Hey guys, I just started planning my first DIY speaker build, so I'm a complete beginner. To keep things easy I want to build a little active desk speaker with a full range driver. It's supposed to be a standalone speaker without a subwoofer. I'm also aware that I won't get a lot of bass from such a little speaker. I'm already set on a 2.8 liter housing as well as the amplifier (Acrylic Up2Stream amp). The only thing I'm not really sure about is which driver to choose and whether to go closed or ported.
For the drivers I'm considering one of the following but I'm also open to other suggestions:
Which one would you recommend?
Thanks a lot, appreciate the help 🙂
For the drivers I'm considering one of the following but I'm also open to other suggestions:
- Markaudio Alpair 5.3
- Tang Band W3-2141
- Dayton RS100-8
- Dayton PS95-8
Which one would you recommend?
Thanks a lot, appreciate the help 🙂
For a 2.8L box, I would recommend FOSTEX FF85WK, Wavecor FR084WA01 or MarkAudio CHN-50P mica.
FF85WK is all-around good, FR084WA01 is textured and smooth, and CHN-50P mica has great vocals.
Sorry, I have never used any of your candidate models.
FF85WK is all-around good, FR084WA01 is textured and smooth, and CHN-50P mica has great vocals.
Sorry, I have never used any of your candidate models.
I have PS95-8 and RS100-8 form these, both in much bigger MLTL and BR boxes.
Overall personal conclusions:
PS95-8
Pros:
-Good timbre due to paper membrane
-Great looks! Much better than in photo
-Solid basket
-Cheaper than RS
-Very very pleasing voice range, it just sounds warm and nice.
Cons:
-Small. It is not full range, it is more a mid + tweeter. Closer to 2.5-3 than 3-3.5 inch.
-Insensitive, not very powerful
-Inconsistency in QC. In one of 6 drivers I have voice coil is touching smth inside, you can hear it. So it is unusable.
-Not much of low end
-Pretty high variations of SPL in the high mids and highs, you need to play a lot with EQ and probably think of suitable baffle size to mitigate it.
RS100-8
Pros:
-It can play loud. Capable to fulfill SPL needs for casual listening
-Crisp, detailed, accurate, sharp - you don't miss a small detail in music
-Looks nice
-Pretty accurate in reproduction up to ~6kHz (I think)
-Works in MLTL
-Overall it is a good driver, it does many things well
Cons:
-It is a metal cone with ugly breakup range. As ugly as all the metal cones.
-It is not a tweeter, there is no "air" and "brilliance" in it. Dedicated super-tweeter from 5-8kHz could help a lot. Probably because cone is too big for highest freq.
I would pick one of them depending on condition:
With dedicated subwoofer or couple of subwoofers or woofers - PS95-8. It will shine if you remove the low end duties from it. Voice range is very very pleasant. Not tiresome to listen all day. 0.8-1.5L closed box probably could be best for it.
Standalone - RS100-8. It is a very capable driver, but aluminum cone ruins it for me. I cannot stand the breakup sounds of it. Definitely not the driver to listen all day long, just too tiresome. Couple of energetic songs - it will play very well. Maybe try super-tweeter with it not to listen to those breakup noises.
If I was in your place, I would risk to buy RS100P-8. I haven't heard it, but I hope it will combine metal sibling design and paper cone smoothness.
But all of them... Are IMHO midranges. Just do not expect miracles in the range not optimal for them. Also, do not forget that external baffle dimensions play a huge role for both of them, I made different boxes, with the same internal volume an tuning - the difference is heard with untrained ear.
I voted RS100-8, but paper version probably is my blind choice
Overall personal conclusions:
PS95-8
Pros:
-Good timbre due to paper membrane
-Great looks! Much better than in photo
-Solid basket
-Cheaper than RS
-Very very pleasing voice range, it just sounds warm and nice.
Cons:
-Small. It is not full range, it is more a mid + tweeter. Closer to 2.5-3 than 3-3.5 inch.
-Insensitive, not very powerful
-Inconsistency in QC. In one of 6 drivers I have voice coil is touching smth inside, you can hear it. So it is unusable.
-Not much of low end
-Pretty high variations of SPL in the high mids and highs, you need to play a lot with EQ and probably think of suitable baffle size to mitigate it.
RS100-8
Pros:
-It can play loud. Capable to fulfill SPL needs for casual listening
-Crisp, detailed, accurate, sharp - you don't miss a small detail in music
-Looks nice
-Pretty accurate in reproduction up to ~6kHz (I think)
-Works in MLTL
-Overall it is a good driver, it does many things well
Cons:
-It is a metal cone with ugly breakup range. As ugly as all the metal cones.
-It is not a tweeter, there is no "air" and "brilliance" in it. Dedicated super-tweeter from 5-8kHz could help a lot. Probably because cone is too big for highest freq.
I would pick one of them depending on condition:
With dedicated subwoofer or couple of subwoofers or woofers - PS95-8. It will shine if you remove the low end duties from it. Voice range is very very pleasant. Not tiresome to listen all day. 0.8-1.5L closed box probably could be best for it.
Standalone - RS100-8. It is a very capable driver, but aluminum cone ruins it for me. I cannot stand the breakup sounds of it. Definitely not the driver to listen all day long, just too tiresome. Couple of energetic songs - it will play very well. Maybe try super-tweeter with it not to listen to those breakup noises.
If I was in your place, I would risk to buy RS100P-8. I haven't heard it, but I hope it will combine metal sibling design and paper cone smoothness.
But all of them... Are IMHO midranges. Just do not expect miracles in the range not optimal for them. Also, do not forget that external baffle dimensions play a huge role for both of them, I made different boxes, with the same internal volume an tuning - the difference is heard with untrained ear.
I voted RS100-8, but paper version probably is my blind choice
MAOP 5 is the high end version of the A5.3. The budget variation: CHN-50. And there is a paper cone driver.
FF85wk is one of my favorite little drivers. But it could use some work to tame its rough edges. https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/opinions-on-mods-to-ff85wk.365756/post-6480912
dave
FF85wk is one of my favorite little drivers. But it could use some work to tame its rough edges. https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/opinions-on-mods-to-ff85wk.365756/post-6480912
dave