Hi all-
I have taken a look at other "I am a new guy so help me" threads, and decided to not hijack them because each has its own specific direction... Anyway, I am doing initial research and am getting burried in all the options. Although this will be my first real project, I really do not mind spending some money on the drivers. The way I see it, is I can always build new enclosures, crossovers, etc, but I would hate to buy drivers, just to throw them away to get better once. Initially, I want to build 2 speakers, or 2 speakers + sub for stereo listening, and maybe later go to surround. I am open to using "exotic" technology, such as bening wave drivers, compression horns, bass horns, and anything else that sounds good, however, being exotic is certainly not a requirement. In fact, simplicity is good. As far as budget, I am willing to spend up to USD $1,000 per driver. (maybe 1,200). and would like to go 3 or 4 way, or whatever sounds best. My thoughts on crossovers are a bit unorthodox, and are inspired by the car audio world. I was thinking about splitting up the signal before amplifying it, with a high end electronic crossover. I defenantly want to amplifiy each driver with a seperate chennel. The idea here is to do the project in parts, since I can not afford everything now. I know if anyone can help, it would be you guys. Any suggestions are welcome!
Thanks!
I have taken a look at other "I am a new guy so help me" threads, and decided to not hijack them because each has its own specific direction... Anyway, I am doing initial research and am getting burried in all the options. Although this will be my first real project, I really do not mind spending some money on the drivers. The way I see it, is I can always build new enclosures, crossovers, etc, but I would hate to buy drivers, just to throw them away to get better once. Initially, I want to build 2 speakers, or 2 speakers + sub for stereo listening, and maybe later go to surround. I am open to using "exotic" technology, such as bening wave drivers, compression horns, bass horns, and anything else that sounds good, however, being exotic is certainly not a requirement. In fact, simplicity is good. As far as budget, I am willing to spend up to USD $1,000 per driver. (maybe 1,200). and would like to go 3 or 4 way, or whatever sounds best. My thoughts on crossovers are a bit unorthodox, and are inspired by the car audio world. I was thinking about splitting up the signal before amplifying it, with a high end electronic crossover. I defenantly want to amplifiy each driver with a seperate chennel. The idea here is to do the project in parts, since I can not afford everything now. I know if anyone can help, it would be you guys. Any suggestions are welcome!
Thanks!
Active filtering isn't very strange, for the most of us it's to expensive 🙂.
You are gonna use separate amps so power is available, so what about Scan Speak they have very good paper /kevlar/carbon cones.
You are gonna use separate amps so power is available, so what about Scan Speak they have very good paper /kevlar/carbon cones.
So you want to build a 3 or 4-way active system and spend 3-5k on drivers? You'll need to spend at least the same on amps and electronics and if you don't have a source that can feed them there is no point so toss in another 3-5k for an SACD player and/or the same for a TT.
Even then, given it is your 1st DIY speaker i'd start more modestly. There are many ways to skin the cat and you need to find the way that best suits you before you can even start to choose drivers.
If i had those kind of bucks to spend, i'd start with a really good full-range for the middle (maybe a Fertin field coil), a pr of push-push woofers with 15" Lambda Apollos (FC is you can still get em, but that might be pushing the budget), and a Raven R2 (ARG or ESG) as a super T. SS on the bottom, PP tube amp in the middle, and probably on the top. XOs built between the amp stages if possible.
dave
Even then, given it is your 1st DIY speaker i'd start more modestly. There are many ways to skin the cat and you need to find the way that best suits you before you can even start to choose drivers.
If i had those kind of bucks to spend, i'd start with a really good full-range for the middle (maybe a Fertin field coil), a pr of push-push woofers with 15" Lambda Apollos (FC is you can still get em, but that might be pushing the budget), and a Raven R2 (ARG or ESG) as a super T. SS on the bottom, PP tube amp in the middle, and probably on the top. XOs built between the amp stages if possible.
dave
Oooh! Big budget man!
Can I live vicariously through your wallet? 😀
Actually, I've been wanting to do a 3-or-4-way setup that's completely actively amped for a while... active amplification has some really neat advantages, and if you have a separate amp for each driver, I imagine the sound could get very good, and it would be a nearly trivial task to tweak the thing into flat frequency response.
First step: download the madisound catalog (Huff-it's 21 megs!) and then get on the various speaker websites and look at drivers. (My favorite is www.speakerhole.com because everything is very inexpensive, but they only have very rudimentary specs published. Many of their drivers come from www.madisonspeakers.com -- DON'T confuse this with Madisound, as they are different -- and T/S params are available on the second website.)
The hardest part is comparing drivers.... it would be very nice if every manufacturer used the same format for disseminating driver information; as it is, you have to be careful that the specs you're reading are accurate, and that the marketing department hasn't done something vernicious like posting a frequency response graph starting at 200hz and saying "flat bass response"--there are some like this in the Madisound catalog, beware!
It is potentially very overwhelming... just concentrate on the goals you have (3-way or 4-way, active, flat response, etc) and select your drivers to match that. Make sure you get good software--WinISD and SpeakerWorkshop are both free and very good--and use them well. Plan on spending a LOT of time in front of these programs, plugging in different parameters to get what you want.
As always, post your progress on this board as you go, so you will have the feedback of all the users of this forum to help you on your way.
Good luck!
Can I live vicariously through your wallet? 😀
Actually, I've been wanting to do a 3-or-4-way setup that's completely actively amped for a while... active amplification has some really neat advantages, and if you have a separate amp for each driver, I imagine the sound could get very good, and it would be a nearly trivial task to tweak the thing into flat frequency response.
First step: download the madisound catalog (Huff-it's 21 megs!) and then get on the various speaker websites and look at drivers. (My favorite is www.speakerhole.com because everything is very inexpensive, but they only have very rudimentary specs published. Many of their drivers come from www.madisonspeakers.com -- DON'T confuse this with Madisound, as they are different -- and T/S params are available on the second website.)
The hardest part is comparing drivers.... it would be very nice if every manufacturer used the same format for disseminating driver information; as it is, you have to be careful that the specs you're reading are accurate, and that the marketing department hasn't done something vernicious like posting a frequency response graph starting at 200hz and saying "flat bass response"--there are some like this in the Madisound catalog, beware!
It is potentially very overwhelming... just concentrate on the goals you have (3-way or 4-way, active, flat response, etc) and select your drivers to match that. Make sure you get good software--WinISD and SpeakerWorkshop are both free and very good--and use them well. Plan on spending a LOT of time in front of these programs, plugging in different parameters to get what you want.
As always, post your progress on this board as you go, so you will have the feedback of all the users of this forum to help you on your way.
Good luck!
Thanks for the responces guys! I have been looking around, and stumbled onto the world of pro-audio, or more acurately, active speakers. What do you think about, for example Genelecs or Dynaudio studio monitors. All these are seperately amped, and crossed, play flat, and come in 2 or 3 ways. I know this is not exactly DIY, but my ultimate goal is great audio, wheather it involves building it myself or not... So I just wanted to get your openions. I love the fact that these take a ballanced input, and can take a sub, or play low end if large enough.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Hello again-
The more I learn about the world of audio, the more I realize how little I know. I began driver selection based on T/S parameters, and it is as though there is something I just do not "get". For example, I see popular drivers that cost x3 more then other popular drivers, however, based on the parameters, I would not touch them with a stick! This is of course exciting, becuase I feel like I can build a great set of speakers for a fraction of my original budget, but then I feel like I might be missing something. Ok, to my question now... The design I am considering is 3 or 4 "independant" enclosures stacked on top of one another. And each one is sealed (still investingating "infinate baffle" however). Because each is on its own amp channel, the drivers should be fairly sensitive so that I do not have to spend a small fortune on class A amps. So one of the first parameters I am looking at is sensitivity. Next I look at the frequency responce, to make sure it is flat. Finally I look at the Le parameter or the voice coil inductance to make sure I have excellent transient responce (sealed/infinate baffle to aid with this). Of cource VC lenght, wire type and Bl also factor into this last characteristic. So my question is - am I not looking/considering some imortant parameters? Based on what limited information I know about driver selection, Scan Speak Revelator series ended up being some of the best drivers, at any price (of course outside exotic drivers such as the Raven R.3)... Please let me know if I am on the right track with this. Thank you!!!
The more I learn about the world of audio, the more I realize how little I know. I began driver selection based on T/S parameters, and it is as though there is something I just do not "get". For example, I see popular drivers that cost x3 more then other popular drivers, however, based on the parameters, I would not touch them with a stick! This is of course exciting, becuase I feel like I can build a great set of speakers for a fraction of my original budget, but then I feel like I might be missing something. Ok, to my question now... The design I am considering is 3 or 4 "independant" enclosures stacked on top of one another. And each one is sealed (still investingating "infinate baffle" however). Because each is on its own amp channel, the drivers should be fairly sensitive so that I do not have to spend a small fortune on class A amps. So one of the first parameters I am looking at is sensitivity. Next I look at the frequency responce, to make sure it is flat. Finally I look at the Le parameter or the voice coil inductance to make sure I have excellent transient responce (sealed/infinate baffle to aid with this). Of cource VC lenght, wire type and Bl also factor into this last characteristic. So my question is - am I not looking/considering some imortant parameters? Based on what limited information I know about driver selection, Scan Speak Revelator series ended up being some of the best drivers, at any price (of course outside exotic drivers such as the Raven R.3)... Please let me know if I am on the right track with this. Thank you!!!
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