Looking for suitable small speakers

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Telemin

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Joined 2009
#1
I am just starting out in the field of DIY audio and am hoping to build a 20W T-amp from the audiodigit kit audiocostruire kit. I am currently looking for some suitable speakers to go with it.

My only real stipulations are that they must be small, suitable to fit on a bookshelf or not much bigger, and must not be too expensive. Other than that I am happy to build myself and equally happy just to buy some suitable ones to start with.

Any suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks in advance

-Telemin-
 
#2
Welcome to the group.

What's not too expensive? That means different things to different builders.

For bookshelf use, the Jordan 92s in Jim Griffin's (2.5l?) design
is worth a first look. I believe the Arum Cantus tweeter was added to this but best research it. 20w is plenty of juice to do a variety of things.


If in-room placement is possible rather than bookshelf that opens up more possibilities.
 
#5
Check out the Mark Audio CHR70 thread. It an incredible value. It can be used in 4L sealed (up to 7L), or 5L-10L vented. I did an 8.1L dual chamber reflex that I'm loving. Overall, it very flexible. The published MA specs have been confirmed to be very accurate. It doesn't require any filters for your described location. And it's been reported to respond very well the EnABL tweaks. Lastly, in 4L sealed, it will reach xmax at 20W. The only down side is the sensitivity. It should only be used (by itself) in small- or medium-sized rooms. ~97db@20W.

Mark Audio also makes the Alpairs, mentioned by NP above.
 
#6
Thanks for the quick replies guys.

By not too expensive I mean that I would ideally like to keep the cost of the speakers below £100, but to be honest I have no idea how much hardware that actually buys in these circles.

I like the look of the B3S design, although they appear only to be rated at 15W - does this matter with a 20W amp? - and the CHR70s.

Backing up a little however, Harebrained talked about:

It can be used in 4L sealed (up to 7L), or 5L-10L vented. I did an 8.1L dual chamber reflex that I'm loving. Overall, it very flexible. The published MA specs have been confirmed to be very accurate. It doesn't require any filters for your described location. And it's been reported to respond very well the EnABL tweaks. Lastly, in 4L sealed, it will reach xmax at 20W. The only down side is the sensitivity. It should only be used (by itself) in small- or medium-sized rooms. ~97db@20W.
Click to expand...

Can someone please point me to some suitable online resources and/or books that can help me understand what all that actually means. I have a decent grasp of the electronics of amplifiers and so on but the physics of sound and the rhyme and reason behind loudspeaker design is still quite mysterious to me. From what I have read so far I think I understand some of the more basic concepts but I haven't found many particularly useful sites for gaining an actual understanding of what everything means, what happens and why, mostly discussion of concepts it is assumed I already understand but don't.

I hope all that makes sense to you guys.

-Telemin-
 
#7
HareBrained said:
Check out the Mark Audio CHR70 thread. It an incredible value. It can be used in 4L sealed (up to 7L), or 5L-10L vented.
Click to expand...


What kind of BR alignment are you getting that works in 5L? My intention was to make these BR but it was just going to be too lumpy on the bottom.

Indeed these do respond well to EnABL ... they were knocking off some much more expensive stuff, but weren't quite up to the level as the full-zoot mFonken.

dave
 

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#8
no, you can use a 25W amp for speakers rated for 20W. just don't turn the volume up to max! but again, if you tried to run 10W at 100hz. chances are you'll still overpower those mini speakers. How loud do you want to listen to them exactly? usually home use for music (not home theater) 10-15W is plenty
 
#9
planet10 said:


What kind of BR alignment are you getting that works in 5L? My intention was to make these BR but it was just going to be too lumpy on the bottom.

Indeed these do respond well to EnABL ... they were knocking off some much more expensive stuff, but weren't quite up to the level as the full-zoot mFonken.

dave
Click to expand...


No hijack of thread intended but Dave are these the first pics of the Enabled Alpair?

Many questions like how you paint with a pen on metal.
 
#12
loninappleton said:
Ok. there is no pre treatment then or anything. I'd be afraid of making a smeary mess.
Click to expand...

These are much easier to recover from than the Fostex cones... as long as you are careful a q-tip and isopropanol will completely clean the paint off. The foil cones are delicate enuff to crease is you push to hard.

[/QUOTE]Someday you have to say how you rotate the object and get things uniform at the same time.
[/QUOTE]

A lazy susan & lots of practise (something like 400 cones to date & counting).

drivers-090609.jpg


dave
 
#16
planet10 said:
What kind of BR alignment are you getting that works in 5L? My intention was to make these BR but it was just going to be too lumpy on the bottom.

Indeed these do respond well to EnABL ... they were knocking off some much more expensive stuff, but weren't quite up to the level as the full-zoot mFonken.
Click to expand...

I'm only speaking from modeling but 5L tuned to 45Hz has a ripple of only 1.3db, spread from 80-500Hz. F3~61Hz. If I had to have something small, it'd be worth trying.

And by "full-zoot mFonken", are you referring to the FE127En?

Telemin, perhaps you should think about building an established design. This will give you the opportunity to get your feet into this end of the hobby without having to know all the details.
 
#17
HareBrained said:
I'm only speaking from modeling but 5L tuned to 45Hz has a ripple of only 1.3db, spread from 80-500Hz. F3~61Hz. If I had to have something small, it'd be worth trying.
Click to expand...

Attached is a sim (vrs sealed)... i wouldn't personally consider the BR sim as viable.

And by "full-zoot mFonken", are you referring to the FE127En?
Click to expand...

Yes.

I figure that the stock CHR is more long-term listenable than stock FE127e, but i think anyone would be hard pressed to listen to stock after living with eN versions.

dave
 

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#19
Sorry to double post but since I'm still under moderation I can't edit what I just wrote.

I just found that I can buy a pair of HiVi M4N drivers, they seem to be pretty similar to the B4N, would they be suitable as a drop in replacement for the design which EVUL linked me to?

Thanks in advance

-Telemin-
 
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