DIY Summer Project

[dkane360]

So I've been looking at bookshelf speakers to buy, and I have decided that I would rather have the experience of building my own set. I probably won't be able to do the whole design myself, which is why I keep you guys around .

I've been looking at different drivers, and I really like this tweeter:
Fountek NeoCd3.0M

Any ideas on a woofer that would go well with it? I'm willing to spend $500-600 on drivers and crossover parts.

Would it be worth it to have madisound design a crossover for me? Or would someone here be so generous as to help me design one?

Thanks!
Dan

 

[GranteedEV]

If you aren't committed to a bookshelf, that's the same tweeter used here:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68531

I like the silver version of the driver though

 

[annunaki]

If this is a first time build, I would highly recommend a proven design so you can get the basics down yet get great performance. There are some very well documented designs out there complete with parts lists, etc.

I can dig some up if you are interested there.

What is your anticipated budget for this project?

 

[dkane360]

If you aren't committed to a bookshelf, that's the same tweeter used here:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=68531

I like the silver version of the driver though

The silver does look nice, and I think the rectangular looks even nicer

My budget is about 600 for drivers + crossover parts.

Something like this? https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=8503 Although that woofer is kinda ugly lol. Not the greatest FR either, but its only $40 a woofer.

 

[Alex2507]

I thought your name was Dean.

Hope that helps.

 

[jostenmeat]

The silver does look nice, and I think the rectangular looks even nicer

My budget is about 600 for drivers + crossover parts.

Something like this? https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=8503 Although that woofer is kinda ugly lol. Not the greatest FR either, but its only $40 a woofer.

Hey dkane, kudos to you for considering a DIY build. I will say that the MTM that is linked above is on my very short list for a future time when the upgrade bug hits hard at the same time I have some money to spend.

FWIW though, I was intending to use the Dayton tweeter and not the Fountek ribbon. Swerd's EXCELLENT instructions/pictorial also includes the two different xover builds for these two different tweeters. The Dayton version is $551 and the Fountek version $630, both being for the pair as of last August. Just PM Swerd your email, and he will send the plans over.

Do it! Do it!

 

[GranteedEV]

If you're not set on that particular tweeter, here is the bookshelf build I would recommend:

http://www.audioheuristics.org/projects_gallery/ER18DXT/ER18DXT.htm

 

[dkane360]

Is this the dayton one? It's the only one I could find.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=275-085

It doesn't look nearly as accurate as the fountek.

Fountek:


Dayton:


I think I've changed my mind. I'm not going to restrict myself to ribbon tweeters, despite how cool they look

 

[GranteedEV]

With the crossover, you can make the on axis response of any driver sufficiently flat. The off axis response up to 10khz looks okay.

 

[dkane360]

With the crossover, you can make the on axis response of any driver sufficiently flat. The off axis response up to 10khz looks okay.

I know, the comment was more about the off-axis response. Know of any other dome tweeter kits in the 600 range besides the previously mentioned?

 

[jostenmeat]

Is this the dayton one? It's the only one I could find.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=275-085

It doesn't look nearly as accurate as the fountek.

No dkane360, here is the one that is used in the ER18 (dome version of course).

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=275-140

The bookshelf that G-EV linked would be the obvious "matching" choice for surrounds if I was ever super crazy enough to build more than 3 speakers from the get go.

I really don't know about the vast possibilities out there, and IOW I just pretty much run into the most well known builds out there. That would include the monstrous and perhaps extremely difficult to build Statements . . . which people will say not to build as your first . . . but then you can see how much easier the Mini Statements might possibly be. (Please lemme know what you find out ).

Anyways jinjuku is nearing completion on his, and they are a full range WMTMW using that Fountek to boot. The parts list appears to be $780 according to this PDF. I'd hope the Mini version would be a lot less as it takes away two drivers from the budget.

http://www.speakerdesignworks.com/StatementsBOMs2011/Statements2011PE_MadBOM.pdf

Mini's site
http://speakerdesignworks.com/MiniStatements.html

There are many variations/models of the Zaph ZA5 family. I am also curious on pricing here, so I demand you share future discoveries with me!

http://www.zaphaudio.com/ZA5/

jinjuku might have made some of those too. Now curiosity is getting the better of me, and I'm off on yet another search function exercise. Ok I found out he has a pair of Zaph ZDT 3.5's, which is not part of the above family, but here is google result #1 below

http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/diy-speakers/19251-zaph-zdt-3-5-build.html

 

[dkane360]

How does this look? I just need a crossover made, since I have no idea how to do it

baffle
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=8501

woofer
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_228_256&products_id=783
or
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_228_256&products_id=818

tweeter
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1389
or
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_229_324&products_id=778

 

[TLS Guy]

How does this look? I just need a crossover made, since I have no idea how to do it

baffle
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=8501

woofer
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_228_256&products_id=783
or
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_228_256&products_id=818

tweeter
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1389
or
https://www.madisound.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=45_229_324&products_id=778

Those SEAS metal drivers especially the Excel range are very difficult to design crossovers for, because of the severe break up modes.

I would not like to do it at long range.

 

[dkane360]

Those SEAS metal drivers especially the Excel range are very difficult to design crossovers for, because of the severe break up modes.

I would not like to do it at long range.

Aww, do you have a recommendation that would be better suited? I liked the seas because their unique look, and because they're good enough for you to use

The sizes don't have to be constrained to the baffle I linked earlier. It would just be easier for me to use a precut baffle as I don't have anything that can cut one to anything resembling an actual circle

 

[TLS Guy]

Aww, do you have a recommendation that would be better suited? I liked the seas because their unique look, and because they're good enough for you to use

The sizes don't have to be constrained to the baffle I linked earlier. It would just be easier for me to use a precut baffle as I don't have anything that can cut one to anything resembling an actual circle

Not really. Getting a high end speaker together is a lot of work. Especially with a ribbon, which are hard to integrate with a cone driver at the best of times.

The crossover is the most important part of your speaker.

That SEAS Excel driver is a fine speaker, and would make a superior product, but unless you can find a design someone has refined, then it will be a stretch for your first build.

 

[Swerd]

dkane360

I agree with TLS Guy on this. The W18 is an excellent mid-woofer, but crossing it over to a tweeter can be tricky. There are other excellent sounding mid-woofers made by SEAS (the ER18 and CA18) that cost less, perform nearly as well, and present less problems for the crossover designer.

The other SEAS tweeter you mentioned is expensive and not needed unless you really need to make the crossover low.

A ported bookshelf speaker with the SEAS ER18 and the Dayton RS28F dome or the Fountek NeoCD3 ribbon should work well. They work together in the MTM design, I don't see any reasons why they couldn't work in a 2-way bookshelf. The Dayton dome tweeter sounded a bit smoother in the frequencies near the crossover range, and the Fountek ribbon was smoother on the high freqs when I heard them in the MTM prototype. Other than that, they sounded similar.

Check your email, I sent you a pdf file of the ER18 MTM plans.

 

[dkane360]

The ER18 with the Fountek ribbon seems like it would be a great speaker. I would love to build a pair

I've seen this asked on a few different forums, but I've never seen a definitive answer. Could I have the baffle machined out of aluminum if it's sufficiently thick? What effects would it have on the sound? I've seen a few speakers made entirely of aluminum, but I haven't seen one with just the baffle.

I want to have a unique looking speaker, and getting the baffle drawn up in CAD and machined wouldn't be too difficult.

 

[TLS Guy]

The ER18 with the Fountek ribbon seems like it would be a great speaker. I would love to build a pair

I've seen this asked on a few different forums, but I've never seen a definitive answer. Could I have the baffle machined out of aluminum if it's sufficiently thick? What effects would it have on the sound? I've seen a few speakers made entirely of aluminum, but I haven't seen one with just the baffle.

I want to have a unique looking speaker, and getting the baffle drawn up in CAD and machined wouldn't be too difficult.

I have a crossover for the SEAS CA18RX and 27 TDC ready to go.

For a first build and possibly all, I would go with a dome tweeter. That SEAS dome is an excellent value.

When I know your CAD plans and how you plan to position your speaker in the room, I can tweak the BSC.

It will be a good speaker I guarantee.

If you want to get away from the ported Qb4 box I can work up a bookshelf labyrinth. That woofer is ideal for that. Then you get decent bass extension and less resonance than a sealed alignment.

 

[Swerd]

The ER18 with the Fountek ribbon seems like it would be a great speaker. I would love to build a pair

I've seen this asked on a few different forums, but I've never seen a definitive answer. Could I have the baffle machined out of aluminum if it's sufficiently thick? What effects would it have on the sound? I've seen a few speakers made entirely of aluminum, but I haven't seen one with just the baffle.

I want to have a unique looking speaker, and getting the baffle drawn up in CAD and machined wouldn't be too difficult.

You would have to pay a lot for a machined aluminum baffle. I don't see any advantage for sound quality.

There are lots of ways you could finish the cabinets yourself and get something unique.

 

[Swerd]

I have a crossover for the SEAS CA18RX and 27 TDC ready to go.

For a first build and possibly all, I would go with a dome tweeter. That SEAS dome is an excellent value.

When I know your CAD plans and how you plan to position your speaker in the room, I can tweak the BSC.

It will be a good speaker I guarantee.

If you want to get away from the ported Qb4 box I can work up a bookshelf labyrinth. That woofer is ideal for that. Then you get decent bass extension and less resonance than a sealed alignment.

The CA18RNX and the 27TDC are both excellent drivers.