I'm looking for a CSS 125 project

[binarywhisper]

hi all, I have not been here in quite a long time. I'm sorry to read of the passing of Terry Cain. I didn't know Terry but he was responsible for a vast amount of time I spent online reading and dreaming.

I'm bck here because its time to get to work on some speakers. You guys were the first people I thought of so here I m begging for help.

I have a $500 CAN dollar budget (not including wood)
I need to build 2 front speakers and a center channel to go with 2 existing CSS 125 based speakers that will be used on the rear channel.

I have very good woodworking skills and all the equipment anyone could need. I'm good with a soldering iron but have very marginal X-over design skills. I'd prefer to keep the X-over minimal in design anyway as I prefer as little in the signal path as possible. That said I believe I'd probably prefer a design using the wr125 with a tweeter.

Size, within the realm of common sense, is not an issue. I will be filling out the bottom end with a custom sealed box with 4 passive 12's that uses an electronic x-over. I've thought of redesigning the woofer box to integrate it into the new fronts or as stands for the new fronts.

I listen to everything from Pink Floyd & Supertramp to Koko Taylor & Stevie Ray to M. Manson & Rob Zombie to Mozart to Celtic tenors. Pretty much anything cept C&W and Rap. It will be a surround system but the emphasis is 100% on music and extended listening sessions.

I like large focused forward sound stages and the room it will be in is relatively large (17 x 15) although it would be nice to not have to move the speakers to far forward into the room and they will be placed on each side of a 61" TV. The amp is an unmodified Panasonic SA XR-50.

I spend many hours reading on the various projects posted and many of them sound very very good based on their descriptions but of course with out hearing any of them I don't know how well any of them will suit my needs.

I thought hey? Who on all the internet would be a better group of people to advise this cash poor wannabe audiophile

[binarywhisper]

well now that I've given more thought to what I'm probably going to do I'd have better posted this in the full range section.

sorry.

[binarywhisper]

well maybe not as I will be using tweeters and basic x-overs

I figure that for my budget I can buy the following.

WR125ST $57 each x 6 = 342 + 51.3 tax = 393.30
need 2 tweeters and 2 caps for under $100 tax in

L & R channels will be bipoles with tweeters mounted on the front panel. Simple caps for x-over

The center channel will be divided into two seperate ported enclosures running rull range with no cross overs.

I saw the Calhoun - http://www.frugal-horn.com/spawn.html
plans at http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/attac...amp=1172396744

and it seems to suit most of my goals, at least from a budget point of view.

designers description.
I have the wr's running full range and the TB tweeter with a 1 mfd cap and some padding. The ports are lightly stuffed.

The wr's have finally found a home. This is the first alignment I have been happy with. They have been a frustrating driver to work with but not anymore,

another option is to use 2 extremis and tweeters to build a relatively conventional set of front channels and then buy 2 x 125's to build the center channel.

Any suggestions?

Beautiful spring day here in Ontario

[Timn8ter]

I have designs available for a center channel and small 2 way using the WR125S and Fostex FT207D tweeter.
http://www.alegriaaudio.com/RosaLCR.htm
http://www.alegriaaudio.com/Ling.htm
Contact me if you're interested.

[binarywhisper]

thanks for the post. I have spent quite bit of time on your sites in the past and found them quite handy.

Within my budget I have no choice except to build it myself and to be honest, regardless of my budget, I would do so anyway.

I guess realistically I could at this time buy, within reason, any pair of speakers I wanted. Rather then do that though I decided to make it a challenge. I asked my wife what she thought I should spend on components alone and now I'm going to try and accomplish my goals with in that budget.

I expect that they will be sold to friends shortly after being broke in and then I will approach my wife to set the stage for my next audio adventure.

[Timn8ter]

I wasn't suggesting you buy a pair of finished speakers. I'm moving away from that part of the audio market and back to DIY. I'm suggesting you consider building the Rosa and Ling speakers. Where you buy the parts is up to you.

[binarywhisper]

ahhhh, well you never said that and I didn't see any plans avail for them on either of your sites.

its a thought most definitely. I am also considering building the Calhoun design found at Scottmoose and planet10, this is for us.

I'll go have a better look at your design. Thanks

[Cal Weldon]

BW,

Too bad you don't live any closer. If you could hear them in person it would go a long way to helping with the decision. As mentioned, I had troubles getting what I liked but with the Calhoun I am finally satisfied. As Tim knows, I'm a bit of a bass freak and used to big drivers but these are actually OK.

The side mounted driver is the real kicker. Gives you bass and imaging and allows for a higher low slope XO point. Something that just wasn't happening with two front firing WR's in any configuration.

These PBH's my first real attempt:

[binarywhisper]

well Timn8ter, I've spent some time on the site and your design does appeal to me on many levels. I particularly like the use of the planer tweeter on the one set. I like the sound of the ribbons of various types.

What type of x-over is used with the mtm layout?

I'm looking at 125's but in the back of my mind I've wondered if I shouldn't go with the 6.5 or 6.8 Adire's paired up to the best tweets my left over $$'s would buy.

Thats always the deal though isn't it? Decisions ... decisions, and all the much tougher when your musical tastes are diverse and your budget is small.

I hope the direction change for your company is for good reasons. I really don't know how you and some of the others could/can sell the speakers as cheap as you do. If I wasn't a DIYer type of guy I'd buy a pair from you in a snap. You do very very nice work.

I love building stuff. Last summer I asked my wife how much my budget was for built in bookshelves and she said $500. I built this tank with the cement backscape into the center of floor to ceiling bookshelves that are then in turn flanked by leaded glass french doors all trimmed out in hand rubbed oak for just a smidge over $500 by savaging and recycling.




That would have nothing to do with the thread except to allow me to show off a bit but I've got $500 to build my speakers and past history gives me very high expectations.

I read many of those reviews and it sounds like one of your designs might meet those expectations which is a pretty amazing all things considered. I'll spend more time reading later. Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm pretty long winded eh?

[binarywhisper]

Originally posted by Cal Weldon
BW,

Too bad you don't live any closer. If you could hear them in person it would go a long way to helping with the decision. As mentioned, I had troubles getting what I liked but with the Calhoun I am finally satisfied. As Tim knows, I'm a bit of a bass freak and used to big drivers but these are actually OK.

The side mounted driver is the real kicker. Gives you bass and imaging and allows for a higher low slope XO point. Something that just wasn't happening with two front firing WR's in any configuration.

These PBH's my first real attempt:

I wish I could hear them as well. Last night as I fell asleep I was thinking of ways to incorporate the Calhoun in a sealed inclosure/stand where I could mount the 12's

The simplicity of the design from a component count point of view appeals to me in a huge way and of course as previously mentioned I find them asthetically very attractive. They have an old world kind of feel and with the right veneers would be a powerful statement in any living room.

It is so amazing to have choices of this caliber in this price range. Very exciting.

You were saying that you are very pleased with the choice to side mount the 2nd 125 and I really like bipolar designs but I wonder how that will work with my TV in between them? Its a big monster of a TV and there is no question it is a room effect all by its self.

Well I just had a thought. That pic of them toed out at the extreme angle could be the solution I suppose. Thinking about it they would be much less effected by the tv positioned like that and it wouldn't be that hard to reposition them that way for extended listening sessions.

I have to think this out and I'm so poorly equipped to do so
I have a relative in Vancouver with a spare room hmmmmm.......