All done!
Previously I had finished a set of Ariels that a man abandoned, but this is the first loudspeaker system I have designed (with LOTS of help from the folks here) and built. Except that the cabinets are still raw MDF, it's finished.
I know everyone who builds a set of speakers says this, but -- golly they sound great!
The last tweak was to change out two resistors in the Parts Express plate amp, to change the boost to +3 db at 19 Hz. That was not as easy as the instructions would lead you to believe. The hard part was removing the preamp. It was glued around the edges to a rubber gasket about 1/2" thick. There was not sufficient room to get a knife all the way around to cut it loose. I tore up the rubber a little getting the thing off, but some Shoe Goo (tm) set that right.
I'm also running it with a Richter Scale Series Three. I changed the crossover in it to 72 Hz by swapping out resistors.
The bass now integrates perfectly, and it's solid to below 20 Hz.
The final version of the BSC circuit is 2.75mH/5Ohm.
The box for the mains is made from 3/4" particle board throughout. Inside dimensions are H 15 1/4", W 4", D 5 1/4". There is a 1" diameter hole (vent) near the bottom front of the box. The MDF itself forms a 3/4" long port. The speaker is mounted 6" from the top (ID). There's a terminal cup from Madisound on the back of each. The top part of the cabinet is lined with 1/4" felt. Each box is lightly stuffed with poly fiber, from top to about three inches below the driver. The driver cones were coated with three thin coats of dammar varnish, and painted with a thin coat of ivory black artists' oil paint thinned slightly with dammar varnish.
The box for the sub is made of 1" MDF. Inside dimensions are H 24", W 11", D 6.75". There is a 1" board with large holes in it half way up and parallel to the floor -- a "shelf brace". I guess that after subtracting for the driver, passive radiator, amp, and shelf brace, the internal volume is about 26.5 liters. That yields an alignment with an "extended bass shelf." The top of the box contains the driver and the bottom contains the passive radiator (400 grams). The plate amp is from Parts Express, and has been modified to have 3db boost at 19 Hz. Oh -- I put some of those spikey feet on the bottom. Someone here recently said that wasn't a great idea. I might try removing them.
I am using a Linkwitz-Riley 24db/octave crossover at 72Hz. If you use the crossover that's built into the sub amp, a somewhat lower setting would probably be better.
That's it.
Previously I had finished a set of Ariels that a man abandoned, but this is the first loudspeaker system I have designed (with LOTS of help from the folks here) and built. Except that the cabinets are still raw MDF, it's finished.
I know everyone who builds a set of speakers says this, but -- golly they sound great!
The last tweak was to change out two resistors in the Parts Express plate amp, to change the boost to +3 db at 19 Hz. That was not as easy as the instructions would lead you to believe. The hard part was removing the preamp. It was glued around the edges to a rubber gasket about 1/2" thick. There was not sufficient room to get a knife all the way around to cut it loose. I tore up the rubber a little getting the thing off, but some Shoe Goo (tm) set that right.
I'm also running it with a Richter Scale Series Three. I changed the crossover in it to 72 Hz by swapping out resistors.
The bass now integrates perfectly, and it's solid to below 20 Hz.
The final version of the BSC circuit is 2.75mH/5Ohm.
The box for the mains is made from 3/4" particle board throughout. Inside dimensions are H 15 1/4", W 4", D 5 1/4". There is a 1" diameter hole (vent) near the bottom front of the box. The MDF itself forms a 3/4" long port. The speaker is mounted 6" from the top (ID). There's a terminal cup from Madisound on the back of each. The top part of the cabinet is lined with 1/4" felt. Each box is lightly stuffed with poly fiber, from top to about three inches below the driver. The driver cones were coated with three thin coats of dammar varnish, and painted with a thin coat of ivory black artists' oil paint thinned slightly with dammar varnish.
The box for the sub is made of 1" MDF. Inside dimensions are H 24", W 11", D 6.75". There is a 1" board with large holes in it half way up and parallel to the floor -- a "shelf brace". I guess that after subtracting for the driver, passive radiator, amp, and shelf brace, the internal volume is about 26.5 liters. That yields an alignment with an "extended bass shelf." The top of the box contains the driver and the bottom contains the passive radiator (400 grams). The plate amp is from Parts Express, and has been modified to have 3db boost at 19 Hz. Oh -- I put some of those spikey feet on the bottom. Someone here recently said that wasn't a great idea. I might try removing them.
I am using a Linkwitz-Riley 24db/octave crossover at 72Hz. If you use the crossover that's built into the sub amp, a somewhat lower setting would probably be better.
That's it.
(hard to describe, almost boomy or slow).
That thread would have 0 replies.
Don't know what I was thinking 