I am a final year high school student who spends all my free time listening to music. I genuinely listen to everything you would be hard pressed to find a genre which I do not enjoy. I have been listening on headphones and IEM's, however I have always wanted speakers and I now have a part time job to pay for them. I would like to build a pair of speakers of some sort probably with a full range driver because it seems the least complicated. They would be in a clutterred living room in front of a bookshelf and then probably in a dorm in a years time when I go to uni, so I probably shouldn't build something too big.
I dont listen to music extremely loud so volume isnt that big of a deal although bass quality is as I play both bass guitar and upright bass and I would like those instruments to sound rich and full.
I dont plan on buying a kit as I am a student and saving for uni and I dont mind a bit of woodworking as long as its nothing too crazy.
I have been considering the frugel horn mk3 although I am not sure which driver to use. Would this be the right build for me? If not what would you reccomend?
I dont listen to music extremely loud so volume isnt that big of a deal although bass quality is as I play both bass guitar and upright bass and I would like those instruments to sound rich and full.
I dont plan on buying a kit as I am a student and saving for uni and I dont mind a bit of woodworking as long as its nothing too crazy.
I have been considering the frugel horn mk3 although I am not sure which driver to use. Would this be the right build for me? If not what would you reccomend?
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FH3 is not that small, i wa rgubjing a set of miroTower Castles. They are dairly placement friendly and would nicely fill awkward rooms. ML-TL gives lower extension, 2 drivers per box more grunt. I wa qoeeiedabout size, they are about the same height as FG3 but much more compact footprint.
I haven’t asked budget yet, but check this out: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/microtower-revisited.364581/
dave
I haven’t asked budget yet, but check this out: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/microtower-revisited.364581/
dave
A pencil or an other MLTL type of speaker will take less place (but still a foorstander) and are more fit for smaller spaces.
If you need a lot of bass, the Alpair 10.3, the CHN110 and the CHR120 are probally the best drivers to use.
The Alpair 10.3 being the best of it (but also the most expensive), but differences are small.
A bookshelf type of speaker won't go very low, i use the 10.3 in a bookshelf and get 45Hz out of it, but lower is not possible. The two others are very similar on that. An MLTL type of speaker can get to the low 30's when volume is kept reasonable.
If you need a lot of bass, the Alpair 10.3, the CHN110 and the CHR120 are probally the best drivers to use.
The Alpair 10.3 being the best of it (but also the most expensive), but differences are small.
A bookshelf type of speaker won't go very low, i use the 10.3 in a bookshelf and get 45Hz out of it, but lower is not possible. The two others are very similar on that. An MLTL type of speaker can get to the low 30's when volume is kept reasonable.
Frugel-Horns need some floorspace. I would not want to cram them in a dorm room. If I were in your situation, I'd build the Poplar, a relatively diminutive box for the 10.3 that is meant to be placed against a wall. I've built these and they perform well, for what they are.
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CHN110 in any of Woden Design bassreflex designs. 3 sizes: Pactolus, Pelorus and Perseus. Driver is good and cheap and boxes very easy to made.
For bass response, choose the bigger box you can tolerate.
I built the Pelorus and the bass is good. Clean and deep enough. Some hifi friends (owners of expensive equipment) were surprised when heared.
FH3 is a very good speaker, and you can have 45Hz with them. But is too complex for first time project. Double cost and 4x time than boxes.
For bass response, choose the bigger box you can tolerate.
I built the Pelorus and the bass is good. Clean and deep enough. Some hifi friends (owners of expensive equipment) were surprised when heared.
FH3 is a very good speaker, and you can have 45Hz with them. But is too complex for first time project. Double cost and 4x time than boxes.
Bear in mind that even if you use a 'full range' driver, you'll still probably need a crossover of some sort to deal with baffle step and issues with the driver's frequency response, etc. I'd be inclined to go for a modestly sized, budget friendly two way, established design with perhaps a 5" mid and dome tweeter; heaps of projects around and the cabinet won't be too big.
I built a two way design by kind courtesy of Ralf Giralfino of this Forum, it sounds great for the modest $: Peerless 830656 and Vifa BC25TG, cabinet is 20cm wide, 30cm h, 28cm deep; vented cabinet. Doesn't play loud, but Miles Davis, Bach and Jimi Hendrix all sound good!
What's your budget, please?
Geoff
I built a two way design by kind courtesy of Ralf Giralfino of this Forum, it sounds great for the modest $: Peerless 830656 and Vifa BC25TG, cabinet is 20cm wide, 30cm h, 28cm deep; vented cabinet. Doesn't play loud, but Miles Davis, Bach and Jimi Hendrix all sound good!
What's your budget, please?
Geoff
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I built both the micro tower castle (flat top) with Pluvia 7 HD and the CHN-110 in the 18 liter BR box. Both sound great. I think the micro towers have a lower tuning so they reach deeper. The biggest difference that you may want to consider is, to me it seems like I can sit closer to the micro towers and still get a big sound stage. With the CHN-110 boxes more distance is needed to get that same sound stage. That might make a difference in a small room.
It seems like the general consensus is to build some kind of bass reflex design with the chr 110. Although if possible could someone recommend a good plan that is front ported? The area behind the speakers is somewhat cluttered and inconsistent now that I think of it so a front ported design seems like it would make sense.
Or you could do side port? A engineer I know only does side ports and swears by them. I heard them and they sounded really nice. The side ports are on outside pointing out. He will do front ported as a 2nd Option sealed which is one of his favorites designs.
Small? It needs sufficient wall space or will not work so is not well suited to many spaces.
http://wodendesign.com/planset/Poplar-A10x-MLTL-teaser.pdf
dave
Good suggestion. A very well balanced driver. And more robust than A10.3. Serious bang-for-the-buck (along with CHN-50). If you still have them once your room stabilizes they go into Joan (or FHXL).
fibre
Chris & I have built hundreds of FR loudspeakers. Only 1, and that was a pair of $20 8" FRs, ever needed BSC (and a treble boost, i used Klosses LCR network to supress the midrange (don’t know if this predates the rise of the LR BSC filter). And i do not recall seeing anything specifix for any of Scott’s boxes/
A filter is the last bandaid i would use. http://t-linespeakers.org/tech/bafflestep/intro-bds.html
Keep in mind the for every dB you raise the on-axis response you also gain a dB of room response. So BSC often brings excess bass in-room. And given a small room (dorm room) it becomes less of an issue (small room has its own issues).
dave
If you are in Canada you might want to look to see if any of the excess drivers i have would suit you, they are already across the border.
$350 including the sheet of plywood?
dave
Thank you. Your real world experience jives with my suggestion in my first post. microTower should be more verstaile placement wise.
It is noteworthy that a dual driver microTower will really push your budget, you can walk away with enuff money for a lavish dinner out for your SO (i have a set of less than perfct CHN-110 for next to nothing).
dave
Scott’s boxes are solid. If he puts the vent on the back he has a reason, but it is not much of a hardship if moved to the front.
I do still need to getteh CHN110 into a CGR. Looks decent into anything from 10-35 litres in a miniOnken. So the most sensible one to put out for gratis would be 17 litres i guess? Same size as A10/12p CGR. http://www.planet10-hifi.com/planset/fatCGR-extents.pdf
dave
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