Hello all, I'm getting ready to take the dive and build a DIY floorstander, but there are so many well thought out choices I was looking for advice from some more veteran ears. I've currently got a pair of salvaged Parasound C-280s in 1.5 cubic foot boxes, and I do like the sound, but at higher volumes the mindrange gets a bit muddy. So i figured a 2.5 way or a 3-way would be the way to go. I'm looking for a floorstander, because I won't be using a sub and also for aesthetic reasons. The plans I've been looking at in particular are Zaph's BAMTM , Waveguide TMM, and ZDT3, Troels Gravesen's PMS, and Dennis Murphy's MBOW1. I'm currently leaning towards the ZDT3 but I worry as I have a small room, (13x15) and I listen about a meter away, off-center, to get a farther listening distance I'd have to get them closer than a foot from the walls. I like the price tag on the BAMTM, but I'm not sure it'll be a huge improvement over my current mains. Any advice you folks would have is very appreciated.
Oh, I'll power them via a harmon/kardon reciever, sources will be a HTPC, and SACD/DVD-Audio player. They'll get used for games, movies, and, most critically, music.
P.S. I'd like to thank John, Dennis, and Troels for their excellent sites and designs, and great scientific information on speaker building. Until I discovered John's site in particular I was very confused about this whole DIY speaker thing, it really cleared up alot for me.
Oh, I'll power them via a harmon/kardon reciever, sources will be a HTPC, and SACD/DVD-Audio player. They'll get used for games, movies, and, most critically, music.
P.S. I'd like to thank John, Dennis, and Troels for their excellent sites and designs, and great scientific information on speaker building. Until I discovered John's site in particular I was very confused about this whole DIY speaker thing, it really cleared up alot for me.
ZDT3 recomendation
I recently built the ZDT3 and love them.
The dome midrange sure hits the spot for guitar based rock. It takes workload off the lower end that tweeters usually handle and the upper end of the dual RS180s and handles it's responsibilities nicely.
Your room is smaller than mine, but not tiny by any means.
A couple things to consider:
If you are just using the speakers for TV and movies you may want to build a nice MTM with a seperate sub that can be placed closer to the wall yet play louder than your current setup.
If you are going to play a fair amount of music then I would look to Zaph's ZDT3.
I recently built the ZDT3 and love them.
The dome midrange sure hits the spot for guitar based rock. It takes workload off the lower end that tweeters usually handle and the upper end of the dual RS180s and handles it's responsibilities nicely.
Your room is smaller than mine, but not tiny by any means.
A couple things to consider:
If you are just using the speakers for TV and movies you may want to build a nice MTM with a seperate sub that can be placed closer to the wall yet play louder than your current setup.
If you are going to play a fair amount of music then I would look to Zaph's ZDT3.
If I read you correctely this is your first project, right?
If so, start out with something you can handle easily. Of the ones mentioned, I would go with your 'gut instinct' and build the Aluminum MTM. It is much less than the others, and will be more rewarding for a first time around.
My 2c.
If so, start out with something you can handle easily. Of the ones mentioned, I would go with your 'gut instinct' and build the Aluminum MTM. It is much less than the others, and will be more rewarding for a first time around.
My 2c.
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll be taking the dive and buying the parts fairly soon. I am a bit worried about placement though, how far from the walls should the speakers be before they are no longer "in a corner"? I think I'll actually be able to rearange a bit to get my listening distance out to 2 meters, but I do have a projector, so the speakers might be relatively close to the side walls.
Well, unless you count resoldering a crossover and throwing in-wall speakers into some homebuilt boxes a build. This is my first attempt. I like the idea of a cheap starter speaker I just worry it won't be a huge improvement over my current speakers.
I do have a bit of a tendency to bite off more than I can chew some times when it comes to DIY. I am just excited about trading in my torque wrench and soldering iron for a router and saw. So maybe a reality check is in order, I don't know.
I do have a bit of a tendency to bite off more than I can chew some times when it comes to DIY. I am just excited about trading in my torque wrench and soldering iron for a router and saw. So maybe a reality check is in order, I don't know.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.