Based on my search, I understand there may be some combing issues with using two full range drivers in the same design. I'm currently in the experiment and learn phase of speaker design. My current project is to make a small tower speaker with one front facing full range driver (the Dayton audio ps95) and one upward facing full range (Dayton audio ce65w) into an omnidirectional cone.
The drivers are both 8 ohm and I have an amp that will power down to 4 ohm. I was thinking it would be as simple as wiring the drivers in parallel, however, now I'm worried about power mismatching. My next thought was to use a double binding post and wire each driver to is own post, but I can't find any research on that.
I'm asking for wiring guidance and thoughts about my current project.
Thank you.
The drivers are both 8 ohm and I have an amp that will power down to 4 ohm. I was thinking it would be as simple as wiring the drivers in parallel, however, now I'm worried about power mismatching. My next thought was to use a double binding post and wire each driver to is own post, but I can't find any research on that.
I'm asking for wiring guidance and thoughts about my current project.
Thank you.
This looks like a case where you can start by doing it the way you intended to do it, and then make adjustments as you feel necessary. You might end up looking at the output level between them as well as adjusting or rolling off the highs if you have the problem you describe above, and also adjusting for the baffle step.
Combing or cancellation yes happens
at high frequency.
Farther apart the drivers the more they cancel.
And you cant get past the physical size of the drivers.
So there will always be combing /cancellation
in the high frequency
If the baffle you desire is skinny skinny small.
Then you will get baffle set very high in frequency.
So to fill back in the losses from baffle step.
Then it makes sense to use a second fullrange.
To stop combing you use crossover to roll off
the high frequency of one driver.
This fills in the baffle step losses and removes
the combing.
Absolutely no reason to use a 2.5" driver and 3/5 inch driver.
not much benefit , mismatched phase and sensitivity.
Most 3.3 drivers are somewhat low in sensitivity
and dont make much bass.
So id expect that across a wide range of brands.
For bass performance and able to put enough
power for listening levels.
The wideband should be on a high pass.
Then conventional woofer used for bass.
upward firing driver basically 90 degrees.
rolls off top end naturally from listening position.
So top or sides, it is more useful for bass.
And applying the rolled off response to it.
Or as woofer in 2 way, or
Woofer + wideband or WAW
( woofer assisted wideband)
at high frequency.
Farther apart the drivers the more they cancel.
And you cant get past the physical size of the drivers.
So there will always be combing /cancellation
in the high frequency
If the baffle you desire is skinny skinny small.
Then you will get baffle set very high in frequency.
So to fill back in the losses from baffle step.
Then it makes sense to use a second fullrange.
To stop combing you use crossover to roll off
the high frequency of one driver.
This fills in the baffle step losses and removes
the combing.
Absolutely no reason to use a 2.5" driver and 3/5 inch driver.
not much benefit , mismatched phase and sensitivity.
Most 3.3 drivers are somewhat low in sensitivity
and dont make much bass.
So id expect that across a wide range of brands.
For bass performance and able to put enough
power for listening levels.
The wideband should be on a high pass.
Then conventional woofer used for bass.
upward firing driver basically 90 degrees.
rolls off top end naturally from listening position.
So top or sides, it is more useful for bass.
And applying the rolled off response to it.
Or as woofer in 2 way, or
Woofer + wideband or WAW
( woofer assisted wideband)
I've had surprisingly good results stacking as you mentioned, but smaller driver facing front sitting atop bigger driver facing up.
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/full-range-speaker-photo-gallery.65061/post-7675238
I chose series 4/8 ohm and it worked but parallel with suitable balancing could work too. As you noted, the "high" driver sound has to satisfy your taste.
"LX" configuration crossover-less, matching dipole/baffle-loss high-pass with near-90deg off-axis attenuation low-pass. I've done several and now have a queue of favorite driver-combos to try, some dipole top and some not.
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I made a cabinet that's close to the design in this thread (https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/pearl-acoustic-sibelius.378803/page-19). The intended use is an "all around" speaker for both music and movies. However, the other half of the quest was to "see how it sounds". Previous to this build I had the PS95 in a small 6x6x5 box for side surrounds. It is a decent driver, but for the size of my room and my listening preferences, it didn't cut it on its own.
Thank you for the advise. For now I think I will be switching to a strictly omnidirectional speaker
Hence the challenge to get off axis to at least 60 degrees or more.
Its essentially a speaker on its back.
So its better to understand center to center mounting.
and what frequency a piston size comes directional.
Ohm Walsh did a few omni directional.
Fontana from Visaton was always interesting.
plus one with satellites
Its essentially a speaker on its back.
So its better to understand center to center mounting.
and what frequency a piston size comes directional.
Ohm Walsh did a few omni directional.
Fontana from Visaton was always interesting.
plus one with satellites
** Update**
I got some free brown MDF that I thought looked mostly usable until I got home and started working with it. Basically all the sheets were split or coming apart down the middle parallel with the wood. I had to glue most of it back together.
I finished the first rough prototype a couple of days ago. The sounded okay. The bass was lacking a lot, until I realized there was a couple large air gaps because of the bad wood quality. Sealing those gaps helped out a good amount. (The black Polks are about 41 inches high to use as a reference)
Upon more casual listening I decided that the Omni portion of the speaker was too tall. So today I chopped off the bottom portion of the speaker and made some more refinements. My goals today were to see how much of the bass response was affected with the decrease in height./ altering of the internal fold. After some critical listening, the bass is less and there is some combing occurring. The next iteration I plan on moving the front facing FR up closer to the top. I currently have a partition separating the two drivers so that they each have their own air chamber. Is this necessary? or can I omit the partition and place the drivers next to each other?
I got some free brown MDF that I thought looked mostly usable until I got home and started working with it. Basically all the sheets were split or coming apart down the middle parallel with the wood. I had to glue most of it back together.
I finished the first rough prototype a couple of days ago. The sounded okay. The bass was lacking a lot, until I realized there was a couple large air gaps because of the bad wood quality. Sealing those gaps helped out a good amount. (The black Polks are about 41 inches high to use as a reference)
Upon more casual listening I decided that the Omni portion of the speaker was too tall. So today I chopped off the bottom portion of the speaker and made some more refinements. My goals today were to see how much of the bass response was affected with the decrease in height./ altering of the internal fold. After some critical listening, the bass is less and there is some combing occurring. The next iteration I plan on moving the front facing FR up closer to the top. I currently have a partition separating the two drivers so that they each have their own air chamber. Is this necessary? or can I omit the partition and place the drivers next to each other?
Is there a crossover?
Hence why center to center spacing was mentioned.
If both drivers are covering same bandwidth
and they are that far apart.
Yes be a generous amount of combing /cancelation.
Forward facing fullrange not needed.
Just add a woofer for bass.
Crossover is just at the baffle step.
looks like fun either way.
nice to see prototype.
woodworking is a fun learning process.
can show some neat tricks to make the top plate
less of a challenge to get it flush.
been there its frustrating.
Hence why center to center spacing was mentioned.
If both drivers are covering same bandwidth
and they are that far apart.
Yes be a generous amount of combing /cancelation.
Forward facing fullrange not needed.
Just add a woofer for bass.
Crossover is just at the baffle step.
looks like fun either way.
nice to see prototype.
woodworking is a fun learning process.
can show some neat tricks to make the top plate
less of a challenge to get it flush.
been there its frustrating.