Newbie looking to build first set...

**evilskillit** · **10-31-09, 10:58 PM**

I would advise against rolling your own design your first time around, unless you are already an electrical engineer with some knowledge of audio filter design. Designing crossovers that sound good is not easy. Ive been casually reading up on it for a year or 2 now and I'm only now beginning to buy the gear I'm going to need to be able to make my own designs and am getting a basic understanding of what I'll need to do to make my own crossovers.

Using premade crossovers with any speakers no matter how good almost always yields unsatisfactory results. Here is a link that shows what speakers look like when put together using pre-made crossovers vs crossovers that are designed to work with those speakers by someone who knows what they're doing.

Also someone has done a great writeup on why it is best to try someone else's design first before you take a shot at doing your own. Here it is.

Please read and consider these two links before you either A. Start designing your own speaker, a process that will require special software, hardware and probably a good year or 2 of learning and trial and error, or B. Make your own speaker using an off the shelf crossover that will take up your time for you to build, cost you some money, tho not as much as a whole pre-made speaker, but most likely, just not sound very good.

**Yad** · **11-01-09, 06:12 AM**

evilskillit is right
Engineering of a good crossover is not easy.
1. You should measure all real speaker's parameters without enclosure or at the reference baffle.
2. You make a project, that gives you the most correct placing of your drivers in your speakers and the design of the box too. It also counts "baffle step" of your enclosure.
3. You make pre-calculations of your crossover
4. you make the box and mount all your drivers to it (without crossover)
5. You measure all parameters of your drivers in your enclosure. They, surely, will be a little different with #1, but it will be enough to update your electric network
6. Update your crossover
7. make your crossover and connect to the speaker/
8. measure again and listen.
9. update your real network. (real elements are differ than in CAD/CAM programs)
10. measure and listen again.
11. Enjoy )))

**Yad** · **11-01-09, 06:19 AM**

Some of CAD/CAM programs are better, some are worth, but the algorithm will be the same.
May be, you will not make a #1 , if drivers are already in your soft's database ;
You may not do #3, if you don't care about circuit-elements and their price, or anything else...

**Yad** · **11-01-09, 06:21 AM**

That's why it's better to repeat (copy) an existed DIY project.

**fschris** · **11-01-09, 07:24 AM**

thanks i will stick to copying a DIY project.... there is no shame in that !

**evilskillit** · **11-01-09, 10:45 AM**

None what so ever. Thats what 99% of us do the first time. Then if the bug gets you and you want to try designing your own you'll already have some knowledge from having done a build. And you'll have a set of nice speakers to listen to while you make your own design.

**oldbar** · **11-01-09, 03:24 PM**

When starting out the best thing to do is build something that is already done.There are lots of projects on the web for you to build.

**Chester** · **11-01-09, 04:26 PM**

it definitely would not hurt to learn and play around with programs such as WinISD pro (that's what I started on); I would recommend trying to figure out what all the T/S parameters actually *mean*, yes, a speaker may have an Fs, Qts, X-max, etc. but what does that tell you about it?

Copying is a great way to learn though; just be sure to try and pickup on the nuances too... ex. a nascar driver is not just driving around the track, he is probably thinking (or at least subconsciously) about hundreds of things; yes, anyone could probably drive a car around the track, however a professional driver would likely do a better job due to the processes/thoughts going on in his head... another example; if you look at this page: http://www.linkwitzlab.com/frontiers.htm on the Linkwitz-Lab site; he discusses many of the issues (things he thinks about) when designing a speaker, even if you are copying someones design, keeping those things in mind will probably help you get a better final product.

**Yad** · **11-01-09, 06:15 PM**

My first speakers (at the 1995-98) were some DIYs from the 1980-s audio magazine. Only in 99-2000 i created the first 100%-mine speakers )))

I'm sure , that DIY copying is a very useful and great thing.

**fschris** · **11-03-09, 07:04 PM**

okay i think i may go for the gusto with this right here http://www.zaphaudio.com/SR71.html

**evilskillit** · **11-04-09, 12:12 AM**

Interestingly Chris. Ive got the bug to upgrade my mains and the SR71 is one of the projects I'm highly considering because I feel within the budget that I would have available that the SR71 may be one of the best sounding speakers.

You know you can buy the whole thing from Madisound - the boxes and you get a 10% price break, which is pretty substantial.

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/pro...oducts_id=8307

Your you can buy the cabinets from them too but I feel that you can save a lot of money if you just build your own.

**fschris** · **11-04-09, 07:26 AM**

i plan to go for my own build to save money and to work on some of my wood working skills. I have a question about building the cross overs. When reading those schematics for the SR71's... I am not quite sure how they are put together. Other crossovers I can see a loop and and how all the wires are laid out and connected... on the SR71 crossover there are arrows that point down ( most likely a ground) does anyone have a link a 101 schematic reading and building site ?

The crossover here I can fully comprehend how to build http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/JA8008_DTQWT.htm

**buggers** · **11-04-09, 06:48 PM**

Zaph has some good stuff. I made this awhile back http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...mtm-rocks.html
Here are a bunch of great designs http://www.htguide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php4?f=39

**evilskillit** · **11-04-09, 07:23 PM**

Yeah there arrow should mean to ground, aka negative terminal. The madisound kit without the cabinets is the drivers plus crossovers all together for 10% off. So you can't really beat that price unless you buy way cheaper crossover parts and terminal cups. Google "how to read electrical schematics" or something. I just found an electrical engineer at work and had him explain it to me. Its not hard once you get the hang of it.

If you end up doing SR71s let us know. I'm thinking about them too.

**fschris** · **11-14-09, 07:38 AM**

Hi Folks... so I have not started my speaker project yet. I am actually going to take a turn first before I build a 2-way set. I have been reading a lot on these forums about the intricacies of speaker building. Getting to know how to use winISD and what the numbers mean. I would like to build a 10" sub for my HT with an AMP plate. I would like to build the box. Can you suggest a link for plans? I am just looking to copy a good design at this point ( just like my 2 way project).

thanks
FSCHRIS

**evilskillit** · **11-14-09, 12:28 PM**

Well here is a link to the members sub database.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...-database.html

Building a sub is pretty easy if you know how to use WinISD or UniBox or any other modeling program.

Get an idea of what you want, maybe pick a driver. Model it and find out what size enclosure and port you need to hit your target tuning. Then make a box with that much space inside and a port in it.

I'm not sure wether you live in your own house or an apartment or if there are size considerations but if you want to build an HT sub a 10" might be a bit on the small side.

My advice would be start a thread in the sub forum with your goals in it, what speaker you think you want, or what your budget is, or what your size constraints are and what you want the speaker to do and you'll get tons of helpful input.

Btw, if you're wanting a 10" because you want a small but rocking HT sub I'll leave you with this.

Small Size
Plays Low and Loud
Cheap

Pick any 2...

**caminoguy** · **11-17-09, 03:36 PM**

I highly recommend zaph's sr71 package from madisound. I built a pair using parts express curved .5 cu. ft cabinets and they sound great.

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