So I want to build a 2.1 speaker system for my computer...

Refefer

Alright guys, here's the deal: My girlfriend hates to listen to her music through her laptop speakers but unfortunately doesn't have the money nor the space to get anything that would be a vast improvement.

Anyways, seeing as how her birthday/XMAS is coming up, I figured I'd do the manly boyfriend thing and try to build her one myself.

So far on the parts list I have Tang Band W8-740c (ordered off of Parts Express while they were going for $40) and a Dayton 70W RMS plate amp that went for around $50. I assume I can delegate all tasks of 100hz and below to it. I think for safety I will also make it down firing to protect it from the accidental kick. One question I have about that arrangement is will the carpeting affect the sound dramatically or would it be better to have it firing outward and protected by some sort of metal grill?

Now I'm still looking to buy the drivers for the actual stereo part of the system. Note that these will be on a desk and probably running off a T-amp or some such low power/inexpensive integrated amp. I figure I'll input the sub signal through the speaker lines and from there I'll attach it to the satellites. Another thing I'm hoping for is to keep the boxes for the stereo system fairly small, yet still maintain a decent sound. For the actual drivers, I'd like to keep their prices (combined) less than $100. As such, I'm looking at a couple of Fostex Full Rangers, though I haven’t decided which ones would be best.

If I do daisy chain the speakers through the plate amp, will the low-pass tuning affect the signal leaving the speaker? Or rather, will it act as a rudimentary 2-way crossover?

So with those caveats, are their any other suggestions that I might be offered? This will be my first diy speaker project so all advice is welcome and any suggestions will be taken into consideration.

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

Dizzy_124dvc

Refefer wrote:

1) So far on the parts list I have Tang Band W8-740c (ordered off of Parts Express while they were going for $40) and a Dayton 70W RMS plate amp that went for around $50. I assume I can delegate all tasks of 100hz and below to it. I think for safety I will also make it down firing to protect it from the accidental kick. One question I have about that arrangement is will the carpeting affect the sound dramatically or would it be better to have it firing outward and protected by some sort of metal grill?

2) If I do daisy chain the speakers through the plate amp, will the low-pass tuning affect the signal leaving the speaker? Or rather, will it act as a rudimentary 2-way crossover?

1) personally I always like the sound with carpets under the sub, even downfiring, from my experience the bass gets boomy without the carpet. but if you're really set on downfiring but you don't like the sub firing straight onto the carpet, you might want to look into building a chamber or a piece of MDF where the sub faces, that way you simulate corner loading, kind of like on these yamaha subs but not exactly like 'em.

http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200142&CTID=5003300
http://www.yamaha.com/yec/products/productdetail.html?CNTID=200143&CTID=5003300

2)depends, some high/lowlevel inputs and outputs on some plate amps have a complimentary HP filter, some don't.

btw, this might be too late already, but in case you can still return the plate amp, I saw this multimedia plate amp

http://www.madisound.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?cart_id=1664523.25701&pid=1621

Refefer

Huh, that plate amp looks like a much better idea. I'll have to see tomorrow what the return policies for PE is (since they'll be arriving then). Thanks for the link.

As for the MDF piece to fire down on, I was thinking of that as well as a compromise between the two ways. I'm just not sure of what firing directly into a piece of fiberboard 6" away will do to the SQ of the sub (which is what I'm aiming for).

Any thoughts to the component makeup on the satellites?

Refefer

Yay! Just got my order in from Parts Express.

The TB looks decent.

RuSsMaN

Beefy little monster

Refefer

I was surprised at the size of the dust cap. Huge sucker, and the magnet is a monster as well.

Just ran it free air off of the plate amp. I thought 70 watts might be enough for near-field non-ht setup, but I might be wrong... It was barely moving with the gain at 12 o'clock.

Deadof_knight

Whats the sensitivety rating, 70 watts might well not be enough. You want something higher than 80s .The higher the sensitivety rating at 1 watt is the less wattage you ll need to get a decent volume. It usaully has to do with the wattage handling. real high power handling the bigger and heavier the voilce coil will be and therefore take more wattage to excite it in the first place.