Questions about speaker building

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I am being told to buy a crossover and build one. Which option should I go with to get decent sound? Also I have been told not to have such a big mid so I am going with 8" mid.

Buying one off-the-shelf will not get you decent sound, as explained in my previous posts.

Buying or assembling one that is designed for specific drivers in a specific box, which you then build (a DIY kit, e.g. like that recommended by Linesource) will probably get you decent sound.

Designing your own will (eventually) get you decent sound, but will involve a lot of learning and a lot of work 🙂
 
I'm currently using the JBL LSR308 Studio Monitors.
I like them and there are only a few points in the middle of the room where bass sounds bad or too quiet which I know is natural with how sound waves work. They are mainly for producing of course and for that purpose they are great and when I finish these DIY speakers I will still use the JBLs for producing.

This project is for fun and loud volume listening and experience and learning. The 8" drivers on my current Monitors are really pushed to the limit when I workout and sometimes even start to clip for some songs so 12" drivers would insure that I would never have to worry about that and I could move the volume up freely.
 
I thought we'd got pretty close by looking at the Eminence range!

Have a look at the Alpha series of drivers.

There's almost an infinite number of driver possibilities out there and everyone on this forum has their personal favourites.

We could be here a while, and your birthday is looming closer and closer!

I was happy with the Eminence choices but some other people said that they don't go low enough Hz wise. If box and port design will make them reach 30 - 35 Hz then I will stick with those choices. Also the alpha series seemed a bit too much budget. I can get drivers up to $100 each and I want to take advantage of that.
 
I think then Will your primary decision now has to be whether to (a) build pre-designed DIY speakers from a kit or from online plans, or (b) go through the long but rewarding process of learning how to design your own speakers 😉

Edit: by option (b), I basically mean:
1. learning how to choose woofers and design boxes for them
2. learning how to measure drivers
3. learning how to software-model crossovers based on the measurements you've taken of the drivers in the boxes you've built for them
4. learning how to assemble all the parts and wire up the drivers and crossovers
 
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I was happy with the Eminence choices but some other people said that they don't go low enough Hz wise. If box and port design will make them reach 30 - 35 Hz then I will stick with those choices.

If it's real bass extension you're after, then best avoid pro loudspeaker drivers like Eminence altogether, and go for decent Hi-Fi drivers.

On the other hand, pro drivers are very efficient (high sensitivity) and will go very loud for very few watts.

You pays your money and you takes your choice!
 
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I have said many times I'm going from scratch. I want to learn about the calculations to see how low Hz wise the Eminence woofers can go with a vent. 10" woofers will clip for my purposes. If Hifi speakers with bass extension can give good quality then I will look at those.
 
I have said many times I'm going from scratch. I want to learn about the calculations to see how low Hz wise the Eminence woofers can go with a vent. 10" woofers will clip for my purposes. If Hifi speakers with bass extension can give good quality then I will look at those.

Good to hear you confirm you are going to get into this seriously.

But I find it hard to believe that you could know that 10" woofers will clip for your purposes.

Which woofers? In what type of box? At what SPLs?

You should think about how to answer questions like these before reaching such general conclusions.
 
The Dayton has a bass resonance of 24Hz. (Think of this as the lowest frequency it is ever likely to reach.)

The Eminence Delta has a bass resonance of 58Hz. (So lacks extension compared to the Dayton.)

However the Delta could ultimately produce more bass 'slam' (my non-technical term!) than the Dayton. Swings and roundabouts again!

But more importantly, there may be little point in persuing the Dayton woofer unless you can source a matching Dayton mid and tweeter.
 
Will, a few pointers:

- Yes, you need to design a xo for your specific drivers in your specifically sized box. You could try a prefab xo and it might work but it's more likely that it won't.
- You need to pick the drivers and design the box/cabinet first. The xo comes after that.
- Stop thinking exclusively in terms of driver size. You must think in terms of xmax, driver sensitivity, max SPL (Sound Pressure Level or loudness), box size and F3 together and you must model these in order to see how they all work out.
- There is no problem mixing 8ohm and 4ohm drivers. The proper xo takes care of the differences. There is also no problem mixing different driver brands in 1 speaker.

Setting your overall design goals is also necessary:

1. What is your budget? Let's say you go with a TMWW 3-way design. If the woofers are $50 each, the mids $30 and the tweeter another $30, your total driver cost will be $320. For any 3-way, your xo is likely to cost you between $200-$300. Wood, wiring, hardware, insulation, damping material, ports etc, etc will be on top of that. You must work this out for yourself to start off with and then tell us what price ranges you are working in.

2. What amp/receiver will you be using? Is it good with 4ohm loads? How many watts available?

3. How big can these speakers be? Really, smaller will be better as the materials will cost less and they will be easier to move around. Bigger cabs use more wood, need more internal bracing, more damping material and more insulation to cover the walls. It can all add up quickly.

Dude, seriously, take a little break from posting, figure out at least some of your design criteria, try using a box modeling program and then get back to us. I think this will really help you if you are serious about learning to do it yourself.
 
I cannot believe this thread is still here. Will wants loud and cool looking. Thinking of making his own speakers without knowing what SPL is! Seems silly to me. I would not have the nerve to ask for this kind of help at this level of not understanding. See my Signature
 
I cannot believe this thread is still here. Will wants loud and cool looking. Thinking of making his own speakers without knowing what SPL is! Seems silly to me. I would not have the nerve to ask for this kind of help at this level of not understanding. See my Signature

I don't see the need to be so damn rude. When did I ever say cool looking? Yeah looks matter but that is not what my project is about. I have been trying to learn stuff but when I ask how to learn and where to start I am getting 5 different answers trying to take it all in. I can't learn how to use a computer program by punching in random numbers that don't work together so I am trying to choose the right drivers before I do it. You can not take my age in, post help maybe twice, and then 50 posts later say I don't know what I'm doing and just trying to make cool looking speakers which is a great assumption of immaturity and stupidity.
 
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