I am a first timer in building speakers and want to start with an affordable project. I wanted to build a fonken enclosure with Fostex Fe127e driver. Unfortunately these are no longer available.
So I was wondering which fonken enclosure would suit best with the Fostex Fe126en?
Or is this not possible?
I also looked at other Fostex drivers, since I love the white cone and looks are important to me.
The FX120 goes well with a Fonken enclosure, but those are way more expensive. And it was not clear to me if the miniOnken can be combined with the Fe103en
The second step in making things harder for myself is that i want to mount the drivers on the inside. As is done with the original Blumenstein Orca's.
http://gearpatrol.com/2011/04/19/blumenstein-ultra-fi-orca-speaker/
Is this at all possible I can find no information on this subject.
So what is the best fonken fostex, if possible mounted inside the enclosure, combination currently avaiable?
So I was wondering which fonken enclosure would suit best with the Fostex Fe126en?
Or is this not possible?
I also looked at other Fostex drivers, since I love the white cone and looks are important to me.
The FX120 goes well with a Fonken enclosure, but those are way more expensive. And it was not clear to me if the miniOnken can be combined with the Fe103en
The second step in making things harder for myself is that i want to mount the drivers on the inside. As is done with the original Blumenstein Orca's.
http://gearpatrol.com/2011/04/19/blumenstein-ultra-fi-orca-speaker/
Is this at all possible I can find no information on this subject.
So what is the best fonken fostex, if possible mounted inside the enclosure, combination currently avaiable?
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Cheers Cal.
Right, the Fostex FE**6 series has a Qts too low to use in a Fonken enclosure: these drivers need reinforcement from horns to get any bass out of them.
If you wanted to stick with the Fonken design, look at the newer Fostex drivers, or something by Mark Audio - any of these have a more balanced Qts suited to ported designs. (as a rule of thumb, look for Qts >0.3, <0.5 for ported)
Chris
Right, the Fostex FE**6 series has a Qts too low to use in a Fonken enclosure: these drivers need reinforcement from horns to get any bass out of them.
If you wanted to stick with the Fonken design, look at the newer Fostex drivers, or something by Mark Audio - any of these have a more balanced Qts suited to ported designs. (as a rule of thumb, look for Qts >0.3, <0.5 for ported)
Chris
The "F" in Fonken indeed refers to use of "Fostex" Full range drivers - initially & serendipitously the FE127E, but subsequently with appropriate revisions to volume and tuning schema, also proven with FE167/ F120A/ FX120/ FF85K/ FF85WK/ FF125WK/ FF165K.
I could be misremembering, but IINM, at least one builder has experimented with the FE126 in this enclosure - it would certainly "work", but should be expected to have very weak bass output, and an overbearingly forward midrange presentation.
As Chris661 notes, the architecture also works well with all models of Mark Audio drivers yet tested - again with appropriate adjustments to enclosure volumes and port dimensions - they'd be designated as "Mar-Kens". Of those, my 2 favorites are the EL70 & Alpair7.
The total number of enclosure designs drawn to date (& not built) for these and other driver makes/models might well exceed the actual number of builds - and that's saying something.
All that said, of the currently available Fostex drivers, I'd opine the best bang for buck would be FF125WK, but be aware that the entire new WK series of drivers has reduced volume and different tuning requirements than depicted on the original drawings, and as I'm privy to many of unpublished or preliminary drawings, I can't be sure which are currently publicly available.
Morning, I have the 126 in the Frugal Horn and works great. I decided to get the 125 and put it in a new Fonken by Planet 10. The Fonken with the 125 is great so I decided to put in the 126 driver and as stated above it did NOT work well at all. The miss and highs were fine, not as good as the 125, but the bass was way off. I tried to see what it would sound like as I like to trial and error items. If you have the 126 and want to use it, email Planet 10 for some plans, but if not, get the 125 fostex and pay for the design from planet 10.. well worth the money. see my past posts for reviews.
As Jon notes, there are several proven DIY "freeware" designs in which the FE126E kicksazz, but the Fonken is not on that short list of mostly BLH types:
BIB, Buschorn MKI, FH3, Spawn Aiko & Saburo, Woden Valiant, Madisound BK12, Ron Clarke Austin A126 - I've built/ heard all of these except for a BIB.
A suggestion for a first time builder, the rectangular Fonkens are likely an easier build than the trapezoids
There is a Fonken-style box for the FE126En. It was designed for use as a centre (or surrounds) with FE126En Frugel-Horn Mk3.
It is 4 litre and almost reaches 100 Hz (better bass than in a FonkenPrime).
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full...k3-builds-build-questions-51.html#post2769449
I'd recommend FF125wk thou. But you'd have to give up the white cone.
dave
It is 4 litre and almost reaches 100 Hz (better bass than in a FonkenPrime).
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full...k3-builds-build-questions-51.html#post2769449
I'd recommend FF125wk thou. But you'd have to give up the white cone.
dave
Thank you all very Muchfor all your replies.
I think that I have to give up on the fe126en drivers. The horn designs are not for me as I do not like their appearance. Also the fonken style design opted by planet 10 do not have the look I like and sounds too much as a compromise.
So I have been looking at the mark audio speakers Chrisb suggested and decided to go for the alpair 7's. As I have taken a liking to the copper edition.
I have found some nice examples, I especially like the ones on the mark audio website.
I have not been able to find a design plan for the Alpair 7. Does anyone have some links or names that will make the search easier?
I think that I have to give up on the fe126en drivers. The horn designs are not for me as I do not like their appearance. Also the fonken style design opted by planet 10 do not have the look I like and sounds too much as a compromise.
So I have been looking at the mark audio speakers Chrisb suggested and decided to go for the alpair 7's. As I have taken a liking to the copper edition.
I have found some nice examples, I especially like the ones on the mark audio website.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
I have not been able to find a design plan for the Alpair 7. Does anyone have some links or names that will make the search easier?
Just visited the planet 10 website and found what I was looking for.
I thinkI will go for a Slim Classic GR dMar Ken 7.
I also found plans for the Altair 7.3. Will it be worth spending a few more bucks on these or is there almost no difference with the alpair 7?
Secondly I wanted to know what the difference will be between a port arrangement on the front or in the back.
I thinkI will go for a Slim Classic GR dMar Ken 7.
I also found plans for the Altair 7.3. Will it be worth spending a few more bucks on these or is there almost no difference with the alpair 7?
Secondly I wanted to know what the difference will be between a port arrangement on the front or in the back.
Well there are lots of free-ware designs for this driver, Pensil / FH3 among them, then there's the full dMarKen7.3 series plan-set available here:
p10 hifi | Box Library / Mark Audio
edit:
looks like you found part of the answer already, but note that due to revisions in the driver's T/S parameters (Mark takes full advantage of his right to continually improve his products, sometimes to DIYers' chagrin) there will be differences in volumes and or port/tuning details between enclosures for the Alpair7 and 7.3.
I've not actually built any of the more recent CGR series, so I can't speak to the sonic differences, but placing the ports on the back could well restrict placement options .
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if you mean does the newer driver outperform the earlier model? my experience is,
yes -
Mark, give us a break
Getting a subscription to the full Mar-Ken7.3 planset costs money. A simple version of at least one set of plans (eusually a CGR) will be available free.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/plan...10-hifi-minionken-plan-set-subscriptions.html
dave
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/plan...10-hifi-minionken-plan-set-subscriptions.html
dave
You can still get Alpair7 in Europe?
Alpair 7.3 gives away a bit in the bottom, but is smoother thru the top and a bit more finessed.
They use the same volume in the dMar-Kens but have different venting.
The picture you posted from the Mark Audio site is a variation on the microTower with A7 installed
dave
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