Any Good DIY projects for center channel?

[Mike82]

I am looking to get a center channel and am wondering if there are any good DIY projects for one.

Mike

 

[lsiberian]

I am looking to get a center channel and am wondering if there are any good DIY projects for one.

Mike

There are a lot of good projects. I suggest a Coaxial for a center due to lobing issues. If not that then you will likely have voids in your sound area.

 

[Inertia]

Check the centers out here:

http://htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=28655

 

[Mike82]

Do you guys know if these center channels are any good http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290108. Also if they are is it worth doing a DIY project for this price. I mean how much more quality in a speaker could I gain for around the same amount of money. Or a little more if I do a DIY project.

 

[lsiberian]

Do you guys know if these center channels are any good http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290108. Also if they are is it worth doing a DIY project for this price. I mean how much more quality in a speaker could I gain for around the same amount of money. Or a little more if I do a DIY project.

A beta 360 is probably the best low cost center available. It's huge though. Thus the low price.

 

[TLS Guy]

I am looking to get a center channel and am wondering if there are any good DIY projects for one.

Mike

You can make pretty much an ideal center with the SEAS coaxial driver.

It is well suited to TL loading. When used in a TL you get natural conversational speech with no chestiness, excellent clarity without turning up the level of the center channel. This center has an F3 of 45 with audible output to 20 Hz.

The upper driver does not have the tweeter connected. It is the fill driver to correct the step response, fed via an active crossover. A good DIY project.

 

[Mike82]

There are a lot of good projects. I suggest a Coaxial for a center due to lobing issues. If not that then you will likely have voids in your sound area.

What exact Coaxial drivers would you suggest for putting together a center I was thinking 2 mids and a tweeter but not sure what drivers. Also is there any other drivers that you know of I could get 2 mids and a tweeter for around 200?

 

[TLS Guy]

What exact Coaxial drivers would you suggest for putting together a center I was thinking 2 mids and a tweeter but not sure what drivers. Also is there any other drivers that you know of I could get 2 mids and a tweeter for around 200?

The problem with two bass/mids and a tweeter horizontal, is that the lobing pattern is 90 degrees from where it needs to be. This really mucks up that type of center speaker.

The coaxial I linked you to by SEAS, is an excellent driver, and the only one to be recommended, the rest are of the coaxial OEM drivers are junk.

A driver and crossover is $185. For $281 you can buy the whole Loki kit and you will have an excellent center.

 

[Mike82]

The problem with two bass/mids and a tweeter horizontal, is that the lobing pattern is 90 degrees from where it needs to be. This really mucks up that type of center speaker.

The coaxial I linked you to by SEAS, is an excellent driver, and the only one to be recommended, the rest are of the coaxial OEM drivers are junk.

A driver and crossover is $185. For $281 you can buy the whole Loki kit and you will have an excellent center.

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You think just one speaker will be enough for my center channel? My room size is 13ft wide by 16ft long with a divider in the middle the room itself is probably 30ft long. I will post some pics. Do those drivers have a tweeter in the middle of them, is that how it hits such a big range?

 

[TLS Guy]

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You think just one speaker will be enough for my center channel? My room size is 13ft wide by 16ft long with a divider in the middle the room itself is probably 30ft long. I will post some pics. Do those drivers have a tweeter in the middle of them, is that how it hits such a big range?

Yes, the tweeter is at the acoustic center of the cone, which acts as a wave guide for the speaker. My room is larger than yours. This drivers are potent and will fill your room better than most centers. They also sound very good indeed.

 

[Mike82]

Here are a few pics of my room one is my screen and the other my divider in the back. As you can see I will have to mount my center channel on the sealing horizontaly. I cant seem to figure out how to upload pics can anyone help me with this.

 

[Mike82]

 

[Mike82]

Here are some links to my pics considering I could not just get them to show up.
http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1582j.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1581c.jpg

 

[TLS Guy]

Here are some links to my pics considering I could not just get them to show up.
http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1582j.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1581c.jpg

Pu it below the screen angled up, or get an acoustically transparent screen.

 

[Mike82]

You think that would be better than above could you explain that? Also I have been doing some research on that driver you recommended and it all looks good except they are not known to sound good really loud. I got that from a few reviews what are your thoughts on that.

 

[lsiberian]

You think that would be better than above could you explain that? Also I have been doing some research on that driver you recommended and it all looks good except they are not known to sound good really loud. I got that from a few reviews what are your thoughts on that.

If you need additional volume you can always add more drivers, but I think it would be more than sufficient for your needs. Remember most folks that DIY a lot have much greater expectations than the rest of us normal folk. Besides this a center speaker. Not a full tower.

I think angling up or raising screen height are the only way to practically use a center channel. Still off axis coaxials blow away many other types in the center channel IMO. Do mount it below angled up if you can. AT screens aren't very good and cost way too much IMO.

A similar commercial product would be the Kef Centers. Which I think are the best centers out there at a reasonable price. In fact KEF is my favorite manufacturer. I say this as my KEF 2001s are my only speakers. RB kit is halfway done just about.

FYI TLS Guy has a lot of very helpful suggestions and posts. He's very knowledgeable and has very high standards for sound. If you listen to him you should end up with a very good speakers.

 

[TLS Guy]

You think that would be better than above could you explain that? Also I have been doing some research on that driver you recommended and it all looks good except they are not known to sound good really loud. I got that from a few reviews what are your thoughts on that.

Sorry for the tardy reply, but I was tired out yesterday, after moving mountains of snow from Wednesday's blizzard in bone chilling wind chills, on the old tractor.

That driver takes plenty of power. I think you can run the amps out of power.

I was originally running mine with a Quad 405 2. That is a good 100 watts per channel. One channel on the main driver one, on the fill driver via electronic crossover. It did seem stretched on the loud fortes. I found the speaker was running the amp out of gas! I had to up the amp to a Quad 909, 250 watts per channel. Now it is very smooth even with the Wagnerian Mezzo Sopranos, and Heldentenors. I could not be more pleased with that center. In fact it is one of the speakers I'm most proud to have ever designed.

It does a good job, on speech music and HT. On old vintage mono recordings, I route the whole signal to that speaker and it sounds wonderful.

In other words they handle a lot of peak power well, despite their small size.

I think they are so smooth, that when the amp starts to clip you really know it!

 

[lsiberian]

Sorry for the tardy reply, but I was tired out yesterday, after moving mountains of snow from Wednesday's blizzard in bone chilling wind chills, on the old tractor.

That driver takes plenty of power. I think you can run the amps out of power.

I was originally running mine with a Quad 405 2. That is a good 100 watts per channel. One channel on the main driver one, on the fill driver via electronic crossover. It did seem stretched on the loud fortes. I found the speaker was running the amp out of gas! I had to up the amp to a Quad 909, 250 watts per channel. Now it is very smooth even with the Wagnerian Mezzo Sopranos, and Heldentenors. I could not be more pleased with that center. In fact it is one of the speakers I'm most proud to have ever designed.

It does a good job, on speech music and HT. On old vintage mono recordings, I route the whole signal to that speaker and it sounds wonderful.

In other words they handle a lot of peak power well, despite their small size.

I think they are so smooth, that when the amp starts to clip you really know it!

I know KEF speakers like power so it doesn't suprise me that a good coaxial would like a lot of power. I bet the issues others where related to poor setup or lack of amp.

Another thing you might consider is having no center. It seems your setup is very well balanced LR and it might not be necessary.

 

[Mike82]

Sorry for the tardy reply, but I was tired out yesterday, after moving mountains of snow from Wednesday's blizzard in bone chilling wind chills, on the old tractor.

That driver takes plenty of power. I think you can run the amps out of power.

I was originally running mine with a Quad 405 2. That is a good 100 watts per channel. One channel on the main driver one, on the fill driver via electronic crossover. It did seem stretched on the loud fortes. I found the speaker was running the amp out of gas! I had to up the amp to a Quad 909, 250 watts per channel. Now it is very smooth even with the Wagnerian Mezzo Sopranos, and Heldentenors. I could not be more pleased with that center. In fact it is one of the speakers I'm most proud to have ever designed.

It does a good job, on speech music and HT. On old vintage mono recordings, I route the whole signal to that speaker and it sounds wonderful.

In other words they handle a lot of peak power well, despite their small size.

I think they are so smooth, that when the amp starts to clip you really know it!

Thanks for the good reply i was wondering how much volume you think I would gain if I got 2 and made a double box. Maybe the gain would be to small and not worth it. I am planning on right now getting this driver and start making the box maybe this weekend.

 

[TLS Guy]

Thanks for the good reply i was wondering how much volume you think I would gain if I got 2 and made a double box. Maybe the gain would be to small and not worth it. I am planning on right now getting this driver and start making the box maybe this weekend.

Don't forget to order the crossover. If you use two drivers, then you need to double the box size, and I will have to calculate a new port. On the second driver the tweeter would not be used and I would have to design a network to feed the fill (second) driver.