From the top of my head down the memory lane of this thread few times here and there were mentioned about the high end roll off of TC9 as is usually the case with many wide banders. This too has been my experience. I craved for that high end sharpness.
Then I came across a video of Danny Richie (GR Research) wherein he mentioned something in the line of additional tweeter if needed can be done so facing/pointing upwards. Then started my trials with the limited parts I have on hand.
I'm far from being a crossover expert. For all my crossover works all I did was go about trying and listening after going through Introduction to designing crossovers without measurement by @AllenB
I ended up with a Dayton ND25TA crossed very high using third order. Works for me! for now. The sharp sound of the cymbals which I love/crave for is coming through. I'm loving it!
Has anyone else tried this?
Then I came across a video of Danny Richie (GR Research) wherein he mentioned something in the line of additional tweeter if needed can be done so facing/pointing upwards. Then started my trials with the limited parts I have on hand.
I'm far from being a crossover expert. For all my crossover works all I did was go about trying and listening after going through Introduction to designing crossovers without measurement by @AllenB
I ended up with a Dayton ND25TA crossed very high using third order. Works for me! for now. The sharp sound of the cymbals which I love/crave for is coming through. I'm loving it!
Has anyone else tried this?
Embarrassed to even post, but need to rip this bandaid off.. I actually ordered the parts for making a pair of the Ultras back in January of 2024 and here we are in June of '25 and I still haven't built them yet! Lots of excuses, some even valid, but about to restart this project. First critical consideration (at least in my mind) is that I have NO woodworking skills and basically have a hand saw, a hammer, and just bought a hand router. I have a friend who is pretty good with wood but he had no space until just last week rented out a large storage unit that he is now setting up with a table saw, etc.
Given all this time has passed, may I ask this to @Pano and @barryso and all the other skilled DIYers here: IF you were to build a new Manzanita Ultra starting today, would you use a different tweeter than the Peerless TC9FD18-08 (that I bought)?? A strong secondary reason for this question is because I have NO idea how I can flush mount the TC9 and so would greatly prefer a round fullrange. With the new router and enough YouTube videos I can venture forth routing and rebating using a circle jig I also just bought, but the much more complex (for me) rectangular type shape of the TC9 has me in paralysis. Trying to search thru this tread again I see one potential round tweeter alternative is the Dayton Audio PS95-8 3.5", but there may be much better options out there that I'll defer to the experts here.
Thanks in advance,
Procrastinator David
Given all this time has passed, may I ask this to @Pano and @barryso and all the other skilled DIYers here: IF you were to build a new Manzanita Ultra starting today, would you use a different tweeter than the Peerless TC9FD18-08 (that I bought)?? A strong secondary reason for this question is because I have NO idea how I can flush mount the TC9 and so would greatly prefer a round fullrange. With the new router and enough YouTube videos I can venture forth routing and rebating using a circle jig I also just bought, but the much more complex (for me) rectangular type shape of the TC9 has me in paralysis. Trying to search thru this tread again I see one potential round tweeter alternative is the Dayton Audio PS95-8 3.5", but there may be much better options out there that I'll defer to the experts here.
Thanks in advance,
Procrastinator David
Hi David, thanks for posting.
If you have no woodworking skills, you picked the right project! 😀 John Busch designed this to be super easy to build.
As for mounting the Vifa, you can make a sub baffle for it. I will try to describe it for you: Where the Vifa goes make a hole bigger than the Vifa. Then grab a piece thin board, like hardboard or ~1/4” ply. Make a round cutout in that thin piece for your Vifa. Now the Vifa is mounted on a thin board.
Take that thin board and mount it over the large hole you made in the large baffle. Voila! You now have the Vifa mounted but with a large cutout in the main, thick baffle.
If you want to make it look pretty (you should) then practice on scrap with your router. Make the thin Vifa baffle round and a little bigger that the cutout in the main baffle. Route an insert around edge the big hole in the main baffle that is the same diameter as your thin Vifa baffle. The idea being that you will inset the thin baffle flush into the thick baffle.
That may be hard to visualize from a text description, but I’m pretty sure that there are photos of this idea somwhere in the thread.
I might be able to draw it for you if you need that.
If you have no woodworking skills, you picked the right project! 😀 John Busch designed this to be super easy to build.
As for mounting the Vifa, you can make a sub baffle for it. I will try to describe it for you: Where the Vifa goes make a hole bigger than the Vifa. Then grab a piece thin board, like hardboard or ~1/4” ply. Make a round cutout in that thin piece for your Vifa. Now the Vifa is mounted on a thin board.
Take that thin board and mount it over the large hole you made in the large baffle. Voila! You now have the Vifa mounted but with a large cutout in the main, thick baffle.
If you want to make it look pretty (you should) then practice on scrap with your router. Make the thin Vifa baffle round and a little bigger that the cutout in the main baffle. Route an insert around edge the big hole in the main baffle that is the same diameter as your thin Vifa baffle. The idea being that you will inset the thin baffle flush into the thick baffle.
That may be hard to visualize from a text description, but I’m pretty sure that there are photos of this idea somwhere in the thread.
I might be able to draw it for you if you need that.
Some of us have less than no woodworking skills. So the drivers were just mounted proud on the front of the baffle and a 8" black felt ring was put around the Vifa. So the Vifa is now flush and the driver looks a lot larger and balances out with the woofer a lot better.
David,
Of course you can use other small full rangers instead of the Vifa, but then you'll need to re-model the xo, much more difficult task than following Pano's and barryso's advice.
I would personally use a sub baffle but mount the driver from the back, and chamfer the front round hole with a router.
This will also somewhat help with time alignment which for me is important.
One such example below, courtesy of CooperH.
Of course you can use other small full rangers instead of the Vifa, but then you'll need to re-model the xo, much more difficult task than following Pano's and barryso's advice.
I would personally use a sub baffle but mount the driver from the back, and chamfer the front round hole with a router.
This will also somewhat help with time alignment which for me is important.
One such example below, courtesy of CooperH.
