Any threads on improving cheap speakers?

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Progress!

I've put one pillow directly behind each woofer, quite snug but the magnet probably displaces the pillow enough to let the driver breath? Anyway, it makes a substantial difference, well worth it. I'll eventually try lining with foam and I have a couple more pillows so maybe even more stuffing? I know it's possible to over damp but I'm wondering how much would be too much?

The caps are interesting.
I think they've also made quite a difference but it took a few back and forths before I was sure of it? The sound seemed to want to travel away from the enclosure a bit more, the bass seemed more articulate too (I suppose the upper range drivers help with the leading edge of the bass lines?) overall it just felt a little cleaner and rounder? I think an important indicator is that when listening to the recapped speaker I started to forget I was meant to be listening critically, toes tapped a bit more. A good indicator.
I feel that bracing might make the differences more obvious.
 

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Glad your making good progress 😁

As you changed the caps their tolorence will be different which can change the phase slightly too so the sound will appear to be be closer/further on the driver. The smoothness will be the better type of cap 😁

You can get poly fill from fabric shops for a couple of quid yet can have different fibres in so worth checking

If you brace the cabs you will need less wadding, which is better. Wadding makes the cabs appear to have larger internal volume, yet importantly, uses/wastes energy.

Your learning well just like us all at one point

It's valued learning what you are doing and respect why you don't want to spend too much, makes sense. An old saying... You can't polish a turd, but you can throw glitter on it👍
 
diyAudio Member
Joined 2007
That measuring up a crossover would bring results, even if using cheaper parts.

Well yes. If starting from scratch with good quality parts.
For a project such as this I simply use the factory values on the assumption that near enough is good enough when talking about cheap caps that may have up to 10% variation on the stated value and that the drivers may also vary as much themselves.
Despite this most cheap speakers do seem to sound the same when played side by side
 
Glad your making good progress 😁

"You can get poly fill from fabric shops for a couple of quid yet can have different fibres in so worth checking"


The price of stuffing is way more expensive in the local hobby store would you believe.

"Your learning well just like us all at one point

It's valued learning what you are doing and respect why you don't want to spend too much, makes sense. An old saying... You can't polish a turd, but you can throw glitter on it👍"

Oh this isn't my first rodeo, I've been into diy for years and made a few dodgy speakers in the the past. I've just never done this particular type of work (silk purse out of a sows ear) so that's why I thought to ask for any input from you guys :)
 
A small mixture of bracing.

The cabinet is basic but it does have some edge bracing and the front lower section of the speaker is actually mostly double thickness as they glued the woofer cutout chipboard in there.

I'll try get some stuffing done and finish the other crossover before listening to the results.
 

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Ah bugger.

I've managed to pull it mostly back into shape and will repair it tomorrow :(

Anyway, they sound good, I've listened to a few albums I'm familiar with and am still judging whether they're over stuffed or not.
 

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Try the Tang Band

I would glue a heavy cardboard pipe from the front to the back right were the hole for the socalled midrange is.

This way you brace the front/ back and you have a chamber for the tang band midrange.

Use som expanding glue and seal it after with silicone or something like it, remeber to drill a hole in the pipe for the wiring to the tang band

best regards
uwe
 
I would glue a heavy cardboard pipe from the front to the back right were the hole for the socalled midrange is.

This way you brace the front/ back and you have a chamber for the tang band midrange.

Use som expanding glue and seal it after with silicone or something like it, remeber to drill a hole in the pipe for the wiring to the tang band

best regards
uwe

I like that idea very much and might use it in a future project but I'm pretty happy with how they sound at the moment, they're much better than when I started and will be perfectly fine (better than fine) for what they'll be getting used for.
 
So You finnished? If you only did one - it could be fun and interesting to hear a recording of before and after. I mean to do that with my Dali 18mk2 that Ive turned actively filtered

Other than the repair of the super tweeter and maybe a new grill they're pretty much complete. I did A/B them to some extent at the start but I really wanted to get this project completed when I had the time.
I might tweak the stuffing a little over the coming days? They're still quite coloured but much better than before and lots of fun.
 
Dust cap pulled out with some sticky tape. Used a cotton bud to gently push the tape into the deformation then tugged the tape out, worked like a charm.

I was able to pull most of the damaged cone into place and then plaster some very thin paper towel/pva/water to the area. It'll do fine, the woofer and midrange are clearly doing most of the work here.

I also removed a little of the foam around the back of the woofer so that the poly stuffing wasn't packed quite so tightly and I think this has opened the sound and maybe given me a bit more bass.
 

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And a little bit of paint to finish the job. They work well and are now in their new home.

Thanks for the help guys.

Now onto the next project, mwahahahahahaaaaa :spin::smash:
 

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Dual midrange I get but I have never understood those twin tweeter arrangements.
Close-ups and dimensions of that mid-range please.
Are the "new" speakers mirror imaged?

They're not mirror imaged. I did start another thread trying to find more info on them before I bought them but after a long drive I didn't want to got back empty handed so here we are.

They're of similar build quality (or lack of it) to the Sonys but I'd say 10 years older. 12" woofer (that's probably a replacement) and more volume means they have an enjoyable amount of dynamics. The other drivers don't look like anything special and I fear that the white coating is starting to separate from the surface of one of the midranges?
 

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diyAudio Member
Joined 2007
During that particular period Yamaha/Sanyo/Sony etc had issues with tariffs and it was common to have Japanese systems supplied with Australian made speakers. Lowest cost bidder naturally but using a know Japanese design or criteria.
I think that this pair is one of those. But the Etone woofers would indeed, most probably be a replacement.
I have an idea of how I would do a rebuild but it is dependent on the quality and SPL of the bass from the woofers
 
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