Hey Fello DIY'rs
Im looking at making some speakers and have some questions.
Thank you!
Im looking at making some speakers and have some questions.
- Is it better to have driver impedance matching or close? Or does it not matter?
- What is the best speaker box design software?
Thank you!
Sensitivity has to match if more than one driver. This is usually done by resistor blocking of the most sensitive driver, but crossover components such as a parallel capacitor or inductor can affect sensitivity too. Do impedance calculations of the driver plus crossover to see what the sensitivity decrease will be.
Is this going to be your first DIY project? If so, I'd strongly suggest building an existing, proved design with which you'll be happy.
Cabinet design is one thing, crossover design another.
If you give us your room size, budget, any size constraints and listening preferences, you'll get at least several suggestions for good projects.
Geoff
Cabinet design is one thing, crossover design another.
If you give us your room size, budget, any size constraints and listening preferences, you'll get at least several suggestions for good projects.
Geoff
Thats fair. So here is my dilema I own a pair of Spendor Classic 3/1 and love the mid range in them but the top end is a not very detailed. Since i can buy what I want I was thinking about making something. Someone recommended the Scan Speak Illuminator series? Thanks for the info...
Don't get too hung up on drivers: an expensive driver(s) with a badly designed crossover will sound poor, good quality drivers with a well designed crossover will sound good. I don't have any experience with Scan Speak, but they're really expensive in Oz. I'm not familiar with the Spendors, either.
As well as the questions on budget etc, are you able to make your own cabinets and can you solder the crossover together? There are heaps of projects, kits with or without cabinets and some stores will even assemble the crossover for yoo.
Read, read, read; look at sites like Troels Graevsen, Speaker Design Works, Paul Carmody's "Undefinition" and other sites to get some ideas. Parts Express, Madisound, Meniscus Audio and Rhythm Audio Design in Canada sell kits, check them out too.
Geoff
As well as the questions on budget etc, are you able to make your own cabinets and can you solder the crossover together? There are heaps of projects, kits with or without cabinets and some stores will even assemble the crossover for yoo.
Read, read, read; look at sites like Troels Graevsen, Speaker Design Works, Paul Carmody's "Undefinition" and other sites to get some ideas. Parts Express, Madisound, Meniscus Audio and Rhythm Audio Design in Canada sell kits, check them out too.
Geoff
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AFAIK, the Classic uses the Seas 22TFF, or modded version of it. Basically, nothing wrong with this tweeter, and I see Spendor crosses it at a pretty high 3.7khz, so I'm wondering what might be giving the impression of "not very detailed" treble. Maybe they're running the woofer too high, IDK.
As you like the midrange, and the cabinets are obviously nice, if you wanted a project, well, you could get some measurement equipment and use DSP to see if you can improve on the Spendor crossover, then build a passive version of it yourself.
As you like the midrange, and the cabinets are obviously nice, if you wanted a project, well, you could get some measurement equipment and use DSP to see if you can improve on the Spendor crossover, then build a passive version of it yourself.
I don't know much about crossover design, but it's unusual for a 6" woofer to be crossed as high as 3.7khz; more like 2,000- 3,000.
I like the idea of using the existing cabinet and drivers and developing a new crossover, IF whoever's doing it knows their stuff.
The Spendors are expensive - the stands alone are almost a thousand pounds - and get very good reviews, maybe there's a room issue which is affecting the treble?
Geoff
I like the idea of using the existing cabinet and drivers and developing a new crossover, IF whoever's doing it knows their stuff.
The Spendors are expensive - the stands alone are almost a thousand pounds - and get very good reviews, maybe there's a room issue which is affecting the treble?
Geoff
I’m looking at this kit and the only thing is I wish I could change the tweeter to the scan speak soft dome tweeter. Would that be easily done or no?
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...a-2-way-klang-ton-kit-pair-using-illuminator/
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...a-2-way-klang-ton-kit-pair-using-illuminator/
Talk to Mark at Meniscus or Brian at Madisound and they can give you some good suggestions to fit your needs. There are lots of excellent kit designs available by people who really understood what they were doing. And some of these kits with top level performance at very reasonable prices.
Always the case, but in terms of impedance a one-way will be of no concern, and is a really good start for where you are. Remember XOs are “evil” avoiding on your first build helps with success and gives you a lay of the land. Few stop at one or.
And tends towards less cash outlay
dave
A single driver (one way) design may not need a 'crossover', but will generally need some sort of network to deal with driver response, Baffle Step Compensation etc.
One of the issues with DIY is that you don't generally have an idea of what the speaker will sound like; however, if you choose a design which is well and widely reviewed, you will get at least some idea of how it will sound. Not how it will sound in your room of course, but that applies to retail speakers too.
Many of the kits you'll be looking at have user reviews, or at least, honest write ups on their designers' websites. For example, if you look at Paul Carmody's Classix II or Tarkus, Curt Campbell's Tritrix or the late Jeff Bagby's Solstice, you'll find informative and honest designer write-ups and customer reviews on the websites which sell the kits.
Geoff
One of the issues with DIY is that you don't generally have an idea of what the speaker will sound like; however, if you choose a design which is well and widely reviewed, you will get at least some idea of how it will sound. Not how it will sound in your room of course, but that applies to retail speakers too.
Many of the kits you'll be looking at have user reviews, or at least, honest write ups on their designers' websites. For example, if you look at Paul Carmody's Classix II or Tarkus, Curt Campbell's Tritrix or the late Jeff Bagby's Solstice, you'll find informative and honest designer write-ups and customer reviews on the websites which sell the kits.
Geoff
Untrue
Chris, myself and others in the crew have built 100s (literally) & used a filter in only one.
Dave
Point taken, it's just that it seems to be the case with any single-driver design - albeit only six or seven - I've looked at except the (very expensive) Sibelius speakers.
I've only built or tweaked other peoples' designs so am happy to take advice from those with much more expertise and experience.
Geoff
All are not created the same.. however one of the more common first things I find when looking at random fullrange speakers is the need to equalise around the lower breakup region. Equalising doesn't make the problem go away, but it does help to take some of the focus off it.
The problem with one way speakers is that they use so called 'full-range' drivers which depend on the cone going into breakup mode rather than pistonic motion in order to reach the high frequences. And this cannot be done without introducing a certain amount of distortion and undesirable tonal qualities. Particulaly when compared to using a tweeter that is specifically designed to reproduce those high frequencies with exceptional linearity and clarity.
Plus, there are other compromises at the low end with single drivers not able reach down as far as drivers specifically designed for that purpose.
So the issue of whether crossovers are really "evil" or actually a "blessing" is far from being resolve with any amount of certaintly. Different people have different opinions depending on their experience and preferences.
I can only say that after trying full range drivers I now listen to and fully enjoy the 2-way Piccolos designed by the late Jeff Bagby. I hear nothing objectionable in those speakers due to a crossover or anything else. Quite to the contrary I think they are execptional at producing orchestrial music and cannot imagine any single driver speaker being able to do it as well.
Plus, there are other compromises at the low end with single drivers not able reach down as far as drivers specifically designed for that purpose.
So the issue of whether crossovers are really "evil" or actually a "blessing" is far from being resolve with any amount of certaintly. Different people have different opinions depending on their experience and preferences.
I can only say that after trying full range drivers I now listen to and fully enjoy the 2-way Piccolos designed by the late Jeff Bagby. I hear nothing objectionable in those speakers due to a crossover or anything else. Quite to the contrary I think they are execptional at producing orchestrial music and cannot imagine any single driver speaker being able to do it as well.
The A10x in these go lower but the (available) A10.3 is smoother with better midrange definition. It does not have an expensive driver. Maybe not as pretty, but sonically in the same league for < $500
What Sibelius is, is a good idea of what it costs to sell a speaker in a store. Built to the same level FHXL would be even more (with potential to out-perform)
dave
If it works who cares. One few midbass are pistonic all the way up and few tweeters. To maintain pistonic motion means more XOs and pricey drivers. Ie the cure can be worse than the problem. Perhaps a symptom of paying too much attention to the math/physics and not enuff to what things sound like. Every loudspeaker is a huge set of compromises. The best set is the one that works for you.
Given this is a first project & he does not need levels, it makes sense to start w a modest project that has a good chance to satisfy.
After that one he will have a way better idea of where he is. Simple as they seem speaker building is not so simple when you go deep.
dave