Recommended 2-way for beginner

[Dave Bullet]

I'd like to build a 2-way speaker as a beginning project.

I would like better mids than my current Wharfedale's (peaky 6.5" poly and harsh 1" aluminium dome tweeter). I rank midrange over bass. (eg Down to about 65 - 80Hz should be ok. My subwoofer can deal to sub 80Hz frequencies).

I want this to be a cheap project - so if I stuff it up - I'm not just flushing money down the drain. If I succeed - I have something to listen to. I don't have low end equipment (older 40watt denon amp and CD player)

Here are my constraints. Can you please recommend drivers, a proven kit (or xover) and Fc given the following?:

- I can only get Audax, Seas, Vifa or Peerless drivers in Australasia
- f3 of about 65Hz - 80Hz
- Prefer higher sensitivity (due to low powered amp) > 89dB?
- 8 Ohm load
- Sealed enclosure
- Size not a problem (well - less than 50Litres per cabinet
- Less than USD$200 in drivers (total) (I can get Scanspeak here too - but too expensive)
- Simple xover design (I am not able to do impedance, phase or other measurements to measure actual T/S of the delivered drivers nor fine tune the xover)
- I'd prefer a tweeter with a metal grille. I know you say "yuck" butI have children with pokey little fingers - temptation too great!

Impossible?

Your advice / scathing criticism -) welcome

Thankyou,
Dave.

 

[Dave Bullet]

Correction

I don't have low end equipment (older 40watt denon amp and CD player)

Should have read:

I *do* have low end equipment......

Cheers,
Dave.

 

[Mikael Abdellah]

Re: Correction

Should have read:

I *do* have low end equipment......

Cheers,
Dave.

Worthless comment, Dave

If he likes it, that's all that matters. I have Denon myself. My experience is that as long as you don't go lower than 8 ohm the amps sounds great. I'm not saying it's extreme high end like mark levinson or linn but they sound good.

I've just finished a pair of small 2-way speakers myself. They sound heavenly, however I used Monacor-drivers. I'm not sure if you can buy them anywhere near you.

 

[Dave Bullet]

Hi Mikael,

I can't find any monacor drivers locally....

I did find this Vifa design - using the 5" P13WH and a 1" D27TG-45 tweeter: http://www.speakerbuilding.com/content/1015/

Using the specs from the Vifa site, I get the following combined frequency response - looks great (with about 5dB of tweeter attenuation)

Total driver cost = NZD$248 (approx USD$130) so should be within my constraints..... The P13 can only take 40 watts nominal. (Stange, it has no long term power handling in the Vifa spec sheet like the P17....)

I'll keep hunting...

Dave.

 

[Mikael Abdellah]

Looks great. My guess it will sound really amazing. My speakers are built on a 5 1/4" kevlar-bass and a 1" silk-dome. They sounded a bit bright and hars at first but after a simple 6dB attenuator the sound is just right. I built a simple 2nd order Linkwitz-Riley filter at 3kHz.

 

[Dave Bullet]

It does look good on paper. I'm not sure about the dip around 1.5KHz (whether it's worth worrying about - an artifact of the midwoofer).

The design also uses an xover @ 3Khz - but 4th order LR. Luckily the site has the schematic. I'll just double check the amount of attenuation he used....

I did notice the design has no impedance compensation for the woofer. Would this be an issue?

Also - there is no resonance compensator for the tweeter. I suppose that doesn't matter, since the 4th order LR means there is very little energy around tweeter Fs to worry about.

I also suppose all xover components have some interrelationship too!!! (just to complicate things some more!) - so adding a zobel could upset something else?

Dave.