Decent Speakers?

[gvinson]

Make a bee-line to Zaph audio and build his Seas two-ways and then his RSS Sub. http://www.zaphaudio.com/audio-speaker12.html

Then sit back and enjoy (on several different levels).

Actually, these are just two of many great designs available. They meet your budget and you'll be amazed at the quality compared to your current set-up.

Also, may I suggest a primer on what it is exactly you are trying to accomplish...

1. http://www.silcom.com/~aludwig/musicand.htm

Build it, dont buy it. Good Luck....



Ribbon Project

 

[davidlzimmer]

mrbowtie,

While browsing the thread, I feel in love with these.

http://www.partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/mp-3/index.html


Anyone built them? Heard them?

 

[phn]

Since nobody has brought it up (I think), Japanese speakers (like JVC and Pioneer) from the 1970s offer the best value for money for all I care. Speakers should have a 15-inch bass element.

Prices are usually ridiculously low. I guess they could be viewed as poor man's JBLs. But they are only inferior in price.

It all comes down to personal taste. If you like modern speakers type B&W and Dynaudio, you probably won't like 1970s JBL and its imitators.

 

[Cloth Ears]

If I am to start a project like this I think Id like to go for a 3 way speaker... What ideas are floating around out there for brands and possibilities?

mrbowtie,

3-way speakers are quite complex beasties to build if you're going to go the whole hog - integrating the crossover for the woofers can be quite expensive.

Simpler would be to go for a simpler 2-way, plus either 1 (or preferably 2) subwoofers to go with it. Not the "lower is better" type of subby, but the "play musical bass-notes" type. the subwoofer thread is excellent reading for this. In addition, you can start with the subwoofer and it should improve the CV's before you start on your actual speakers.

IMHO

 

[mrbowtie]

Good input cloth ears.

I hate to say it but the more I look at building my own speakers the more I move away from it. At this point in time I dont think I really know enough about it to do my own work. There is just a ton of technical terms and info that I dont know anything about. Ill study the hobby a little longer and then might get a little more interested in building my own speakers. I think I would really enjoy doing it, just a little nervous about spending the money and ending up with something that look and or sounds like crap.

 

[sreten]

mrbowtie,
While browsing the thread, I feel in love with these.
http://www.partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/mp-3/index.html
Anyone built them? Heard them?

Hi,

Nice looking drivers in a nice looking box.

However severely lacking in design details, so don't go there.

For start the two bass drivers should match only one mid driver,
and if this is wrong I suspect a lot more of (the lack of) design is.

/sreten.

 

[davidlzimmer]

sreten,

Thanks. I can't afford them anyway.

 

[Cloth Ears]

I hate to say it but the more I look at building my own speakers the more I move away from it. At this point in time I dont think I really know enough about it to do my own work. There is just a ton of technical terms and info that I dont know anything about.

Don't be scared away by technical terms - and don't be scared away by the fear of failure.

The best way to do this is to start simply and with a small budget.

I recommend:
1) Go out and price some small (under 250 watt) subwoofer amplifiers (the ones designed to go in the subwoofer box). Buy one that feels solid, has a high-pass filter (if possible) and is fairly cheap.
2) Then, look for (initially) a "really quite cheap" subwoofer driver.
3) Make sure the amp can drive the speaker by just connecting them up with-out a box. You've now got a baffleless/boxless subwoofer.
4) Download WinISD, Unibox or other freeware from the net.
5) Use your software to design a box size for your speaker (I'd initially go for sealed). Don't worry about bracing, stuffing and damping - that's for later.
6) Build it, put in the speaker and the amp, fire it up and see if that works. See if you can merge it with your CV's sound to get any improvement. See what it can do.
7) Repeat steps 5 and 6, varying box types and sizes until you've found the limits of the speaker that you initially bought. Then buy a better one.
8) Repeat steps 5,6 & 7 until you've found the limits of the amplifier that you bought. then buy a better one.
9) ad infinitum...

At any point, you might decide to try your luck at a 'speaker'. This is much the same (when putting it in a box), except that you have to design the crossover as well. Help is always available on this forum, and even more so when you're at the point of problem solving, rather than at the design stage.

OR, you can simply go with already designed DIY stuff (going as far as buying a kit and putting it together yourself). You'd probably do well at these, as you have the wood-working experience. Brian Ding's Servo Sub from Rythmik Audio is a good one by all acounts. And there's a couple of good designs from Tony Gee at http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com (his Gnurk and USB are good, simple designs using a dual concentric speaker with his own crossover design).

THEN, you can branch out into other design areas - open baffle (populated by charlatans and snake-oil merchants ), TQWT & TL's (worse ) and horns (don't get me started ). Note: these comments are only to see if people read this far - these are all vary valid types of speakers for various applications, it's just that they are generally more complex to design and implement, and the software is only just becoming available to be able to design them by other than trial and error (MJK from this forum is one of the leading lights).

hope you weren't bored...

All this is my opinion only, other may agree or not...

 

[Cal Weldon]

For start the two bass drivers should match only one mid driver,
and if this is wrong I suspect a lot more of (the lack of) design is.

What do you mean by this sreten?

 

[Cal Weldon]

Cloth ears, I read it all the way through. You're very bad, but I agree on the first part of the advice. mrbowtie and others shouldn't let the weight of terms dampen their spirits. Heck when I first played around, there were no T/S parameters, the d'Appolito didn't have a name yet and subwoofer meant Fs below 20 Hz. My how things change. Having a basic knowledge and then fooling around is what this hobby is about. You really can't get a feel for the field without the hands on. To be honest, I deliberately either break or disregard some of the "rules" as they simply don't apply in my case ie: I am not looking for a ruler flat response. To my ears, it sounds just that - flat. I want sparkle not flat.

 

[Cloth Ears]

Cloth ears, I read it all the way through. You're very bad...

Damn, I knew someone would!

I just can't help but picture mrbowtie's finished speakers, with a little inlaid bit of ebony (on his oak? veneer) in the shape of a bow-tie. Simple (when you have a bit of 'wood-smarts') and very effective.

So I was trying all methods (simplicity, step-by-step descriptions and humour) to try to get mrbowtie to try his first speaker. Yes, I know DIY is bad for your health and can break up marriages, but it's not as bad as getting someone to start smoking, is it?

mrbowtie, are you convinced yet?

 

[sreten]

For a start the two bass drivers should match only one mid driver

What do you mean by this sreten?

Hi,

simply put :

for a normal hifi speaker with twin bass drivers and one midrange
the sensitivity of each bass driver should be similar to the midrange.

for one bass to one mid, or multiples thereof, e.g. two bass two mid,
the sensivity of the bass unit should be 4dB to 6dB higher than the
mid, unless of course you plan to use attenuators on the midrange.

This all assumes you aware of baffle step compensation.

As the bass units are 85dB/W two of them should work happily
with the one 86dB/W mid unit, the extra 5" driver is unecessary.

/sreten.

 

[myanmar]

Can my spks be decent speakers?

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75450

 

[Cal Weldon]

Hi sreten,

Thanks for that clarification. I thought you were implying that if you use two woofers, you should only use one mid.

 

[Curmudgeon]

Mrbowtie, you certainly don't have to start from scratch. I'd suggest a kit for your first project; design done, debugged. Usually you buy a set of drivers and crossover components, and build the box per furnished plans.

Another source for kits that I did not see mentioned above;
Northcreek Music

 

[sYkboy]

I am a dupe

Okay, okay, Mr. Bowtie. Let me tell you, when it comes to woodworking I am a dupe. NO skills. That is the hardest part. Building DIY speakers is easy. Designing DIY speakers would be a lot more difficult. Cab's were the difficult part for me. I have never built anything out of wood, save for a wall, deck or the like.

You don't have to design anything. Just do some research, ask some Q's, everyone here is great. You will be very happy and greatly satisfied. I built CurtC's Triune Transmission Lines. Great for Home Theater and perform well with music. I have a sense that you would prefer something with a little more of a budget, so look at some Dayton RS series designs; Natalie P, Modula, RS 3-ways, etc. Don't stop there, there is a huge amount of info and designs out there.

I built my first DIY speakers and won't look back. Now if I could just get this woodworking thing down.

Anyway, yours will be good. Cab's should be easy for you. Pick a good design, follow the directions and they will be phenomenal.

 

[sreten]

Can my spks be decent speakers?

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75450

Hi,

I suggest you turn them into 0.5 way for baffle step compensation,
and/or as a means of extending bass somewhat.

Given the type of drivers I'd say your only option is reflex loading,
or possibly sealed if they are going to be used with a subwoofer.

Additional EQ is probably required for a decent frequency balance,
some form of wide Q notch filter on the top unit of the 0.5 way,
but without measurements its impossible to comment further.

/sreten.