Can anyone help me with speakers??

djm · « **on:** 29 May 2005, 02:54 pm »

Hi I am not new to this hi-fi seen. I have had a lot of speakers and have

built my dad a floor standing tower 2-way. A sea's tweeter and a silverflute

6 1/2 woofer. Sounds great. Made with birch plywood 13 ply's. Has a top

and bottom sand sealed chambers. I also did a fostex fe206e bass reflex

box. It was to beamy in the midrange but, the sound was unreal! I was

sad to sell it. Now I want to build or buy? I have had dynaudios sound to

thin and monitoraudio's boxs sound hollow and the mg 12's magenpan's

buzzed to much with all the bass down low also jamo to cheap and vennia

acoustic to much money for the speakers psb to cheap to buy klipsch

to bright b&w midrange woofer is to slow and muddie sounding. Well I

have had a couple speakers and a couple more. I am looking for a speaker

or build on that is easy on the ears for long listening periods and not bright

or harsh or can not keep up with the music. I like jazz, blues, r&b, a little

pop, ambent, a little techeo, acoustic music and classical, alterative,

movies, video games live sports. I just need a speaker that will look

good sound good and not worry about the hi-fi bug I get every 5 months.

I love the planner tweeters like the magnepans but the bass is so not right.

I can use some help her? Does a real ribbon sound diffrent then a planner

tweeter I have heard more bright? A soft dome is good but mask a lot

of detail and sounds plain. So if you can help please do I need it.

I also thought about useing the accuton drivers very uncolored sound and

very well soundd is what i have heard. Thanks jm

ZooDog · « **Reply #1 on:** 29 May 2005, 05:31 pm »

djm,

Though I've not heard them myself, you might want to investigate the Eminent Technology LFT-VIIIa. It is a unique hybrid design using a planar driver and an 8" cone woofer. Everything I have read about them suggests that they might have just the kind of sound that you are looking for.

http://www.eminent-tech.com/main.html

warnerwh · « **Reply #2 on:** 29 May 2005, 07:37 pm »

Go to the VMPS forum and there's a sticky of reviews on the front page. They're planar magnetic hybrids. Woofers are cones, mids are outstanding planars and tweeters are ribbons. Have recently become a dealer for them after many years of ownership. Please don't take this as coming from a dealer but do your own research to get others opinions. You'll find that a ribbon tweeter makes most domes sound blurry and slow, at least the ones I've heard.

JLM · « **Reply #3 on:** 30 May 2005, 12:30 pm »

Room size?

How deep of bass do you want?

How much power do you have available?

What is your budget?

What are your sound characteristic priorities?

Have you considered single driver speakers (and maybe adding a sub)? Many times in life simplier is better. Two-way designs that use primarily a single driver is another option. Unless you want to spend over $3000 USD you don't "need" to go to a three way design.

WerTicus · « **Reply #4 on:** 30 May 2005, 01:49 pm »

http://home.hetnet.nl/~geenius/

nice accuton design to be found here! see the 'soup' speaker.

djm · « **Reply #5 on:** 30 May 2005, 09:19 pm »

Thanks for all the info! My buget still working on. I wanted to really

build my own to save alot of money. I will take a the advise and

becareful and read everything. I am so go at looking at drivers that

you could put me in front of vienna acoustic speaker and I could tell

what brand model and cost for me. My freind thinks I can not buy

any speakers because I feel I am not geting my moneys worth. Like

rosewood finish a lot of companys paint on the finish and you pay a

boat load of money for paint?That is odd to me or real leather I mean

it ia fake they just do not tell anyone that or one more example ya

to can use it in your basement but, forgot to tell you that mdf soak's

up water and sweats on the inside of the box were the drivers and

cossovers and will bend and the drivers will leak ff out of their drivers

like my friends missions he payed 2,500 dollars a pair what an ugly

finish for 700.00 dollars more. Looks like a counter top covering.

Come on the real point is the speaker companys buy speakers and

cossover parts for nickles and penniies. I need to built or make a speaker

that is going to last. Maybe my friend is right I know to much about the

speakers them self maybe I went ot deep but if I did not how would

Have know to build my own and save money. Thanks jm

nature boy · « **Reply #6 on:** 30 May 2005, 09:37 pm »

Four suggestions for loudspeaker kits:

North Creek Music Systems - large variety of loudspeaker kits. The Okara II, Rythms & Borealis are all very highly regarded.

Ellis Audio - the 1501b is a highly acclaimed two-way stand mounted monitor. Dave Ellis has a long waiting list for fully finished speakers, need I say more.

GR Research - Danny makes some wonderful AV line speakers. He has a circle here at AC for additional information.

DIY Cable - Great sounding and easy to put together. Kevin designs these so You can use box kits from Parts Express if you don't have any woodworking skills. He has a circle here at AC for additional information. I have not heard his new Exodus line, but I am hoping to purchase one this year.

NB

JLM · « **Reply #7 on:** 31 May 2005, 08:02 pm »

Easiest speaker projects use just a single driver mounted to a simple partial sheet of plywood. With the right drivers (high Qts) and placement away from the back walls these open baffle (OB) designs are extremely dynamic with very realistic imaging. Bass output is the challenge, but larger baffles, the right drivers, and especially digital EQ helps.

Cheapest drivers I'd recommend: Fostex FE127E ($75/pair, 92 dB/w/m, 8 ohms, 15 watts max, 80 - 20,000 Hz).

Best reasonably priced drivers by far: Visaton B200 ($250/pair, 97 dB/w/m, 6 ohms, 100 watts max, 40 - 20,000 Hz).

BTW, good digital EQ is available for $300.

Mount the drivers slightly offset from top and side baffle edges. Experiment with different baffle sizes using cheap materials.

The benefits of single drivers are many (direct "active" connection to the amp, point source imaging, no crossover distortions, no change in voicing at crossover from different drivers, simplest possible design).

So for $300 - 600 (+/- EQ for more bass) with the B200 drivers you could have a very efficient, organic sounding, idealistic pair of speakers. Or get a good taste for OB for under $100.

Parnelli777 · « **Reply #8 on:** 1 Jun 2005, 02:44 am »

If you've listened to the Magnepan 3.6 and still think the planar has shortcomings, ditch the single-driver nonsense/DIY black hole, and have a listen to the Avantgarde Duo or Trio Horns.

http://www.avantgarde-usa.com/duo.html