AK Design Collaborative - Insignia-Class Economy Speakers

[Zilch]

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Member Projects:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthr...28#post2269528

Project design:

Project Parts List and Crossover Schematic:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...81#post1951281

Crossover Layout and Frequency Response:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthr...72#post2029272

Crossover Construction w/PC Boards:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...42#post2734142

Baffle Layout:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthr...77#post1940777

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...58#post1837258

Baffle Milling:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=243472

Baffle and Drivers Installed in Prefinished Cabinet:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachm...1&d=1209771791

System Under Development and Test:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/attachm...1&d=1210198298

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Cost target: $100/pair.

Cab concept:

[RayW]

Target cost for drivers/crossover or for the whole shebang?

Ray

[Urizen]

Those cabs top $135 plus shipping at PE.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=302-703

As usual, I'm confused.

[Celt]

Originally Posted by Urizen

I'm confused.

I'm Celt. Glad to know ya.

[Urizen]

Originally Posted by Celt

Glad to know ya.

Same here.

[Zilch]

Originally Posted by RayW

Target cost for drivers/crossover or for the whole shebang?

The whole enchilada.

Originally Posted by Urizen

Those cabs top $135 plus shipping at PE.

As usual, I'm confused.

I'm starting at the front, here:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=302-708

and here:

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=302-709

Patterns.

Somebody wants to buy the cabs prebuilt and beautifully finished, they're available from PE.

Somebody wants to stick whatever we come up with in a shoebox, that'll work, too....

[kfa888]

Whatcha loading it with?

[Zilch]

Originally Posted by kfa888

Whatcha loading it with?

Ray's "ponderin'" for us....

[stuwee]

"I like to watch"-Chauncy Gardner, I love to listen-stuwee, I have nothing to contribute, huge sigh of relief from panel
Craig

[RayW]

I was pondering what I would put in it. Am I supposed to be deciding what the project will be based on? I guess I'm not clear on the concept. Let's get that figured out...Are we going to have a driver complement and folks do their own enclosure design and crossover? Or is everyone on their own?

Ray

[Robie]

Fun stuff.

Thanks for picking up the ball and running with it, Zilch and Ray.

Suggestion: As you progress, dumb this down for those of us who generally don't like to start a project unless we actually know what we are doing.

[RayW]

Originally Posted by Urizen

Those cabs top $135 plus shipping at PE.

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showd...number=302-703

As usual, I'm confused.

As I understand it, which is tenuously at best, we're going to design an econo system where the spiffy PE cabs could be substituted if you want to spend some more bucks. Guess that ties us to that volume...or one of the curved cabs anyway.

Ray

[Zilch]

Originally Posted by RayW

I was pondering what I would put in it. Am I supposed to be deciding what the project will be based on?

Yup, like you suggested in the Insignia thread, a driver complement, preferably available from an AK sponsor, or a combination of them, which members may acquire within the constraints of the target system cost.

Originally Posted by RayW

Are we going to have a driver complement and folks do their own enclosure design and crossover? Or is everyone on their own?

I have suggested an Insignia-esque enclosure size and design as a starting point, with certain advantages. The cab is a major hurdle for many potential DIYers.

I believe that cab or similar can be made economically, and I'm hoping one or more of AK's more skilled cabineteers will step forward and offer to make them, unfinished, or as a kit, once we figure out how to build them. Again, I have some ideas as to how to do it, but maybe they know better ways.

Curved plywood and MDF panels are commercially available:

http://www.aitwood.com/

They're also not terribly difficult to glue up using a form.

Originally Posted by RayW

As I understand it, which is tenuously at best, we're going to design an econo system where the spiffy PE cabs could be substituted if you want to spend some more bucks. Guess that ties us to that volume...or one of the curved cabs anyway.

Once the drivers are selected and the baffle size and layout finalized, it doesn't much matter what's put behind it, as long as it's well constructed and has the requisite the design volume, so builders have the option of using the Collaborative cab or one of their own incorporating the specified baffle. If we design around the stock PE cabs, buying their nicely finished cabinets would be an additional option.

We'll come up with an appropriate crossover for the final driver/baffle combination, which anyone can build, with recommended components and board layout....

[RayW]

After a quick bit of looking, I'd love to try the Tang Band W5-704 but it looks like PE won't have it until June and I can't find it anywhere else. If somebody wants to order 1000 directly from TB I'll take 2.

I've always wanted to play with the Silver Flute drivers too but Madisound isn't a sponsor (hey muckmucks, you wanna work on that? ).

I've heard good things about the Dayton DA175. With an aluminum cone the LP might get a little more complex than we want but it's fairly inexpensive for a normal (non-sale) driver with good performance.

Thoughts?

Ray

[Zilch]

Originally Posted by RayW

I've heard good things about the Dayton DA175. With an aluminum cone the LP might get a little more complex than we want but it's fairly inexpensive for a normal (non-sale) driver with good performance.

Getting that "oversize" driver behind the grille of my suggested baffle may be iffy. I think a more standard 6.5" will go, but I'm going to have to get a pair of the baffles in here to measure what the limits are.

The FR looks like it gets messy above 2 kHz, and prior experience tells me we're going to have difficulty getting a tweeter to play nice down that low.

[Unless we use hornz.... ]