Fast, fun, Inexpensive OB project

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My dog is enjoying the experimenting. Good girl. :)

I received my updated stands this evening. They allow for height and tilt adjustment, which is great. They’re pretty sturdy, but the connecting hardware doesn’t exactly instill confidence in maintaining square alignment. It takes a little extra futzing to get them set in the right spot.

For everything they offer, they are a good bargain, however. So I recommend them as good Manzanita stands.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078YN86Q5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 

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Inductor

Hi! I have one more question. I've ordered all components for build (drivers, mundorf resistors and inductors, clarity cap csa's etc) .. .. But i can't find 20mh iron core nowhere in Europe.. 15mh 0.57R intertehnik is closest i could find. That would push 1st order cut 10hz above original design.. Would that work without any other modifications?
 
15 mh inductor

Yes, you can use the 15 MH, but you will give up a slight amount of bass extention and you may have to adjust the high pass resistor (pad) downward slightly to maintain the tonal balance of the speaker. I would build it per spec and see what you think before adjusting the resistor. 15 mh is close enough in many cases to work out just fine. Which woofer are you using? J
 
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I am starting to cut oak wood and would like to make sure once again:
Is the horizontal plank (with crossover elements), which in the basic design is the bottom of the speakers, an element of the baffle, just like the side wings?

In my project, this board is theoretically not needed, because the stands will be integrated as shown in the picture.
 

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crossover tweaks

John and Pano,

With the Vifa TC9 in short supply, what are some general design tweaks one should keep in mind if building a Manzanita-like speaker with another full range driver?

I am thinking of building a set for someone else with the GRS woofers and already have some TC7FD00-04 drivers to use.

https://www.parts-express.com/pedocs/specs/264-1144--tymphany-tc7fd00-04-spec-sheet.pdf

Can the crossover be adapted to a 4 Ohm mid-tweet? Or is that way off base for this thread?
 
von Ah... Interesting to see the TC9 on back order ... Using the TC7 can be made to work, but not as well as the TC9. It would take a lot of effort to get the most out of the TC7 as it has much less Xmax and other issues. I see Parts Express is stating the TC9 will be back in stock in about a month. So waiting may be a lot better option unless you want to play with the TC7. I have a few older little used TC9's around here some where. So if the TC9's end up being delayed for too long I can see if I can find my old stock. J
 
Finished the build of first speaker.. I deviated from original dimensions. Speaker are little bit smaller than regular ultra.. Today I will finish the second one and hear them in stereo. I borrowed some ideas from spatial audio sapphire aesthetics.. Initial impression is that it is a nice speaker, little bit on the mid-fi side.. It lacks fine detail, three dimensionality and bass extension compared to closed box speakers that I usually listen to. I hope they will open up once the drivers break in and aligator clips are replaced with speaker cable. Anyway, lots of fun with my first build. I will record demo with good mics and post it once it is finished.
 

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I tried stereo pair. Bass is really exciting, but I will need to work on crossover.
I went with recommended values, but TC9 to my ears just sounds too mellow.
There is no top end, everything above 8khz sounds plastic and dull, resulting in small and two dimensional soundstage. Crancking the treble on the amplifier doesnt seem to improve ability to reproduce detail. I will try to measure the response to see whats going on.
 
Nice build. Congrats!

Let 'em cook for a bit. The TC9 takes a bit to settle in. The woofer might need a bit of time, too, but it was the tweeter that really seemed to change the most.

Properly settled in and pulled away from the wall (3 or 4 feet) they pretty much vanish sonically. They have a big sound stage that doesn't seem connected to the physical speakers at all.

After they have some time on them you may still want to tweak the crossover but the sound probably hasn't quite settled in yet.

Fun speaker for sure.
 
I added 3R paralel to 8R attenuator and tc9 has come to life.. There is still some "air" missing. I will try to reduce the 15R on filter to 8R and see what will happen. Mine manzanitas are standing on the floor so low end might be too much for vifas in recommended configuration. Im starting to see why people love this design so much - preformer is in the room with you instead of polished 3D soundstage behind the speakers :)