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Author Topic: Open Source Speaker Project  (Read 644 times)

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sachu

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #20 on: March 25, 2012, 03:11:35 PM »

Love the accuton driver!
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Marvey

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #21 on: March 25, 2012, 04:24:33 PM »

I changed my mind. I'm going to make a high-efficiency full range speaker back horn that looks like this:

http://www.mothmuseum.com/mothaudio/empirehi.htm

The driver in that Moth is $7,000 or something like that.

Maybe add a super-tweeter and self-powered sub, and we're all set. Just need to find a suitable driver at a reasonable price. Maybe the a Fostex FE208EZ.
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fishski13

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #22 on: March 26, 2012, 01:53:26 AM »

good call on the FRers.  i just recently sold off my ATC SCM12 monitors and Naim Audio floor-standers to fund a DIY FR project and a new pair of HPs.  the FE208EZ with a required tweet is too rich for my blood with a 2 and 4 year old running around (also considering that you should buy a second back-up set of drivers).  i'm looking at the FE166en or FE206en.

right now, my BR uFonken^2 with 2x FF85K per side isn't cutting it in my 14'x36' room.  before: http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/fishski13/047-1.jpg , and after: http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/fishski13/008-4.jpg .   

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dBel84

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #23 on: March 26, 2012, 11:49:34 PM »

This was a near path for me before I found my monitors. Not sure if you have looked at the full range drivers from Mark Audio - lots on DIYA about them, they measure very well and are very well priced.  http://www.markaudio.com/ Dave of Planet 10 fame has a very attractive "frugel horn" kit for the alpair 7 http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/planet-10-hifi/184088-frugel-horn-mk3-flat-paks.html , the development can be found here http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/172605-frugel-horn-mk3.html ( yes I need to remember how to embed html )

The other project that looked interesting was what I thought of as a downsized take on Nelson Pas's Jordan experiments - The zigmahornet http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/zigmahornet/zigmahornet.html , I heard these at VSAC and they were a wonderful listen.

jeez, who wants a pair of raal monitors, I NEED some frugel horns ;-) ..dB
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Marvey

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #24 on: March 26, 2012, 11:59:42 PM »

Yes forgot about the Alpairs - never tried them.

I may very well end up with an approach that uses a full-range driver, but uses a super-tweeter and sub for help. I also suspect I'll need at least a few passive components to shape the response of the FR driver. Compromises...
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Maxvla

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #25 on: March 27, 2012, 12:36:49 AM »

Looks kinda like this $8800 (pair) Rethm speaker, but the Rethm has a pair (?) of drivers internally also.

« Last Edit: March 27, 2012, 12:38:45 AM by Maxvla »
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RexAeterna

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2012, 03:26:46 AM »

Similar idea. Two woofers, one mid and one tweeter.

As for the layout, probably a separate box for the mids and tweeter - keeping the baffle area as small as possible - to have pin-point imaging. Probably end up looking like the VonSchweikert or Wilson WATT/Puppy. A separate mid/high box will also allow easier construction in modules.

I'm aiming more for a "monitor" sound than lush, bloomy, organic. Although with the more well behaved drivers I plan on choosing (paper / doped paper instead of metal), they will probably sound more like ES5s than UERMs.

I'm not a big fan of ribbon tweeters though. I would rather just go buy Maggies and call it a day rather than use a ribbon tweeter. I like silk domes because they just work. They integrate well with the midrange drivers without odd disparities in speed. The midrange on the Mini-Statement is 87db efficient which will limit the overall system efficiency to that.  I may look toward higher efficiency pro-gear drivers that sound good for the midrange. I would also like something a little bit bigger than 4" for a midrange driver because I don't want to cross over too high (in the middle of the fundamental notes of voices and most instruments.)

Ideally, I would like at least 91db efficiency.  Huge expensive mono-block mega-wattage amps are not my thing anymore. I'm just getting sick of all these audiophile speakers that require 1000 watts to run properly. In any case, I've found that more efficient speakers sound more dynamic regardless of amp. It's a trade off between "detail" and dynamics.

higher efficiency is great idea if your not plan on needing tons of headroom and don't desire rock concert levels. usually though it's smarter to add more speakers in the room then trying to get bigger amp but more boxes in the room might cause an issue as well cause more boxes means more reflections and vibrations through the floors.

also those big 200 to 300lb ''audiophile'' speakers are usually heavy cause of the enclosure they're put in. lot is filled with concrete and other materials for special damping and of course the structure of the enclosure itself but like any other speaker they will operate fine with a few watts if the speakers are sensitive enough. i don't see a speaker being able to handle 1000w RMS unless the magnet and has an aluminum voice coil weighed a couple hundred pounds each. they probably can take a peak of 1000w for like fraction of a second before the voice coil melts but continuous is just not happening.

i like soft dome tweeters as well. they do the job well with no resonating issues like metal domes and some horn loaded tweeters. lot of ribbon tweeters are not true ribbons as well. they're labeled as ''ribbons'' but are actually planer tweeters. actual ribbon tweeters are usually very expensive. planers and ribbons just get confused a lot cause their concept of design is very identical.

if you don't mind you can always try the full-range driver approach too. fostex still makes excellent full-range drivers and they have diagrams on their site to build a special cab enclosure to allow their drivers to extend down to 30hz if you want it to. looks very difficult though and might need a professional carpenter maybe to do it.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2012, 03:29:44 AM by RexAeterna »
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Marvey

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #27 on: April 01, 2012, 04:02:45 AM »

Heh. I'm headphone full range so 1W tube amps can drive them.


Buying a 2 1/2D CNC Wood router.
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fishski13

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #28 on: June 07, 2012, 01:50:52 AM »

a little bump and maybe a little thread-jack to boot. 

any impressions or thoughts on various compression tweets and larger woofer designs a la JBL?  my only experience with these are your typical PA or movie theater speakers.  after much mental dickering, i've decided to build a pair of 3 Pi speakers: http://www.pispeakers.com/contents.html .  Eminence drivers and basic crossover for now, but with upgraded B&C tweets.  the Acoustic Elegance woofs are 6mo. lead-out and i want to decide if these are for me before i splash out the dough. 

why this design?  well, guess i just wanted to try something different than a typical 2-way or full-range speaker. i am a little worried that they might be a bit too forward in the upper midrange and treble.  i just picked up the milled baltic birch from my CNC buddy today and am finalizing the crossover layout on G10 with turrets tonight.  it's an expensive experiment. 
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Marvey

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Re: Open Source Speaker Project
« Reply #29 on: June 07, 2012, 02:12:03 AM »

It's coming down to two projects:
  • A modular speaker with mid/tweeter (desktop) and woofer section (floorstanding), which may morph into a 3 or 4 way possibly with a dome midrange since I've always wanted to use one of those for better integration (speedwise) with a tweeter. Analog active crossover will make up for low/moderate driver efficiency. After T.H.E SHOW, I'm more convinced than ever of the sonic advantages of going active.
  • A full range crossover-less speaker, possibly with a back loaded horn, but more likely with a high QTS driver + ported box. The horns can be too genre limited. Thinking DSP EQ.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2012, 02:16:28 AM by purrin »
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