Better Speakers than Overnight Sensations at Similar Price Point in Europe?

[Dacit]

Hi everyone,

being in Europe, buying speaker kits is kind of a pain in the *** as most are much more expensive here. The 'default' option for budget DIY speakers are the Overnight Sensations, which are available here for around 140$ (125€). Do you know of any better design that is competitive with this price point (<200$), available in Europe?

Thanks a lot.

 

[planet10]

t one diyFEST we had a set of Overnite sensations playing. Next up were a smallish box with EL70eN and then the larger version. Both of those smoked the Overnites. Bob sold all of the EL70s he had brought.

A similar speaker with Mark Audio Pluvia 7, 7HD, Alpair 7.3 or 7ms would all be a step up from the EL70s — Pluvia 7 looks to fit pretty much in the EL70 boxes out there.

Mark Audio can be had — at a minimum — from KJF Audio in the UK.

 

[wolf_teeth]

If you can source HiVi components cheaply, then my Sophomores are also of the same arena. Unfortunately, the writeup may be lost, but the xover, dimensions, etc I can still get for you. The initial setup was to minimize response variation via baffle positioning, and it worked rather well. 6.25 oz of polyfill in the cabinet, TN25 and M4N.

Let me know if you want more information,
Wolf

 

[ScottG]

metallic maroon.. nice!

 

[wolf_teeth]

Duplicolor Metalcast Red paint over Krylon Hammered Black paint. The MCRed is slightly transparent, and allows the base coat to set the shade. Advance Auto still stocks the Duplicolor paint. This is one of my favorite paint jobs I've done, and that was 11 years ago... I like to call it Vermillion or Scarlet in terms of shade, as it's a very blood-red color.

Later, and thanks!
Wolf

 

[planet10]

HiVi TN25

I think i might have a bunch of those (8?) that i will likely never use. Were meant to go with the surplus WR125s i have lots of too.

dave

 

[Dacit]

Thank Y'all so much for your suggestions!

Next up were a smallish box with EL70eN and then the larger version. Both of those smoked the Overnites. Bob sold all of the EL70s he had brought.

Do you happen to know a good bookshelf design with EL70eNs?

Unfortunately, the writeup may be lost, but the xover, dimensions, etc I can still get for you.

Interesting design, knowing the (rough) dimensions would be awesome for a start!

 

[microdub]

Hi everyone,

being in Europe, buying speaker kits is kind of a pain in the *** as most are much more expensive here.

Try living down-under! If its not the exchange rate, its crazy shipping costs from either Europe or the USA.

 

[planet10]

Do you happen to know a good bookshelf design with EL70eNs?

At least a couple. I think that i have at least 4 of them drawn-up. EL70s have been NLA for a long time, but i have been going thru my driver collection to see what can go and i found 2 EL70eN. I haven’t checked their provenence or retested them… if they survive that they will be for sale — but they’d still have to cross the Atlantic.

The Pluvia 7 pretty much drops into the EL70 boxes and Stefan @ KJF should have some of those.

These are the little ones (that 1st went up against the OVNS) A refinement, with driver-specific changes, of this 4.7 litre box (plan):

followed the milliSize ones in the OVNS comparisonand caused the stampede up the stairs for people to clean Bob out of drivers:

The original prototypes (rectangular version of above):

There is a simplier version of these, the Classic Golden Ratio Mar-Kel70. Plans for it are free for personal use.

https://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/CGR-Mar-Kel70-250912.pdf

If you want to go ahead with any of these, and use the P7, contact me and i’ll check the detail.

dave

 

[Dacit]

Thank you, dave! The Pluvia 7 are even available here in Germany, so that could be a very good fit. However, I'm not quite sure since I have enough space here on my desk to fit some larger speakers (~20 Liters).

 

[planet10]

The trapezoid Mar-Ken, with its taperd shape & big champhers, takes up close to the same space as a larger box.

Or you could look to the A10p for a slightly larger box, but more money, no gain in bass (actually a bit less depth, just more).

I wouldn’t pick a speaker thou just to take up more space. I can manipulate the Mar-Kens/miniOnkens to be many shapes.

dave

 

[wolf_teeth]

Interesting design, knowing the (rough) dimensions would be awesome for a start!

The design was made optimizing position on the baffle as well as baffle edge treatments to get the best response of the drivers used. Then the xover was modeled. The sharp or rounded edges are important, as are the position/placement of the drivers on the baffle. The top and bottom halves of the cabinet are visual inversions whether sharp or round. The tweeter is flush-mounted, and the woofer is surface mounted in my version. Others have flush mounted the woofer without issues. All roundovers in mine are 0.75" radius, but others have been made with 0.5" radii. Material is 0.75" MDF, painted. Port is 1.5" diameter x 4.5" long from inside end to baffle surface of outer flare.

Xover boards were made into to sections. The woofer board lies on the side wall behind the name-badge, and the tweeter board was slid against the inside top atop the port. There really are not better positions.

Sorry it took so long...
Wolf

 

[TNT]

...i have been going thru my driver collection to see what can go and i found ...
dave

diyaudio moderator happily hawking his warez outside of the commercial part of the forum - shame on you!

//

 

[planet10]

Well if giving them away for free or for almost free then fine, i am. Just trying to help all the frugal-philes™ out there.

dave

 

[ChrisABC]

....the Brio Nola clone. Small speakers and a subwoofer.

Nola by Accent Speaker Technology, Ltd.

They want how much? ($3500 usd in 2016)
Build this and buy a powered sub.

Build dimensions post 178 on page 18 it's a Long read, they used a 3" Peerless TC9FD18-08 with 20ufd cap in series on the top woofer. Speculation was the original uses 16 ohm drivers.

Need help building open baffle/bass reflex hybrid

post #40 note the top reversed
Nola Brio Trio updaate - Techtalk Speaker Building, Audio, Video Discussion Forum

Techtalk Speaker Building, Audio, Video Discussion Forum

post #221 page 23
Need help building open baffle/bass reflex hybrid

 

[ChrisABC]

Brio Trio Clone vs Overnight Sensations

post #37
Nola Brio Trio updaate -

Techtalk Speaker Building, Audio, Video Discussion Forum

"03-07-2017, 07:06 PM
Hi Guys,

I did a shootout between the Brio Trios I built and all the other small speakers I have including my Wharfdale Diamond 10.1s, using my newly acquired Pyle speaker selector switch. The result was that I very clearly preferred the Brio Trios over all the others including the Overnight Sensations and the Wharfdales. The BTs are transparency, detail and imaging phenoms and have excellent dynamics as well. They are very similar to a friends Acoustat electrostatics and my main system's Thiel 2.4s in their overall presentation.
For the heck of it I even compared the BTs with my big shop system which includes Dahlquist DQ20 speakers driven by excellent quality electronics. The big system was better but was made up of components originally retailing for over $3000.
My opinion is that this is a very special speaker and would be hard to top for a near field or smaller room system at any price.
The BT requires a quality sub to sound its best, so plan on that if you are going to build a pair.

Best,
​Jay "