More to fiddle with. Just wanted something that was a drop in from 40-20k. And I really wanted to make a beautiful set of speakers to show off.
I’m pretty sure I will go with the continuum full 3-way which ups my budget to $1110.34 shipped to my door.
This way I will get a full sealed 2-way with a front ported 10” “woofer”, I will also be able to massage the type of tower I can make. Probably do a pyramid type tower with the woofer at the bottom and port in the middle.
..but that doesn't include cabinets.. which push the total price considerably higher.
hint: ELSINORE's. (..or staying in-budget the ZA5.5)
hint: ELSINORE's. (..or staying in-budget the ZA5.5)
I thought the same thing at first, because almost all of the other DIY kits on Parts Express are priced as pairs. They were kind of sneaky on this one. Maybe they thought a price of $1,120 would scare people away.
Sounds like a very good choice. The Continuum II has received excellent reviews by itself and with a woofer module it becomes a complete solution. According to the write up you can get down to your desired 40Hz low end even with a sealed version. Might be good to build it so that you can switch back and forth with and without the port. Try it and see which you like better.
I would suggest talking to Mark at Meniscus before doing anything and bounce your ideas off of him. He is very good about taking the time to discuss things. You might be able to get some preliminary cabinet overview plans from him before actually ordering the kits. Just have to ask.
I've bought two kits from them and had them build the crossovers. I thought that their price to assemble the crossover was very reasonable and well worth the time and effort it saved me. Plus they fully test them before shipping out. Chad builds the XOs and he is very knowledable about the the completed speakers as well. Not a bad idea to talk to him as well as Mark about what you are planning.
You might want to get some additional opinions on rear vs. front ports. I personally don’t do anything ported. I have always gone sealed, because I would rather have tight base that’s not muddy rather than low extension. So I can’t really speak from experience about ports.
However, you will find mixed opinions on whether rear ported near a wall is a problem or not. Some people say yes, others say not necessarily. And the potential problem going with front ports is a possible chuffing sound that can be heard from the front of the speaker.
You should do your own research on this subject if you haven't already done so.
However, you will find mixed opinions on whether rear ported near a wall is a problem or not. Some people say yes, others say not necessarily. And the potential problem going with front ports is a possible chuffing sound that can be heard from the front of the speaker.
You should do your own research on this subject if you haven't already done so.
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@clasicalfan
I have thought about that a lot with this project. I have also decided it will most definitely be a front port, the port will be flared on both ends and I will also making a second board to be able to choose between the two designs (sealed / BR) at will. It would be hard for me to explain how and it will be even harder to create the two exact boards with matching grain but time is not an issue, patience is however not one of my strong suits.
As for the chuffing, these were never intended to be played in spirited sessions so I am hopeful that I will never get to hear that at all. But to be safe, I’ll still run the driver through WinISD.
I have thought about that a lot with this project. I have also decided it will most definitely be a front port, the port will be flared on both ends and I will also making a second board to be able to choose between the two designs (sealed / BR) at will. It would be hard for me to explain how and it will be even harder to create the two exact boards with matching grain but time is not an issue, patience is however not one of my strong suits.
As for the chuffing, these were never intended to be played in spirited sessions so I am hopeful that I will never get to hear that at all. But to be safe, I’ll still run the driver through WinISD.
I did the changeable insert for ported or sealed in one of my speakers, but the entire baffle was painted black and with black screws you really couldn't see it was an insert unless you were up very close. With wood grain it's going to be tricky to conceal the difference. Maybe you just paint the insert some solid color or use a highly contrasting wood and let it stand out as a design element.