek ribbon will finish it off. I've gone quite along way with this design and have plenty on paper. I am intending on getting a mic, jig etc to work with speaker workshop.

Ive just bought my first house so money is a wee bit tight, but I think £500 is reasonable. The house is a trad terrace, though the longe is quite long. I sit about 15' from the speakers. Currently the speakers are about 2.5m apart with abit of space around them.

Amplification is a highly modded EL34 valve amp currently in triode, I use a simple pre based on 2 6922's, again in triode. Music wise is quite wide-ranging, though Id say acoustic forms a large part. Saying that, Led Zep and Pink Floyd do get a regular run out. Im not after particularly loud levels though, just good music. Saying that, I do like a nice tight bass and I do have a decent collection of Massive Attack, Nithin Sawnhey, Air etc.

Dipoles do interest me alot, the whole idea of not having a box seems to make alot of sense to me, but Im open to all ideas.

So, there it is!

[stueyh]

OH sorry,

Goals wise, dont know really, just a decent sound! Currently I have simple Acoustic Energy Evo 3's which I got in my student days. To be fair, I like them but I believe my amp really requires much better. Ive had a good look around at everything under £1200 and nothing impresses me, theres actually very little improvement over what Ive got to be honest.

So long as it sounds good, and gets on with my amp I'll be happy. And whilst its a batchelor pad I would like to keep some sort of control on the looks

[derf]

Ive just bought my first house so money is a wee bit tight, but I think £500 is reasonable. The house is a trad terrace, though the longe is quite long. I sit about 15' from the speakers. Currently the speakers are about 2.5m apart with abit of space around them.

OK, so you've got £500 to play with, have you got the Audax and Fountek drivers already?

If so, what I'd do if I was in your shoes is get 4 x Eminence Delta15LF for the bass region and have 2 a side in an open baffle of some sort. Not only would you have the sound benefits of an open baffle, but your neighbours would benefit from less noise coming through the walls, which I'd say is high priority is a terrace.

I think Mr L would agree and with the Delta's being so affordable, there isn't much to lose.

Of course, you'd have to buy/find another reasonably meaty amp for the bass and invest in one of those behringer dsp crossover units, but I think it would be money well spent.

[chainenoble]

i don't think the 8" silver flutes with live up to your mid-tweeter choice.i have worked with this woofer alot with only o.k. results.i think you need a better woofer to go with you midrange and tweeter.maybe something like hi-vi's d8.8 or vifa's ma26wr.

[dmitriy167]

The woofer you will be using is highly dependent on how low you want to cross the Audax. chainenoble is right-- the silver flutes won't match well in any case; they are what they are--cheap. Since you have a bachelor pad, you don't have to deal with SAF/WAF, so the size of woofers/boxes is up to you only.

If you want to use pro drivers, the Delta15LF (per derf's suggerstion) has a high enough Qts (0.58) for an OB. If space is an issue, you can use the MA26, since they go down to 33Hz in a 1.5ft^3 enclosure. The downside is the LOW sensitivity of 83.3dB, so you might want to go active and have the tube amps take care of the mids and highs, and nice big solid state amps for the Vifas.

Or, you can keep it passive and use something like Peerless XLS-8s, if you can get them. They are much more sensitive. Any of these designs can work well.

[mudakas]

Originally posted by derf
I'd think about using a bigger bass driver, as big as you can fit in your living space really.

For me, the whole point of constructing a 3-way is unrestrained dynamics, which I'd be doubtful a 8" bass driver could provide.

How different would sound (in three-way speakers) two 8' woofers versus one 11' or bigger?

Everyone seems to be building wife safe speakers...