Coaxial designs

[STRONGBADF1]

What are the pros & cons of a coaxial build?

 

[MidnightSensi]

The main advantage is performance in time, or time-alignment. The drivers are lined up, which prevents the delay between the woofer and tweeter from their different distance between your ears. Time-alignment is much more than physically lining up the components though, it requires accounting for driver delay, crossover delay, and so forth. So, a speaker can perform good in time even if it isn't a coaxial, but that is one advantage from the get-go of a coaxial design.

There are actually some really nice coaxial speakers out there. Sometimes they are determined to be 'cheap,' because they are easier to manufacturer with and there are lots of junky ones out there because of it allowing for a packagable full range speaker... but a good coaxial shouldn't be overlooked.

Some quality brands that use some coaxial designs off the top of my head are Triad, JTR, Bag End and Sonance.

 

[annunaki]

The main advantage is performance in time, or time-alignment. The drivers are lined up, which prevents the delay between the woofer and tweeter from their different distance between your ears. Time-alignment is much more than physically lining up the components though, it requires accounting for driver delay, crossover delay, and so forth. So, a speaker can perform good in time even if it isn't a coaxial, but that is one advantage from the get-go of a coaxial design.

There are actually some really nice coaxial speakers out there. Sometimes they are determined to be 'cheap,' because they are easier to manufacturer with and there are lots of junky ones out there because of it allowing for a packagable full range speaker... but a good coaxial shouldn't be overlooked.

Some quality brands that use some coaxial designs off the top of my head are Triad, JTR, Bag End and Sonance.

What about Kef? They have been using coaxial designs for a long time too.

 

[jostenmeat]

I can't remember what the "con" of a coaxial driver is, but I do think there is one.

My impression is that it really shows its strength with the center speaker. Whether that is a horizontal speaker with lobing that occurs low enough where we can't detect it, or none whatsoever (no flanking woofers).

Even in a "vertical" orientation might it have accommodating attributes. I would ask TLS Guy about that, as that's what he has for his center speaker. The lower driver is the coax, and the upper is "IS AN ACTIVE FILL DRIVER TO COMPENSATE FOR DIFFRACTION LOSS AND INCREASE LF POWER HANDLING"

 

[STRONGBADF1]

Here's what has been going on in my mind for awhile...

A pair of DIY coaxial speakers mounted in PVC tubing with one small sub centered in between them. (probably that AV123 x-sub I basically won by way of ) Power them with a HK stereo recever with a sub out.(or something similar)

Small 2.1 with simple electronics in a small room.

I could always just but a pair of Kefs but I would like to try a DIY project.

Just thinking out loud...again.

 

[Swerd]

Here's what has been going on in my mind for awhile...

A pair of DIY coaxial speakers mounted in PVC tubing with one small sub centered in between them. (probably that AV123 x-sub I basically won by way of ) Power them with a HK stereo recever with a sub out.(or something similar)

Cool idea.

Parts Express has a DIY design that uses 6" PVC pipe for woofer enclosures. You could adapt its methods for Enclosure Design and Assembly for your coax design. Talk about minimal front baffle, you'd have almost none.

I don't know anything about coaxial drivers. I assume they don't include a crossover. You'd have to design your own after mounting it in the enclosure.

 

[lsiberian]

A Coaxial has a limited dispersion generally. The design can act as a wave guide which is ideal in the center, but not necessarily for L-R.

If you got the cash build Mark's TL design.

 

[Swerd]

A Coaxial has a limited dispersion generally. The design can act as a wave guide which is ideal in the center, but not necessarily for L-R.

That will effect only the tweeter. With some luck and skill the crossover should be above the range of human voices. Below the tweeter's wave guided range, the dispersion should be wider.

 

[Swerd]

The OP had asked what are the pros & cons for coaxial speakers.

The obvious con is that you do must choose a woofer and tweeter that are already bundled together. That gives you very little choice about the crossover frequency.

In a standard 2-way speaker, you can choose woofers and tweeters separately. That allows greater flexibility in designing a crossover.

 

[lsiberian]

The OP had asked what are the pros & cons for coaxial speakers.

The obvious con is that you do must choose a woofer and tweeter that are already bundled together. That gives you very little choice about the crossover frequency.

In a standard 2-way speaker, you can choose woofers and tweeters separately. That allows greater flexibility in designing a crossover.

They also tend to cost more for good ones from what I can tell.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

A Coaxial has a limited dispersion generally. The design can act as a wave guide which is ideal in the center, but not necessarily for L-R.

If you got the cash build Mark's TL design.

That will effect only the tweeter. With some luck and skill the crossover should be above the range of human voices. Below the tweeter's wave guided range, the dispersion should be wider.

If used in a small room I would be fairly close to the speakers...semi-near field. I also thought about this design as a near field computer set-up.

Really just curious about it. Seems like it would have been done before. That means there must be something wrong with the logic.

 

[lsiberian]

If used in a small room I would be fairly close to the speakers...semi-near field. I also thought about this design as a near field computer set-up.

Really just curious about it. Seems like it would have been done before. That means there must be something wrong with the logic.

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_40_402_275&products_id=1696

is the suggested one. You might also check out full-rangers for near field. They'd probably do the job.

As I said they aren't cheap.

If I were building near field monitors. I'd just mod the Behringer's or a pair of Primus bookshelves.

 

[STRONGBADF1]

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=35_40_402_275&products_id=1696

is the suggested one. You might also check out full-rangers for near field. They'd probably do the job.

As I said they aren't cheap.

If I were building near field monitors. I'd just mod the Behringer's or a pair of Primus bookshelves.

Cost could be the major con. Diminishing returns...

I know there are easier ways but I just kinda like these mental exercises.

 

[lsiberian]

Cost could be the major con. Diminishing returns...

I know there are easier ways but I just kinda like these mental exercises.

I do this all the time. In my mind I've built countless subs.

still modding a pair of Primus bookshelves would be fantastic.