I'm a woodworker but know almost nothing about speaker design. A neighbor gave me the following parts, apparently purchased in early 2000's(?) but never used, and which I'd like to use to build speakers for my ~1,000 sft basement shop:
-An AR.COM two-way (bookshelf?) speaker kit, with a pair of Peerless 850122 woofers, Peerless 812687 tweeters, and crossovers.
-A pair of NHT 1256 woofers
My question is - is it a reasonable idea to use these parts in a pair of three-way speakers? I can build the cabinets to any required volume, but I'm totally incapable of designing new crossovers if needed.
Recommendations appreciated - Gus
-An AR.COM two-way (bookshelf?) speaker kit, with a pair of Peerless 850122 woofers, Peerless 812687 tweeters, and crossovers.
-A pair of NHT 1256 woofers
My question is - is it a reasonable idea to use these parts in a pair of three-way speakers? I can build the cabinets to any required volume, but I'm totally incapable of designing new crossovers if needed.
Recommendations appreciated - Gus
I built a pair of the AR.com speakers. The Peerless 850122 is a terrific mid bass. The same can't be said for the 812687 tweeter but it's serviceable. The crossover designed by Ed Frias lacks baffle step compensation resulting in bass that's a little thin. Scroll down the enclosed link to Dennis Murphy's revised crossover design. Much better than the original Ed Frias crossover.
I believe Danny Ritchie at GR Research also re-designed the AR crossover, but the schematic is not on his web site currently. If you send him an e-mail he may be able to fix you up if you're interested.
So I would build the AR's and a pair of matching powered subs using the 1256 woofers. Trying to build three-way speakers out of the parts you have would necessitate designing a whole new crossover.
Calling Ed Frias (AR.Com ?)
I believe Danny Ritchie at GR Research also re-designed the AR crossover, but the schematic is not on his web site currently. If you send him an e-mail he may be able to fix you up if you're interested.
So I would build the AR's and a pair of matching powered subs using the 1256 woofers. Trying to build three-way speakers out of the parts you have would necessitate designing a whole new crossover.
Calling Ed Frias (AR.Com ?)
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Also, are you sure the woofer number 1256? NHT made a 12" model 1259 woofer. If that's the number, use a 3 cu. ft. closed box for the enclosure.
OK, thanks all for the feedback. I understand the recommendation to house the subs separately and yes they are in fact NHT 1259's
The 1259's will be connected to an 110 watts/channel Onkyo TX-NR709 receiver, and it appears that the receiver requires active/powered subwoofer(s) to function properly. Thus additional questions:
-Can I use the 1259's with a plate amplifier in the cabinet? Based on Googl'ing I see 1259's require about 3.3 cu ft volume sealed cabinets - apart from expanding slightly for the volume taken up by the plate amplifier, does the volume requirement change for the powered configuration?
-On Parts Express I see Dayton Audio and Yung brands with good reviews - any opinions? Options include No Boost, Class D, 6DB at 30 Hz, DSP .... opinions? I know nothing about this stuff 🙁
-I'm setting this up in my 1000 sft basement shop - since I have two 1259's are two subs better than one? How many amp plate amplifier do I need? (I like good bass but I won't be playing at real loud volume - I have neighbors nearby)
Thx, Gus
The 1259's will be connected to an 110 watts/channel Onkyo TX-NR709 receiver, and it appears that the receiver requires active/powered subwoofer(s) to function properly. Thus additional questions:
-Can I use the 1259's with a plate amplifier in the cabinet? Based on Googl'ing I see 1259's require about 3.3 cu ft volume sealed cabinets - apart from expanding slightly for the volume taken up by the plate amplifier, does the volume requirement change for the powered configuration?
-On Parts Express I see Dayton Audio and Yung brands with good reviews - any opinions? Options include No Boost, Class D, 6DB at 30 Hz, DSP .... opinions? I know nothing about this stuff 🙁
-I'm setting this up in my 1000 sft basement shop - since I have two 1259's are two subs better than one? How many amp plate amplifier do I need? (I like good bass but I won't be playing at real loud volume - I have neighbors nearby)
Thx, Gus
Use plate amps for the subs, not the receiver. One of the Dayton amps in the 250 watt range will be fine for each woofer. And you build them into the woofer cabinet. And I probably wouldn't go for the boost option. Finally, two subs are a better option if you can afford it.
Dayton Audio SPA250 250 Watt Subwoofer Plate Amplifier
or this: Bash 300S Digital Subwoofer Plate Amplifier 300W RMS
Dayton Audio SPA250 250 Watt Subwoofer Plate Amplifier
or this: Bash 300S Digital Subwoofer Plate Amplifier 300W RMS