Building 1st set of speakers

ajsankot

Hey guys,

Some guys and I are wanting to build a set of speakers. We are still engineers in college so our enthusiasm is much larger than our wallets. I was wondering if you guys new of any good places to find or buy our components from. We are in a fraternity house and looking for something that is very durable and able to be played a some loud volumes with out distorting. Cabinet size does not matter much for us as long as it can fit through a door and in a house with 12th ceilings.

If you guys know of any good designs or brands of components that would help us out so much.

Thanks,

lightman1

Take look at partsexpress.com. They've got some nice DIY kits and raw drivers if you want to build your own custom cabs. Pretty much everything you'll need start to finish.
Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

BTW, Lightman does not discuss audio here. Keep this info between you and me:cool:. Just ask anyone here.

Systems

Here are 2 suppliers of interest http://www.madisound.com/ http://www.parts-express.com/home.cfm?CFID=2150675&CFTOKEN=82635050

And here are some designs http://www.zaphaudio.com/
http://www.rjbaudio.com/projects.html
http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/
http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/Diy_Loudspeaker_Projects.htm

ajsankot

Have you guys ever built a pair before?

lightman1

Not yet. I live in a studio apt over a beauty parlor. They get all bent outta shape when I fire up the table saw.

ajsankot

HAHA that is understandable. We are trying to figure out what size of driver we want how many. Stuff like that. Any pref?

ben62670

I have done a few designs. What are you going to have available for amps? What kind of sound are you looking for? Budget?

ajsankot

Budget is maybe like $250 ish. I am not sure what that will get us. Sound wise we are just looking for something forgivable to play mainly from a digital source. Needs to play loud but have a good tight bass. Looks need be nothing special. Possibly used to play out a window and for the occasional hang out with your buddies and melt your face off time. We have a friendly loud hour competition here every day at the house so something that would be able to kick some a. We have a variety of receivers and amps ranging from old to new. More times than not would be ran straight from the receiver such as a mid range onky or hk

ben62670

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53273
http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=78359
Get a Jasper jig and a router. Also have Lowes cut the MDF to the sizes you need. Spend the time planning the cuts, and you will save many headaches.
Ben

ben62670

ajsankot wrote: »

Budget is maybe like $250 ish. I am not sure what that will get us. Sound wise we are just looking for something forgivable to play mainly from a digital source. Needs to play loud but have a good tight bass. Looks need be nothing special. Possibly used to play out a window and for the occasional hang out with your buddies and melt your face off time. We have a friendly loud hour competition here every day at the house so something that would be able to kick some a. We have a variety of receivers and amps ranging from old to new. More times than not would be ran straight from the receiver such as a mid range onky or hk

Look for some used Cerwin Vega's on Craigs list.

ajsankot

I am in Iowa the CL isn't always the best. I guess I am not sure why but we want to make them really big. People are always wanting way to much for CV's just bc of the redorange surround. I love the second link those are just hot

Face

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

With that budget, I would be inclined to pick up something off of CL though.

ajsankot

Yea I can hear the argument. Has anyone had much success with using components from speakers with bad cabs and making new cabs for them? Between all of us we have a fair number of speakers with bad cabs. From some polk R300s to Infinity Qes, EPI's alot of two ways that were beaten up and picked up by us for cheap.

Face

If you have the time and patience, why not? Just make sure you keep the volume and ports the same.

ajsankot

hmmm

mhardy6647

If you want to recycle drivers, you might want to buy a Woofer Tester from PartsExpress and/or learn to measure your own Thiele-Small parameters (it's fun and easy!).

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=390-803
http://sound.westhost.com/tsp.htm

PartsExpress and Madisound (I think) both have forums for DIYers.
There are also a number of good books (most available from PartsExpress). I like Ray Alden's books; the "Loudspeaker Design Cookbook" is also a classic reference.

EDIT: I also want to ensure that you know that there are many other interesting approaches to loudspeaker design besides sealed (acoustic suspension) and ported (Helmholz resonators aka bass reflex) "monkey coffin" cabinets!

Take a look, e.g., at:
www.t-linespeakers.org
www.fullrangedriver.com
http://www.quarter-wave.com/
http://www.geocities.com/rbrines1/
www.planet10-hifi.com
http://members.myactv.net/~je2a3/open.htm

mhardy6647

EPI (Epicure) used an interesting approach, using a proprietary woofer that rolled off smoothly (and unfettered) and a very good tweeter crossed in relatively high, first order. This is pretty antithetical to modern crossover design!

EPI founder Winslow Burhoe is still active in loudspeaker design, by the way.

Plenty of EPI info online (you probably knew that already), too!

ajsankot

I am still pretty new to alot of this. I got hooked about November and having some disposable income right now and still being in college and getting to do what ever I want is really getting me hooked. I shop at aldies and the dollar store now it allows for often silly speaker purchases