Drivers to build an LCR under a 50" LCD

[highfigh]

I just looked at a home for a previous customer and it's pretty well torn apart, so it's a good time to run my cabling and get some ideas for the family room system. She's not an audio freak- much more visually oriented, but she would appreciate the sound being better than little dinky Blose speakers. Since the fireplace is an insulated insert and the doors would be closed most of the times a fire is burning, I think the mantle will shield the TV from heat pretty well. Unfortunately, there's really not a better place for it in this room. There's also no place to put floor standing or bookshelf speakers near the TV,, so I started thinking about making an LCR setup under the TV, with a recess for the TV. The recess would allow going to a larger TV if she decides to use the 46" temporarily, but I'm strongly recommending that she goes with a larger TV now. That means there's not more than 4" to either side to the corner of the wall, which goes back to a pair of existing doors that lead to a screen porch. The right door will stay and the left is being converted to a window with a cabinet underneath, which is where the electronics will go.

The overall width of the wall where the TV will go is about 58" and I was thinking of using Peerless 5-1/4" with soft dome tweeters.

These are being considered and I have to think they'll sound better than some of the expensive, but not particularly good, speaker bars. Since I'm looking at 5-1/4", I'll probably cross them over in the 3500Hz area. I want to make one long box with MT for the R/L and MTM for the Center, flush to the wall surface with a grill that isn't very noticeable and just above the mantle. I'll probably put a sub in the cabinet under the window because she won't want it out in the open.

If I can scrounge enough room, I may use 6-1/2" for the L/R, like this one:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-1090&ctab=2#Tabs

5-1/4":
http://www.tymphany.com/datasheet/printview.php?id=16

tweeter:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-1028&ctab=2#Tabs

or:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=264-1014&ctab=2#Tabs

Any opinions or experience with these?

 

[Swerd]

I don't have any direct experience with those drivers, but those Peerless woofers do look smooth on paper.

I can recommend two 5¼" woofers that I have had experience with:

M130 (sold by GR Research) - a real bargain at $24 is less than the Peerless
Note: It is not designed to be flush mounted. For better photos, the M130 is used in a lot of the smaller kits sold at GR Research, such as the A/V-1 or A/V-2.

SEAS CA15RLY - at $66 it is more than the Peerless

I wouldn't cross either of those, or the Peerless 5¼" at 3500 Hz. For either of the two I mentioned, 2500 Hz works well.

For a good 1" dome that is inexpensive, consider the Dayton Silky. A lot of DIYers I know have used it with very good results.

Dayton DC28F-8 at $20

Dayton DC28FT-8 at $23 with truncated face plate.

That horn loaded Vifa tweeter is a lot more sensitive at 96 dB than the woofers you or I mentioned. The Dayton Silky is nearly the same sensitivity as those woofers and will make your crossover work simpler.

 

[j_garcia]

If you went with the M130, you could just consider going with Danny's kits out of the box. The x-over design work is already done and all you would need to do is make the appropriate box section for each. (If you did the sealed version of the A/V-2 for the center, the A/V-3S with the m130/16 woofers, then you could just do A/V-1 kits on either end and likely have great results.

 

[highfigh]

I don't have any direct experience with those drivers, but those Peerless woofers do look smooth on paper.

I can recommend two 5¼" woofers that I have had experience with:

M130 (sold by GR Research) - a real bargain at $24 is less than the Peerless
Note: It is not designed to be flush mounted. For better photos, the M130 is used in a lot of the smaller kits sold at GR Research, such as the A/V-1 or A/V-2.

SEAS CA15RLY - at $66 it is more than the Peerless

I wouldn't cross either of those, or the Peerless 5¼" at 3500 Hz. For either of the two I mentioned, 2500 Hz works well.

For a good 1" dome that is inexpensive, consider the Dayton Silky. A lot of DIYers I know have used it with very good results.

Dayton DC28F-8 at $20

Dayton DC28FT-8 at $23 with truncated face plate.

That horn loaded Vifa tweeter is a lot more sensitive at 96 dB than the woofers you or I mentioned. The Dayton Silky is nearly the same sensitivity as those woofers and will make your crossover work simpler.

I was really leaning toward the dual radiator more than the horn loaded one, mainly because I don't need to direct the sound so tightly, but I do like the response of both. I'm not sure I'd like the dip in the response of the Dayton, plus I don't need to cross these over as low as I would if it was a 6-1/2" or larger. Plus, the Fs of the horn loaded one is 1350Hz and 2500Hz is too close. The dual radiator's Fs is 837Hz, which makes 2500Hz a good crossover point, though.

I'm not as concerned if the price of the ones I pick is a little higher on paper because I have a wholesale account at Parts Express but I can't really afford to buy a pair of too many drivers, as much as I'd like to for experimentation purposes.

 

[highfigh]

If you went with the M130, you could just consider going with Danny's kits out of the box. The x-over design work is already done and all you would need to do is make the appropriate box section for each. (If you did the sealed version of the A/V-2 for the center, the A/V-3S with the m130/16 woofers, then you could just do A/V-1 kits on either end and likely have great results.

Unfortunately, the space I have available is far less than the dimensions of the kits. At the center, I barely have 7" because of the fireplace flue, although I could possibly use them at the ends. I'm trying to make it a one-piece installation that could be removed if necessary, and the width wouldn't allow the TV and those speakers at the outside if the AV-1 were mounted vertically.

I think I'm just going to buy some and experiment. I have time before they would need to go in and I have to do the pre-wire first, anyway.