DIY Speaker Recommendations/Reviews

ghamel · « **on:** 8 Aug 2003, 05:54 pm »

I'm researching DIY speaker projects and wondering if anyone could offer recommendations or reviews? I'm no stranger to speaker building but I don't have the time to spend months ear tuning crossovers and enclosures right now, new baby and all. My ideal candidate would be a full-range 2 way system (oxymoron i know!) for lower cost/simpler construction.

Decent bass reproduction is important to me but I tend to listen to jazz/classical so vocals and imaging are key.

There are tons of DIY projects out there but of the higher end 2 way full range systems just a few promising candidates have crossed my plate so far:

Proac Response 2.5 clone
The original Response 2.5's get good reviews and the clone's using Scan Speak drivers fare alright if reviews can be believed

There are several internet versions of this project out there, this one is particularly well documented
http://www.geocities.com/diyproac25/

SEAS Thor
Tailor made for SEAS by Mr. D'appolito himself, these use a transmission line enclosure driven by two 6.5" SEAS drivers. Not quite the low end reach of the Proac but low distortion helped by the t line. This project also appears to be outstanding from a non-coloration perspective, the t line provides lots of inherent bracing and irregular trapezoidal panels for low resonance.
http://www.madisound.com/thor.html

Both look like a decent investment and likely a good match for an AKSA setup (which is also in the works for me!). I'm looking for other options if anyone can recommend?

rwalton · « **Reply #1 on:** 8 Aug 2003, 06:34 pm »

Hello ghamel,

Depending on how much you want to spend and how much "Y" you want in your DIY, here are the options I'd suggest:

1. Shamrock Audio Kits (shamrockaudio.com here on AC) SE-1 (TM) or SE-2 (MTM) using Vifa drivers. I built the SE-2's and am very pleased with the sound. If you want, Mike McCall will build the cabinets for you as well. I built the cabinets myself and spend ~$500US.

2. North Creek Music (northcreekmusic.com) - Lots of choices here. More expensive kits use SS drivers. Excellent crossover parts quality/construction. You can have cabinets built or do them yourself. George has been nothing but a pleasure to work with as well. Lee Taylor cabinets are as good as anything I've ever seen.

I have a pair of NCMS Borealis Unlimited, and drive them with my AKSAs. I'm quite pleased. Just my 2c. Good Luck!

Rick

Oz_Audio · « **Reply #2 on:** 8 Aug 2003, 10:11 pm »

I'll get on may evangelistic horse again.

For simple construction, very low cost and midrange and imaging to die for have a look at http://www.t-linespeakers.org/projects/tlB/index.html
It does not have bass below 100hz, but for the cost of the ones you are looking at you could build a single http://www.linkwitzlab.com/woofer3.htm

this is my system with my 55 AKSA powering the TLb and I have not heard a better combination at any price, truelly remarkable sound and imaging.

stvnharr · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Aug 2003, 06:48 am »

If you want the best speaker for classical/jazz, look up the W18MMT Review on the Selah Audio site here on the circles. This speaker is much the same as the Thor/Odin, but far simpler to construct the cabinet as it is a stand mount (like OdinIII). The Aksa will bring everything to life.
You won't get the musical detail that you desire for classical music without using Seas Excel woofers. You will find all designs using these woofers to be quite satisfactory and pleasing. Best results use dual woofers!!!

elektratig · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Aug 2003, 11:07 am »

Ghamel,

Take a look at Pi Speakers, http://www.pispeakers.com ,which also has a message board on the Asylum composed of helpful and enthusiastic inmates. I recently completed (but haven't yet "finished") a pair of Theater Series Pi 4s. They're still in the garage and not yet broken in, but it is clear already that these are great sounding, full range, two-way speakers.

The downside to the Theater 4s is that they are large. If you want something more manageable, try the Theater 2's (available in bookshelf or tower). I built a pair about six months ago and have been driving them with my 100W AKSA -- a great combination.

Good luck in your search.

AKSA · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Aug 2003, 11:41 am »

HEY!!

Let me join this list!

I have just taken delivery of the redeveloped AKSonic. The design was so good I asked Ron to rejig it with different, slightly more expensive Vifa drivers. It's taken a while, but now it sports the Vifa XT25 ring tweeter and a stiffened paper cone Vifa 6.5" woofer.

The results have far exceeded expectations. The new AKSonic 165V is now available, and just wonderful.

All the AKSonic benefits; very easy to make, stunning to look at, and tweakable for any room. Price is a little higher, but at just under $US300 plus drivers and timber, it will outperform most speakers to about $US2K.

Both the 55W AKSA and the 100W power amps drive it with ease.

Cheers,

Hugh

cmscott6 · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Aug 2003, 02:55 pm »

Hello Hugh.

Can you give any other impressions, hints or shameless praise about the new Aksonics for those of us on the fence about which speaker project to build?

Will the price remain the same for the near future?

Also, just curious how much plywood it typically takes to build a pair?

Thanks!

Chris

AKSA · « **Reply #7 on:** 11 Aug 2003, 12:27 am »

Hi Chris,

Sure, thanks for asking!

There's a nice picture of the interior of an AKSonic here:

http://www.aksaonline.com/products/products_aksonicsassembly.html

The AKSonic 165V is almost the same physically as the 165; there is very little difference in construction aside from a different driver hole regime and a longer port piece. The crossover is similar, though several values are changed over the earlier version.

The speaker was inspired by several kit/DIY designs which are particularly difficult to assemble, and require inordinate woodworking skills. Based on my own experience with autos that difficult tasks often don't get done, and rarely get done right, I decided to push this notion with Ron so he'd come up with a design which could be assembled very easily on the kitchen table - my usual reference location! At the same time, it had to have elegant, simple lines (no curves, curves are DIFFICULT!), and be tweakable, and floor standing (around 1 meter tall).

If you can cut timber to size, using straight cuts, it's a breeze. A more complicated cut is the speaker hole, (Ron uses a router for this job) but a lumber shop can often do this for you at a small charge. There is just one measurement which must be made very accurately, to about 1mm, but all others are non-critical as there is no natty mitreing, all butt joints. The joining arrangement inside uses a simple batten; clearly visible in the picture and invisibly secured with wood screws into front and side panels.

The tweakable nature of the speaker enables setting the bass response to suit your room; the speaker is open at the base for design reasons, and thus seals nicely on carpet. You can also place a thin strip of neoprene along the base to seal on tiles and wood surfaces; either technique permits variable cabinet size and works very well.

The port is top firing, which means it is far less sensitive to placement near walls, improving flexibility of use.

The crossover is complex, reflecting optimal use of the driver bandwidth, and scrupulous attention to impedance correction with rising frequency, a major problem for SS global feedback amplifiers. It is third order, yet designed so no detail or transient response is lost. While first order is great, very few drivers can cope with them since there is too much input outside their passband, and second order would seem a nice option, Ron's experience has been that only the third order can deliver the driver engineering requirement whilst maintaining outstanding imaging. All his speakers are specifically designed for dynamics and imaging, with midrange and top end accuracy a close second. Speaker design is an art, of course, and very much the careful management of compromise. Every designer uses a different approach, reflecting a wide diversity of tastes amongst the listener community.

Timber cost should be around $US80, total, and driver cost would be around $US250, although these are indicative costs only as I've not yet researched the US market.

I commend these speakers to anyone who wants top performance and outstanding ease of assembly at moderate cost. They are moveover designed using the AKSA for amplification, so are an outstanding match with my power amplifiers. The AKSonics have an understated European elegance, exquisite weight and balance to the sound, absolutely extraordinary imaging, and a scintillating top end due to the wonderful Vifa ring tweeter. Their tweakability is an added bonus which will appeal to many, particularly those living in smallish areas.

Hope this explains the technical issues, and complies with your rueful request for shameless plugs!!

Cheers,

Hugh

stvnharr · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 Aug 2003, 05:15 pm »

Hugh,
Is this new speaker the one that you'd just taken delivery on in April at my last visit?
Of course the design is all done and ready to go, but Vifa recently came out with a new 7" woofer, the XT18WH, wood pulp cone (fancy paper), that has been very well received in some US diy circles. Rick Craig (Selah Audio) raved about it in May and designed a new speaker utilizing it, the SSV.
The Vifa XT line is the premium line from Vifa, and likely a much better value than the Scanspeaks, from the same company.
Anyway, something to think about for your next design update.

AKSA · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 Aug 2003, 10:05 pm »

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your post; very interesting, and I will inform Ron and we will have a gander. BUT, no changes right now; this design is a corker!

No, this is not the same speaker; that was a predecessor, a 20 litre box using the Peerless phase plug 6.5", and is now bested by the AKSonic. However, that speaker served as my testbed for the Vifa ring tweeter, and convinced me that the AKSonic should use this premium driver, which I certainly agree is vastly better value than the Scanspeaks, which in my view are rather pricey. It looks pretty much the same as the equivalent Scanspeak, and makes me wonder.......

Cheers,

Hugh

AKSA · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 Aug 2003, 10:05 pm »

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your post; very interesting, and I will inform Ron and we will have a gander. BUT, no changes right now; this design is a corker!

No, this is not the same speaker; that was a predecessor, a 20 litre box using the Peerless phase plug 6.5", and is now bested by the AKSonic. However, that speaker served as my testbed for the Vifa ring tweeter, and convinced me that the AKSonic should use this premium driver, which I certainly agree is vastly better value than the Scanspeaks, which in my view are rather pricey. It looks pretty much the same as the equivalent Scanspeak, and makes me wonder.......

Cheers,

Hugh

stvnharr · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 Aug 2003, 05:33 am »

After thinking about it after I posted I realized it couldn't be the same speaker, just by size. And I realize the present speaker is fixed at present. But one does always have to look to the future.

Jens · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 Aug 2003, 09:26 am »

Quote from: AKSA

Hi Steve,

... this premium driver, which I certainly agree is vastly better value than the Scanspeaks, which in my view are rather pricey. It looks pretty much the same as the equivalent Scanspeak, and makes me wonder...

Hi Hugh,

Since I have tested both the Vifa RR and the Scan-Speak ditto when I built my Equilibrium speaker system, I thought I'd offer a few comments here.

The two drivers are obviously not the same, but there are many similarities, and in many respects they also sound alike.

The Vifa RR is one hell of a driver, and in my opinion unbeatable at the price. In many respects it beats some of the older, but more expensive Scan-Speak designs, such as the Revelator dome tweeter (and indeed drivers from many other makes).

The Vifa boasts low coloration and distortion, and has a very lovely and airy top end.

However, the Scan-Speak RR does everything the Vifa does, and does it somewhat better. It is also more efficient and has a more smooth top end. But most important of all (in my opinion) it is more full-bodied at the low end of its frequency range.

But with the Scan-Speak there is a price to pay, literally. And it is always a trade-off whether you want to pay a much higher price for such relatively small improvements.

In my case I had to use the Scan-Speak, because the Vifa simply is not efficient enough to pair up with the Focal Audiom 6W midrange I am using, unless I dampened it (and I hate putting in resistors that are not necessary).

Cheers,

Jens

Grumpy_Git · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Aug 2003, 11:53 pm »

seeing as my eyes (should that be ears?) are bigger than my wallet, I'd like to know if anyone has used the site diyparadiso that was mentioned some time ago, or even if they are still active?

Just a question as I'm looking into building a nice cheap passive sub to run off an AKSA once i get some more of them and a GK1 (and a new computer, car and flat nearer to my new job!)

cheers,

Nick.

PS: Hugh, im still saving for a GK1, could well be a while at this rate, dammnit I hope i dont miss out on a DIY one.

AKSA · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Aug 2003, 01:18 am »

Hi Nick,

You'll be right, Squire, I'll look after you........

Benny Glass at DIYParadiso in Antwerp is still around, no problem.

Good luck finding a suitable flat...... Can't be easy in London

Cheers,

Hugh

Grumpy_Git · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Aug 2003, 05:19 pm »

Ah Hugh my friend, the new job dictates a relocation to essex, a situation that I'm sure only an Englishman could sympathise with

Still I do hope for a nice big flat or failing that finding a house to share with some strangers tolerant of loud Aksas with an attempt at bass down to 13HZ, for the original idea visit www.passdiy.com and look for the el-pipe-o in the speaker section, so easy and soooo cheap compared to bought Subs plus the bonus of a decent crossover at the right frequency.

A stunning exercise in excess of which I'd like 4!

Hugh, the more I hear from you the more I want to meet you and shake your hand (While pressing mucho pesos into your palm for more goodies) one day Ill blow a pile of money collecting all my AKSA toys in person, i just need the damn cash.

But GK1 first....

Maybe 2 months into the Job the first pay cheque can go to you.

Nick

AKSA · « **Reply #16 on:** 14 Aug 2003, 11:11 pm »

Nick,

Generous sentiments, do give me some pesos for more AKSAs by all means, I'd love it, but have enough to put weetbix on the table first.......

Good luck in your new job! IT, by any chance? Life is a battle.

Cheers,

Hugh

Grumpy_Git · « **Reply #17 on:** 14 Aug 2003, 11:32 pm »

Afraid not Hugh, I'll be learning how the screw up our traffic system as a traffic technican. Hopefully working towards designing systems one day.

Nick

AKSA · « **Reply #18 on:** 14 Aug 2003, 11:48 pm »

I suspect in a modern world you won't need to learn that! It seems nothing modern traffice engineers do can avoid it!

On another note, I heard today that in a recent UK poll Brits voted Isombard Kingdom Brunel as the second most important Englishman of all time - after Winston, of course......

I am a great admirer of Brunel. He was a gifted, hardworking genius and his Great Eastern was, in my view, a greater shipbuilding milestone than the Titanic.

However, his father, a Huegenot nobleman, came from France just before the Revolution of 1789, is he REALLY a Brit?

A few Huegenots even came to Australia. Ain't history innerestin?

Cheers,

Hugh

Hugh

Grumpy_Git · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 Aug 2003, 04:48 pm »

Hugh, England has been invaded by every major military power since pre history, so who is british?? Maybe all the Viking Roman and French blood makes us all crazy, why dont we just call ourselves African and have done with it!

Nick.