Thread: Novice Speaker Builder

Thought I would draw up one slice to better describe the method.

As you can see from the attached pic, the middle section, outter sections, and both side plates could be all done with the same jig.

Figure to get the tightest corners possible I would use the smallest guide available that the straight cutter would fit through.

Could possibly screw the template to the piece of board being cut and trim off mounting points after all cutting is done.

Picked up some 20mm MDF today from Bunnings (cover sheets for 18mm sheets) so I am nearly ready to take router to wood. I just need to wait for a couple of router guides to turn up and I can get started.

Also picked up a Dewalt jigsaw while I was at it, so the first thing I need to do is draw out the template and cut it out.

Attached is the first cabinet I plan to make. Still deciding on placement of the mids and factoring is BSC.

Spent a few hours today drawing out the design onto wood. Don't want to cut the board until the router guide turns up but I think it turned out ok... Needed to do some reconfiguration to take into account the actual cut size once the template guide difference is applied.

Figure I will cut the corners as per drawn, and the round of the router guide will stop it going right into the corners, and give it a nice rounded edge.

Spent all day shaping the template and making pieces for the cut outs so the router doesn't fall into any of the holes. Only three more to go and I will be finished. Still waiting on the template guides to arrive...

I don't know if you've done anything about the acoustic treatment of the room, but I was thinking that foam mattresses wouldn't be very efficient, also not very pretty or easy to fit. I think that a better answer would be heavy curtains from ceiling to floor, like cinamas use. This would be accoustically good, easy to fit on rails and aesthetically more acceptable. A few trips to charity shops could make it a cheap solution.
Regarding your drawings, I'm now not sure if it's superb sound that you're after or a couple of pieces of modern art, I doubt that the former can be achieved together with the latter!

I have pretty much given up on sound proofing the room as a futile excersize. Sitting here in my home office the ambient noise is up to 90dB at times. Short of some very serious measures I doubt there is little I could do in this place that would make a significant impact until I move later this year. Doesn't help that the flight path moved and we are now right under it.

Funny but the road noise doesn't sound anywhere near that loud, but that is what I measured.

Ummm I kind of see it the other way around, trying to harmonically isolate the high frequency from the thumping sub frequencies is more about keeping the cabinets free from vibration than it is attempting to create art, I think being creative in one has produced the other, moreso than a desire to seek it out.

Haven't visited this thread for a while. Good to see you are getting underway now. Thats a hell of a challenge you have set yourself and I will be interested to see how you get around some of the quirks that always crop up when doing a project of this nature.

I have just recently finished another set of enclosures, which are currently being run in in our lounge. I have them up for sale, it will be interesting to see if they go quickly.
I've had a few folk listen to them, and they have been compared to the B&W 683/684 series for tonality but have more presence. English speakers for me tend to always seem a little reserved in their characteristics.
Like you my wife understands my obsession/hobby as I'm an ex '70s audiophile One of those ones that the shop owners loved to see in store.

I have a build thread for those interested here

This is a prototype for a series that I'm going to produce as a partime hobby/income earner to help fuel my obsession I have refined the characteristics of the cabinet now and I'm pleased with it. There is almost no cabinet resonance with them operating at ear pain levels, they aren't tiring to listen to for extended periods and have a very nice warmth about them.
I played Peter Gabriel's "Dont Give Up", the version with Kate Bush, the other day with my wife having a listen. She was absolutely gobsmacked, and her comment was, she had never known how much vocal nuance there was in Kates voice. What I discovered in this track is the bass syncopation that I'd never heard before. Without doubt these are the best mid-sized two-way speakers I have built to date.

I just wish I could be there when you fire up your new beasts and see the smile spread from ear to ear I love that bit, its when you know all the worry and nail chewing was worth it.

Dust Mite. I am also following this thread with some interest although the style of box does not interest me. Not much happening lately tho.

I read your thread Build No. 3 ... 2 way towerand was very impressed with the work and result. I too am interested in building a set of speakers but as I own 2 pair of 12inch 3 ways I am aiming at that size of speaker. To find a good traditional design for enclosures like this is very difficult. I have spent a lot of time on the net and have yet to find anything suitable.

I have a copy of Speaker Workshop which can do the calculations and also check sounds via mic. 2 problems. The only computer I have that is capable of running it due to sound card requirements of the program, has now got a stuffed soundcard and as this PC is rather old I want to do a full upgrade including soundcard. It is rather flaky in its running. Money is an issue here and it is nowhere near the top of the list for priority.

The other problem is that I am a total newby to speaker building and will be a bit of a learning curve. Did I mention time? I don't have any spare time for the next several years at least. Sigh.

I found a speaker manufacture in Adelaide, which we visit several times a year. Only seen the web site so far. Adelaide Speakers - Ascension

Summoner 1293PRTL 12" 3-way Transmission line.


$1495 pr complete or $895 for a kit less cabinet. I doubt that I can make a set myself for that price. They have Peerless drivers.


I could always go the Jaycar way but I was trying to get away from the budget type driver and go for a top end. It is a lot of work just to try it. I did have plans to build a small set of speakers for the bedroom and maybe I should just do this and see what the result is like.


Dean

Hi Dean.
Don't underestimate the Jaycar drivers. For entry level Hi-Fi they are very good.
Thats what I used in the Aria2. The woofer are Peerless design and the tweeter is a older vifa design. Both have almost identical freq response to the original driver designs. It took me a few weeks of hunting to get hold of the information. Apparently they are manufactured in China and produced specifically for Jaycar. I have to thank the guys at my local Jaycar for this info, and it took them some time to confirm what we initially thought.

For a two or three way design they work very well. The real key to getting good response lies in how you construct your cabinets and even mores so in how you construct your crossover. There are those who suggest the the crossover is the most important component and they may well be right.

I know that a 2nd or third order crossover using the same drivers is hugely different in sound to a simple first order crossover.

Being a newcomer to this I would suggest that a read of the following would be beneficial. It certainly has for me. I hadn't until recently build a speaker for over 35 years and a lots changed since then.

For crossover info Crossovers Without measurements the system I currently use.

One of my favourites and where I got the idea for the Aria's Paul Carmody site
Plus I spend a lot of time with the folks at the Parts-Express forums and the more intense Diy Audio Forums

Using these and other sites I was able to upgrade the knowledge that I had pretty quickly.
One of the things I found was that technology today is vastly improving the drivers available. The 8inch woofer that I use would easily match and possibly exceed my 1970's 12inch woofer based studio monitors as well as the Kef Concertos I used to listen to in the 70's. That and new cabinet designs now means studio quality sound from 6 inch woofer based enclosures, something I really like as it means I dont have to build huge speakers to get really good sound.

In our local NZ market here there is one company that shares a similar train of thought with cabinet design and I love both the look and sound of these. Theopany make some very nice gear.

I'm kinda wondering what it is you do that is going to take years of your time, hopefully you do have a little me time somewhere.

Some interesting reading there to follow up. I have had a few threads / posts on AudioKarma.org Home Audio Stereo Discussion Forums - Powered by vBulletin I found this forum while looking for information on my current speakers. Both 12 inch 3 ways from Realistic. I was surprised with the result. One set was not mentioned anywhere except on that forum after I posted about them, the other set got lots of hits. The forum had a thread from a person who had rebuilt the crossovers for these speakers and said that the result was outstanding. I was interested and got hold of the details. This was an old thread but was still running. Unfortunately the cost of the crossovers is in the range of $260 for the pair and I don't have this money at the moment.

I would still be looking at 12 inch speakers. I like the sound. I don't have a sub woofer because I don't need one.

I'm kinda wondering what it is you do that is going to take years of your time, hopefully you do have a little me time somewhere.

I work in a winery. For about 3 months of the year I work such long hours I have no time for anything but essentials. When that is finished the days are getting shorter. I live on a hobby farm. Money is scarce so I have to do a lot of stuff myself. Fencing is one thing. Still working on getting them replaced. We use a wood fired stove in the kitchen and another wood heater in the lounge. Firewood is all cut and split by me. I do have a hydraulic splitter I built myself. See https://www.woodworkforums.com/f132/f...design-154231/ for a pic. I am currently adding a 13m long second hand verandah to the front of the house and we are in the process of renovating the house although this is a long slow process. I have a lot of plans on the drawing board. Post driver, trailer rebuild, splitter improvement...............

Dean

Quick update since it has been a while...

Been working on developing a few tools of the trade to continue on with the speakers. Built a work bench and part way through building a dust extraction system.

Once I am ready to start cutting again I have another design for a temporary cabinet in mind, this one will have horizontal slices instead of the vertical slices like the other design.

Here is a sneak preview of what the new cabinet will look like https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...imag0563-1.jpg

Very interesting. Going to have a high waste factor on the MDF front?

I saw a set of speakers here in a high end audio shop where they had done horizontal slices using 19mm plywood. Birch ply I think, although Meranti would do if you cant get Birch. I have to say they looked amazing and sounded amazing as well. They were a mid sized standmount two-way and looked to be using top line Morell drivers. They had a nasty price tag too, $10000.00 plus as I recall.
I dont know who the maker was, but they must have used a fair amount of ply. One thing that was noticeable was an almost complete lack of cabinet resonance. It was there but you had to look for it. Still trying to find who made them. Ring any bells your way?

Yikes I just found a local retailer who has them. You better be sitting down cos the price has gone up a little.
They are currently on special with a saving of $17750.00, for the absolute bargain price of $27250.00

Have a look at them here

Yeah $27,250 NZ is only like $1.50 AU

Very poor review in my mind... He failed to really capture anything about the speaker, only go on about how great he was...

One of these days I am going to come up with an idea before everyone else. I keep coming up with original ideas only to discover someone beat me to it.

I had a set of Sonus Faber Electa Amator II that cost $7200 AU a pair, and while they sound great, I don't believe any two way bookshelf is ever going to deliver a full floor stander performance.

I am looking at yet another design change... A whole lot simpler than any design so far, I am currently looking into Open Baffle. It is said that not having a cabinet at all removes the large majority of the resonance issues (some slight baffle resonance maybe).