newbie looking for info

[mikey15]

Hi guys I am totaly new to the DIY game and am having trouble finding info on the different types of enclousures and their pros and cons. ie: sealed, line transmission and what ever else there is. I know the info is on here but I must not be searching with the correct key words. Can someone be kind enough to point me in the right direction. Also is there a recomended design for a MTMWWW or something along that design. I have no space issues because I'm doing a room edition I just want the best of both worlds (music and HT) If that is possible. If not I would lean towards HT since that is 75% of the usage.

Another question any thoughts about the CSS line of speakers.
I thank you for your help and I'm addicted to this web site.
Mike

[Geoff St. Germain]

CSS has some very nice drivers. I'm running a pair of the SDX15 subwoofers and I couldn't be happier with their performance.

Opening up the sealed vs ported vs TL debate is a bit like opening a can of worms. There are a numbers of threads on this already if you do a bit of searching. There's one going on right now about sealed vs IB.

[BoomieMCT]

Without trying to disturb the aforementioned "can of worms" here are some rough generalities for some different enclosure types. I've listed them in what I consider the order of difficulty of design.

Sealed
Pros: Easiest to design and build. Good transient response. Offers some protection for driver overexcursion. Shallow rolloff (12dB/octave). Tends to have small enclosures.
Cons: Tends to roll off higher than other designs. For subs requires EQ to get deep bass which can negate transient response benefit and eats up power.

Ported
Pros: Very efficient bass response. Rolloff starts 1/2 - 2/3 octave lower then sealed.
Cons: Harder to design / build then sealed. Medium sized enclosures. Driver can hit overexcursion if played below tuning frequency. Group delay may be an issue if tuned too low.

Open Baffle
Pros: Excellent transient response. Very natural sound. No enclosure coloration. Huge soundstage.
Cons: Horrible bass response without a large baffle. Usually requires EQing of low end. Driver's can hit overexcursion easier then other designs. Very sensitive to room placement.

Transmission Line
Pros: Strong "Natural" sounding bass. Better extension than sealed (not as good as ported).
Cons: Big enclosure, especially for subs. Can be picky about which drivers work (less predictable then sealed or ported). Can be picky about enclosure design.

As far as recommended designs - there are a lot. I'd suggest just browsing the DIY speakers forum here and taking a look at people's build threads.

[DasBot]

Your constraints are still space and money. Set a budget and do your best to stay within it. Remember though the budget is just a guideline. I've been wanting to try out the CSS 4" full range with a pair or four of the Mpyre 6.5's on ebay right now in an MTM or MMTMM setup. No sub, just Aura Pro bass shakers in each seat with an Lpad, or some sort of level control. This with this setup you'd have no need for center channel and you can have a more compact setup for the rear speakers as well. This is also a great value setup. Other 'tweeters' for this setup would include some great selections from PE including that great little titanium tweeter from TangBand that's $14 right now.