So, I want to build my first set of speakers. It seems like something well within my skills, a fun project and a way to save some money. However, I am not sure which design would fit in my strange apartment. It would be great if you could recommend me a proven design which fits here.
I am looking for a bookshelf speaker design which fits in the bookshelf on the left. I’ll replace the bookshelf but the new one will also be 35cm from the edge to the wall. I have a ceiling height of 4m but the room is just 3m wide. I don’t need very loud speakers, only light listening and for the TV audio. It would be great if I could also listen from upstairs without it sounding terrible. I’ll buy a Topping MX3 as the amp.
From what I read the distance to the wall would probably be too small for a back vented design. Would something with a passive radiator on the sides be a good choice here? I like the look of those. Also, a lot of DYI designs are in imperial measures. Can I just use thicker MDF as long as I keep the inside dimensions the same? If the design is a bit bass anaemic it would be fine as I’ll probably add a subwoofer later on.
I am looking for a bookshelf speaker design which fits in the bookshelf on the left. I’ll replace the bookshelf but the new one will also be 35cm from the edge to the wall. I have a ceiling height of 4m but the room is just 3m wide. I don’t need very loud speakers, only light listening and for the TV audio. It would be great if I could also listen from upstairs without it sounding terrible. I’ll buy a Topping MX3 as the amp.
From what I read the distance to the wall would probably be too small for a back vented design. Would something with a passive radiator on the sides be a good choice here? I like the look of those. Also, a lot of DYI designs are in imperial measures. Can I just use thicker MDF as long as I keep the inside dimensions the same? If the design is a bit bass anaemic it would be fine as I’ll probably add a subwoofer later on.
I would start with something like RoomSIM - a program that lets you simulate putting speakers in a room so you can see what the response would be like. If there is a strong peak at say 60Hz, I would go for a design that won't go that low. You can go lower if you like, but then you would need a notch filter to remove that peak and that gets more complicated
As an example, our living room has a strong peak at 50Hz, so my speakers only go down to 60Hz and the room fills it in a bit for that last 10Hz. I also live in an apartment and used Ikea salad bowls for mine
Since you will be listening quite close to the speakers, something in the full range forum might be suitable. Have a look at the gallery for some inspiration
Brian
As an example, our living room has a strong peak at 50Hz, so my speakers only go down to 60Hz and the room fills it in a bit for that last 10Hz. I also live in an apartment and used Ikea salad bowls for mine
Since you will be listening quite close to the speakers, something in the full range forum might be suitable. Have a look at the gallery for some inspiration
Brian
The Sopranos by Jeff Bagby are a well reviewed 4" midrange + 1" dome tweeter ported design. Google will turn up complete design documents.
The cabinet measures 6.5” wide by 10.5” tall by 8” deep. It is made of ¾” MDF with an internal brace. The final volume is 4.7 liters or 0.17 cubic feet. You can make small changes to the cabinet height to move the 1.25” diameter round port to a front baffle corner, or to add height for a narrow front slot port.
The cabinet measures 6.5” wide by 10.5” tall by 8” deep. It is made of ¾” MDF with an internal brace. The final volume is 4.7 liters or 0.17 cubic feet. You can make small changes to the cabinet height to move the 1.25” diameter round port to a front baffle corner, or to add height for a narrow front slot port.
I'd maybe look at something tall and slim and put one where the lamp is below the clock, and the other at the foot of the stairs. Some sort of triangular design to tie the box to the stairs but give some toe in.
I'd go for a TMWW type 3 way with the mids and woofers all being the same driver a bit like some of the old Mission floorstanders.
Rob.
edit: think I smashed the paintshop skills with this one....
Edit2: Maybe a 3 or 4" full range driver with a pair of 6" drivers below in a 2 way crossed around 300Hz might be a nice easy project ?
I'd go for a TMWW type 3 way with the mids and woofers all being the same driver a bit like some of the old Mission floorstanders.
Rob.
edit: think I smashed the paintshop skills with this one....
Edit2: Maybe a 3 or 4" full range driver with a pair of 6" drivers below in a 2 way crossed around 300Hz might be a nice easy project ?
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Hi RobWells,
I can recommend you the Nomex 164 speakers from TG. Mk1 version wich is an open kit are fine sounding, I use them for years with a IcePower amp. Those speaker are using D2608/810921 tweeter which is known to be a very good tweeter. Both drivers are very low distortion.
PEERLESS-NOMEX-164
Construction d'enceintes "Nomex 164" - Le blog de pguerin
BR Pascal
I can recommend you the Nomex 164 speakers from TG. Mk1 version wich is an open kit are fine sounding, I use them for years with a IcePower amp. Those speaker are using D2608/810921 tweeter which is known to be a very good tweeter. Both drivers are very low distortion.
PEERLESS-NOMEX-164
Construction d'enceintes "Nomex 164" - Le blog de pguerin
BR Pascal
Have you tried any speakers in the room? If not get a cheap pair or borrow a pair and see where they sound best to you. Building speakers is fun, but could be a frustrating and less rewarding result than you expected.
Zigmahornets give really good results for a slim floorstanding speaker and are an easy build. You don't need a crossover either.
Zigmahornets give really good results for a slim floorstanding speaker and are an easy build. You don't need a crossover either.
Maybe some of these projects could be a start and give input to your build?
Humble Homemade Hifi - Archive
Humble Homemade Hifi - Archive
Hi,
I will see a cornu spiral on the walls or the mini Linwitz that are developed to be close to the wall. If needed a standalone sub with dsp corection - i.e. with plate amp dsp inside-
Certainly no more than monitors size if classic speakers. Something like a stereo in a centre speaker to have stereo from a single point like TV ?
I will see a cornu spiral on the walls or the mini Linwitz that are developed to be close to the wall. If needed a standalone sub with dsp corection - i.e. with plate amp dsp inside-
Certainly no more than monitors size if classic speakers. Something like a stereo in a centre speaker to have stereo from a single point like TV ?
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My choice for small monitors are the Definitive Technology 800's. Flat response from 60 hz to 20k hz, and they are significantly smaller than the 1000's while delivering most of the same FR range. (One would want a sub to handle 80 hz and lower anyways) I've found the 800's used for $25 to $30 each on my local Craigslist.
Hard to beat this 2.1 combo unless you really want a DYI solution and cost is not a primary concern... in fact you could spend the extra $$ left on a really good musical sub and have a really kick *** system.
Six.
Hard to beat this 2.1 combo unless you really want a DYI solution and cost is not a primary concern... in fact you could spend the extra $$ left on a really good musical sub and have a really kick *** system.
Six.
I wouldn't do it, if saving money was the main motivation. You can buy some excellent older designs for very little money, and you have the advantage of being able to sell them on for very little, or even no loss.
If you still want to go ahead, anything by Jeff Bagby would be worth looking at. He was a very well respected speaker designer.
If you still want to go ahead, anything by Jeff Bagby would be worth looking at. He was a very well respected speaker designer.
I second this suggestion by LineSource. Jeff Bagby's designs are hard to beat. You might also want to consider his Continuum II, which is slightly larger than the Sopranos but still well suited to a bookshelf. Both have consistently received excellent reviews. The Continuum IIs are sealed, which might be better in your somewhat limited space. Particularly if you plan to add a sub later.
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There is no way that this commercial product with cheap aluminum drivers in a plastic case will come even close to the sound quality that a DIY build for the same $300 will deliver. Not close.
I want to build my first set of speakers.
@ SUCKER!
@ Er, I meant "Good on yer, mate!"
- a way to save some money.
@ Well maybe. There are some darn cheap speakers out there which are pretty good. Back when I started as a loudspeaker design engineer you really could save a lot of money-that is actually how I got interested in speakers! Today I consider DIY is more about making something unique.
design which fits in the bookshelf
- Well, what dimensions specifically? How deep is the new bookshelf? How wide and tall are you willing to make the speakers?
distance to the wall would probably be too small for a back vented design.
- My buddy at Harman/JBL/Samsung said their internal investigations indicated maybe 3 port diameters. I'm not aware of any formal paper ever presented about this.
Would something with a passive radiator on the sides be a good choice here?
- Possibly, though you need I dunno an inch of clearance on each side, not jammed up against books like you could a sealed or front-ported design.
Can I just use thicker MDF as long as I keep the inside dimensions the same?
- Yup
If the design is a bit bass anaemic it would be fine as I’ll probably add a subwoofer later on.
- Then I'll agree with the mention to use a sealed design. It won't unload below the port tuning, you don't have to worry about the port tuning, you don't have to worry about the physical size and orientation of the port which is always problematic in small speakers.
- This $99 thing will not break your windows, but nicely filled in below 8" in-walls at my brother's Monoprice 12in 150-Watt Powered Subwoofer, Black - Monoprice.com
- You'll need some kind of crossover to help out the bookshelf speakers and the amp. Cheapest is maybe Harrison Labs F-Mods (one I measured was -6 dB at the crossover frequency), but if you could measure your amps' input impedance you could just calculate an in-line capacitor to act as a crossover.
Maybe, except for the part you missed that I bought mine for $30 a piece used on Craigslist
Even a mediocre crossover will cost $30 for each DIY design. Remember this is a first time builder, which means he or she will have a steep learning curve to achieve the finer audiophile qualities DIY design better than a good mass-produced item can... Things such as distortion, crossover design, edge diffraction, phase, directivity, panel resonance, evewhat brand capacitors to use! I don't mean to discourage anyone (like myself) who loves learning, has all the time in the world (except of course for the need to put food on the table) has an understanding spouse, and prioritizes sound quality over cost. I just wanted to put out an alternative that works well for me. I joined in 2014, and am still acquiring knowledge and parts for the one pair of speakers I hope will deliver the sound quality I'm looking for. In the meantime, I have installed the Def Techs in 3 rooms, a pair of B&W's in the Living Room and 2 Ohm-4 speakers in another room. The most expensive pair was $200. They are doing the trick just fine for me, and helping me learn what good sound is about (for my aging ears)
By the way, I measured all my speaker's Frequency Response with REW (AT THE LISTENING POSITION). The main difference between the Def Techs and the B&W is that the B&W's go much lower (they don't need a subwoofer - but their response does not get any flatter when I equalize each set) I would venture to say that the Def Techs have narrower dispersion due to the smaller drivers, which means less wall, floor and ceiling reflections, though the B&W's have less distortion since the 3-way design puts less stress on the drivers due to the narrower frequency each driver is asked to cover.
So, it's all a compromise... pick your poison, learn a bit, try something different - enjoy the journey.
Six
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I think you have the perfect space for these, very easy to build (Home Depot and a skill saw?). You can find lots of info online
Zigmahornet Speakers with Fostex FE103E / FE103En Driver
Zigmahornet Speakers with Fostex FE103E / FE103En Driver
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