RP Listener Forum - Radio Paradise

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 11:52am

cc_rider wrote:

I did a rough cost/benefit on building my own speakers, and figure I can build my own speakers for about half what the same quality store-boughts would be. I can build an airtight box as well as anyone, right? Most store-boughts in a reasonable price range are particle board with vinyl veneer, and I can do way better than that. My big towers, I shot with gray metallic automotive paint, they still look pretty slick over ten years later. The sound is just okay, because I didn't use a 'kit' design but thought I could do one myself... live and learn... They are gonna go out to the garage soon, to be replaced with smaller speakers built from a kit design.

I've designed and built dozens of speakers over the years. This is a set I built recently for my computer system. I used Dayton and Vifa drivers from Parts Express:
Dayton 8" Classic Woofer DC200-8
Dayton 2 Inch Dome Midrange #285-010
Dayton Crossover XO3W-675/5k
Vifa 1" Dome Tweeter 264-1024 (Dropped with 16 ohm 10 watt wire-wound resistor)

A friend made the cabinets to my specs using true 1" particle board. The drivers are all flush mounted and the front cabinet board is 1/2" rounded over to minimize edge defraction. The drivers are arranged mirror image and inside justified for superior imaging and better near field integration as I am usually pretty close to them when on the computer. They sound fantastic and didn't cost much to built and far less than anything remotely equivalent in a commercially built set.

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 11:33am

swell_sailor wrote:

I've been listening to kit built (by me) speakers since 1989. It's hard to believe they sound as good as they do 24 years later, but an upgrade is long overdue. Unfortunately all the speakers I've auditioned that clearly sound better are way beyond my budget, so after restoring the Thorens turntable over the winter (I journaled about it) I found myself salivating for another project and decided it was time to start the new speakers. I'm hoping for a huge sonic improvement.

I did a rough cost/benefit on building my own speakers, and figure I can build my own speakers for about half what the same quality store-boughts would be. I can build an airtight box as well as anyone, right? Most store-boughts in a reasonable price range are particle board with vinyl veneer, and I can do way better than that. My big towers, I shot with gray metallic automotive paint, they still look pretty slick over ten years later. The sound is just okay, because I didn't use a 'kit' design but thought I could do one myself... live and learn... They are gonna go out to the garage soon, to be replaced with smaller speakers built from a kit design.

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 7:44am

swell_sailor wrote:

I've been listening to kit built (by me) speakers since 1989. It's hard to believe they sound as good as they do 24 years later, but an upgrade is long overdue. Unfortunately all the speakers I've auditioned that clearly sound better are way beyond my budget, so after restoring the Thorens turntable over the winter (I journaled about it) I found myself salivating for another project and decided it was time to start the new speakers. I'm hoping for a huge sonic improvement.

They look great so far. I used Dayton and Vifa drivers in the last set of cone speakers I built (the ones I messaged you about) and they sound great. I used them on my computer sound system so they are my primary RP listening speakers.
A carpenter friend of mine is making me some frames for my next set of DIY Electrostatic speakers. These will have nearly 16 square feet of radiating space per channel as opposed to 12 square feet each for my current ones. I built my current ones back in 2004 using 54/46 3/16 perforated steel panels I had cut and powder coated. I used 3M 1/16" teflon tape for the spacers but after 6 months the tape slipped and the panels lost tension. Turns out the tape I had came from a defective batch that was contaminated with mold release. They sent me new tape free and that lasted a lot longer but it to ultimately failed the same way but only after several years. Martin Logan uses the same tape I used and I found they have the same exact failures. My new speakers will be totally different and instead of using perf metal I am using insulated 22 gauge solid copper enameled magnet wire. Each speaker will have 3700 feet of wire in the stators and they will be divided into 5 electrically separate segments with different frequency ranges which will help eliminate beaminess. I am also increasing the spacing to about 1/8" which will mean a bias voltage of 5000 volts or more compared to the 2800 I use now. As soon as my friend has my 8 foot long winding jog ready I can start winding the stators. And no more 3M tape, using polycarbonate strips this time.

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 6:42am

cc_rider wrote:

Nice! Daytons and Vifas are both great values. Bet they sound great!

I've been listening to kit built (by me) speakers since 1989. It's hard to believe they sound as good as they do 24 years later, but an upgrade is long overdue. Unfortunately all the speakers I've auditioned that clearly sound better are way beyond my budget, so after restoring the Thorens turntable over the winter (I journaled about it) I found myself salivating for another project and decided it was time to start the new speakers. I'm hoping for a huge sonic improvement.

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 6:34am

swell_sailor wrote:

Thanks. This is a modified Curt Campbell/Jim Holtz open mid design using a Dayton RS28F tweeter, a Vifa NE149 mid, and a Dayton RS225-8 woofer.

I have a couple more parts to cut out today, then hopefully once that's done I'll start assembly today as well. Some time soon I'll need to find some nice cherry veneer.

Nice! Daytons and Vifas are both great values. Bet they sound great!

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 6:28am

cc_rider wrote:

Very nice! What drivers are you using?

Thanks. This is a modified Curt Campbell/Jim Holtz open mid design using a Dayton RS28F tweeter, a Vifa NE149 mid, and a Dayton RS225-8 woofer.

I have a couple more parts to cut out today, then hopefully once that's done I'll start assembly today as well. Some time soon I'll need to find some nice cherry veneer.

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 6:21am

swell_sailor wrote:

Made some progress on my new speakers.

Very nice! What drivers are you using?

Posted: May 25, 2013 - 5:59am

Isabeau wrote:

Purty!

Thanks. More progress today I hope.

Posted: May 24, 2013 - 6:53pm

swell_sailor wrote:

Made some progress on my new speakers.

Purty!

Posted: May 24, 2013 - 6:26pm

Made some progress on my new speakers.

Posted: May 24, 2013 - 5:02pm

Other than make Pops lunch,laid in bed with a tummyache.Makes no sense,there's nothing in there but ice water.

Posted: May 23, 2013 - 6:39pm

I have been going through boxes... ya know, those ones stuffed beneath shelves in the closet, haven't been opened for 5 years? Going through the contents piece by piece, sorting through what is worthy of saving, what is no longer relevant (Macintosh for Dummies: Quadra 610) and what is pure trash. Sheesh. This is my thrd day of doing some of this. I have promised myself to do one major sort-through each and every day until it is done. I have 5 weeks left before I move out of this house. I might have enough time to accomplish the task.