[Community of A/V Enthusiasts]
DIY Handcrafted Speakers
DIY Handcrafted Speakers
DIY SPEAKERS
Well I don't know how many of you have tried your hand at making your own speakers but recently I set out on a project for a 3-way system and thought I would share it with everyone. My goal was to build a system that would be pleasing for both listening to Music as well as watching Movies with my projector. In the end, I was looking for a respectable set--namely better than what I could buy at a typical store. I didn't want it to cost me a fortune or never finish the project, I had that experience once before. Anyone who has gotten into a project knows what I'm talking about. You start, it seems fun with all the neat stuff, so you keep going, finding new things to add, then rebuilding half way through thus repeating the cycle till you never seem to finish. Well...this wasn't a trap I wanted to fall into! I began this project with a goal. I wanted to finish it; and, if there was room for improvement (which there always is) I would just build another set. As a good friend of mine once said to me, "I wouldn't let perfection be the enemy of the good." So if you have the time and want an excellent value for you money, you may want to consider the following as an option for a good speaker system.
Select the Drivers
I began by first looking for places to buy the drivers. There are many suppliers out there. I spent hours and days surfing. OK-even maybe weeks on the net but I hate to admit it. I was looking for both value and where I could also get some help in building them. The place I found that most suited my needs was a speaker supplier called Madisound http://www.madisound.com/. They are considered a worldwide distributor of speaker parts and speaker kits. Further, they pick up the phone when you call them and will answer your questions. In particular, Brian over at Madisound was most helpful. As I looked through the entire selection of drivers, I wanted to find ones that were not too expensive, with good build quality, and flat curves. Having flat curves was a must for me as that would make it easier for crossing them over. I was looking to make a basic 3-way system and avoided doubling up on any of the drivers because of the difficulty presented with the phasing. I kept it both basic and sound. There are many fine drivers out there. Some of them very expensive. I didn't want to break the bank with this project. My cost on the drivers needed to be around $300 and about $200 for the crossovers. Finally I came down to the following selection: a soft dome Morel MDT 29 (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/morel/mdt%2029.pdf); a PPB HDS Peerless 5.25" (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/peerless/830860.pdf); and a SLS Peerless 8" (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/peerless/830667.pdf). All these together were within my budget and also had very flat curves.
Select the Drivers
I began by first looking for places to buy the drivers. There are many suppliers out there. I spent hours and days surfing. OK-even maybe weeks on the net but I hate to admit it. I was looking for both value and where I could also get some help in building them. The place I found that most suited my needs was a speaker supplier called Madisound http://www.madisound.com/. They are considered a worldwide distributor of speaker parts and speaker kits. Further, they pick up the phone when you call them and will answer your questions. In particular, Brian over at Madisound was most helpful. As I looked through the entire selection of drivers, I wanted to find ones that were not too expensive, with good build quality, and flat curves. Having flat curves was a must for me as that would make it easier for crossing them over. I was looking to make a basic 3-way system and avoided doubling up on any of the drivers because of the difficulty presented with the phasing. I kept it both basic and sound. There are many fine drivers out there. Some of them very expensive. I didn't want to break the bank with this project. My cost on the drivers needed to be around $300 and about $200 for the crossovers. Finally I came down to the following selection: a soft dome Morel MDT 29 (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/morel/mdt%2029.pdf); a PPB HDS Peerless 5.25" (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/peerless/830860.pdf); and a SLS Peerless 8" (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/peerless/830667.pdf). All these together were within my budget and also had very flat curves.
Cabinets.
I followed the general basics when building the cabinets. Make them air tight, use MDF, and don't make a square box with the driver placed in the dead center of it. The internal volume was based on the parameters of the driver and the LEAP analysis of the crossovers. The mid-ranges needed .2 cubes and the bass driver between 1.5-2 cubes in a vented enclosure. I decided to set the volume for the bass driver at 1.8 cubes to give me a combination of kick and depth to the sound. This should give me a roll off at around 34 hertz coming down from about 91db. (At 20 hertz they are estimated to play at about 74 db.) Not bad for an 8".
After knowing the volumes, I designed the cabinet out of 3/4 inch MDF while making sure to consider in the braces and cross angles that I wanted to add in so that the internal volume was correct. My external dimensions came to 13w x14d x28.5t without the base. The base will add another 1.5" to them for a total height of 30" Here is a pic of the inside.
As you can see in the photo, I took the time to do the little things that a Hobbyist/DIY'er can. I angled around the inside of where the speakers mount. The crossovers have their own compartment behind the mid-range. I added in some angels and bracing to support the cabinet walls. (There is also another brace below the 8" woofer and above the port but it's not in this photo.) The port was also flanged on both sides with an extra brace on the back to prevent any unwanted resonance and made out of electrical PVC conduit. The electrical PVC was the most non-resonant I could find. I then dampened it with some rubber undercoating spray on the inside and glued felt around the outside of it. Maybe it's a little over kill but I didn't want the port to have any unwanted overtones. (If you decide to make your own cabinet, I would suggest that you do not to use the black plumbing PVC. It will give you a sound like someone blowing into a jug.) I next added in a non-fluorocarbon glass fiber wool before gluing on the face plates as it makes it easier to staple on to the walls. I dampened all the internal walls of the enclosure by compressing the 3' glass down to about 1/2 an inch using staples
Crossovers
The most difficult part of a speaker system is the crossovers. One needs software programs, equipment, and experience with using the program if you are to get them right. Not only must one consider the specifications of the driver but also how they stand in relationship to one another. Further, getting the phasing right on them is not something that can be left to guess work. Well...I'm a good guesser at some things but this was beyond my knowledge. Also, good crossover programs are expensive and I didn't have the heart to spend on a program what a decent amp would almost cost. So I decided to get expert help. I had Madisound design them for me. They ran what's called a LEAP analysis. This type of analysis does not look at crossover frequencies per-say. What it focuses on are the curves of each driver and how they would best come together into a unified whole. Here it the graph of the curves and the estimated response of the system.
I was using an 8" driver with this system and in a 3-way they can sound a little light. As you can tell by the graph this was compensated for by increasing the bass a little starting at about 300 hertz and peaking at around 90.
With the LEAP analysis I also received an electrical diagram of the crossovers. On the main electronics I use Polypropylene Capacitors, on the mid-range I upgraded to Goertz Copper Foil Inductors, and used Mundorf MOX Resistors on the tweeter. After proportioning them correctly and making sure none of the coils would interfere with each other, I set them to a board and solder them point-to-point using a silver based solder. Also all the resistors were raised off the board to help with heat dispensation. (One of the extras a DIY'er can do.)
With the LEAP analysis I also received an electrical diagram of the crossovers. On the main electronics I use Polypropylene Capacitors, on the mid-range I upgraded to Goertz Copper Foil Inductors, and used Mundorf MOX Resistors on the tweeter. After proportioning them correctly and making sure none of the coils would interfere with each other, I set them to a board and solder them point-to-point using a silver based solder. Also all the resistors were raised off the board to help with heat dispensation. (One of the extras a DIY'er can do.)
OK, I know what your thinking. Is this basic? Well...not the crossovers. They are fairly high-end. They have a frequency catch along with impedance compensation added but the total cost for them was under $200. I also used Supra classic 2.5 (13g) speaker cable for the internal wiring (http://www.madisound.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=...). If you guys don't know about this cable you may want to check it out. Especially at about a buck and a half a foot. After the wiring was complete, I placed the drivers in the unfinished cabinet. Here is a pic.
At this point I just couldn't resist the temptation of hearing what they sounded like. Forgive me for taking a slight tangent here from the construction to let you know what they sound like. I spent 3 months breaking them in while changing the tuning on the loose poly-fill several times. Finally after they settled in, the sound was better than I expected. Vocals especially came across most beautifully. Nora Jones' voice has a slight guttural sound while still maintaining the airiness of the mic. Pianos have that slight ring and tonal quality you hear when someone plays it live. As for the highs, they are all present and seem to have a tube like quality to them; however, on some recordings the Symbols could stand to come across a little stronger but on other recordings they sound just about real. Nonetheless, the highs are more than pleasing. Guitars also come across very well. They have a full tone while still being stringy. On the lower end, the bass extension sounded deep and natural. Instruments like a stand up Bass and drums sound fairly close to the real thing. However, on a stand up bass it does lack a little on the extreme low end. What I mean by this is in it's presence-that dwelling feeling that you feel slightly in your knees and moves your chest just a little when it's played live. The Dark Side of the Moon (SACD) was also more than a treat to hear come through these but it would take too long to place it into words so I'll just leave it by being mentioned. As for toccata drums...well, I don't know of many speakers that can do them justice so I'm not going to talk about them either. After all, I am just using an 8" and it has it's limitations. With movies on the other hand that were played using my OPPO 981HD, one would swear that there was a hidden sub-woofer somewhere as explosions shake and sudden sound startle you from your seat but would be hard press to find the non-existent if you went looking for it. As mentioned, the sound turned out far better than I expected.
Back to the Cabinets
After having some fun with them it was time to start the finishing. I glued on 1/4 Mahogany skins and 1/2 oak edges. On the front behind the skins I added 4 magnets for the grill plates and place additional magnets on the grill plates themselves. (As mentioned before, a DIY'er can take the time to do the little extras like this to avoid seeing little plastic cups stuck to the cabinets when the grill plates are off.) Below is a picture of them setting on the bases before rounding over all the corners and doing the finish sanding. On the bottom left is the cover for the crossovers and where the binding posts will also go.
After the stain and Shellac here is what they looked like.
On the back plate that covers the crossovers I secured 8 small magnets and opposite it screws were fastened to the cabinet allowing for adjustment and flushing. They say that the mid-range sound waves can penetrate and go right through the wood; wanting to reduce this as much as possible, I completely lined the inside of the crossover enclosure with self adhering felt to prevent possible overtones and also to give it a fished look.
As you can see there are 3 set of binding posts. This was added not for using three amps, even though it can be used that way, but instead to make it easier to add resistance if the mid or tweeter needed to be toned back while testing. Also I think it looks cool. (Somewhat of a retro look from an old airplane.) The plate also has two handles from the local hardware store to protect the binding posts and allow it to be easily removed if necessary.
The Mid and Tweeter were flush mounted.
The grill was rounded on the inside as well as the out. Then I added some felt to the inside edge of it as they say this helps with the sound and secured the cloth with a rubber bead that was pressed into a routed slot. (I got this idea by looking at the screens in my house.) This method of applying the cloth looks good and makes it very easy to replace. Here is a pic.
On the final assemble I soldered the wires on the inside directly to the binding posts, crossovers, and speaker terminals. (This bypasses any loss that might be created using connectors.) The poly-fill on the inside was changed out for wool fiber as it is said to create a more pleasing sound than poly-fill. And last, on the back of the drivers I add some felt behind the magnets to cut down on unwanted reflection.
Finished Speakers.
Here are the pics of them after the cabinets were stained with a Cabernet stain treated with three coats of Shellac.
Feel free to comment, ask any questions, or make suggestions.
Niko
The Work shop. AKA the back yard.
Views: 423
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Jim Milton on -
Well done, young man! They look awesome and sound great....and you get to enjoy the "fruit of your labor". The x-over part would have given me sleepless nights. Nice that you can access them from behind a panel door. Looking forward to the finished "finish". ;)
I hope others blog about their own DIY projects, as well. Fun stuff for sure... -
-
Permalink Reply by Niko Coromelas on -
Thank you Jim. I should have it finished in the next few weeks and will add the pics when it's done. By the way, I've been using my ear up to this time to tune the sound quality. Is there a good software for testing them that you know of that's not too expensive? I would like to see how the final speakers reproduce the sound vs. the estimation from the LEAP that was run on them. Then possibly doing some additional tuning and tweaking.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Jim Milton on
-
Niko, I don't have a lot of experience with EQ software, but many people use this:
http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/
-
-
Permalink Reply by John E. Johnson, Jr. on -
Visual Analyser is audio testing software from sillanumsoft. It's free and it is very powerful. Download it from this URL:
http://www.sillanumsoft.org/download.htm
JJ -
-
Permalink Reply by Niko Coromelas on
-
Thanks for the information on the testing software. Both of you. Looking at my budget I like the free one. (Jim...similar to you, I like bang for the buck and you can't beat free.)
In addition to the software what other things will I need? Any particular microphones, cables, etc.? I would like something that's not too expensive but still good.
Thanks again. -
-
Permalink Reply by Jared on -
Great work, thanks for putting up such a detailed write-up.
I wish I had more time to DIY, I find it very satisfying.
What I use for to measure my projects is:
Room Eq Wizzard
Berhinger ECM8000 mic ($80 at pro-audio shop)
Creative SoundBlaster external sound card
Yamaha mic pre-amp (to power the mic).
With this setup and my laptop I can take most of the measurements needed.
Any more pics of the finished product?
Jared
Niko Coromelas said:Thanks for the information on the testing software. Both of you. Looking at my budget I like the free one. (Jim...similar to you, I like bang for the buck and you can't beat free.)
In addition to the software what other things will I need? Any particular microphones, cables, etc.? I would like something that's not too expensive but still good.
Thanks again. -
-
Permalink Reply by Niko Coromelas on
-
Thanks Jared,
I will look into the Room Eq Wizzard and Mic you suggested.
Question about the pre-amp for the mic: What model would you suggest and how essential is it for the mic to work properly?
As for more pics...the answer is yes. Coming soon. The staining took a little longer that I expected. At this point I need to sand and add one more coat followed by the Shellac. Once that is done I will add more pics and improve the one on the crossovers. I'll also include the total weight of them too. My guess right now is around 85 lbs each. The good thing about that is that there should be no need to mass-load them. -
-
Permalink Reply by Joel Ness on -
I have been looking for a good DIY project for speakers and I am very intrigued by this. Do you have the plans/specs for the cabinet that you would be willing to share?
-
-
Permalink Reply by Niko Coromelas on
-
Hello Joel,
I do not have any 'formal' blue-prints for the cabinets. As a hobbyist my plans were written on some graph paper by hand with a bunch of notes all over it and written like a Doctor. I can possibly clean them up a little so that they are readable. If you like, request me as a friend and we can work from there. By the way have you done any woodworking before and do you have the basic tools? -
-
Permalink Reply by samuel mulinge on -
hi niko,ive been looking for a good diy project for speakers and it seems ive hit home.if possible is there a way u could share the specs or plans for the cabs and mayb also give some tips on the tools to use and technique?
-
-
Permalink Reply by Niko Coromelas on
-
Hello Sam,
I would be more than happy to give you some pointers. Let's start with the basic tools you will need.
Here is a list: Table saw; Router with a plunger; Drill; Jig saw; Soldering iron. (In addition to these you will need some bits for the router.)
The current 3-way system requires the investment of several hours of work and woodworking skills. Also, the total construction cost after it was completed came to about $850.00. (I mention this because my post on them makes it look like they only cost $500.00.) After building these I also realized that some small changes to the cabinet designs would have made it easier to put them together and save several hours of time. ( I.E. The way the 1/2 Oak is channeled into the sides and the opening for the crossovers.)
You may want to wait for my next project. I'm currently working on the design of a 2-way system. After I'm done with it, I will set up a post. In it, I will include the cabinet designs, graphs, crossover schematics, and several construction methods as you requested. Once complete, my post should be helpful to anyone who would want to build their first project and then some. However, if you are looking to start on one right away, then request me as a friend and we can work from there. -
-
Permalink Reply by Joel Ness on
-
That sounds amazing, ill be looking for it.
Niko Coromelas said:Hello Sam,
I would be more than happy to give you some pointers. Let's start with the basic tools you will need.
Here is a list: Table saw; Router with a plunger; Drill; Jig saw; Soldering iron. (In addition to these you will need some bits for the router.)
The current 3-way system requires the investment of several hours of work and woodworking skills. Also, the total construction cost after it was completed came to about $850.00. (I mention this because my post on them makes it look like they only cost $500.00.) After building these I also realized that some small changes to the cabinet designs would have made it easier to put them together and save several hours of time. ( I.E. The way the 1/2 Oak is channeled into the sides and the opening for the crossovers.)
You may want to wait for my next project. I'm currently working on the design of a 2-way system. After I'm done with it, I will set up a post. In it, I will include the cabinet designs, graphs, crossover schematics, and several construction methods as you requested. Once complete, my post should be helpful to anyone who would want to build their first project and then some. However, if you are looking to start on one right away, then request me as a friend and we can work from there. -
© 2012 Created by Secrets of Home Theater and HiFi.
