Your top 5 builds? ( Not yet capable to design my own)

[Prolle]

I've spent days upon days reading through this great mine of information, sometimes getting lost trying to grasp some of the finer technical detail.

One thing is certain in my mind and that's there's no shortage of designs out there.

For someone who isn't knowledgeable enough to design their own multiway, and is quite content with the challenge of the building process;

What's your top 5 "off the shelf" builds?

 

[Ugg10]

May be useful to list what you want from a speaker, what size room and how it is furnished, what type of music and what budget, design constraints etc.? This should help contributors to come up with a credible short list.

 

[mbrennwa]

Easy: the Open Source Monkey Coffin. It's a long thread, but I am working on the condensed documentation.

 

[Prolle]

Room is 14ft x 22ft. Tiled floor

 

[system7]

Tiled floor might make for some harsh reflections. This is a bit like the bare room that sounds so echoey...

Sounds way better with some carpets and drapes somewhere.

There is a style of loudspeaker that is less vertically room dependent. A rug on the middle of the floor will help.

D'Appolito:

Vifa PL14WJ-

And another slight variation, the Gryphon Mojo:

Whether these 5" midbass speakers have enough deep bass to satisfy is debateable. But a top 5 idea, IMO.

 

[Prolle]

Tks Steve, although I really love that satisfaction from deep bass

 

[system7]

You can add bass...

The Allison IC20. It's a wallmounter so adds 6dB to the bass, or needs no bafflestep, in other words.

Very clever, IMO.

 

[Ugg10]

The Carmody Tarkus May be worth a look.

Tarkus - undefinition

The Kairos or Continium but with the bass module.

The Kairos and Continuum Three-Way Loudspeakers -

Techtalk Speaker Building, Audio, Video Discussion Forum

Or the Troels SBA741 with bass module or SBA10.

DIY-Loudspeakers

IPL transmission lines also have a good reputation.

IPL ACOUSTICS     TRANSMISSION LINE KITS

But as others have said, it is a fairly large room and without some treatment (carpet/rug/soft furnishings/curtains) you may be fighting a loosing battle with reflections.

 

[planet10]

I have only recently (ie in the last 5 years, started adding 2-ways with Low XO points to the catalog. We have only built 6, 2 of them are essential V2s and very good, the other is unique (and drivers NLA).

Search for Tysen V2, and A12pw MTM.

dave

 

[system7]

I suspect that any good design can be converted to twin drivers. It gives a more PA sound that is less room dependent. Possibly a narrow dispersion pattern can work well in a lively room too, but you might need some drapes behind the listening position.

But Dave, aka planet10, your WAW/FST (A12pw MTM) is not wildly different from my much-liked Wharfedale E70, IMO!

Based on a good idea, one suspects.

 

[planet10]

your WAW/FST (A12pw MTM) is not wildly different from my much-liked Wharfedale E70, IMO!

There is one huge difference. The XO n mine is low enuff that the C-C distances are less than the corner. This means that the drivers are essentially coincident. And with a 1st order XO.

dave

 

[Prolle]

Thanks guys. Some interesting options there.
The last criteria is that they sound good at low volume. Is there a loudspeaker equivalent to an amps "loudness" control?

 

[chris661]

It gives a more PA sound that is less room dependent.

Define "PA sound". A good PA system sounds like a good HiFi system, except it'll pass 120dB and still sound clean.

Chris

 

[picowallspeaker]

Define "PA sound". A good PA system sounds like a good HiFi system, except it'll pass 120dB and still sound clean.

Chris

Low-Fi
Mid- Fi
Hi - Fi

All of those categories should make 'good sound'

120 dB I expect is the 1m on axis data. No human ear can withstand such pressure for a prolonged period.

 

[mbrennwa]

The last criteria is that they sound good at low volume.

The Open Source Monkey Coffin definitely fits this criterion!