Thinking about making my own

Celt2006

Active Member
First off I have never attempted this before and do not fully understand all numbers involved.... However I think KISS ( keep it simple stupid)
My idea is based on 12" woofer size 3 way. Cabinet idea is to give every driver the reccomended cab volume completely seperated ( in the same cabinet) with the mid and tweet spaced higher above the woofer instead of all evenly spaced as so many I have seen. Bringing the highs closest to ear level. So far in drivers I am looking at the following woofers
express.com/dayton-audio-dsa315-8-12-designer-series-aluminum-cone-woofer--295-534
And https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-ds315-8-12-designer-series-woofer-speaker--295-434
The tweeter im looking at is
express.com/eminence-apt-80-super-tweeter-with-80-degree-conical-horn--290-532
So far cab outside dimms are 16x16x36. Using 1" mdf. Now I may have them veneered or i may do my crazy idea and make rustic like my home n mancave in progress. Rustic will have 3/4 " pine board covering the outside. Glued to the mdf. Stained and polyed. It would be different for sure and add damping as well. ....anyways I need help choosing a mid driver and crossover. Also my woofer compartment is planned to have the volume to be ported. Not sure how to figure port size either..... Now.... This plan may be all wrong, as i have never done this, nor do I know alot about it..so bear with me..im here to learn
 
Search for econowave on this site, people love them. Hard pressed to find any for sale on here, which tells me folks love them.
 
Congratulations on wanting to DIY some speakers of your own. I've been there, done that myself over the decades. A few suggestions:

1) Take your first step with a kit. One of the Dayton Audio kits are a good spot. There are others - take a look at the list of advertisers here at AK. Their interests are your interests.

2) Bi-amp and use an electronic crossover. Why? Because this is one of the most efficient ways to vary crossover frequencies without buying lots of components and hand wiring them.

3) Cabinet size = bass performance. The larger the better. Your trade offs are likely looks and WAF. Tweeters and midrange drivers don't have to be embedded into the woofer cabinet. This makes it easy to optimize bass without worrying about drilling holes for other drivers.

4) DIY at its finest: The EconoWave project, is an excellent read - hint: it will take more than a 6-pack of beer - is one great read as much for how the late Zilch (AK'er) conducted his testing and analysis. You'll see him and many other AKers zigging and zagging through various permutations of cabinets, drivers and crossover approaches. While not on the same scale as you'll likely approach, it still stands as one fine example of speaker DIY. At one time, I believe Dayton Audio had a kit based on the project.

Cheers,

David
 
Bi amping.... Like if using my Yamaha A-700 run speakers A straight to yje woofers and B to the mid / tweet x overs? Will that cut my wpc in half or be more efficient?

Also plan on buying all the x overs since I have no clue how to build one
 
Lol that was a stupid question. Of course it will not cut wpc in half its just 50 goung to the woofer and another 50 going top end...duh.
 
However I think KISS ( keep it simple stupid)
The would equal building a proven kit, or a faithful clone of a proven design.

Also plan on buying all the x overs since I have no clue how to build one

It is very important at this point to understand that you are going down the speaker building rabbit hole so to speak.

I'm in no way trying to discourage the OP, but his understanding is going to require that he learn some basics about loudspeaker design and engineering, and well as speaker driver parameters and their relevance.

A couple basic things i'd offer.

If you;re willing to sport for quality components, the outcome of a 2-way design is likely to trump the results of the added complexity of a 3-way build.

Bi-amping done properly is more complicated and costly than building a good 2-way passive crossover.

Don't overlook the built in guarantee of success in building a proven kit, or copying/cloning certain proven production models.

The "econowave" thread mentioned above is another good place to get some ideas and learn a lot.

Whatever you choose to do, have fun it's a lot of what the hobby is about.
 
Hi Celt,

As a life-long home builder myself, I urge you to go for it. But, I also urge you to follow the advice that the sages here have given you to build a proven design - crossover and all. You will be near-guaranteed a great-sounding speaker, and will learn so much in your first attempt that you will gain years of acquired knowledge in your first effort.

I'm a hard-headed, "I can do anything that you can do!" -type of person, so I've learned the meager amount that I know from the school of failure and expensive experimentation. And I've had an absolute blast on every step of the fateful voyage, no denying it. But with the deluge of good designs that the internet age offers us, there's no point in not learning the same lessons in an easier, cheaper manner.

Just for example, here's a recent addition to the Parts Express Projects site. The components are very good quality, and the construction of the crossover is simple enough for even beginners. If you can build cabinets and wield a soldering iron, you can do this one:

http://projectgallery.parts-express.com/speaker-projects/lumotas/

The PE ProjectGallery has many other designs that you may find enjoyable to build. Scan thru and find the ones that speak to 'ya!

GeeDeeEmm
finished_crop_small-200x200.jpg
 
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I would suggest starting with something inexpensive. There seem to be a fair number of people who post about building world beating speakers as their first project, and the cautionary advice and indignant responses to that advice are predictable and wearying. Even at the uncomplicated end of speaker building there is a hell of a lot to learn, usually by trial and error, and it's best not to have so much into a design that you can't pull the plug on it.
Kits are one way to start, but you don't get much experience learning how to design speakers from assembling something someone else designed and optimized. But if your goal is simply to build something for the satisfaction of it, and to save a little bit of dough on a good speaker, kits are definitely the way to go.
 
So it seems that by just picking drivers and building the cabinet volume to driver spec per the info that is with them is not all there is.
Hhhmmm more reading... Gotta read that econo thread
 
For some reason many think that speaker design is nothing more than reading some spec sheets, buying some drivers and a crossover and building a cabinet. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Ask yourself why speaker designers like Andrew Jones get the big bucks. For a first time builder I strongly recommend either buying a kit or building an already established design.
 
Bi amping.... Like if using my Yamaha A-700 run speakers A straight to yje woofers and B to the mid / tweet x overs? Will that cut my wpc in half or be more efficient?

Also plan on buying all the x overs since I have no clue how to build one

It won't change the power at all. Not more, not less; the same*.

*Provided A+B setting is parallel. If A+B is series it won't work properly at all.
 
So it seems that by just picking drivers and building the cabinet volume to driver spec per the info that is with them is not all there is.
Hhhmmm more reading... Gotta read that econo thread

Don't let our cautions discourage you, though! This is meant to be a fun hobby that encourages experimentation and skills development. If I hadn't built so many BAD speaker systems over the years, I would have had no idea what I was really looking for or how to achieve it. Our recommendations are simply meant to guide you in the direction that will yield the best results using methods that are time tested and well developed. Building a proven design, even though it's not your own, will provide a huge education and a jumping board for your own creations. Have fun!

GeeDeeEmm
 
well trying to make heads or tails of the econowaves. here is what I have so far on parts needed:
https://www.parts-express.com/pa-knock-down-trapezoid-plywood-speaker-cabinet-for-12-driver--245-324

https://www.parts-express.com/selenium-d220ti-1-titanium-horn-driver-8-ohm-1-3-8-18--264-270

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-h6512-6-1-2-x-12-waveguide-1-3-8--18-tpi--270-318

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-dc300-8-12-classic-woofer--295-320

Wondering if I could substitute this woofer
https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-ds315-8-12-designer-series-woofer-speaker--295-434

Now the x over is still somewhat of a mystery to me I did read someplace in that huge thread something about this one at least I think???
https://www.parts-express.com/eminence-pxb2-3k5-2-way-speaker-crossover-board-3500-hz--290-636

let me know if Im on the correct path.
Ill build those since from everything ive read is that they are amazing especially for the cost
 
I'll be the first to stick my neck on the chopping block. There will be all kinds of justified criticism for knocking together an assemblage like this, but what the heck? Get your feet wet and have fun. You'll be quite impressed, likely.

You will be fine with the all the components you have listed (except the crossover - see below), with either woofer you choose. One of us - or you - will need to run the Thiele/Small parameters thru a program to determine what size ports you will need for a 2 cubic foot box.

IMHO, the crossover frequency of the xover you reference is waaaaay too high for a 12" woofer. By 3500Hz the woofer is already beginning to "beam" and break up the midrange frequencies. You need to stay as close to the waveguide's minimum crossover frequency (1000Hz) as possible. The closest thing Eminence offers is this one, at 1.6kHz:

https://www.parts-express.com/eminence-pxb2-1k6-2-way-speaker-crossover-board-1600-hz--290-634

You will need to add an 8ohm L-pad between the crossover "hi" out and the "+" connection on the horn driver because the driver is much louder than the woofer and will need to be lowered in relative volume. (Don't skip this - believe me!)

https://www.parts-express.com/speaker-l-pad-attenuator-100w-mono-1-shaft-8-ohm--260-265

You will also need some input plates. Most folks like mounting posts:

https://www.parts-express.com/parts...anana-speaker-terminal-cup-rectangle--260-309

There will be other incidentals: connecting wire; paint; wood glue; clamps or straps; speaker-mounting screws; and on and on.

Again, folks with design experience will point out that this is not optimal, properly measured, yadda, yadda. But, it will sound good, you will learn a lot, and will have loads of fun.

Get started.

GeeDeeEmm
 
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