"Converting" a stereo speaker to PA monitor

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Based on the title, you'd guess I was nuts, but hear me out.
Just picked up a couple of small Infinity SM-85s - they're in reasonable shape but the woofers need refoaming. They're pretty efficient little buggers (sensitivity around 98) and up to 125 watt power capacity. They have a tweeter and an 8" woofer in a little ported cab. The price was right. I'm mulling over the idea of refoaming the woofers, getting a more robust crossover from Parts Express, putting some corner protectors and a handle on them, and fabricating a new grille with some wire mesh or expanded metal - hopefully keeping the cost for all that to less than $80 for the pair. I'd also plan to put some tiltback legs on them. The current covering is the vinyl "faux wood" veneer, which should be fairly tough. I don't really need more stereo speakers, but could use some PA monitors. We never play at really high stage volume. Am I nuts, or does that sound like a reasonable plan?
 
Based on the title, you'd guess I was nuts, but hear me out.
Just picked up a couple of small Infinity SM-85s - they're in reasonable shape but the woofers need refoaming. They're pretty efficient little buggers (sensitivity around 98) and up to 125 watt power capacity. They have a tweeter and an 8" woofer in a little ported cab. The price was right. I'm mulling over the idea of refoaming the woofers, getting a more robust crossover from Parts Express, putting some corner protectors and a handle on them, and fabricating a new grille with some wire mesh or expanded metal - hopefully keeping the cost for all that to less than $80 for the pair. I'd also plan to put some tiltback legs on them. The current covering is the vinyl "faux wood" veneer, which should be fairly tough. I don't really need more stereo speakers, but could use some PA monitors. We never play at really high stage volume. Am I nuts, or does that sound like a reasonable plan?


You are.
But if you really use, limit up home sound levels,a pair(better,lots of spares) of suitable fuses,it might work.:eek:

B.L
 
The big issue is that PAs have to deal with really scary transients that HiFis never see. The suspension (the foam surround and the spider back near the voice coil) is far too compliant to deal with these transients. The results will be more sensitivity to low frequency feedback (very bad), a strong risk of actually damaging the suspension, and serious misalignment of the voice coil from such damage.

And we haven't even talked about the tweeters...

Bottom line? Bad idea.

About a month back I ended up buying a set of cheap powered monitors for my band to use with my small Mackie mixer as a PA. For under $400 new I got power, a five-band graphic EQ and decent volume. They even sound halfway decent.
 
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