Custom speaker build...

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An idea of the scale of this project. Just a mockup because I can't find my wood glue... I was sure I had some somewhere...
 
I would design as far away from the mids 10db peak at FS as possible! That hot peak would color the mids. Your hearing is most sensitive in the mid range area so something to consider.
Good luck on your project, you are asking the rigt questions it seems.
DC
Agreed DC, up around 800hz or so get's it off the hump. This is one of the probs with sealed back mids. There's more cabinet work with an open back, but you can tune the darned thing to much better meet the woofer.

Also, i wonder how the woofer will model in a sealed alignment, if can can approach 800 while maintaining a decently flat response. That will be the real hurdle to clear.
 
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Drivers mounted in one cabinet! No crossover yet, so I don't know how it sounds... but I did put the woofer over its hole magnet-out (before I cut the mid and tweeter holes) so I could run a frequency sweep video on YouTube, that sounded promising...
 
I don't know if you intend to counter sink the drivers by using a router?
It will help with baffle diffraction.
 
If this is your first build, go with one of the kits offered by Madisound or Parts Express. Crossover design and driver integration is more complicated than selecting some miscellaneous drivers, then trying to design the crossover. You need measurement equipment and a design program.Otherwise, you're just guessing.
 
Crossover design and driver integration is more complicated than selecting some miscellaneous drivers, then trying to design the crossover. You need measurement equipment and a design program.Otherwise, you're just guessing.
This is by far the most important, and most difficult concept to get across to the novice/beginner speaker builder.

The 2nd most difficult concept to convey to them is the symbiotic relationship between drivers, crossover, cabinet, and room. Nearly every parameter has some effect or influence on many of the other parameters. One small change in one parameter generally results in unwanted changes in other parameters. The slope gets slippery real fast. ;)
 
Ok, so this isn't Major League Baseball, it's more like the sandlot. I'm not expecting to end up with $500,000 speakers. I am having a good time putting these together, and I'm pretty sure they're not gonna sound aweful.
 
The correct driver placement on the baffle is determined by the crossover slope, frequency and bandwidth of the drivers.
 
Well, I've ordered the crossover bits...

Just wanted to say I appreciate all of the info that's been shared here. I do enjoy learning, and it's quite interesting stuff.

That being said, I'm not going that far with these... I know they won't stand up to any high end commercially made speakers, and likely won't even compare to middle-of-the-road stuff, but I bet they'll sound better to me than most of what I had growing up, and I'm having fun building them.
 
My crossover parts are at the UPS facility that is 15 minutes from my house (and have been there since 3:00 this morning) but the scheduled delivery day is Thursday... they must be walking around making deliveries with a Radio Flyer wagon...
 
Parts came in and I built the crossover tonight. I have one fully functional speaker! So far I'm very happy with the sound, sounds fairly balanced to my ears, and the bass is deep! Now I gotta build the other speaker... can't wait to hear the pair!
 
Printed these up tonight:
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Should have time to build the second crossover tomorrow night, they will then be "functionally done". Then I can start thinking about what species of veneer I will use... and then I have to put together some grills...
 
Also- in case anyone was wondering... I did install braces from the front to the back between the woofer and mid, I made gaskets for the mid and woofer out of foam tool box drawer liner (the tweeters and terminal cups have gaskets made out of similar materials pre-installed) and I used 1/2 of a pillow's worth of batting behind each woofer...
 
So I finished the crossover on the second speaker!

Hooked them up in the living room and put on some tunes... Widor's Toccata gave me goosebumps! The opening drums in Honkytonk Woman are also quite satisfying... (like I said, eclectic taste in music)

They need some short stands to get them high enough to sound good in the bedroom, where they will live (gotta get them up to ear level or the sound just gets lost...)
 
I'm thinking I might tackle the grills first to keep little fingers away from the dust caps...
 
Got side tracked by a pair of Optimus T-120's on Facebook Marketplace, but those are almost done so I should be able to get to finishing these guys soon...

I'm planning on painting the front and back black, with veneer on the top and sides, and a veneer border maybe 3/4-1" wide around the front. Still haven't decided what type of tree I want to wrap them with...
 
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