Best Speakers for Huge Room?

[Zonker92]

My next DIY project may be for a huge great room at a friend's ranch house. I haven't seen it, but I'm thinking this room may be around 8,000 square feet. Concrete floors with rugs, sheetrock walls. I'm still gathering details and will add them as I get them. [EDIT: My latest estimate (I still haven't seen the place) is closer to 2,500-3,000 square feet. The area with furniture where people hang out is a large "bulge" in this huge common room.]

Which DIY approach would be good for such a large area? I'm thinking of maybe 15" woofers in a large enclosure like an A7 or a 4320 or so. Which compression drivers and waveguides or horns would have the highest output and best dispersion for a large area like that, without sounding too harsh?

My plan would be to buy old cabinets and woofers, then build crossovers and add waveguides up top. What is the most "powerful" eWave general design or approach for good clean loud sound on a relatively modest budget (maybe $1,000-2,000?)

The amp would be a big solid-state stereo unit, maybe 250-300 WPC.

Thanks.

 

[CLS500]

Hope you will keep us informed as this project developes !!! I can't offer any advice but I certainly like the direction you are taking. (My personal dream--aircraft hanger with reworked A-7 or larger VOTT'S !!!). Good luck !!!

 

[Zonker92]

Thanks; definitely!

I think it's going to be great fun, and I'm eyeballing some L200 cabinets I've found. My local thrift shop also has a ton of old huge cabinets, but I think A7s would be the coolest of all. I suppose I could even make my own out of plywood; I suspect the plans are readily available.

FUN.

 

[Tetrode]

I'd make it easy and get a pair of AR9's.

 

[Zonker92]

Thanks, but we're more interested in having fun with a DIY / big box / waveguide (or horn) project right now. Might have to conduct some WAF analysis, too.

 

[similost]

Doesn't take very long to rack up $2000 when building your own speakers. Especially if you have a large box you need to build and need a lot of wood to do it..

I wouldn't skimp on cheap drivers for a room that size. I'd spend decent money and get nice pro drivers. You may need to turn it up every now and then.. .

I'd say anything with at least one 15" in a large box, but I'd try and use a larger horn instead of a wave guide... I'd also try for dual 15" personally.

If you could find some good used speakers from a theater would be great... I know my JBL 4675's would fill the room your talking about really nice and great sounding.. something similar from a theater... would be real cool if you could find some theater Klipsch...

 

[Zonker92]

Thanks! Yes, a pair of movie theater speakers on Craiglist would probably be a good start. A7s would be fun. I could clean them up, hot rod them and build crossovers as needed ...

 

[similost]

The only thing about using a pair of A7's is you will need to have a couple of subwoofers with them. In a large room especially they will sound pretty thin on the bottom. They don't like to play much below 50hz unless you do a lot of work to the boxes, and even then you're not going to be doing much of anything below 40hz... unless maybe you could find a different driver that will allow it..

 

[Zonker92]

Hmmmm. What about those L200 cabinets, with 15" JBL woofers (which ones?) and horns up top?

 

[similost]

Nice speakers.. they do play loud.. they are a great sounding speaker, but to me, seems kinda small for an 8K ft room... I'm the kinda guy that's gonna look for or build the biggest box possible for that kinda room... I'd bet they have better bass than the A7's do though...

 

[Ohighway]

The only thing about using a pair of A7's is you will need to have a couple of subwoofers with them. In a large room especially they will sound pretty thin on the bottom. They don't like to play much below 50hz......

Bingo.... and a very important consideration if you're going with A7 (or clones) for your project.

 

[Zonker92]

Nice speakers.. they do play loud.. they are a great sounding speaker, but to me, seems kinda small for an 8K ft room... I'm the kinda guy that's gonna look for or build the biggest box possible for that kinda room... I'd bet they have better bass than the A7's do though...

Well, I just mean the cabinets, not the original drivers. I just want something beefy that I can restore and it will look cool and give the woofer the correct volume, etc. Mount the woofer high, then throw a horn on top.

 

[similost]

Something from this line would be great for you..

Myself, for 8K square feet, I'd build me a pair of something kinda like these.. :thmbsp:

 

[scott1019]

My vote would go for a pair of PAudio drivers in some custom cabinets. Enough dynamics and power for any size room especially with that amp.

 

[Zonker92]

Something from this line would be great for you..

Holy FC*K.

 

[Zonker92]

My vote would go for a pair of PAudio drivers in some custom cabinets. Enough dynamics and power for any size room especially with that amp.

Linkee to a build thread or something I can get my fingernails under? Thanks.

 

[similost]

I don't know of anyone that has used A7 boxes and gotten really good deep bass out of them even with other drivers. Not saying it hasn't been done, just saying I haven't heard of it.

The boxes were really built for great upper lows and lower mids... a horn box like that just isn't really designed to throw off much for heavy bass..

 

[similost]

You've seen a picture of my 4675's I'm sure.. To me, in a room the size you are talking, it's the smallest size of speaker I'd use if you want to fill the room with sound..

If you haven't I can post a picture.. I like that

 

[Zonker92]

Please do!

OK, so let's assume A7s are out. I'm now just thinking of a big cabinet (of whatever volume we need), 15" woofers and horns up top .... But I need to narrow it down more.

I'd love to use those L200 cabinets, but by the time we start this project in a month or so they may be gone, and I wonder if they have enough volume anyway.

 

[similost]

Here ya go...

These really are about the smallest I would consider in a room you're talking about...

I have my Barziwaves which can keep up volume wise and sound quality wise with the JBL speakers, but the box is a lot smaller, and can't project bass as well... but I just feel that you'd be much better off with 4 woofers and a large horn.. whether JBL, Altec, or Klipsch.. .something with atleast a 1.5" or better yet a 2" compression driver. It would sound a lot better in a room that size in my mind..