Recommended books on DIY speaker basics?
On3s&Z3r0s
Posts: 1,013
I was wondering if any of you speaker modders & hot-rodders could recommend a book or other resource for DIY speaker basics. I've been to the diyaudio site, and I'm looking for a little more handholding on things like crossover design in particular. I know there's a few books sold by Part Express... any of those any good or others available elsewhere?
I'm being sucked into the big time black hole that is SDA ownership
and I'm sure I will be mucking around with these things more and more down the road. I doubt I'll be doing all the work myself as I know some of you here and some places locally are much better with a solder gun than I'll ever be. But, I'd like to be able to discuss this stuff somewhat intelligently with anyone I ask to do the work.
I can read the schematics and parts lists and could replace like for like in an upgrade situation. But for example in a thread on dimensional tweeters it was mentioned that I could unplug the dimensional in my SDA 2's and mod the XO to boost the stereo tweeter to compensate. Is there a book that would be good for those kinds of fundamentals?
Thanks much!
I'm being sucked into the big time black hole that is SDA ownership
and I'm sure I will be mucking around with these things more and more down the road. I doubt I'll be doing all the work myself as I know some of you here and some places locally are much better with a solder gun than I'll ever be. But, I'd like to be able to discuss this stuff somewhat intelligently with anyone I ask to do the work.I can read the schematics and parts lists and could replace like for like in an upgrade situation. But for example in a thread on dimensional tweeters it was mentioned that I could unplug the dimensional in my SDA 2's and mod the XO to boost the stereo tweeter to compensate. Is there a book that would be good for those kinds of fundamentals?
Thanks much!
Post edited by On3s&Z3r0s on
Comments
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Vance Dickason's Loudspeaker Design Cookbook is a good starting point. Available at Madisound and maybe?Parts Express.
Also Ray Alden has authored a couple of good books but the titles escape me right now. -
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The SDA stuff you would need to contact the guys at Polk and talk with them. Unless someone here is more helpfull that I have ran into. The guys at Polk have been Most Helpfull!!!
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That link has one of Alden's books as well.;)audiobilly wrote: »l..look here,
www.mfr-eng.com Good stuff!
You have'nt found the membership to be helpful?audiobilly wrote: »Unless someone here is more helpfull that I have ran into.
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I like Ray Alden's books.
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=500-044&FTR=ray%20alden&CFID=23196632&CFTOKEN=93405532
David Weems was author/coauthor of some good ones,too.
Vance Dickason's "Cookbooks" are good but they are cookbooks; they won't really help you understand, although they will help you execute. In fairness, Dickason has some advanced-level books, too.
EDIT: Since there is more to life than just "monkey coffin" loudspeaker enclosure design :-) I would encourage you to also look at resources like these:
http://www.t-linespeakers.org/
http://www.quarter-wave.com/
http://www.fullrangedriver.com/singledriver/
http://brinesacoustics.com/
http://www.zillaaudio.com/bib/bib-Intro.asp -
Good recommendations, thanks. The Amazon reviews of Dickason's cookbooks scared me off a little, but at least one mentioned it had a good section on crossovers. But if it's short on explanation then maybe it would be best to start with Alden and move on from there.
Thanks for all the links, MRH. I'd never have found those on my own. -
IMO, learning hands on is the best way to start. Build an already proven design and work your way up from there."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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It's where I got started in the theory side of the hobby 20 + yrs ago and I even got a mention in a later edition.:) It's a bit heavy on theory and may not make sense at first but applying some of the material to your own projects will certainly help your understanding.On3s&Z3r0s wrote: ». The Amazon reviews of Dickason's cookbooks scared me off a little, but at least one mentioned it had a good section on crossovers.
Also there are a number of free CAD crossover and box design programs available online that are excellent learning tools.If you want some links we can provide them. -
... Also there are a number of free CAD crossover and box design programs available online that are excellent learning tools.If you want some links we can provide them.
Thanks for the offer, but I'm definitely a ways off of doing my own designs! I think I'll start with one of the books, pick a simple-ish "cookbook" recipe from it and see if I can figure out how to apply the basics. Then I can tweak from there and see if the theory and practice can manage to come together in my brain. At least I might learn how to make a nice bead of solder along the way.
Thanks for the info! -
I would check out the kits available from Madisound and Parts Express first."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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I was considering that... a lot of the ones I was looking at come with pre-built crossovers (I was looking at PE... haven't checked out Madisound yet). I want to be a little more hands on than that. I'd probably buy a pre-fab enclosure if I could find one when it comes time to build.
I think for me the ideal situation would be to find a design in a book that is well explained, build the design (which probably won't match up exactly with a kit from anyone, but hopefully close enough to make sourcing parts easier), then start branching out. But if I really can't wait to get my hands dirty maybe I'll get a kit for while I'm working my way through the book(s).
Just what my wife wants to see... more speakers and parts around the house.
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Then look here: http://www.htguide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php4?f=39 and http://techtalk.parts-express.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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Aww... damn, I think I just pissed myself. Not quite ready to run with the big dogs yet.
Those'll be good for inspiration though while I'm still trying to figure out the difference between a capacitor and resistor. -
Sure ,but dabbling with some of the simpler software can be educational.For example this basic calculator for closed box designs.You can select a woofer from the PE or Madisound catalog (like this http://www.parts-express.com/pdf/295-464s.pdf )and plug in the appropriate values and see what kind of bass extension you can achieve with different woofers. http://www.mh-audio.nl/ClosedBoxCalculator.asp Here are some other basic calculators from the same source.On3s&Z3r0s wrote: »Thanks for the offer, but I'm definitely a ways off of doing my own designs!
http://www.mh-audio.nl/spk_calc.asp -
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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You have'nt found the membership to be helpful?
The membership has been helpful, indeed.:D
I have had some questions that have only been directly answered by the factory people.:cool:
My statement is to inform of all the options available, that is all.:) -
OK sorry for misreading it.My brain's not fully assembled.:Daudiobilly wrote: »The membership has been helpful, indeed.:D
I have had some questions that have only been directly answered by the factory people.:cool:
My statement is to inform of all the options available, that is all.:) -
OK sorry for misreading it.My brain's not fully assembled.:D
My brains' assembly process seems to be a full time job, that sometimes needs a good rest.:o Ahhhhh, the power of good music:)
