My first build and i want to do something near impossible i think ...

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diyAudio Member
Joined 2007
I'll not get into the discussion about horns as I've never built on because I think they are too "Shouty " for want of a better way to describe how I think they sound but multi-amping is my own preferred way to drive the bottom end and if money is in reasonable supply do some research on bandwidth and 4 way speakers.
Every time I include a subwoofer into my sets of speakers I find the result more pleasing Simply removing the low bass from the mid-bass makes most of my amateur efforts sound better
But a great speaker system without a great listening environment might be wasted
 
Ha ! The more i read, the more complicated it gets. " one day i will build horns " As of now i need to read ALOT of different books about acoustics and speaker design before i attempt to build anything. I will buy a miniDSP and mic, research what drivers are in my speakers ( phone Linn if needs be ) and experiment with what i have, learn about drivers and how they work. I'm very curious to see the frequency response of what im listening to as i have always perceived it to be flat due to a lack of any tonal adjustment, what the source puts in is what the amps put out. After joining this forum and taking onboard what people have said, its impossible im getting the best out of what i have lol...
So the new plan...

MiniDsp,
Upgrade the passive speaker crossover components and internal cable where needed,
Add another 2 power amps to bi amp the speakers,

I will worry about building some beautiful horns in maybe 6 months when i have the correct equipment and understanding to be able achieve such a goal.
I keep telling my self... haha ..
" This forum has not shattered my dream "

I still thank you all for your time and putting my thinking in the correct direction, I look forward to hearing and tampering with the miniDSP !!!

Meshach
 
It's all about outcome... most end user listener(s) don't give a second thought about how the designer managed to get there, only that they GOT there! So many designs are either over engineered, or were vastly under engineered. Been guilty of both! I continue to be amazed at how many great designs come no where near textbook in any form, fit or fashion but are amazing to listen to. This especially applies to crossovers!

Any design that approaches the current state of the art, regardless of price point, likely took a bunch of effort and hours to complete. It is all about how serious you are and how much time you are willing to invest. NO FREE LUNCH! You have to do the work!
 
......

I currently have as a set up.
2x Cyrus X Power amps used as monoblocks
2x Cyrus PSXR
Audiolab M_Dac
Linn Majik 140 speakers.

For me to upgrade what i have will cost a good few thousand sheckles.
Brand names don't impress me.. Sound does ... If i'm going to spend lots of sheckles to upgrade my hifi, i want the best that can be got, created, bought lol.

What do people suggest ? if i were to say the budget will be 10k GBP.
.......

Any info/help is very welcome and very precious to me. :D

Have you listened to class D? I was amazed and seem to favor them for clarity.


Good low are also very important to me for the overal sound; before trying a subwoofer, I was convinced I did not need one.... was I wrong.

I advice you to use your current speakers, get yourself a $20 tpa3116 2.1 (dual chip, with x-ver) amp, an (old) ~19V laptop adapter and a sealed (car/ second hand?) subwoofer which you place in a corner of the room.

You will be amazed that it will even produce sound :p, have a reference for what subs brings you and if you like the class D taste as much as many other do.

A step up is to get yourself tpa32xx amps and dedicated digital crossovers.

Please do me a favor and wire them up with the cheapest copper wire you got and report back.
 
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Deciding on where to start upgrading your system will be a bit like herding cats. As the Majik speakers' topology was designed from the start with the ultimate goal of fully Aktiv multi-amp set-up, if you've not already heard a demo of such, it might well be worth the time spent to facilitate that, just to see if you think the complexity / cost is worth it.

With the likes of minidsp, highly configurable DSP crossover / EQ for fully active systems have never been more accessible for affordable. This is of course a country club with a cost of entry, and as is oft the case, 2 foot-itis - the lure of the decades old Linn upgrade psychology - is always a risk.
 
diyAudio Member
Joined 2007
Love post #51
I think I need that poster for my mancave wall
As regards "Shouty" it is also how I think most piezo tweeters sound and I have played with mates speakers and done the XO tweaks for them so I guess I agree that most of the horn speakers I have heard may have had XO issues
 
My plan is to get a miniDSP and measuring equipment before I buy anything else.
Bass is not a problem with the speakers, what i want is separation and imagery. This is why i will bi amp the speakers eventually and get the best i can from the miniDSP.
At the moment i have changed the amps from monoblocks to stereo, using one for bass / mid L+R and the other for mid treble / high treble.
It has improved the sound so i can only assume that buying another 2 amps to separate the L+R channels will improve the soundstage even further.

Thank you for all your input

Meshach
 
Sound plan.

A separated sub-woofer or a few is not only for more bass, but more important at home is the tighter bass from being mono and well placed (corner); not having destructive interference/comb-filtering from/between the left and right speaker position. Often being about the worst place to put subs/bass output !!!

Mid's will also profit as the heavy work (big cone movement) is done by the sub. Crossover anywhere between 80 and 120hz and go sealed sub(s) as the low end rolls off is nice and is compensated by room gain. Especially when put in a corner, but that is where you want is to be, to be tight.

The speakers you have are not really 4 way but 3,5 as the lower woofer seems to have an extra low pass. You can probably best power them both from the same amp using the passive part. (and use the free output for a sub :) ) I you do, I would close the reflex ports.

// having separate amps for the tweeter and super tweeter is probably not going to give you much extra SQ, so stereo 3 way is enough.
 
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Looking at the measurements of Linn Majik in Stereophile, I don't believe that minidsp would do miracles to it. ANY mid-price 2-way speaker does better and if one wants to hear low bass, a sealed sub or a wisely chosen large 3-way speaker will deliver that.

With diy and dsp it is very difficult to make a speaker that is worse that that Linn.
 
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