speaker tower project

[augugkemp]

Hi guys I am new to the whole speaker building DIY thing and I would like, if possible to get some advice on the following. I have been given some car speaker specifically audi a4 quarto 1999 speakers (made by bose). I am now wondering if it's possible to make a speaker with them. If so what components would I need and what kind of cabinet dimensions I would need etc. But the most important question is what are drivers and crossover and if they are necessary for building speakers
Thanks August

 

[lovinthehd]

Are those complete speakers or just single drivers? A driver for an example is a tweeter handling high frequencies, or a woofer handling low frequencies. Car speakers are often coaxial designs, providing both a woofer and tweeter with some passive crossover components. I didn't watch it, but this seems to be on the subject.

Do you have any specs on what you have other than the car they were removed from? Do you see a model number on the back? Maybe pics front and back would help.

If you make a speaker with separate woofer and tweeter drivers you need a crossover designed for not only the drivers' individual specs but also the specifics of the box they are going to be placed in. If you want to get into diy you would likely be better off starting with a known design (with specific drivers, designed crossover and specified box).

Also try the diy subforum here at Audioholics, or AVSforum.com, or diyaudio.com.

 

[augugkemp]

I would rather prefer to minimize my costs and reuse the speakers I already have as making speakers is only a side project. But as I said my knowledge is really basic that's why I am looking for advice.

Here's some photos of all 4 different speakers I have taken out. However, the pictures is all I have .

I would be really grateful if you could help me out some more

THANKS A LOT !!

 

[rojo]

Step 1: Measure the Thiele-Small parameters of your drivers using the DATS v2 or similar. You should also get a calibrated measurement mic to measure the response of the drivers.
Step 2: Model bass response of the woofer with those T/S params using WinISD or similar.
Step 3: Build a test box. Load up the drivers. Be sure to put a capacitor on the tweeter so you don't damage it during sweeps. Measure the response of the drivers in the cabinet.
Step 4: Design a crossover with appropriate phase alignment and baffle step compensation, paying special attention to ensure the woofer's breakup mode is at least 15dB down. Notch filters to flatten peaks as needed. See this page for more info.

-or-

Trash your Bose drivers and go with a proven DIY design where someone else has already done all the design work, trial and error, and found 2,000 ways not to make a lightbulb. One of the cones (in "2.pdf") looks warped and water damaged anyway.

DIY Sound Group, Madisound, Parts Express, Meniscus Audio, Selah Audio, Melby Audio, and many other companies sell kits of speaker drivers, crossover components, and plans; and some even offer CNC machine-cut flat packs for the speaker cabinets. Ultimately, not having to waste money on trial and error, buying collections of crossover components you'll never use (or making multiple orders, paying shipping each time you want to try a new resistor value or try substituting a polypropylene cap for an electrolytic, etc.), not having to buy equipment to measure the speaker parameters, all serve to support this assessment: you'll spend less money and end up with better speakers by starting from scratch.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Below is one of such REALLY easy to build and fun to listen to kits. This is not be as good as $700 kits, but very nearly so.
http://www.parts-express.com/parts-express-tritrix-mtm-tl-speaker-components-and-cabinet-kit-pair--300-702

It even includes videos for box and crossover assembly - making it nearly bulletproof easy

p.s: If I wasn't clear - this kit will be HUGE improvement over anything ANYONE could build using these speakers. Nothing personal to you, they just wrong tools for a job. that's all.

 

[lsiberian]

I don't think it's worth your time or money to do this project, but if you really want to try. I suggest determining the interior volume of the car door and going from there.

 

[highfigh]

Hi guys I am new to the whole speaker building DIY thing and I would like, if possible to get some advice on the following. I have been given some car speaker specifically audi a4 quarto 1999 speakers (made by bose). I am now wondering if it's possible to make a speaker with them. If so what components would I need and what kind of cabinet dimensions I would need etc. But the most important question is what are drivers and crossover and if they are necessary for building speakers
Thanks August

Those are made to operate in a confined space, not in a large room. The dispersion isn't likely to be a good match for a larger room. It's also unlikely that the specs you need are available.

As a learning experience, try making a baffle that's about 3 times the speaker diameter and add sides to it, but no back. These speakers weren't used in sealed enclosures, unless they had their own and in that case, all you need is a baffle because the enclosure was optimized already.