Their measures will be 48" High X 10" Wide X 8" Deep and will be made of 1/2" MDF. They will use 6 1/2" Woofers and a tweeter but I'm not sure which drivers, tweeters or crossovers to use so I was hoping to get some help in this forum. I plan to make them either dual (8 ohm) or quadruple (4 ohm) woofer speakers with a single tweeter. I need some help with wiring and to choose speaker impedance to achieve a total ohmage of 8 ohms. Also picking or building the crossover and a place to get some vinyl to cover them. Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Hello, your taking on a project without much knowledge of how to actually design such a thing?? There is much involved. First off one shouldn't have a "set" dimensions as the drivers selected will dictate the inner volume of your enclosure. Your choice of 1/2 inch MDF is by far way too thin.....I use nothing less than one-inch thick MDF in my builds.
I did some calculations to get ya' started..using a pair of 8" drivers, I simulated a tall tower of 8"X13.5"X48" (inside dimensions)10"X15.5"X50" Outside using 1" MDF. Simulating using Daytons Designer series 8" "RS-225" drivers, a pair I get an Fb of 31.1 Hz, -3.03Db at 31.92 Hz.....102mm Diameter by 220mm long port.
A deep tall tower MTM Appolito type.
OK, I did my part.....now someone else, do the crossover..........
_____________________________________________________Rick..........
I did some calculations to get ya' started..using a pair of 8" drivers, I simulated a tall tower of 8"X13.5"X48" (inside dimensions)10"X15.5"X50" Outside using 1" MDF. Simulating using Daytons Designer series 8" "RS-225" drivers, a pair I get an Fb of 31.1 Hz, -3.03Db at 31.92 Hz.....102mm Diameter by 220mm long port.
A deep tall tower MTM Appolito type.
OK, I did my part.....now someone else, do the crossover..........
_____________________________________________________Rick..........
Better sick to a project that has been developed, tested, etc.
Dayton 8
3/4" x 16" mdf shelving board is a good choice, and easy to find.
Dayton 8
3/4" x 16" mdf shelving board is a good choice, and easy to find.
BigLouis,
I would seriously recommend building an established design if you are looking to just do the cabinet work and get a really nice set of speakers.
Something like
TriTrix MTM TL Speaker Components And Cabinet Kit Pair 300-702
Otherwise, if you are serious about learning how to design speakers ( as in a masochistic insane fool like the rest of us) we will be glad to get you headed in the right direction. You are not right now.
Please note, it takes many months and several prototypes to design a speaker. It requires the equipment and software to measure the drivers, model the box, build a prototype and measure all over again in-box, then design the crossover, finding out the drivers you picked may not work out and you have to start over. Speaker design is an engineering discipline. Many of us are engineers in real life. I have been building speakers for close to 40 years and still do not believe I have mastered even a small 2-way. There is that much to learn.
Richard, The Dayton RS drivers are very good, excellent for the money, and quite suitable for a high power floor standing tower. Good pick. But they have serious breakup issues that take extra care in the crossover. In other words, they are hard to use well. The 8's can't reach anywhere high enough for a 1" tweeter, even if you wave-guide load the SB29. They need a mid. ( RS100? ) Just my 2 cents.
I would seriously recommend building an established design if you are looking to just do the cabinet work and get a really nice set of speakers.
Something like
TriTrix MTM TL Speaker Components And Cabinet Kit Pair 300-702
Otherwise, if you are serious about learning how to design speakers ( as in a masochistic insane fool like the rest of us) we will be glad to get you headed in the right direction. You are not right now.
Please note, it takes many months and several prototypes to design a speaker. It requires the equipment and software to measure the drivers, model the box, build a prototype and measure all over again in-box, then design the crossover, finding out the drivers you picked may not work out and you have to start over. Speaker design is an engineering discipline. Many of us are engineers in real life. I have been building speakers for close to 40 years and still do not believe I have mastered even a small 2-way. There is that much to learn.
Richard, The Dayton RS drivers are very good, excellent for the money, and quite suitable for a high power floor standing tower. Good pick. But they have serious breakup issues that take extra care in the crossover. In other words, they are hard to use well. The 8's can't reach anywhere high enough for a 1" tweeter, even if you wave-guide load the SB29. They need a mid. ( RS100? ) Just my 2 cents.
While most all of this is very good, 1" MDF is overkill for 99% of projects. Most people have no idea where to even find it locally. 3/4" is the industry standard, regardless of wood type.
I was just thinking that as I Simmed em' up......my thoughts were leading to that big TB 3" mid soft-dome.then I got to thinking, phase invert for Mids, then would that screw up Appolitos' lobing in an MTM arrangement, driver spacing....then where would I put the tweet??....Ow, my brain started hurting about then.
Could we not design according to 1st, 2nd, & third approximation? Third really hurts the noggin.
____________________________________________Rick..........
Rick, it sure does! I keep hoping to save enough money to move up to easy to use drivers. That Santori woofer with maybe the CSS or TransducerLabs tweet. First order.
In the mean time ( being a civil servant) I am doing the budget SilverFlute build. No way will they match my Seas reed paper/aluminum dome set ( very similar to the Zaph SR-71) but I hope a pretty good showing for a budget best in class. Total BOM target is under $350 US a pair. I may just make it. A pair of the SF's and a bit better tweet might make a nice budget tower for an honest 55Hz F3.
Don't know much about the 3" TB. The 2" Dayton dome seems to have a following. "Back in the day" we found out big domes don't seem to work out that well. With the single suspension, I believe they teeter-totter too easy. Some of the small "full range" like the 3 inch Fountek may make a good mid. ScanSpeak 4" etc. Getting pricey though. I would love to get my hands on what Vanderstein uses. It looks like nothing special, but it works. His trademark.
In the mean time ( being a civil servant) I am doing the budget SilverFlute build. No way will they match my Seas reed paper/aluminum dome set ( very similar to the Zaph SR-71) but I hope a pretty good showing for a budget best in class. Total BOM target is under $350 US a pair. I may just make it. A pair of the SF's and a bit better tweet might make a nice budget tower for an honest 55Hz F3.
Don't know much about the 3" TB. The 2" Dayton dome seems to have a following. "Back in the day" we found out big domes don't seem to work out that well. With the single suspension, I believe they teeter-totter too easy. Some of the small "full range" like the 3 inch Fountek may make a good mid. ScanSpeak 4" etc. Getting pricey though. I would love to get my hands on what Vanderstein uses. It looks like nothing special, but it works. His trademark.
----WAF----
Was discussion of a speakers "displacement" in a well ordered Livingroom.....I was going on & on by the tall speakers & what the wife would consider too much floorspace........."Refridgerator" size..........didn't blink at all "As long as it rocks the house" to wit I in passing..Or the neighborhood ..NOTHING....K, how bout' 1.240X1.003X.813M...I got a SIM for that one at an F3 about Twelve Hertz.
_________________________________________________Rick..........
Was discussion of a speakers "displacement" in a well ordered Livingroom.....I was going on & on by the tall speakers & what the wife would consider too much floorspace........."Refridgerator" size..........didn't blink at all "As long as it rocks the house" to wit I in passing..Or the neighborhood ..NOTHING....K, how bout' 1.240X1.003X.813M...I got a SIM for that one at an F3 about Twelve Hertz.
_________________________________________________Rick..........
I think I'll drop the project because I have no experience and I was hoping that with your help the project was going to be more easy contrary to what most replies say. I rather ask some questions that rouse while I was browsing the net so far and that have me relying in what I guess it is and not what a expert know. If I decide to get a pair of 15" 3 way speakers will that save me the need to get a sub-woofer and two smaller speakers to act as left and right front speakers? In your experience what is a better idea 1) get a pair of 6 1/2" two way speakers plus a 15" powered sub-woofer or 2) a pair of 15" 3 way speakers with 3" mid-range and 2" tweeter? Both layouts will be complemented with a pair of 6 1/2" two way speakers.
A pair of powered subs and a pair of 6-1/2 inch 2 ways.
You will fine almost zero small three ways. Too expensive and the OEM market has concentrated on the mid-size two-way.
You ask about 15's. Very few made for good reason. No need in a home. Fine for stadium PA subs. Might I ask, do you live in a separate house? Frequently we see folks looking for big subs who live in apartments. If you are in a apartment or town house, you should not have a real sub at all. Bass penetrates walls and great distances. Stop at about 60 Hz.
You will fine almost zero small three ways. Too expensive and the OEM market has concentrated on the mid-size two-way.
You ask about 15's. Very few made for good reason. No need in a home. Fine for stadium PA subs. Might I ask, do you live in a separate house? Frequently we see folks looking for big subs who live in apartments. If you are in a apartment or town house, you should not have a real sub at all. Bass penetrates walls and great distances. Stop at about 60 Hz.
I live in a small apartment and I'll put my home theater in my living room. It measures 16' long X 12' wide X 8' tall but the kitchen is contiguous and it measures 9' long X 12' wide X 7' tall so there's a little bit more to fill with music. There's also a small hallway also contiguous that measure 3' long X 7' wide X 7' tall. So basically I have a 25' X 12' X 8' room that I need to fill. It seems that I can get away with a 5.1 channel speaker system right? In your experience what's the smaller powered woofer size that I can use in such a room? I have seen a few systems in my price range that I might be interested in. The woofer ranges from 8" to 12" and the satellites and center channel speaker ranges from 3" to 4 1/2" and they are two way speakers. I'll post some systems here so you tell me which ones I can get away with:
1) MartinLogan MLT-2 - it has a 10" powered sub-woofer, 4 satellites with 4 1/2" woofers and a 1" tweeters and a center channel with 3 1/2" woofers and a 1" tweeter. (I like this one)
2) Polk Audio RM6750 - it has a 8" powered sub-woofer, 4 satellites with 3 1/2" woofers and a 1/2" tweeters and a center channel with 3 1/2" woofers and a 3/4" tweeter.
3) Dayton Audio HTP-3 - it has a 12" powered sub-woofer, 4 satellites with 3 3/4" woofers and a 5/8" tweeters and a center channel with 3 3/4" woofers and a 5/8" tweeter. (I like this one better because of the sub-woofer)
Can somebody take a look at these here and give me your impressions?
1) MartinLogan MLT-2 - it has a 10" powered sub-woofer, 4 satellites with 4 1/2" woofers and a 1" tweeters and a center channel with 3 1/2" woofers and a 1" tweeter. (I like this one)
2) Polk Audio RM6750 - it has a 8" powered sub-woofer, 4 satellites with 3 1/2" woofers and a 1/2" tweeters and a center channel with 3 1/2" woofers and a 3/4" tweeter.
3) Dayton Audio HTP-3 - it has a 12" powered sub-woofer, 4 satellites with 3 3/4" woofers and a 5/8" tweeters and a center channel with 3 3/4" woofers and a 5/8" tweeter. (I like this one better because of the sub-woofer)
Can somebody take a look at these here and give me your impressions?
Oh and I would also like to add these two here:
Pinnacle SUBSONIX 5.0 TP - it has 4 satellites with 3" woofers and a 1" tweeters and a center channel with 3" woofers and a 1" tweeter.
Fluance AVHTB+ - 6 1/2" front towers, 4" woofers surround and 4" woofer center speaker.
Pinnacle SUBSONIX 5.0 TP - it has 4 satellites with 3" woofers and a 1" tweeters and a center channel with 3" woofers and a 1" tweeter.
Fluance AVHTB+ - 6 1/2" front towers, 4" woofers surround and 4" woofer center speaker.
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BigLouis, it's common enough here to see some mission creep and then the whole thing collapses into difficulty. Everybody makes it more complicated than it is. 
Those $400 TL MTM Tritrix by Curt Campbell seem to fulfil your design criteria:
TriTrix MTM TL Speaker Components And Cabinet Kit Pair 300-702
Curt gives you more details and options here:
Tritrix_pg_2
Looks a good design to me, I like series wired MTM. Naturally, I'd fit a 5kHz tank across the 2.5mH bass coil to notch the bass units and align phase better, 27R and 0.40uF in series would do it.
Those $400 TL MTM Tritrix by Curt Campbell seem to fulfil your design criteria:
TriTrix MTM TL Speaker Components And Cabinet Kit Pair 300-702
Curt gives you more details and options here:
Tritrix_pg_2
Looks a good design to me, I like series wired MTM. Naturally, I'd fit a 5kHz tank across the 2.5mH bass coil to notch the bass units and align phase better, 27R and 0.40uF in series would do it.
Here: Cabinet Covering in the Speaker Components Department at Parts Express | 310
You'll need some PVA wood glue too, I'd guess. Also a good hot soldering iron around 40W. Some clamps to hold the cabinet together, which you might borrow from someone.
I am trying these PCBs next:
Crossover PCB
Might be better than my current Troels' type ziptie, adhesive pads and stripboard approach.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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