Time for a new AK Design Collaborative?

What should the next project be?

  • High-end 2 way

    Votes: 33 30.3%
  • High Performance 3 way Bookshelf

    Votes: 39 35.8%
  • High efficiency 2 way Coaxial

    Votes: 28 25.7%
  • Distributed Bass System

    Votes: 9 8.3%

  • Total voters
    109

dnewma04

The Healer
It's been a while since we've done one of these but I feel like it's about time to start discussing another AK collaborative project both led by Zilch with participation from a number of members. There was the indignia thread to design an inexpensive 2 way design using budget drivers and, of course, the econo-wave thread which has been referenced on every audio site that I've ever come across.

So, with that in mind, we tried to come up with a couple of ideas that might have some broad AK appeal and two that stood out to us were a vintage inspired three way bookshelf design. (Think AR3, JBL L100, etc) Something around 2 cubic feet with a 10-12" woofer in a traditional sized box.

The other idea that we floated about was a inexpensive DIY distributed bass system.

What do you all think?

Summary of other ideas that have popped into my head, some of which might not be ideal for our audience:

-Upper end 2 way
-Electrostatic Speakers
-Open Baffle Speakers
-Omnidirectional speakers
 
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Both sound like good ideas, but I think you'll get more mass appeal from the three way design. Personally, I would much rather see the DB project but I just don't know if there is currently enough awareness/interest about DB.

I can say that I really enjoyed building the Indignias, which were my first speaker project of any kind. I still listen to them at work daily. :music:
 
Econowave covers that. :)

Is the Econowave anywhere near as big as the 19? I honestly don't remember. :scratch2:

The University Classic would be cool, but a woofer would need to be figured out I suppose. Obviously I'm not interested much in small speakers. :D
 
The econowave could be nearly anything you wanted it to be.

Some builds were compact with lower sensitivity. Others were larger with higher end drivers.


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marrying a ribbon tweeter with other components would be an interesting challenge, not very different from the econo-wave concept.

I'm working on something like this now with an inexpensive Chinese made ribbon, Fostex drivers, and some left over KEF boxes.

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Another route to take would be a line array using those tiny 2" and 3" speakers that are always on PE for like $4 each?
I keep thinking of the DCM "fan" prototype speaker that was featured here. Maybe a more aesthetically pleasing version that could be crafted out of cardboard or foam core?

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Or a TL full ranger with a big driver, like a 8 or 10" vintage driver?

Or a cornuhorn?
 
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I like the vintage 3-way idea, but really most anything as long as it has drivers that cost not too little and not too much is interesting to me!
My next picks from your list would be the open baffle, then the upper end 2-way.
 
I think the 3-way bookshelf speaker would be a great project.

I just finished the Indignias and had so much fun constructing them, that I went out and ordered parts from PE to build Zaph's ZDT3.5. Had I known that you're brewing up another project here, I would have waited. ;-) The ZDT3.5s have depleted my speaker building fund for the foreseeable future, but I'll keep track of this build thread.
 
I would Like to see A project using A 2 Way design to Acheive what Small Kef,B&W and other small speakers that run in the thousands,Basicly A poor mans Hi-End Speaker.
 
The updated 3-way idea is interesting; a Harbeth Monitor 40 rival at a reasonable DIY cost would be very cool.

If not that them something with a Lowther.
 
wOOt! With my retirement looming I'm up for either the 2-way or 3-way project. I have my Indignia's almost done (I got about a 2-year late start), just need to assemble. A new project that I could participate in in real time would be great.
 
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