Hi All,
I was looking to build a speaker system for my old DIY tube amp based on the SimpleSE design which I built 3 years ago.
The speaker should be in a relatively small room <30ft^2 and will work with the tube amp which is rated at~8W per channel.
I understand that for tube amp the sensitivity of the speakers should be as high as possible.
Most of my music is 70-80's and I do like the bass of the oldies which is less common in today's music, so bass is an important part.
My budget for the components and drivers are ~$200 not including wood working.
Finally, as I saw too many designs out in the web, I was wondering if anyone can direct me to a good starting design.
BTW: Crossover kit seems to me much expensive then purchasing the components individually therefore I would prefer no kits.
Thanks.
I was looking to build a speaker system for my old DIY tube amp based on the SimpleSE design which I built 3 years ago.
The speaker should be in a relatively small room <30ft^2 and will work with the tube amp which is rated at~8W per channel.
I understand that for tube amp the sensitivity of the speakers should be as high as possible.
Most of my music is 70-80's and I do like the bass of the oldies which is less common in today's music, so bass is an important part.
My budget for the components and drivers are ~$200 not including wood working.
Finally, as I saw too many designs out in the web, I was wondering if anyone can direct me to a good starting design.
BTW: Crossover kit seems to me much expensive then purchasing the components individually therefore I would prefer no kits.
Thanks.
Something like the SEAS A26 design?
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...6-10-2-way-kit-pair-based-on-the-classic-a25/
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...6-10-2-way-kit-pair-based-on-the-classic-a25/
+1
Small rooms need small speakers in my opinion. Small amps need sensitive speakers. Sensitive speakers are usually big speakers!
Also take a look at:
QUATTRO-mkII
It is a very expensive kit.
Anything around $200 for the drivers and components will be reasonable.
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Fostex drivers are used quite often for low power tube amps.
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...earch&search_in=all&x=0&y=0&search_str=fostex
In one of these designs
Frugal-phile | Box Library / Fostex
Mike
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...earch&search_in=all&x=0&y=0&search_str=fostex
In one of these designs
Frugal-phile | Box Library / Fostex
Mike
You're absolutely right; SO MANY suggestions. I would suggest prioritizing what you're hoping for and build ftom there. Price, sensitivity, complexity, appearance, importance of placement, etc.
I can't speat for the Armonicos, I can only soak for the speakers I've heard. If they fit your budget and look to have the sensitivity, I'd give them a serious look. This can all get overwhelming, so keep it in perspective and have fun with it.
Mike
I can't speat for the Armonicos, I can only soak for the speakers I've heard. If they fit your budget and look to have the sensitivity, I'd give them a serious look. This can all get overwhelming, so keep it in perspective and have fun with it.
Mike
Price is a constrain although there is a little flexibility if the value for money will be proven. The box design is an important part although playing with veneer designs can change the outcome dramatically with no additional effort.
For sound, well I found on YouTube this video https://youtu.be/Sqnm_xRhaos which I really like although it is lack of bass.
I know the SS rev are expensive but it is defiantly sound awesome. So if you ask me what I want, this one with more bass and affordable budget.
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For sound, well I found on YouTube this video https://youtu.be/Sqnm_xRhaos which I really like although it is lack of bass.
I know the SS rev are expensive but it is defiantly sound awesome. So if you ask me what I want, this one with more bass and affordable budget.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
I'm surprised that you find this to be the case. With recent advances in speaker design, we're squeezing more and more bass out of ever-smaller boxes. When I ran some music of different ages through a spectrum analyser, most of the 70s and 80s stuff had very little low bass, mostly stopping at 55Hz or higher. These days, even pop artists regularly drop into the 30Hz range.
I wouldn't worry so much about speaker sensitivity. 8w/ch is enough to make quite a noise, even with fairly low-efficiency speakers*. The first watt is the loudest.
If I was in your shoes, I'd get a pair of decent full-range units (maybe one of the paper Alpairs), put them in the biggest ported box you can accomodate, and call it good. Crossovers are difficult. Passive crossovers, doubly so.
Chris
*Though I do have some of those Tang Band 6.5" mini-subs that need an absolute rocket up them to start to boogie. A couple of hundred watts a side starts getting good.
I think that I wasn't explain myself clearly... I am not looking for a speaker that will go down to 30Hz if this is not necessary for the music I listen, what I am trying to say is that in those low ranges of 55Hz or so, it will perform well. So in such case, if we go back to the requirements, a good reco. of 55Hz and higher is enough
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Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
What is your size limit? Floor standing or bookshelf design? Ig you can go with a floor standing speaker, look into something like this:
http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/woden/Wessex-MLTL-0v92-151209.pdf
The Pensil series might also satisfy you:
http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/pensils/Pensil-Series-set-100711.pdf
I'm a big fan of Mark Audio drivers, so I'd say look into these too:
Frugal-phile | Box Library / Mark Audio
Mike
http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/woden/Wessex-MLTL-0v92-151209.pdf
The Pensil series might also satisfy you:
http://frugal-phile.com/boxlib/pensils/Pensil-Series-set-100711.pdf
I'm a big fan of Mark Audio drivers, so I'd say look into these too:
Frugal-phile | Box Library / Mark Audio
Mike
+1
I have been quite happy for years with a 3 ways Dynaudio low eff monitor and a 2A3PSE amp, in a small room, with plenty enough dbs, bass included...Though i have left behind valves for pocket size tamps, still find no need for hi-efficiency drivers nor hi-watts power plants...
And what about distortion might you ask... Well distortion is imho the most overated of all overated audio myths....
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The website only has single driver full range designs; thus, no crossovers. The nice thing about drivers such as Mark Audio, is that they are designed to be run full range. I have a pair of Frugalhorns with the Alpair A7.2. It sounds great and puts out plenty of bass. It's bigger than a bookshelf design, but those drivers are fully capable of good bass output.
Mike
Mike
All true. As the webmaster for frugal-hole.com i can say that we concentrate of single driver full-range speakers because the best ones, if you can live with their limitations, are truly best bang for the buck, to a large extent because they do not have an XO. With just one driver you ar egoing for quality ov er quantity.
You mention efficiency with the SSE, but as important as this is, even more important is a benign impedance curve. In many, if not most, speaker systems with an XO, the XO causes a wild impedance curve. with FRs you have a simple curve.
The Frugel-Horn Mk3 is a very competent speaker especially with the Mark Audio Alpair 7.x ($170 use/pr last i checked ay Madisound). Almost as good thru thr midtange & top is the larger Alpair 10.3 (probably not noticable if you don’t have the front end). On sale at Madiosund (still i believe) for almost as cheap as the A7.x. Put it in Frugel-Horn XL for more/deeper bass. And Frugel-Horns are not the only option (but do extract bass that smaller enclosures do not).
dave
These are good and possibly around the $200 mark. I built a pair and good bass with a ported design.
SB Acoustics 2-Way Title Page
SB Acoustics 2-Way Title Page
From personal experience, I can tell you there are great speakers for less than $200.
Mike
Someone in another thread suggested these.
https://meniscusaudio.com/product/caritas-full-kit-pair/
Great bang for buck and the design was done by Jeff Bagby so should sound very good.
https://meniscusaudio.com/product/caritas-full-kit-pair/
Great bang for buck and the design was done by Jeff Bagby so should sound very good.
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