[PDR]

I have four of these coming.

Suggestions for the best DIY enclosures please.

Frugal? I think for one pair.....what about the other?

Thanks.

[Guy 13]

I have four of these coming.

Suggestions for the best DIY enclosures please.

Frugal? I think for one pair.....what about the other?

Thanks.

Hi PDR,
if I had a Fostex 126En I would investigate the Internet to find suggestions
on a open baffle dipole configuration.
Of course I am biased on OB.

Guy 13

[JCS]

I suspect that the FH3 will get about everything from the FE126en that you can hope for when using it as a single driver, so how about a two way open baffle for the second pair?  Check out MJK's site for ideas:
http://www.quarter-wave.com/

Cheers, Jim

[JLM]

Check out Planet 10 website for a variety of DIY cabinet designs for the FE126. 

I'd probably look at stand-mount options for the other pair of drivers just to have a variety.

The other idea that comes to mind is some sort of floor-standing bipole design.

[steve f]

The driver's specifications are best suited for a back loaded horn. It is a quality driver. I personally would not use it in an open baffle design. You would have to pad it down a bit to use it with most woofers. A smaller Fostex would be more appropriate.

steve

[JLM]

Yes, with a Qts of 0.3 the FE126 is better suited for horns, pipes (which is what the Frugal Horn really is), transmission lines, or ported cabinet designs versus open baffle.

Check the Fostex site for recommended cabinets.  They are reportedly much more sophisticated than they appear.

[JCS]

The Qts for the mid/tweet is irrelevant for Martin's OB designs. The bass is handled by either an Eminence Alpha 15a or an 18" Goldwood.  It might need to be padded down, depending on the particulars of the woofer configuration.

The FH design he is looking at is sort of a BLH, and will get pretty much everything out of the FE126en that you can hope for when using it in a single driver speaker.  So why not try using it in something completely different, like a two way OB? 

I suppose he could  play with something like a Cornu spiral horn (inexpensive plans for that in foam core at DIYaudio), but I tried it & found the design a bit too flawed for my taste--although I admit it has some fascinating sound stage qualities.

Of course, he could put it in a sealed box & XO to a woofer... why bother since it would be like so many other box designs we have all heard so many times?

Cheers,  Jim

[peter59]

PM sent

[Scottmoose]

Slightly late to the thread, but just for clarification:

-The FE126En is primarily designed as a horn driver; its electromechanical spec. and basic FR response characteristic are balanced in that way. As-is, it's not particularly well adapted to QW (TL) loads, reflex or sealed boxes. Note caveat: the 126, like all the En series (and arguably even more applicable to the old 6E series units) is intended to be used on the end of high output impedance amplification or otherwise corrected for similar effect. Fostex's primary market is Japan, and the drivers are designed accordingly; these requirements are often rather different from those in the West. YMMV.

-FH3 is a back loaded horn; specifically it's a tapped back-horn intended for boundary loading. Optimal is corner loading; the MA drivers or similar don't really require it & would need some damping to avoid excess gain. The 126, with its nominally lower Q does get the most benefit from corners. It's not the 'best' practical back horn plan that I've done -that would be Valiant, which has the benefit of size on its side. Up to a point with back horns, size matters. I don't advocate it on forums because I charge a small fee for it, so enough said on that subject. If you like baffles, then Martin's 2-way designs are always a good bet, or you could roll your own depending on requirements & how much you know about designing baffles of course!

[PDR]

Thanks for all the replies.

I think the frugals are a no brainer......so a no brainer

Scott, Ive been wanting to build a set of Maeshowe for the longest time.
Just a day or so ago I discovered the Valiant.....so I think this will
be another try.

I've also been offered some others, I'm very much looking forward to looking at.

I've done more than a few cabinets the last few years, all in a small
garage or as weather permits the deck. I've even built a pair of Gr Super V
on my kitchen table....
This year I've started to build a shop, so my speaker obsession will soon be in
full DIY go mode. Can hardly wait.

[Scottmoose]

All good fun -apparently. I can design things, but I know one end of a hammer from the other on a good day. I can build things solid, but not pretty. 

One point -following a recent hard disc change, I've been completely unable to get any of my email addresses working, so apologies if anyone tries to contact & I don't get back. It's not lack of inclination -just inability to get the software running.

[planet10]

Just a quick note on spelling… it is Frugel-Horn Mk3 in this case, a frugal horn is any horn on the frugal-horn.com website.

dave

[PDR]

Noted.

From now on its FH3

Thanks Dave