DIY center to match Klipsch Chorus II

[Vincent Vega]

Hello all, Im new to this forum, but have spent a fair amount of time reading up. I have never built a speaker myself, but I am fairly confident that it can be done. Im hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction for a "jumping off" point.

I currently use a Yamaha HTR-5990, a set of Klipsch Chorus II loudspeakers as my fronts, and a weak in comparison JBL center. I am really wondering where to go with replacing the center channel. Id like to stay with a horn design if that is a feasible option for a beginner. I honestly just dont even know where to look or what type of speakers to use.

Size is not an issue, and I could go buy some great speakers at a much reduced price at work, so a $400 cap is about all I will spend. Id like to keep it below $200 if possible.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated, and thank you all for the help Ive already received just from reading up on this forum.

 

[TLS Guy]

Hello all, Im new to this forum, but have spent a fair amount of time reading up. I have never built a speaker myself, but I am fairly confident that it can be done. Im hoping you might be able to point me in the right direction for a "jumping off" point.

I currently use a Yamaha HTR-5990, a set of Klipsch Chorus II loudspeakers as my fronts, and a weak in comparison JBL center. I am really wondering where to go with replacing the center channel. Id like to stay with a horn design if that is a feasible option for a beginner. I honestly just dont even know where to look or what type of speakers to use.

Size is not an issue, and I could go buy some great speakers at a much reduced price at work, so a $400 cap is about all I will spend. Id like to keep it below $200 if possible.

Any recommendations would be much appreciated, and thank you all for the help Ive already received just from reading up on this forum.

Honestly I don't think that is a practical project. Horn speakers have a definite sonic signature, so matching is very difficult.

Your speakers are a 20 year old design. It uses a type of woofer not generally available now. It has mid and HF horns crossing over at 600 Hz and 5 kHz. I know of no consumer horns available now for a design like that.

If you were very experienced you might be able to replicate it from professional components, however, you would never do it on that budget. The speaker would be larger, and your budget would need to increase 10 fold.

This would not be a design anyone could attempt to steer you through long range, and I would not even try.

Your best bet is to build or buy a new set of front speakers.

Sorry, but that project is a pipe dream.

Obviously you are budget conscious. I posted these designs this weekend, for the budget conscious.

These speakers are about the lowest cost for a DIY project you can get. They would also be a nice upgrade from what you have now, bu they will sound very different to your current speakers.

If you built the a pair of the two cu.ft MTMs for your mains, and then used the MTM design in a I cu. ft. enclosure you would come out pretty close to your $400 budget. I doubt you would exceed it by $50 for everything.

If you are interested I will work out the porting for a center 1 cu. ft center.

That project would be a very good starter project and you would be astounded at the results you get, and not just for the money.

 

[Vincent Vega]

Wow. Thanks for the info TLS. Looks like you really know what youre talking about.

I would really like to hang on to those Klispch, sentimental value. I really do like the sound off of them as well. They are in a larger room, so they often do get cranked up a bit, and they seem to hit stronger and clearer the louder they get. If I were to build the plans you recommended, Im sure it would be a great improvement from what Im using now, but is there a better choice. Possibly using an 8" woofer as a base for a 3-way design? I could build the cabinet almost 50" wide and 16" deep. Height is no worry at all. The budget is no matter if the performance is fitting. It would just take a little more time to talk myself into it.

Thanks again.

 

[lsiberian]

http://cgi.ebay.com/KLIPSCH-CHORUS-II-3-WAY-FLOOR-STANDING-SPEAKERS-MINT_W0QQitemZ110339780577QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSpeakers_Subwoofers?hash=item110339780577&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

You could always get more Chorus 2 speakers and use one for a center The other could be your backup if one of them decides to quit.

Seems steep though.

 

[TLS Guy]

Wow. Thanks for the info TLS. Looks like you really know what youre talking about.

I would really like to hang on to those Klispch, sentimental value. I really do like the sound off of them as well. They are in a larger room, so they often do get cranked up a bit, and they seem to hit stronger and clearer the louder they get. If I were to build the plans you recommended, Im sure it would be a great improvement from what Im using now, but is there a better choice. Possibly using an 8" woofer as a base for a 3-way design? I could build the cabinet almost 50" wide and 16" deep. Height is no worry at all. The budget is no matter if the performance is fitting. It would just take a little more time to talk myself into it.

Thanks again.

Isiberian's advice is your best bet if you want to keep the chorus II speakers.

Honestly helping you build a horn center, and it will have to horn if you want it to match, for a center speaker will be impossible at long range.

If you like horns and want a DIY project, I suggest you use a vintage 15" driver, and a large sectoral horn with electronic crossover at 500 Hz bi amped.

It so happens I have a perfect pair of Altec Lansing 411-8A 15' drivers. I'm the original owner. I bought them in 1976. I refoamed one with genuine factory parts from Great Plains audio within the year. They are for sale, I have not yet got round to putting them on eBay yet. You can find the Thiel/Small specs here.

I had them in some cabinets I used for professional reinforcement, which I took down last Spring. The last time they were used was to reinforce the ND Centennial opera in 1988.

I want $350 each for them, which is a good deal.

You would mate them with this compression driver.

You would bolt them to this horn.

You could use vintage Altec sectoral horns, there is a selection on eBay now. However horns have improved over the years, and I would recommend new ones. The bass drivers are fine, they are just the ticket to partner those horns.

If you use those speakers as your mains, it would match well to one of your Chorus IIs as center.

 

[Vincent Vega]

I appreciate all the help guys. Looks like I might just be keeping the Chorus IIs as backups, and making something new. I really am interested in building something, but I think this application is a bit out of my reach. Im going to start out with a simple set of bookshelves for my computer, and see how that goes. If I like my work, maybe a new set of fronts to go along with a center that I have taken a bit of time to plan.

As always, thanks for all the help.

 

[lsiberian]

I think the Chorus II would make a great B speaker set for music, but having a nice matching home theater set would be great too. If you are a lazy then you can always get an SVS set minus the sub and build a Kappa Perfect for the sub.

Or you can use TLS Guys budget build.

There is a lot of helpful info here and plenty of experts to make sure you do it right.

 

[adwilk]

Just to add to this, once upon a time, after listening to some vintage klipsch gear I decided to build my own set of "horns" and did a fair amount of research and decided to go with some pro audio drivers and used an active crossover to fine tune... yeah, it was a total disaster. Sounded like cheap PA speakers. Perhaps higher priced drivers would have helped but I spent hours trying to get the things tweaked to my liking and never could. If you like the horn sound, perhaps you could look at the HSU research HB1 and HC1 and a DIY sub. Those speakers can be found HERE. Wouldnt be a bad option...

 

[TLS Guy]

Just to add to this, once upon a time, after listening to some vintage klipsch gear I decided to build my own set of "horns" and did a fair amount of research and decided to go with some pro audio drivers and used an active crossover to fine tune... yeah, it was a total disaster. Sounded like cheap PA speakers. Perhaps higher priced drivers would have helped but I spent hours trying to get the things tweaked to my liking and never could. If you like the horn sound, perhaps you could look at the HSU research HB1 and HC1 and a DIY sub. Those speakers can be found HERE. Wouldnt be a bad option...

Yes, but he would have my help to make sure he got it right. I have set these systems up before. If you want that type of speakers set up, then the one I outlined could be made to work very well, and produce in the home the classic "Voice of the Theater" sound, a little updated.

 

[adwilk]

Yes, but he would have my help to make sure he got it right. I have set these systems up before. If you want that type of speakers set up, then the one I outlined could be made to work very well, and produce in the home the classic "Voice of the Theater" sound, a little updated.

That makes sense... I know you know what you're doing... Obviously that JBL is a better driver than the B&C I used and I should have probably used a larger driver for the mids/lows.. Just curious, how elaborate is the cabinet section for that 15" driver? Is it a TL design? Would it use a passive crossover? Could you use a smaller compression driver, like a 1 or 1.5 inch exit? Obviously, room treatments are highly recommended with a design like this...

 

[TLS Guy]

That makes sense... I know you know what you're doing... Obviously that JBL is a better driver than the B&C I used and I should have probably used a larger driver for the mids/lows.. Just curious, how elaborate is the cabinet section for that 15" driver? Is it a TL design? Would it use a passive crossover? Could you use a smaller compression driver, like a 1 or 1.5 inch exit? Obviously, room treatments are highly recommended with a design like this...

Those 411 8-A drivers are sealed box only. They were the drivers used in the famous Altec Lansing Santiagos

Name: 411-A
Type: Standard one-way driver
Company: Altec Lansing
No. of Drivers = 1
Fs = 18.3 Hz
Qms = 2.71
Vas = 899.3 liters
Cms = 0.936 mm/N
Mms = 124.5 g
Rms = 3.429 kg/s
Xmax = 7.112 mm
Xmech = 10.67 mm
P-Dia = 323.6 mm
Sd = 822.6 sq.cm
P-Vd = 0.585 liters
Qes = 0.37
Re = 6.8 ohms
Z = 8 ohms
BL = 16.22 Tm
Qts = 0.3
no = 1.4 %
1-W SPL = 93.72 dB
2.83-V SPL = 94.31 dB
-----------------------------------------
Box Properties
Name:
Type: Closed Box
Shape: Prism, square
Vb = 3.558 cu.ft
Qtc = 0.707
QL = 14.95
F3 = 48.82 Hz
Fill = heavy

Allowing for bracing you end up with a Vt just over 3.75 cu.ft.

Active crossovers are almost mandatory with these systems. A crossover about 700 Hz is generally best, although you can go as low as 500 Hz. First order on the woofer and second order on the horn works pretty well.

Alternatively you can use steep fourth order crossovers.

You need the 2" diaphragms to get clean sound in the region the horn has to extend to. I have done these type of systems for skating rinks etc.

I actually used these drivers with eight Jordan Watts modules per side, as a line source. I made the drivers up with modified suspensions, and crossed over at 400 Hz third order, active. It made for a very effective, reasonably portable, sound reinforcement system.

I was the agent for JW back in the seventies, and I inherited 136 blown drivers from the previous agents, so I had a lot of units to play with. Leslie Watts provided me with lots of cones, voice coils and the Beryllium cantilevers. So I had lots to play with.