building speaker, need a guide - Head-Fi: Covering Headphones, Earphones and Portable Audio

G-man · 06-07-2008, 01:49 PM

hi, well i was thikning of building a pair of speakers, probably sources most, if not alll parts from (except the wood) from CPC | CPC - Over 100, 000 products from one of the worlds leading distributors of electronic and related products.. however, i could not really find aguide that showed me hiow to build one, or for that matter which of the speakers to chose from. there are hundreds of them, and i really do not know which are the best. my price range is probably about 50 ish pounds not including the wood (ie only for the drive units). i guess the most accurate description would be bookshelf speakers, only 2 of them. i might build a sub later, but thats in the future.

any ideas where i can find a guide for me?

thanks.

JadeEast · 06-07-2008, 04:32 PM

The designs on this web site seem to be well regarded and affordable.
Zaph|Audio

G-man · 06-07-2008, 05:01 PM

seems interesting, but i couldnt find many of the dirvers anywhere in the uk. but will definately look into it. any other suggestions?

fran · 06-07-2008, 08:04 PM

wilmslow audio stocks quite a few different drivers in the UK, but often it is as cheap to buy from madisound. They have a huge range of drivers but also all the other bits you will need for crossovers, grilles and so on.

You need to figure what you need in terms of sonics, your equipment, budget and DIY ability.

You have a lots of reading ahead! Oh yeah, pay a visit to the loudspeaker section of diyaudio.com - lots of info there.

Fran

G-man · 06-07-2008, 08:12 PM

i know i hav a lot of reading to do, i was wondering from where. thus the whole guide thing.

JadeEast · 06-07-2008, 08:17 PM

Are you looking for a pre-done design or to design one from scratch?

Uncle Erik · 06-07-2008, 08:22 PM

You'll want to buy this:

You can find it and more here:

Old Colony Sound Lab -

Also, I highly recommend Verhagen's book on ribbons. I built a pair of these several years ago and they are just amazing.

For a complete DIY project, this might interest you:

DIY ProAc Response 2.5

I built a pair of these, too, and have gotten immense enjoyment from them.

G-man · 06-07-2008, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by JadeEast

Are you looking for a pre-done design or to design one from scratch?

again im not really sure. a pre-done would be good, but if i can build from scratch (i.e. it is relatively easy, and not too expensive) i would rather do that. i like one of the madisound kit, but i didn't realise the cabinets were that expensive. i mean i could really only push my budget up to 100 ish pounds, (~200 dollars) and i will only get 2 cabinets form that.

any idea if i can get a kit for around 100ish dollars per speaker (preferably less, not more) and if so from where.

LeonvB · 06-07-2008, 09:56 PM

I'd suggest looking at existing designs, given the limited budget you have. Experimenting takes money: fi. you need parts to test and adjust the filter.
Given the budget you're likely looking at simple designs, like the ones using Tangband or Omnes full range speakers. The magazine Klang + Ton has several simple designs in their CT series of articles. F.i. the CT 222 would be a nice fit given the included woofer design.

G-man · 06-07-2008, 10:26 PM

i was hoping not to have full range, from what i gather the sq is not as good as a horn and tweeter combo. or is that wrong? also, it there a way to make the cases yourself, or buy them cheap. im not looking for anything flashy, just a nice simple case, that i can veneer myself. the ct222 seems nice, but again, full range.