My next build is going to be a small pair of desktop speakers for my wife's home office. I will also be using them for basic gaming (think minecraft) and some streaming. In the next year or so, I plan on augmenting them with a subwoofer once I build her a permanent desk.
Here are my desired specs:
* 4" full range
* The box will be constructed from solid wood (likely Poplar and/or Red Oak), and I'm planning to make it with 100% handtool joinery and glue
* Ported is okay
* max size is 4 L
* I have the TPA3116D2 kit from Jerry's Electronics for the amp.
Here are the drivers I have used previously, I would like to try something new/higher quality:
* Aurasound NS3 - Currently in a 3d printed, ported housing, and lives in the wood shop. Good thump, and gets loud. I would like similar bass if possible.
* Fountek FE85 - Currently in my home office. Sealed, 3d printed enclosure. Was originally part of a 2.1 system, and it shows. One day I plan to add a small sub to my desk, but that comes later.
Here are a few of the drivers I have looked into:
* Dynavox LY302F - seems to have good specs, but I can't seem to find any actual builds on the forums here. Seems to have similar results in WinISD to the NS3.
* MarkAudio CHN-50 - Small and inexpensive. Could have a nice little thump with appropriate porting. Can't find anything on the forums here about this driver.
* Markaudio Pluvia 7 - A nice solid 4" driver. Double the price of the other drivers here. Seems like it would require a much bigger enclosure for decent bass response.
Are there any other drivers that I should take a look at? These will have a fairly close listening position (<1m), and maybe a $40/driver budget. Also, I would be open to using an existing speaker design (like the *onken) if the size is right. I am not expecting amazing low end here, I am more interested in cleaner audio even if it means less thump.
Thanks
Here are my desired specs:
* 4" full range
* The box will be constructed from solid wood (likely Poplar and/or Red Oak), and I'm planning to make it with 100% handtool joinery and glue
* Ported is okay
* max size is 4 L
* I have the TPA3116D2 kit from Jerry's Electronics for the amp.
Here are the drivers I have used previously, I would like to try something new/higher quality:
* Aurasound NS3 - Currently in a 3d printed, ported housing, and lives in the wood shop. Good thump, and gets loud. I would like similar bass if possible.
* Fountek FE85 - Currently in my home office. Sealed, 3d printed enclosure. Was originally part of a 2.1 system, and it shows. One day I plan to add a small sub to my desk, but that comes later.
Here are a few of the drivers I have looked into:
* Dynavox LY302F - seems to have good specs, but I can't seem to find any actual builds on the forums here. Seems to have similar results in WinISD to the NS3.
* MarkAudio CHN-50 - Small and inexpensive. Could have a nice little thump with appropriate porting. Can't find anything on the forums here about this driver.
* Markaudio Pluvia 7 - A nice solid 4" driver. Double the price of the other drivers here. Seems like it would require a much bigger enclosure for decent bass response.
Are there any other drivers that I should take a look at? These will have a fairly close listening position (<1m), and maybe a $40/driver budget. Also, I would be open to using an existing speaker design (like the *onken) if the size is right. I am not expecting amazing low end here, I am more interested in cleaner audio even if it means less thump.
Thanks
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I would say take a look at some of the Tang Band drivers in 3" and 4" sizes. My desktop speakers are a pair of W3-881SJ(F?) in some fairly small ported enclosures. Nice and clear, good for near field listening.
Good luck,
-bill
Good luck,
-bill
I made a ranking of 3 inch fullrange a few years back: (only by recommendation):
Bester 3-Zoll-Breitbandlautsprecher?
its in german, but google translate should work.
Timothy measured and rated many 3 inch fullrange:
Timothy Feleppa's Pages: Speaker Measurements - Midrange/Fullrange Speakers 4" and smaller
Bester 3-Zoll-Breitbandlautsprecher?
its in german, but google translate should work.
Timothy measured and rated many 3 inch fullrange:
Timothy Feleppa's Pages: Speaker Measurements - Midrange/Fullrange Speakers 4" and smaller
I have some experience with those. Both are nice. CHN-50 is based on the Alpair 5.2 in an inexpensive basket. My large box for these is 2.5 litre (net). Very good value for th emoney and if you are adding bass help tremdous mid/top.
Pluvia 7 is also good, more bass potential but for the old A10.2 and the A12pw. Small box for it is 4.5 litre.
Might be ou tof your budget, and they are NLA, but A6.2 (particualrily themetal) fits between the 2. 3.6 itre box.
dave
Where would I find the plans for the 5.2? I think i'm gonna go as small as I can on the satellites. I have a 6" aurasound woofer that I can use for a small sub under the desk.
The official miniOnkens for the A5.3/3 CNH50 are a paid planset.
The planset also includes helper woofers (w Peerless 830870 (and a separate set w SilverFlute W14. And a version that is made from a pair of Blanda Bowls. And i have yet to draw the wedgies for the A5x… version sof the µMar-KenPlus with a sloped baffle for easier placement on a desktop.
Please email me.
dave
The planset also includes helper woofers (w Peerless 830870 (and a separate set w SilverFlute W14. And a version that is made from a pair of Blanda Bowls. And i have yet to draw the wedgies for the A5x… version sof the µMar-KenPlus with a sloped baffle for easier placement on a desktop.
Please email me.
dave
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Joined 2009
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I see you tried one of the Founteks, I suggest you try the FR88EX instead, quite impressive for their size:
Martello enclosure for FR88EX
Those are very small office speakers i have to say. I do it with 17.9L ported speakers with a 5.25 driver, so i have real bass...
But i would also recommend the Mark Audio drivers btw, also the smaller ones are great.
But an other option may be the also very good 3" Faital 3FE22 in a 2L ported with a slot of 1x5cm and 7cm deep, wich gives a flat response to about 85Hz..
But i would also recommend the Mark Audio drivers btw, also the smaller ones are great.
But an other option may be the also very good 3" Faital 3FE22 in a 2L ported with a slot of 1x5cm and 7cm deep, wich gives a flat response to about 85Hz..
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yes, those Martello speakers are small, that was one of the design requirements, along with smooth non-fatiguing but clear undistorted sound; the good bass was a bonus discovered after they were built.
After the CHN-70 debacle I lost trust in the way the manufacture represents the performance of their drivers and have no plans ever to buy a Mark Audio driver again (just like I’ll never buy a Ford again). I do have some A10.3’s in BR boxes which make excellent speakers. If looking for ‘large desktop’ monitors these may be well suited; the basic design (enclosure volume and port dimensions) were by Scottmoose.
After the CHN-70 debacle I lost trust in the way the manufacture represents the performance of their drivers and have no plans ever to buy a Mark Audio driver again (just like I’ll never buy a Ford again). I do have some A10.3’s in BR boxes which make excellent speakers. If looking for ‘large desktop’ monitors these may be well suited; the basic design (enclosure volume and port dimensions) were by Scottmoose.
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It is true that the large y-axis on the MA driver specs which minimizes FR deviations, but the data given largely matched the measures taken.
The CHN-70 (like the P7PHD) is voiced specifically for the Japanese market and is typically not to NA tastes. You were/are happy with A10.3?
dave
What are the primary differences between the FE85 and the FR88ex? Is one just the neodymium version of the other?
Also, at the risk of opening a big can of worms, what is "the CHN-70 debacle"?
Like the CHN-50 vrs the lpair 5.2/3, FE85 is a cheap variation on the FR88ex.
When the FF85k was discontinued i got 22 of these (still have 5 up for grabs) bought before the rise in ND prices. It is good but not to the same levels as the FF85wk or A5.2/3.
We did a series of boxes for them, none close to as small as 4 litres.
The Fountek Five for FR88ex
dave
When the FF85k was discontinued i got 22 of these (still have 5 up for grabs) bought before the rise in ND prices. It is good but not to the same levels as the FF85wk or A5.2/3.
We did a series of boxes for them, none close to as small as 4 litres.
The Fountek Five for FR88ex
dave
I def can't go to 18L on this. 4L really is a hard limit, but I can put a decent sub under the desk, so bass won't be an issue. I just whipped together a cardboard box sub with an Aurasound NS6 woofer I had laying around. Currently its paired with some sealed FE85s and sounds lovely. The biggest issue with the NS6 is that is takes a 50L enclosure for a 6" driver. I'm thinking the TB W5-1138SMF since I can get similar performance but in a 15L box.
Too bad you can’t still get SDX7. Does nicely in 14 litres or even down to half that (with extension loss of course). They nicely fit into a 1 ft3 with a FOster WT-100 plate amp (18mm material).
dave
dave
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Joined 2009
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I can’t comment on the FE85 as I never saw or heard one and it’s sometimes tricky to equate a data sheet with what you will actually hear. The FE88 turned out well so I can talk about this one, but it won’t do the lower frequencies and overall impact as well as what a larger driver can, should a larger box be acceptable.
The CHN-70 has a weird frequency response, perhaps it was designed for giving a very ‘live’ edge to percussion instruments and a strong presence to relatively uncluttered music that is popular with some people (apparently in Japan but I’m not sure what this music type is called). To my ears and many others, it has a frequency response that is too unbalanced, sounding harsh and unpleasant. It might make a good small practice box for electric guitar. For ‘regular’ music it likely needs to be horn loaded. Anyhow, it was a PR disaster in my view and yet Mark Audio continued to show a misleading (smooth frequency response) datasheet despite all the feedback. Independently measured data shows the ugly response, it’s not just a small deviation from smooth. If you are a specialized speaker driver manufacturer, if you cater to the DIY crowd, if you are skilled in the art, then you ought to know how to present your products accurately - no excuses.
The CHN-70 has a weird frequency response, perhaps it was designed for giving a very ‘live’ edge to percussion instruments and a strong presence to relatively uncluttered music that is popular with some people (apparently in Japan but I’m not sure what this music type is called). To my ears and many others, it has a frequency response that is too unbalanced, sounding harsh and unpleasant. It might make a good small practice box for electric guitar. For ‘regular’ music it likely needs to be horn loaded. Anyhow, it was a PR disaster in my view and yet Mark Audio continued to show a misleading (smooth frequency response) datasheet despite all the feedback. Independently measured data shows the ugly response, it’s not just a small deviation from smooth. If you are a specialized speaker driver manufacturer, if you cater to the DIY crowd, if you are skilled in the art, then you ought to know how to present your products accurately - no excuses.
The Martello speakers look interesting, and are about the right size. It think those or the miniOnkens are the path I will likely go down. They look like they will be a near push cost wise, and probably similar cost/effort for making the boxes.
How critical is it to maintain the height vs width on either design? If I kept the port dimensions (area x length) the same, could I make the box wider and shorter on the front face? Does either build need passive filtering?
How critical is it to maintain the height vs width on either design? If I kept the port dimensions (area x length) the same, could I make the box wider and shorter on the front face? Does either build need passive filtering?
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The Martello is best built as-is simply because it nicely fits, cutting-wise, on a 2’ x 2’ slab of wood. It’s also got irrational number dimensions if you care about that kind of thing. The port shouldn’t be messed with. And lastly, others who built this design liked the result, were surprised by the quality of the sound and the bass for such small size. So, why risk a change. No filtering was found to be needed, but the speakers work best on a desk, they may change in character if stand mounted.
The mini-Onken may well have been built in larger numbers than the Martello. Plus Dave can advise on changes to the size and shape which might better suit your application. There may even be flat packs available to build from - don’t know but Dave will be able to comment.
The mini-Onken may well have been built in larger numbers than the Martello. Plus Dave can advise on changes to the size and shape which might better suit your application. There may even be flat packs available to build from - don’t know but Dave will be able to comment.
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Aswas clearly state don release, voiced for the Japanese market, P7PHD has similar response (but in a higher qualituy piece of work.
dave
Also, something I just thought about, are either of these builds something that could be listened to for 8+hrs a day every day without fatigue?
As for the build, I'm planning to do everything with hand tool joinery, and ideally with solid wood if I have the right sized scraps down in the shop. Alternately, I have had good luck getting CNC plywood stuff from Wood Craft Supplies, Wood Cutouts, Wooden Shapes - WoodCrafter.com in the past.
As for the build, I'm planning to do everything with hand tool joinery, and ideally with solid wood if I have the right sized scraps down in the shop. Alternately, I have had good luck getting CNC plywood stuff from Wood Craft Supplies, Wood Cutouts, Wooden Shapes - WoodCrafter.com in the past.