Mini Karlsonator (0.53X) with Dual TC9FDs

Hi guys

I am sorry to come into this thread sideways, but I would first like to hear if my idea is viable at all before I start a whole thread on it.

I want to build a pair of high quality subs for home use. The drivers I am going to use for this sub are the 13" Leak Sandwich bass drivers. I already have 1 pair of ceramic bass drivers and 1 pair of alnico drivers. I am going to get another pair of each for the sub idea I have in mind. Each box will have two ceramic and two alnico drivers in. I will be quad-amping each sub. One of the main box design ideas for I have in mind is a mega-Karlsonator, and I want to know if it will work.

The boxes that I am planning to build will be 188cm (1.88m/74"/6.16ft) tall x 57cm (22.44") wide x 55cm (21.65") deep. The internal measurements will be 182cm (71.65") x 51cm (21.08") x 49cm (19.29"). With that height it will be a real mega-Karlson to start with, but I want to make it a Karlsonator (Karlson crossed with TQWP) design. I estimate with the height of the box that this design should go down low, very close to 20Hz at the bottom end. The problem is that I don't have any TSPs for any of the drivers, but I will also be buying the Dayton measuring suite, and I will be measuring each individual driver. But before I even start that, I want to know if such an idea will work at all. If the Karlson experts give the green light for this idea, I will create a new thread on the Subwoofer forum. Here is a pic for my idea:

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Thanks,
Deon
Is this supposed to be a full range or bass device?

You don't need the dayton suite if all you want is to measure T/S parameters.
Many years ago, I wrote up a post on using ARTA to measure T/S parameters
You can also use REW as described here Lilmike’s DIY Impedance Measurement Jig
 
Last edited:
I was going to call it the MOAK. The Mother of All Karlsonators. :)

I will try to model it as soon as I have some time. Even with one of those 15 in drivers it will be impressive. Are you sure you want four in parallel? The box size you give may be too small volume wise.

Well, the units I am going to use are just 13" diameter, so maybe the 12" units might be closer in spec. I hope all four will fit in. I can make the box taller if need be. I just chose that height because then I could get a single box out of a single sheet of wood (the outside that is). I want to use 30mm thick plywood, and they come in sheets of 1220mm x 2440mm. So for a depth of 550mm, the height must then be 1880mm: 2440mm - 550mm = 1890mm, 1890mm - 5mm (for the cut) = 1885mm, and add in 5mm fudge factor. But I can make them as tall as 2000mm in the space I have for them (even as tall as the full 2440mm, but then I would have to move some things). The width and depth (at 570mm side and 550mm deep) are at their max for the space I have. What do you think?

Deon

PS. The name of the thread in the Subwoofer forum has been changed to MOAK: The Mother of All Karlsonators (aka The Magnificent Monster)
 
Last edited:
1-15" cabinet sounds real good for starters for myself - re:size - there's been a few larger than K15 in history

Karlson's factory 18" coupler cabinet with top compartment for midrange and treble drivers
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/a/img338/7135/foldoutpage3web.jpg
Cetec Gauss K18 model 5181
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6158/6196200749_4937e6e852_b.jpg
Karlson 12 foot long coupler plan
http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/9439/ts1fb1.jpg
http://img484.imageshack.us/img484/4555/ts2yu1.jpg


Karlson's factory 18" coupler cabinet with separate top compartment for midrange and treble drivers - until I found this brochure, I never knew John Kalrson had made an 18" driver version.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


Cetec Gauss K18 model 5181 bass guitar cabinet
6196200749_4937e6e852_b.jpg


Karlson 12 foot long coupler plan - I don't understand what seems to be the driver holes on the angled surface -?
I'd assume the two speakers mounted on the rear of the long surface, then their back waves would be contained in
the theater's ceiling or wall - ?

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
Last edited:
Karlson 12 foot long coupler plan - I don't understand what seems to be the driver holes on the angled surface -?

I'd assume the two speakers mounted on the rear of the long surface, then their back waves would be contained in
the theater's ceiling or wall - ?

Correct, the false wall/ceiling cavity appears to be a Klam's rear chamber with the rest being its vented front chamber, i.e. really large, low tuned 4th order BP.

GM
 
Finally got a chance to get my 0.4x versions finished and running, went a bit slow due to Easter holidays and other commitments. Really impressed with the sound from these speakers. In fact so much so, I'm currently planning to build the 0.53x version in 12mm birch ply.

I've attached a few pictures of the build process, the finished articles and my 0.53x plans below. Not my neatest foamboard work I must admit, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the dual TC9's perform in the plywood build.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20140407_224452670.jpg
    IMG_20140407_224452670.jpg
    243.5 KB · Views: 1,007
  • IMG_20140408_223512911.jpg
    IMG_20140408_223512911.jpg
    873.4 KB · Views: 1,009
  • IMG_8211.jpg
    IMG_8211.jpg
    618.4 KB · Views: 979
  • IMG_8212.jpg
    IMG_8212.jpg
    578.4 KB · Views: 927
  • Karlsonator_0.53x.png
    Karlsonator_0.53x.png
    34.8 KB · Views: 966
Last edited:
Finally got a chance to get my 0.4x versions finished and running, went a bit slow due to Easter holidays and other commitments. Really impressed with the sound from these speakers. In fact so much so, I'm currently planning to build the 0.53x version in 12mm birch ply.

I've attached a few pictures of the build process, the finished articles and my 0.53x plans below. Not my neatest foamboard work I must admit, but I'm looking forward to seeing how the dual TC9's perform in the plywood build.

Nice. I was looking forward to your one-piece build. Looks great! The inner pieces are FAR neater than my build. Thanks for posting that!

Carl
 
Very interesting builds in this thread. I'm considering building a pair of 0.4x or 0.53x Karlonators for a friend as computer speakers. How would they work on desktop use listened as a near-field speaker (under 1m listening distance)? Also considering using it so, would the 0.4 or the 0.53 version be the better alternative? I wonder if HF interference would be a problem using 2 drivers.

I got a pair of Peerless P830986 3" full ranges already collecting dust. Browsing the thread, I noticed this driver hasn't been used yet in here. I wonder if it would fare well in a simulation or should I just make the extra investment towards the Vifa TC9?

Also a question about the build. If I make a smallish speaker like this from BB ply (let's say 10mm thick), would it need internal bracing and/or the baffle brace shown in some builds? I'm jealous of you guys having that foam core for 1$, seems to be damned hard to get in where I live :D
 
Last edited:
Founder of XSA-Labs
Joined 2012
Paid Member
Peerless 830986 in 0.4x Karlsonator

Mayuri,
Those Peerless drivers are pretty nice and can work well in a Karlsonator scaled to 0.4x in height and depth, but scale the width to 0.43x for optimum results. These drivers are not as efficient as the TC9's so your SPL will be down a bit - but not a big deal for near field PC speakers. The 0.4x works much better near field as PC speakers as the size size is small still. At 0.53x it is kind of a larger box that is either floor or standmount or a largish bookshelf. You will need a BSC circuit to balance the bass and treble on this so use a 0.6mH inductor in parallel with a 5 ohm resistor and put those in series with the positive between the amp and the positive terminal. Here is the predicted response:

415411d1398695841-mini-karlsonator-0-53x-dual-tc9fds-karlsonator-0.4x-0.43xw-peerless-830986-freq-1m.png


Certainly, you can build this out of BB plywood - look at the great example that Francisco Perez did.

Good luck!
 

Attachments

  • Karlsonator-0.4x-0.43xw-Peerless-830986-Freq-1m.png
    Karlsonator-0.4x-0.43xw-Peerless-830986-Freq-1m.png
    26.7 KB · Views: 1,143
415411d1398695841-mini-karlsonator-0-53x-dual-tc9fds-karlsonator-0.4x-0.43xw-peerless-830986-freq-1m.png

You will need a BSC circuit to balance the bass and treble on this so use a 0.6mH inductor in parallel with a 5 ohm resistor and put those in series with the positive between the amp and the positive terminal. Here is the predicted response:
Thank you for the simulation x! Are you referring to the 0.53x or the 0.4x version with this? If it's the 0.4x, that's some impressive low-range extension from a 3" driver.

I haven't got the time to build the enclosure yet, but I'm itching to start sawing some plywood already :D
 
Founder of XSA-Labs
Joined 2012
Paid Member
Freddi,
That is a nice looking Karlsonator 12 box. Which drivers are you thinking of (or do you have and want to try)? I can't say that I have sim'd too many 12 in drivers so don't have one off the top of my head to recommend. My guess is one with a moderate Qts - not too low in order to increase bass extension. Do you have a Beta 12LTA - good full range? That may be a place to start. Do you plan to run single driver full range or to use a helper tweeter? A Definimax 12HO gives good bass performance. Really powerful motor coax's seem to not have as good bass extension - like all the B&C's start rolling off at 100 Hz.

Here are some sims with the Definimax - it can get pretty loud 120 dB at xmax with 50 volts of drive.
 

Attachments

  • KNR12-Definimax12HO-Freq-1m.png
    KNR12-Definimax12HO-Freq-1m.png
    29.2 KB · Views: 127
  • KNR12-Definimax12HO-Freq-1m-at-xmax.png
    KNR12-Definimax12HO-Freq-1m-at-xmax.png
    28.9 KB · Views: 111