Attached is a picture of what I'd love to build. I am willing to take the time needed to build a system like this. What I mean by that is just buying the components one by one as I can afford them with expendable cash.
I see most people start out with smaller builds and then build up to something on this level. I'd like to just start here to begin with.
I am an audiophile, I love good sound, I live in Chicago and go to shows every week. At home I have nothing more than a sound bar and it sucks.
Can someone please help me piece together a bill of materials and some enclosure dimensions. I haven't spent a lot of time in the community so I am unsure if it is something everyone keeps secret or this is the sort of place where people help one another.
What I see here is a sub on the bottom with two passive radiators. There are three mids up top, maybe 6.5". A tweeter in the back which I assume is one those reverse mount ones that fill the room by bouncing off the walls. Then up top are some sort of horn drivers, I do not know a lot about these. The enclosure looks pretty straightforward. I can design this if I had proper dimensions in Fusion 360 and get the pieces CNC cut out for me (there are some local places that do that but if anyone knows of somewhere more cost effective then let me know). I know I'll need a crossover, likely something pretty complex. I am unsure of what sort of unit I would need to control all of these drivers if not just a straight up multi channel DSP.
Anyways, if anyone wants to chime in and help out a fellow audiophile with high aspirations but low funds I will read, take to heart, and appreciate everyone'
s advice and opinions.
I see most people start out with smaller builds and then build up to something on this level. I'd like to just start here to begin with.
I am an audiophile, I love good sound, I live in Chicago and go to shows every week. At home I have nothing more than a sound bar and it sucks.
Can someone please help me piece together a bill of materials and some enclosure dimensions. I haven't spent a lot of time in the community so I am unsure if it is something everyone keeps secret or this is the sort of place where people help one another.
What I see here is a sub on the bottom with two passive radiators. There are three mids up top, maybe 6.5". A tweeter in the back which I assume is one those reverse mount ones that fill the room by bouncing off the walls. Then up top are some sort of horn drivers, I do not know a lot about these. The enclosure looks pretty straightforward. I can design this if I had proper dimensions in Fusion 360 and get the pieces CNC cut out for me (there are some local places that do that but if anyone knows of somewhere more cost effective then let me know). I know I'll need a crossover, likely something pretty complex. I am unsure of what sort of unit I would need to control all of these drivers if not just a straight up multi channel DSP.
Anyways, if anyone wants to chime in and help out a fellow audiophile with high aspirations but low funds I will read, take to heart, and appreciate everyone'
It can be done. You may find people have opinions and if you are set on this you'll want to say so.
This is a complex design but that doesn't mean much other than it is complex. The style won't be for everyone. It's also going to be difficult to simulate. You'll either have to tune it by ear or do considerable measurement work.
How about a curve ball to end game:
https://www.perrymarshall.com/speakers/
https://evo2.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Bitches_Brew_Open_Baffle_Live_Edge_Speakers.pdf
🙂
Very best,
https://www.perrymarshall.com/speakers/
https://evo2.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Bitches_Brew_Open_Baffle_Live_Edge_Speakers.pdf
🙂
Very best,
Yes a bipolar tower with a up-firing ceiling bounce design is WAY to complex for a newbie; and probably too complex for the original designer. 😱 😛
Designs like this almost always offer mediocre results (in total).
-probably has good bass extension though for such a narrow profile/baffle-width.
As previously mentioned: better to go with a proven design where all the details have been “ironed-out”.
Designs like this almost always offer mediocre results (in total).
-probably has good bass extension though for such a narrow profile/baffle-width.
As previously mentioned: better to go with a proven design where all the details have been “ironed-out”.
What do you suggest Scott? Most builds I see have very poor low extension. They seem to be just a couple mids and a tweeter. No low end whatsoever.
I could probably do without the upfiring horns. Seems like those might add too much high end and make it a bit too bright. I'd spend months trying to tone that down.
I am completely open to building something else. I am showing this just as an example of something has has all the extension. I want to hear the entire song. Not just between 50-6k.
I could probably do without the upfiring horns. Seems like those might add too much high end and make it a bit too bright. I'd spend months trying to tone that down.
I am completely open to building something else. I am showing this just as an example of something has has all the extension. I want to hear the entire song. Not just between 50-6k.
Keep in mind, this is almost a gimmick speaker with a handful of compromises. Start with the drone cones. First off they are simple disks. These have zero linear control and simply flop around and create a flabby sounding bass. First fix is to use proper drones with baskets and dual suspension. That will increase the width of the cabinet.
I am with those suggesting something else. To make this set up work, is more than you can do with a forum full of well intentioned persons.
Dinnertime here, I’ll be back later.
I am with those suggesting something else. To make this set up work, is more than you can do with a forum full of well intentioned persons.
Dinnertime here, I’ll be back later.
Yeah, I’m also a fan of true bass extension for that low-freq. “hall sound” that provides a large soundstage at lower freq.s IF the recording has it.
Still, this is often best accomplished with a pair of subwoofers near the loudspeakers; or one in mono just behind the listener with corrected phase adjustment. (..a multi-listener setup is often best done with a multi-sub approach.)
Getting all that done on a tight budget can be difficult though. Even then, you should still be looking for at least 70 Hz extension for the main speakers (and lower for multiple listeners and a multi-sub setup), along with the sub’s.
To keep it budget I’m going to suggest the near-field single sub approach (behind the listener) with the 12” High Excursion GRS driver in a sealed box along with an amp that has variable phase and low-pass filters. As long as the sub is very close to you it provides a number of advantages: higher Spl, lower room noise, lower modal variations from the room relative to the average for the listener, increased extension near the average, etc..
As far as the “mains” are concerned: there are many options, though perhaps not as many for the truly budget oriented. I’m going to suggest something a bit different here:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/a-good-enough-ob-sealed-hybrid-for-everyman.401023/page-4
-and you can always put a “sock” grill-cloth with some support on top to make it look like a monolithic half-pillar. Contact silent Mike for more details. (..it’s actually a 3-way speaker with the Dayton mid bass, the GRS planar, and the little Dayton planar immediately beside the large planar that isn’t really shown at the end - and all are good low-cost drivers.)
Still, this is often best accomplished with a pair of subwoofers near the loudspeakers; or one in mono just behind the listener with corrected phase adjustment. (..a multi-listener setup is often best done with a multi-sub approach.)
Getting all that done on a tight budget can be difficult though. Even then, you should still be looking for at least 70 Hz extension for the main speakers (and lower for multiple listeners and a multi-sub setup), along with the sub’s.
To keep it budget I’m going to suggest the near-field single sub approach (behind the listener) with the 12” High Excursion GRS driver in a sealed box along with an amp that has variable phase and low-pass filters. As long as the sub is very close to you it provides a number of advantages: higher Spl, lower room noise, lower modal variations from the room relative to the average for the listener, increased extension near the average, etc..
As far as the “mains” are concerned: there are many options, though perhaps not as many for the truly budget oriented. I’m going to suggest something a bit different here:
https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/a-good-enough-ob-sealed-hybrid-for-everyman.401023/page-4
-and you can always put a “sock” grill-cloth with some support on top to make it look like a monolithic half-pillar. Contact silent Mike for more details. (..it’s actually a 3-way speaker with the Dayton mid bass, the GRS planar, and the little Dayton planar immediately beside the large planar that isn’t really shown at the end - and all are good low-cost drivers.)
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You have a fairly large room. There is a lot to building a good sounding speaker ...especially on a budget. Simplicity is better IMHO. I'd start smaller, and a add subwoofer or two to get your room filling bass. Have you researched any kits? Some are quite good.
I think that is all I can afford to build at this time if I want something of this complexity. I am willing to give up stereo for full bandwidth sound
To get yourself up and running sooner than later, consider a powered woofer and satellites with a pair of FR’s run either bipole or dipole (experimenting is your friend) in each. You then still have your reflected sound and with today’s quality drivers, and not having to do XO’s, you’re set. The high pass on the satellites comes directly from the woofer amp.
Ideallu this is all one unit. I'm also willing to throw in a seperate amplifier just for the sub. I've seen some setups where the sub has internal amplification so you jsut have to power the high/mids. I just want one tower that holds everything in it.
Do you have any suggestions that fit that parameter?
You’ve got mail!
though it may be moot at this point given this new info.
One tower? As in just one loudspeaker? Or a pair of towers?
I've looked at a lot of kits. Especially the ones at madisound and parts express. These all seem to have great mids/highs but very little extension to the low end. I imagine they would sound great with rock and jazz. I don't always listen to jazz or rock.
I came to the conclusion that I would have to build something to get what I want. There's always adding a sub but that isn't what I want. I want a one unit system that can cover the entire spectrum. A lot of modern music has some incredible lows. If you only ever listened to these songs on some of the kits that are available you wouldn't even realize what tones are actually in there unless you went to the show and felt the low end for yourself.