Surround towers + center

[jsalbre]

Hi all, been lurking for a bit finally decided I'd register and post.

I'd like to build a set of towers for surround sound use, but I'm not really sure which designs are appropriate. Let me throw out my requirements and desires so y'all can help guide me in the right direction.

First off, it must be an attractive design. Good enough that the wife thinks they're attractive. This is the reason I'd prefer towers over sats on stands.

Second, being for surround use the drivers need to be close to ear level when sitting on the couch, and shielded for the center channel. This unfortunately rules out the zigmahornet design which I liked due to simplicity.

Third, cost. The cheaper the better, as my budget is subject to approval from the Boss, though I do want good quality of course.

I'll also of course need to build a matching center channel.

I've been eyeing the Hi-Vi B3S or the Fostex FE127E due to affordability and availability, and I've read good reviews of both. I'd actually prefer to use the B3S if possible as it's very cheap (~$11) and very good looking in my opinion. Obviously if I use the B3S I'll need to add a tweeter to the center channel due to the reduced range compared to the FE127E. I am open to any affordable speaker suggestions though.

So, any suggestions? This will be my first DIY speaker build, but I've done many wood projects and have access to all the tools I may need, and have electronics and soldering experience as well. I'd still like to keep it fairly simple, but it doesn't need to be first-grader easy if that would restrict some good options.

Thanks for any advice you can give!

 

[blue934]

jsalbre, check out CurtC's site. he has a few design's using the B3S/B3N. the scrappy could easily be made into a tower and quite possibly (talk to curt first) even as a CC.

blue934


http://www.geocities.com/cc00541/index.html

 

[jsalbre]

jsalbre, check out CurtC's site. he has a few design's using the B3S/B3N. the scrappy could easily be made into a tower and quite possibly (talk to curt first) even as a CC.

blue934

http://www.geocities.com/cc00541/index.html

Those look like they might do the trick, thanks!

I also found these (http://users.d-web.com/dbrown/db313/db313.htm) which are similar, but not quite as wide. I almost prefer the closeness of the drivers, simply for asthetic reasons. Are there any downsides (or perhaps upsides?) to this design vs the Scrappy that I should be aware of?

Also, how would I go about converting these designs into towers? Would it work to just expand the height of the enclosure but add a "floor" inside to keep the enclosed volume the same size?

 

[blue934]

the db313 uses the audax tweeter which is apparently quite good. both designs xover quite high so i don't think the tweeter will make a great deal of difference here.

haven't heard the scrappy but have used other xovers designed by curt and he is a master.

converting either design to a tower is as easy as measuring the desired height of the tweeter and extending the box down to the floor. yes, do install a floor in the cabinet to retain original box volume in the top section. maybe use the bottom for the crossover or put sand in to solidify the unit. these will be tippy so a wider base may be in order.

blue934