The under $100 challenge

cotdt · 4th March 2006, 11:41 PM

There are some plans on zaphaudio.com for under $100 speakers, but they don't offer the bass output to satisfy college students. And yes, I've heard them, even built the Hi-Vi 3" design myself. I already have great speakers, but I'm interested in building some cheap speakers with great bass output for some friends and family. I was thinking of mating the Hi-Vi 3BN to the Dayton RS225, but that exceeds the $100. The requirement is under-$100 not including cabinets, which are free to me. And high-output clean bass of course. The speakers need to be highly detailed, transparent, and low linear and nonlinear distortion. Also want a flat frequency response to at least 16kHz. Want decent power response. So... are you up to the challenge?

phidauex · 4th March 2006, 11:56 PM

So... You want low distortion, great bass, flat to 16k, good power handling, all for less than 50$ in drivers and crossover parts per speaker?

So basically everything, for nothing?

Well, you are going to have to make some serious concessions, but you can probably come up with something pretty satisfactory.

You may be hard pressed to beat something like this for less than 100$ bucks, Wayne is pretty darn good with the 'ultra budget' designs: http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_fi...ts/DBP/dbp.htm

peace,
sam

tomtt · 5th March 2006, 12:03 AM

what size boxes do you have?/can you get?

cotdt · 5th March 2006, 12:09 AM

that's a very interesting design that I haven't seen before, but it uses a 5 1/4" woofer which wouldn't have the bass output I am looking for. It reminds me a lot of the Dayton BR-1 kit. I'm looking for a speaker with bass output comparable to what the Dayton RS225 can deliver.

It doesn't have to be $50 for each speaker, since I guess it can be kinda like the iPod HiFi with a single woofer and two "satellites". Maybe a single 8" woofer with 12mm xmax can do it.

And I never said I wanted it all, for nothing. After all it only needs to go flat up to 16kHz since it will be used to play mp3 music. I think it can be done, I just don't know how to do it so I need help. I don't want to build another fuzzy-sounding speaker. I want something that sounds really good.

cotdt · 5th March 2006, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tomtt
what size boxes do you have?/can you get?

I build my own boxes using free wood so I can get any box size! I also have a bunch of prebuilt boxes laying around.

velmeran42 · 5th March 2006, 04:41 AM

I built a pair of Adire Bang! speakers myself this year (my first full build). The Bang! is a suprisingly good sounding speaker for the amount of money they cost. Bass is definately there all the way down to 40hz or so. I would fully recommend them, with the only concession being MCM seems to be out of the tweeters called for at the momment (don't know if they'll be back in stock soon, or if they're discontinued).

scudinc · 5th March 2006, 06:26 AM

If you'd be willing to do a "poor man's iPod HiFi", two of these and one of these might work. As a bonus, all of the drivers are magnetically shielded.

owdi · 5th March 2006, 07:23 AM

Just an idea... how about using the HiVi B3S along with the Dayton SD270 per speaker? Use a 2nd order xover at 500hz, and only wire one of the SD270s voice coils. Be sure to model the baffle step of the HiVi B3S, then cross the SD270 high enough so the B3S is only playing into half space. Total cost for drivers, notch filters, and crossovers should be around $100. Since the B3Ss will be crossed over so high you will have little chance of blowing them.

For added power handling you could wire both voice coils, but then you have problems. In parallel the impedance is too low for most receivers and they will be too loud for the B3Ss. In series they will be too quiet for the B3Ss, and the lowpass crossover will be more expensive.

Dan

chainenoble · 5th March 2006, 03:25 PM

crossing the HiVi B3S might be low.they are only 15 watts and college students will be blasting them.i suggest the silver flute 8" with the b3s crossed at 800-1000hz.and for a extra few dallor add the hi-vi t25 for a nice 3way.but that puts it over 100.00 and make it much more complicated

Tenson · 5th March 2006, 04:08 PM

I'm making a standmount using the Dayton 7" aluminum cone. F3 in an EBS cab is 29Hz. I am trying to match it to a B&G Neo8 for mid and HF but maybe you can find something cheaper. Needs to cross around 700Hz ideally so a cheapo Mid dome and a cheapo tweeter might do.

Not quite under $100 but how about:

HI-VI TN25 FABRIC DOME TWEETER
HI-VI DMN-A SOFT DOME FABRIC MIDRANGE
DAYTON DA175-8 7" ALUMINUM CONE WOOFER

All x2 = $105

But you still need a crossover...

4th March 2006, 11:41 PM	#1
cotdt diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2005	The under $100 challenge There are some plans on zaphaudio.com for under $100 speakers, but they don't offer the bass output to satisfy college students. And yes, I've heard them, even built the Hi-Vi 3" design myself. I already have great speakers, but I'm interested in building some cheap speakers with great bass output for some friends and family. I was thinking of mating the Hi-Vi 3BN to the Dayton RS225, but that exceeds the $100. The requirement is under-$100 not including cabinets, which are free to me. And high-output clean bass of course. The speakers need to be highly detailed, transparent, and low linear and nonlinear distortion. Also want a flat frequency response to at least 16kHz. Want decent power response. So... are you up to the challenge?

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4th March 2006, 11:56 PM	#2
phidauex diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Boulder, CO	So... You want low distortion, great bass, flat to 16k, good power handling, all for less than 50$ in drivers and crossover parts per speaker? So basically everything, for nothing? Well, you are going to have to make some serious concessions, but you can probably come up with something pretty satisfactory. You may be hard pressed to beat something like this for less than 100$ bucks, Wayne is pretty darn good with the 'ultra budget' designs: http://www.speakerbuilder.net/web_fi...ts/DBP/dbp.htm peace, sam

5th March 2006, 12:03 AM	#3
tomtt diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: kansas city mo, and on occasion, around the world ... Blog Entries: 15	what size boxes do you have?/can you get?

5th March 2006, 12:09 AM	#4
cotdt diyAudio Member Join Date: Oct 2005	that's a very interesting design that I haven't seen before, but it uses a 5 1/4" woofer which wouldn't have the bass output I am looking for. It reminds me a lot of the Dayton BR-1 kit. I'm looking for a speaker with bass output comparable to what the Dayton RS225 can deliver. It doesn't have to be $50 for each speaker, since I guess it can be kinda like the iPod HiFi with a single woofer and two "satellites". Maybe a single 8" woofer with 12mm xmax can do it. And I never said I wanted it all, for nothing. After all it only needs to go flat up to 16kHz since it will be used to play mp3 music. I think it can be done, I just don't know how to do it so I need help. I don't want to build another fuzzy-sounding speaker. I want something that sounds really good.

5th March 2006, 04:41 AM	#6
velmeran42 diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Issaquah, WA	I built a pair of Adire Bang! speakers myself this year (my first full build). The Bang! is a suprisingly good sounding speaker for the amount of money they cost. Bass is definately there all the way down to 40hz or so. I would fully recommend them, with the only concession being MCM seems to be out of the tweeters called for at the momment (don't know if they'll be back in stock soon, or if they're discontinued).

5th March 2006, 06:26 AM	#7
scudinc diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: D.C.	If you'd be willing to do a "poor man's iPod HiFi", two of these and one of these might work. As a bonus, all of the drivers are magnetically shielded.

5th March 2006, 07:23 AM	#8
owdi diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bellevue, WA	Just an idea... how about using the HiVi B3S along with the Dayton SD270 per speaker? Use a 2nd order xover at 500hz, and only wire one of the SD270s voice coils. Be sure to model the baffle step of the HiVi B3S, then cross the SD270 high enough so the B3S is only playing into half space. Total cost for drivers, notch filters, and crossovers should be around $100. Since the B3Ss will be crossed over so high you will have little chance of blowing them. For added power handling you could wire both voice coils, but then you have problems. In parallel the impedance is too low for most receivers and they will be too loud for the B3Ss. In series they will be too quiet for the B3Ss, and the lowpass crossover will be more expensive. Dan

5th March 2006, 03:25 PM	#9
chainenoble diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: toronto	crossing the HiVi B3S might be low.they are only 15 watts and college students will be blasting them.i suggest the silver flute 8" with the b3s crossed at 800-1000hz.and for a extra few dallor add the hi-vi t25 for a nice 3way.but that puts it over 100.00 and make it much more complicated

5th March 2006, 04:08 PM	#10
Tenson diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kent	I'm making a standmount using the Dayton 7" aluminum cone. F3 in an EBS cab is 29Hz. I am trying to match it to a B&G Neo8 for mid and HF but maybe you can find something cheaper. Needs to cross around 700Hz ideally so a cheapo Mid dome and a cheapo tweeter might do. Not quite under $100 but how about: HI-VI TN25 FABRIC DOME TWEETER HI-VI DMN-A SOFT DOME FABRIC MIDRANGE DAYTON DA175-8 7" ALUMINUM CONE WOOFER All x2 = $105 But you still need a crossover...

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