some images from the basement
Here are some images from my build. I used bigger battens for the front frame to give more room and bite for the mounting screws. May not be needed but I still don't have the screws.
Just listened to them again.
"and the tickler takes his tickle back"
Here are some images from my build. I used bigger battens for the front frame to give more room and bite for the mounting screws. May not be needed but I still don't have the screws.
Just listened to them again.
"and the tickler takes his tickle back"
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Thanks for the comments.
I used a clamp to hold the front baffle on tight when listening, but I plan on using foam gasket material to seal the cabinet up tight.
The pincushion rebate was not as hard as I first thought. Cut a 1/4 circular rebate then used a forstner bit to cut the corners out. After a little work with a super sharp chisel (there was blood) and several test fits, the woofer dropped right in. It took a small part of the time needed to make a template for the router.
I wanted to sand the cabinets before lining with noico material.
The last thing I am not sure of is how many magic eraser pads and where do they go?.
Terry
I used a clamp to hold the front baffle on tight when listening, but I plan on using foam gasket material to seal the cabinet up tight.
The pincushion rebate was not as hard as I first thought. Cut a 1/4 circular rebate then used a forstner bit to cut the corners out. After a little work with a super sharp chisel (there was blood) and several test fits, the woofer dropped right in. It took a small part of the time needed to make a template for the router.
I wanted to sand the cabinets before lining with noico material.
The last thing I am not sure of is how many magic eraser pads and where do they go?.
Terry
Use the melamine pads to cover at least 75% of the area of all the internal walls except the front baffle as there is no room for any padding. I will use eggcrate foam for now. Also, put a small puff (0.5 to 1oz) of polyfill inside the box.
I just took some polar data for this speaker. It looks pretty good if you stay within a +/-30deg (60deg cone inclusive) horizontally. The sound is very even.
As for the vertical polars, it suffers the same problem as all non point source speakers in that there are nulls when you move beyond the +15deg/-5deg (20deg inclusive) vertical cone biased towards angles above the tweeter. It is better to be above the tweeter than below it as there is a deep null at 5.5kHz when 15deg below the tweeter axis. So for desktop use, make sure the stands are not too tall so that your ear height is below the tweeter.
Here are the horizontal polars at 0.5m and 2.0Vrms:
I think that the above is a very respectable performance for a tweeter crossed at 5.5khz. There really is no detectable "beaming" if you are within the 60deg cone.
Here are the vertical polars at 0.5m and 2.0Vrms:
I just took some polar data for this speaker. It looks pretty good if you stay within a +/-30deg (60deg cone inclusive) horizontally. The sound is very even.
As for the vertical polars, it suffers the same problem as all non point source speakers in that there are nulls when you move beyond the +15deg/-5deg (20deg inclusive) vertical cone biased towards angles above the tweeter. It is better to be above the tweeter than below it as there is a deep null at 5.5kHz when 15deg below the tweeter axis. So for desktop use, make sure the stands are not too tall so that your ear height is below the tweeter.
Here are the horizontal polars at 0.5m and 2.0Vrms:
I think that the above is a very respectable performance for a tweeter crossed at 5.5khz. There really is no detectable "beaming" if you are within the 60deg cone.
Here are the vertical polars at 0.5m and 2.0Vrms:
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Thanks! The wood working is all done by my cabinet maker, I have very little woodworking skills and only make the design and prototype. Your clones of the Harbeth LS3/5A was part of the motivation that kept me going on these. I hope they find a good home!
I love your crossover layout - very good use of “gumdrop” film caps!
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I see, but still " only make the design and prototype " is 99% of most important work done - no small feat!
The m&m red caps story was that I had 200 of them ( 1uF 100 V ) - so I measured each and every one until I found exact match sets for both speakers, so the crossover capacitors and resistors are matched to be within 0,1% except for coils... nobody is that rich to buy multiple coils and then select the best... eventually un-wounding extra wire from the coil...
Also by connecting multiple capacitors in parallel - you drop esr rating down - so no bad practice after all...
The m&m red caps story was that I had 200 of them ( 1uF 100 V ) - so I measured each and every one until I found exact match sets for both speakers, so the crossover capacitors and resistors are matched to be within 0,1% except for coils... nobody is that rich to buy multiple coils and then select the best... eventually un-wounding extra wire from the coil...
Also by connecting multiple capacitors in parallel - you drop esr rating down - so no bad practice after all...
The low ESR is nice for bass impact but probably less important for a tweeter high pass. In any case, 2% to 5% is probably all you need relative to tolerance for parts on a XO. The new precision series parts from Dayton are 1% (resistors and capacitors) and well priced. For inductors, you can always measure and unwind a turn or two but really, it's not goiung to matter for a crossover. I like the fact that you used what you have on hand though.
I set up these speakers with a small Class D amp and connected them to the RCA output of my 60in TV in the bedroom. Up to now had only watched movies with the built in speakers. Wow, what a difference - the clarity, the sound tracks on action movies and the sound effects were all so real and powerful. The bass was quite satisfying. With back wall boundary reinforcement, the bass seems very good. Of course a subwoofer would be good for some things but I did not miss it on action adventure film. The compactness made it easy to fit into a tight space. Very versatile speaker as computer monitors, TV speakers, or bedroom bookshelf general listening.
Hi Signal,
Did your mounting screws come in yet, and how does it sound now with proper damping and screws?
Cheers,
X
Finished
I went ahead and installed the noico sheets and the melamine pads after a good sanding. Drilled the baffles for screws and put gaskets around the front battens, speakers and rear connectors. Screwed the baffles down tight with screws I had.
These speakers sound really good. They seem to my ears very balanced through the spectrum. Before I installed the damping and before X posted the polars, the speakers were on top of another project speaker above my ears at about 1.5 meters away. They were so quiet in the crossover range and now I see why. I was in that 15 degree notch. Without the damping and at ear level they were a little busy in the midrange as can be expected.
Last night I moved them to the living room and placed them below my ear level on about one foot stands. Like X did I placed them next to the TV but did not connect them to the TV sound. Instead I used a Rpi music streamer into an ACA amp. Watched most of the football game with the TV sound off listening to these speakers. They did everything very well and were easy to enjoy with out causing listening fatigue even if the drivers are so new and possibly stiff. I'm really happy that I built them.
Thank you to X for all the design work. Well done.
I went ahead and installed the noico sheets and the melamine pads after a good sanding. Drilled the baffles for screws and put gaskets around the front battens, speakers and rear connectors. Screwed the baffles down tight with screws I had.
These speakers sound really good. They seem to my ears very balanced through the spectrum. Before I installed the damping and before X posted the polars, the speakers were on top of another project speaker above my ears at about 1.5 meters away. They were so quiet in the crossover range and now I see why. I was in that 15 degree notch. Without the damping and at ear level they were a little busy in the midrange as can be expected.
Last night I moved them to the living room and placed them below my ear level on about one foot stands. Like X did I placed them next to the TV but did not connect them to the TV sound. Instead I used a Rpi music streamer into an ACA amp. Watched most of the football game with the TV sound off listening to these speakers. They did everything very well and were easy to enjoy with out causing listening fatigue even if the drivers are so new and possibly stiff. I'm really happy that I built them.
Thank you to X for all the design work. Well done.
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Hi Lost Signal,
Your boxes look great. Just a little more sanding and some stain/oil and you will be in your way.
Thanks for the listening impressions and for building the speaker. Great way to watch a football game without commentary but enjoying your own music.
I can’t wait to hear my wooden ones once they get finished.
I am surprised you can have enough power to drive these with an ACA amp. Wait until you try a 50w amp with them. There is actually some slam in the 100Hz to 150Hz region.
What are you going to use to finish them? I had great luck with espresso colored stain (Varathane “classic stain”) and then 3 coats of boiled linseed oil.
Example of it here with XKi and W5-2143 driver:
Your boxes look great. Just a little more sanding and some stain/oil and you will be in your way.
Thanks for the listening impressions and for building the speaker. Great way to watch a football game without commentary but enjoying your own music.
I can’t wait to hear my wooden ones once they get finished.
I am surprised you can have enough power to drive these with an ACA amp. Wait until you try a 50w amp with them. There is actually some slam in the 100Hz to 150Hz region.
What are you going to use to finish them? I had great luck with espresso colored stain (Varathane “classic stain”) and then 3 coats of boiled linseed oil.
Example of it here with XKi and W5-2143 driver:
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Very different speakers. The XKi is not a “monitor” as the aperture affects the frequency spectrum with dips in certain places. However, it’s got very wide dispersion due to the Karlson aperture acting as an acoustic “lens” and sounds great for general listening and musical enjoyment. The W5-2143 is capable of real bass. Quite deep and impressive. I think that speakers with a Karlson aperture tend to sound less forward and to some, may be too much lacking in high frequency.
The Rockville’s are closer to a monitor in sound response and flatness. Very neutral voicing and super imaging and soundstage. Not much bass if not hear a back wall though.
The W5-2143 XKi’s are also more sensitive as drivers are 90dB.
The Rockville’s are closer to a monitor in sound response and flatness. Very neutral voicing and super imaging and soundstage. Not much bass if not hear a back wall though.
The W5-2143 XKi’s are also more sensitive as drivers are 90dB.
Thanks xrk, the w5-2143 looks like a fine driver, maybe on the list for future builds, not sure 100% because of open voice-coil. I'm afraid of dust accumulation would kill the driver, at least where I live it would be a problem.
My speakers like to be near back wall as well, just more balanced sound top to bottom.
Happy building!
My speakers like to be near back wall as well, just more balanced sound top to bottom.
Happy building!
Hi xrk, I'm not living in very dusty environment, but there is always a thin layer of dust to be removed every week, could be the fact that I live relatively nearby steel factory which is poisoning all around at slow tempo...
I had made in the past small Dayton full-range speakers that attracted a lot of dust around the voice coil, so before sale, I had to vacuum clean and brush-off residue to at least look like new...
To say, I would like to try again one full-range project with bigger driver, preferably with dust-cap cover for convenience
Those are Dayton's PS-95 I had designed with double bass ports...
I had made in the past small Dayton full-range speakers that attracted a lot of dust around the voice coil, so before sale, I had to vacuum clean and brush-off residue to at least look like new...
To say, I would like to try again one full-range project with bigger driver, preferably with dust-cap cover for convenience
Those are Dayton's PS-95 I had designed with double bass ports...
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