3-way speakers with Fountek NeoX2.0 ribbon tweeter, recommend mid and woofer drivers?

[Alexium]

I want to build a 3-way speakers the around Fountek NeoX 2.0 planar midrange tweeters:
Official specs
Youtube review with real-life measurements


What kind of a mid-range would mate well with this tweeter? The recommended crossover point is 2.3 kHz; judging from the video review above, it would be best to cut it closer to 3 kHz if possible. My price limit for a single mid driver is $100. Ideally I would aim at $50, but I don't want to compromise on the frequency response or the micro-dynamics.


On the other hand, unless you guys think this concept is flawed, I want to build a 5.1 surround system with all 5 full-range speakers having the same ribbon tweeter + midrange driver. And if there's going to be a standalone subwoofer in the system anyway, would it make more sense to go for a 2-way system with a smaller mid-bass driver that might be comfortably crossed in the 2.5 kHz - 3 kHz region?


Or do I want both of the front speakers to incorporate the sub-woofer driver for a more even spatial distribution of bass in the room?


I aim for the simplest enclosure - a sealed box. No horns, IBs or vents or anything else difficult to calculate and to construct.



I'm lacking both listening experience and the theoretic knowledge to make informed decisions. This isn't my first DIY speaker, I've built a 2-way sealed box system before, and I have some experience tuning and equalizing the audio system in my car (the main takeaways were that correct timings / delays matter A LOT, and that humans - i. e. myself - are able to locate the source of a 50 Hz sound, albeit not as readily as a 1 kHz one).


Do you think what I want to do makes sense at all, and do you think it could be simple enough to build? Or will it be hell to tune properly?
Currently, my main concern is 91-92 dB sensitivity of those ribbon tweeters in the midrange, limits the selection of matching midrange drivers if I aim at similar sensitivity.


Thanks for reading, and hopefully, for guiding me

 

[jamesblonde]

I found some of your ideas to be a little confusing. For example, you mention your midrange driver budget but what about the bass? And if you are on a tight budget then why even consider a highly compromised 5.1 system instead of a good 2.0?


p.s. which part of Ukraine are you from?

 

[Alexium]

you mention your midrange driver budget but what about the bass?

Bass is important, of course, but there are only two woofers needed (at least) versus 5 midrange drivers (at least).

And if you are on a tight budget then why even consider a highly compromised 5.1 system instead of a good 2.0?

Are you saying that a 5-channel system within the budget I mentioned would be compromised? In what sense, what would be the weakest link, in your opinion?

p.s. which part of Ukraine are you from?

Kharkiv.

 

[Ugg10]

For a mid to reach up to 3khz it will probably 4” or less, maybe the scanspeak 10f or possibly the morel mdm55 2” dome. These will need a 6-8” woofer, the satori mw16p-8 may be a candidate. I suspect your overall sensitivity will be driven by the woofer rather than the tweeter.

Just some thoughts to get you going.

 

[jamesblonde]

Are you saying that a 5-channel system within the budget I mentioned would be compromised? In what sense, what would be the weakest link, in your opinion?

Perhaps I misunderstood your post, but if you were restricting yourself to $50 midrange units in a two-speaker system, I wouldn't recommend even considering a 5.1-speaker system as the price per speaker will demand that you make a lot of compromises which will impact sound quality.


Also consider budgeting for some room treatment, as $100 of DIY room treatment in a poor listening environment can make more difference than spending an extra $1,000 on speakers.

Kharkiv.

Ah, never made it to Kharkiv but spent a few years in Kiev. Pity that you're quite far from HifiCompass (another member from Ukraine).

 

[Alexium]

Thanks!

the satori mw16p-8 may be a candidate.

Never heard of this company, it's great to learn new names and new options. But why not the 7.5" Satori MW19P-8? Found a blog post of a diyer who used it for a two-way bookshelf speaker and it seems he's quite pleased with the results.


I'm a bit confused, though. Isn't this driver too good in the midrange and too poor in the low range to go into a 3-way system as a woofer? The frequency response chart looks like it can be crossed at 3 kHz no problem, let alone 2.5-2.8, so it should reasonably blend with the NeoX2.0 tweeter in a 2.0 system. Am I missing something?

 

[Alexium]

if you were restricting yourself to $50 midrange units in a two-speaker system, I wouldn't recommend even considering a 5.1-speaker system as the price per speaker will demand that you make a lot of compromises which will impact sound quality.

Understood. Let's do it the right way, then: what drivers could you recommend for someone who doesn't want to go all in, but without a firm budget limit? Where is the sweet spot for fidelity versus price?

Also consider budgeting for some room treatment, as $100 of DIY room treatment in a poor listening environment can make more difference than spending an extra $1,000 on speakers.

Noted. I assume we're not talking about tearing down the wallpapers and placing sound dampening material on the wall? That would be more than $100 in wallpapers alone, but I do want to do that eventually, at least to the wall with the neighboring apartment.
I will add more soft stuff and some furniture with uneven surfaces, hopefully that'll help a bit.

Ah, never made it to Kharkiv but spent a few years in Kiev.

Small world, huh!

Pity that you're quite far from HifiCompass (another member from Ukraine).

... but not small enough

 

[jamesblonde]

Understood. Let's do it the right way, then: what drivers could you recommend for someone who doesn't want to go all in, but without a firm budget limit? Where is the sweet spot for fidelity versus price?

So much comes down to personal preference when designing your own speaker - it's impossible to answer in a meaningful way.



Have you looked at any kits using the Fountek tweeter (or even without)? That could cut down the project risk and development time.