4 way Frankenstein high efficiency speakers
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 9:32 am
With big thanks to SteveS for organising the Owston event and providing the inspiration for making my own DIY'd speakers.
As well as to Richard Dunn, for waking me up to the fact that there are valid alternatives to Linn - way back in about 2008. As well as confirming quite a few things that I discovered about speakers and speaker drivers over the years since then.
This may be a long running, slow burning thread because the speaker drivers I'm looking for are cherry picked items from speakers from by-gone years. That come up on ebay from time to time at various prices. And I'm relatively happy with the turn-key speakers I already have.
So I'm in no hurry. And what I'm aiming for is the best pair of speakers I can put together for the least amount of money.
I'm aiming for 4 way high efficiency speakers. Based on my admittedly somewhat limited listening tests over the years, high efficiency speakers have a zest, a life, unfettered openness that's lacking from low efficiency speakers. Dynamic ease.
The shut-in, polite BBC type sound is not for me. I don't like it when transient peaks are smoothed off.
So, I'm aiming for speakers that will be about 96 dbs or more efficient.
My plan is to position the drivers so that they will be approx equidistant from the listening position and to use simple 1st order crossovers.
I intend initially using sealed or near infinite baffle cabinets for the woofers and seeing how I get on with that. With the possibility to go semi open baffle semi ported as a shameless copy of SteveC's red and black speakers.
So far I have bought:
2 x EV ST350 tweeters with Dolly Parton type horns
2 x midrange horns. I've been on the look-out for matching compression drivers. As well as certain other midrange horns that look ugly but have a legendary reputation in some circles.
2 x Altec 414-8C's 12" woofers. These will probably be the most expensive drivers I buy. They are supposed to be good upper bass / lower midrange drivers. It will be interesting to hear how they sound in my project...
I have been looking out for certain 18" woofers. I've still got an open mind and could go for 21" or 24" woofers. It looks like whatever I buy will be a compromise. Ideally I'd like woofer that are 96 or more dbs efficient in a sealed box / semi infinite baffle. That would extend down to 20hz. Although pragmatically speaking, I'd probably be happy enough if they started rolling off at 40 hz.
I can find woofers that will do this in a ported cabinet. Yuck. I don't like ported bass.
And I can find woofers with the bass extension in infinite baffle, but with the downside of about 92 dbs efficiency. I'm guessing that the woofers with the greater bass extension in non-ported cabs have higher moving mass (as well as suspension differences?) resulting in lower efficiency?
So it looks like my bass woofer / cabinet choice will be a big compromise...
I don't want to go active, because I'd rather not place an active crossover in my signal path.
As well as to Richard Dunn, for waking me up to the fact that there are valid alternatives to Linn - way back in about 2008. As well as confirming quite a few things that I discovered about speakers and speaker drivers over the years since then.
This may be a long running, slow burning thread because the speaker drivers I'm looking for are cherry picked items from speakers from by-gone years. That come up on ebay from time to time at various prices. And I'm relatively happy with the turn-key speakers I already have.
So I'm in no hurry. And what I'm aiming for is the best pair of speakers I can put together for the least amount of money.
I'm aiming for 4 way high efficiency speakers. Based on my admittedly somewhat limited listening tests over the years, high efficiency speakers have a zest, a life, unfettered openness that's lacking from low efficiency speakers. Dynamic ease.
The shut-in, polite BBC type sound is not for me. I don't like it when transient peaks are smoothed off.
So, I'm aiming for speakers that will be about 96 dbs or more efficient.
My plan is to position the drivers so that they will be approx equidistant from the listening position and to use simple 1st order crossovers.
I intend initially using sealed or near infinite baffle cabinets for the woofers and seeing how I get on with that. With the possibility to go semi open baffle semi ported as a shameless copy of SteveC's red and black speakers.
So far I have bought:
2 x EV ST350 tweeters with Dolly Parton type horns
2 x midrange horns. I've been on the look-out for matching compression drivers. As well as certain other midrange horns that look ugly but have a legendary reputation in some circles.
2 x Altec 414-8C's 12" woofers. These will probably be the most expensive drivers I buy. They are supposed to be good upper bass / lower midrange drivers. It will be interesting to hear how they sound in my project...
I have been looking out for certain 18" woofers. I've still got an open mind and could go for 21" or 24" woofers. It looks like whatever I buy will be a compromise. Ideally I'd like woofer that are 96 or more dbs efficient in a sealed box / semi infinite baffle. That would extend down to 20hz. Although pragmatically speaking, I'd probably be happy enough if they started rolling off at 40 hz.
I can find woofers that will do this in a ported cabinet. Yuck. I don't like ported bass.
And I can find woofers with the bass extension in infinite baffle, but with the downside of about 92 dbs efficiency. I'm guessing that the woofers with the greater bass extension in non-ported cabs have higher moving mass (as well as suspension differences?) resulting in lower efficiency?
So it looks like my bass woofer / cabinet choice will be a big compromise...
I don't want to go active, because I'd rather not place an active crossover in my signal path.