Speaker Building

Post tags: | diy | speaker | speaker_building |

Forums

Resources

Vendors

  • parts-express.com
  • madisoundspeakerstore.com
  • simplyspeakers.com

Designers of note

Wayne Parham - Pi Speakers

Pi One

$400 each - Ash, polyurethane finish

$90 each - Driver, crossover kit

Cabinet: 18”x12”x8”

Three Pi subwoofer

$500 each - Ash, polyurethane finish

20”x20”x20”

$150 each driver kit

Bill Fitzmaurice

Videos

Large speaker flat kit build

Parts Express Flat kit build

Technique

  • 1/2 inch MDF cabinet, 1/4 inch plywood glued on for veneer
  • MDF cut, mill on table saw. cuts with combination blade
  • rabbet joints milled into sides of front and back with dado blade
  • youtube izzy swan - corner clamp jigs
  • Rob Porcaro - Pinch Rods for More Accurate Woodworking

izzy swan - How to make wood Corner Clamps!

Locking Rabbet joint

FineWoodworking - How to Cut a Lock Rabbet Joint

AskWoodMan - Plywood Boxes w/ Solid Wood Banding series

techtalk.parts-express - My 2 cents on Enclosure Joinery

Rockler Drawer Lock Router Bit

techtalk.parts-express.com - Best methods for finishing MDF

Precision Bits . com Set of 3 Lock Miter 45 Degree Glue Joint Router Bits - 15334

Stuart Deutsch - Miter Lock Router Bit

izzy swan - How to make wood Corner Clamps!

Drivers

Peerless 830987 3” Full Range Woofer

$27.50 at parts express

  • Optimum Cabinet Size (determined using BassBox 6 Pro High Fidelity suggestion)
  • Sealed Volume0.1 ft.³Sealed F398 Hz
  • Vented Volume0.22 ft.³Vented F359 Hz

(12 * 12 * 12) * 0.22 => 380.16 sq. in.

6.5 * 9 * 6.5 = 380.25

review by AudioElder

The Little Driver That Could

I bought these little gems to use in a pair of enclosures from a small JVC micro shelf system I found at Goodwill. The enclosures are nicely finished wood, ported in the rear, and just needed a pair good drivers. I decided on these Peerless 3 inchers based on good experience with Peerless products in the past. They were slightly smaller than the original drivers in the JVC system, but fit OK (see photo). The result is a pair of satellite speakers that have a very flat frequency response curve from around 100Hz to above 10kHz. Alone, they sound a bit forward, and unforgiving of poorly recorded source material. But add a subwoofer that crosses over between 150-200Hz or so, and they come alive. Mellow jazz, piano, new age, and pop music (some of Paul Simon’s albums come to mind) sound really good through this system. Older LPs, especially the large-scale soundtrack stuff (Exodus for example) sound pretty compressed and unappealing. But then, part of this is because these albums were pressed in the days of laid-back vacuum tube home console “hi-fi” systems. Also, the Peerless drivers are very articulate and don’t hold back on reporting what’s in the signal they’re fed – especially in the upper mids. Overall, I really like these little guys, and plan to use them with a smaller powered sub in my family room. I think they’d also be great in a home theater set up.

Tang Band W8-1772 8”

www.parts-express.com page Tang Band W8-1772 8” Neodymium Full Range Driver

Brines Acoustics M18-T772 Brines Acoustics M18-T772 - Tang Band W8-1772 Mass-Loaded TL

The M18-T772 is an outgrowth of the FT-2000. When the Tang Band W8-1772 appeared, it looked like a good candidate for a MLTL cabinet. Indeed, it turns out that the W8-1772 is a drop-in replacement for the Fostex FE207E. The W8-1772 costs twice as much as the FE207E, but is well worth the price. It is more rubust driver, capable of more snap and presence in the upper bass. It also has a much more extended top end and has no need for a helper tweeter. I find this driver very satisfying for long listening sessions with no fatique. Also, this is one full-range speaker that can do justice to heavier rock genre.

Specifications - Quarter-wave Resonator Cabinet (MLTL) - Dimensions: 43” x 11 1/2” x 12 3/4”

Fostex FE206En 8” Full Range

$118 at madisound Fostex FE206En 8” Full Range

project at diyaudioprojects.com Fostex FE206En in Back-Loaded Horn Speaker Cabinets - Mark Houston

project at diyaudioprojects.com Fostex FE206En in Double Bass-Reflex Speaker Enclosure - Mark Houston

Tang Band W8-2145 8”

Tang Band W8-2145 8” Paper Cone Full Range Driver 8 Ohm

$95 at partsexpress

Visaton BG13P 5”

$14.21 at parts express Visaton BG13P 5” Full Range Speaker 8 Ohm

Dayton Audio PA130-16

$18 at Parts Express Dayton Audio PA130-16 5” Full Range PA Driver 16 Ohm