Show us your DIY speaker projects!
- Thread starter Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ
- Start date
My wife doesn’t even know it’s a subwoofer!
OK, not really -- but I definitely could have gotten away without her ever knowing if I didn’t build it in our foyer
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Did these years back and had a blast doing it. Mach 4's with Rhino coating! 
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...ach-1-project-completed-mach-4-rhinos.500409/
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index...ach-1-project-completed-mach-4-rhinos.500409/
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70's Rockfan
Rough N Ready
They are done.
I'm quite happy with them.
I'm quite happy with them.
shrinkboy
Addicted Member
you should be happy, those look extremely pro
LonnyG
Active Member
MY KLH model 23 clones .. https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/klh-model-23-dimensions.939140/page-2
My current garage project, Traynor cabs with JBL 2226h woofers and the horns pulled out and mounted up top.
These are for me to dip my toes into biamping with active crossover, I just gotta pick up a couple of amps to get started.
Currently running the woofer full range with just a cap on the tweet for now.
Not a pretty project for sure but they do play loud.
These are for me to dip my toes into biamping with active crossover, I just gotta pick up a couple of amps to get started.
Currently running the woofer full range with just a cap on the tweet for now.
Not a pretty project for sure but they do play loud.
MATT0404
Well-Known Member
Finished these up last week. My second DIY effort. These are Jeff Bagby designed Solstice speakers that are sold through Parts Express. I’m really pleased with how they turned out and the sound is truly reference class. They have some stiff competition in my home and they DO NOT disappoint. 
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
If I posted this picture before please excuse. My Frugal Horn Mk3's with the legendary Coral Holey Basket drivers. I am just blown away by the CHB's ( review below ) in the Frugal cabinets. Neo 3 open back planar tweeters add some nice shimmer to the top end. Sorry about the camera tilt.
http://glowinthedarkaudio.com/coralholey.html
http://glowinthedarkaudio.com/coralholey.html
fill35u
Super Member
Subs are easy, I made my main speakers the hard way. Instead of a rectangular box, I opted for Sonotube. No big deal, except I wanted a flat baffle down the front. And that's where everything got complicated! Working with a slit-open piece of cardboard tube made measuring and layout tricky. And for obvious reasons, this approach is not popular. So I was in uncharted waters.
Speakers are the Intrusive 1899 from DIY Sound Group. Not many of these kits were sold, and I think they're discontinued. For some reason, not much demand.
First step was to ~double the thickness of the precut 1" baffle with 3/4" plywood. I used oak veneer ply for quality, a shame nobody will ever see it!
I transferred the layout for the holes, then rough cut them out:
Then back together to be glued:
And then used the precut baffle as a pattern to route the extra layer to match:
So far, pretty standard stuff. It's about to get tricky!
Speakers are the Intrusive 1899 from DIY Sound Group. Not many of these kits were sold, and I think they're discontinued. For some reason, not much demand.
First step was to ~double the thickness of the precut 1" baffle with 3/4" plywood. I used oak veneer ply for quality, a shame nobody will ever see it!
I transferred the layout for the holes, then rough cut them out:
Then back together to be glued:
And then used the precut baffle as a pattern to route the extra layer to match:
So far, pretty standard stuff. It's about to get tricky!
fill35u
Super Member
I decided to hedge my bets, and make a skeleton frame, then wrap the Sonotube around and secure. But first, I wanted a curved bevel on the baffle edges to match the radius. There's more than one way to skin a cat, here's what I came up with.
I figured I'd make a "long compass" to get the radius I needed (finished speaker would be 24" in diameter. Helps to have a 36" vernier caliper for this kind of work! And I figured if I was going to go through all this trouble, I'd make a jig to set up both baffles to work them at the same time. So the first step was to brace the now-reinforced baffles together, spaced the exact distance apart, but absolutely parallel with each other. Hmmm... This is what I came up with. I used the "crossed wires" method to get them perfectly straight and parallel to each other(I only have a pic of after beveling)
:
Then I needed guides outside the baffles for the router sled. Again, distance, width, straight, and parallel were critical. I made another frame that would drop around the baffle jig, used crossed wires again. Note the vinyl molding as low-friction wear strips on the guide surfaces:
And finally, the "long compass" router sled. I used strips of melamine whiteboard for the guide surface, which held up just well enough. 12" radius of curvature is pretty much the max before that stuff snaps!:
And here it is in use. I used a 1/2" square straight-cut bit. Not exactly correct for the geometry, but it worked! (as you can see with the final result in the first pic of this post)
That was the most involved part, those darn bevels. But it let the Sonotube wrap around the sides of the baffle perfectly.
Not out of the woods yet!
I figured I'd make a "long compass" to get the radius I needed (finished speaker would be 24" in diameter. Helps to have a 36" vernier caliper for this kind of work! And I figured if I was going to go through all this trouble, I'd make a jig to set up both baffles to work them at the same time. So the first step was to brace the now-reinforced baffles together, spaced the exact distance apart, but absolutely parallel with each other. Hmmm... This is what I came up with. I used the "crossed wires" method to get them perfectly straight and parallel to each other(I only have a pic of after beveling)
:Then I needed guides outside the baffles for the router sled. Again, distance, width, straight, and parallel were critical. I made another frame that would drop around the baffle jig, used crossed wires again. Note the vinyl molding as low-friction wear strips on the guide surfaces:
And finally, the "long compass" router sled. I used strips of melamine whiteboard for the guide surface, which held up just well enough. 12" radius of curvature is pretty much the max before that stuff snaps!:
And here it is in use. I used a 1/2" square straight-cut bit. Not exactly correct for the geometry, but it worked! (as you can see with the final result in the first pic of this post)
That was the most involved part, those darn bevels. But it let the Sonotube wrap around the sides of the baffle perfectly.
Not out of the woods yet!
fill35u
Super Member
Time for the skeleton frame. I figured since I was making a bunch of the same parts, I'd make patterns for them:
So here's the resulting frame:
The box for the 12" mid-range is sealed, but the kit said bracing it well was the most important part of the entire construction. So I braced it pretty thoroughly!:
Now for some details before she gets wrapped up...
So here's the resulting frame:
The box for the 12" mid-range is sealed, but the kit said bracing it well was the most important part of the entire construction. So I braced it pretty thoroughly!:
Now for some details before she gets wrapped up...
fill35u
Super Member
Instead of buying the available premade PCB boards for the crossovers, I decided to lay them out myself on pegboard. If I ever run these speakers at their rated 2500 watts continuously, I have peace of mind that the components have ample spacing for heat. Wire is nothing special, 16ga. Resistors are safety wired down, with pieces of ceramic tile as thermal insulators under them. Layout is such to mitigate heat rise from resistors to not cook the caps. I also made provisions for them to be able to be tri-amped:
After getting that worked out, time to wrap. Peeled the super-thin clear plastic layer off the inside of the tube (a pain to get started, then it molted away in less than a minute. Cut the side of the tube away (peel that plastic wrap out *first*!!). Slid the tube down around the speaker frame, clamped it. Then went in through the driver holes from underneath, to trace out the locations of all the frame members. Removed the tube, and drilled from the marked inside out to locate through-holes visible from the outside:
Applied lots of PL Premium, then screwed everything down from outside.
That left overhang at the ends, easy enough to trim. But the excess where the tube wrapped around the beveled sides of the baffle? A trim bit wouldn't work. But I already had a plan! I put a "shoe" on the router baseplate, so the end of the square bit could stay parallel to the baffle front, while making an overhanging cut:
Then it was time for the rear terminals. I took the scrap pieces from the Sonotube (they matched radius), stacked them up, routed them flat, and cut the windows for the terminal cups. I had to do some creative soldering to rearrange the supplied electrical straps to facilitate the tri-amping option:
Oh yes, finish was Deckover, hides all sins!
After getting that worked out, time to wrap. Peeled the super-thin clear plastic layer off the inside of the tube (a pain to get started, then it molted away in less than a minute. Cut the side of the tube away (peel that plastic wrap out *first*!!). Slid the tube down around the speaker frame, clamped it. Then went in through the driver holes from underneath, to trace out the locations of all the frame members. Removed the tube, and drilled from the marked inside out to locate through-holes visible from the outside:
Applied lots of PL Premium, then screwed everything down from outside.
That left overhang at the ends, easy enough to trim. But the excess where the tube wrapped around the beveled sides of the baffle? A trim bit wouldn't work. But I already had a plan! I put a "shoe" on the router baseplate, so the end of the square bit could stay parallel to the baffle front, while making an overhanging cut:
Then it was time for the rear terminals. I took the scrap pieces from the Sonotube (they matched radius), stacked them up, routed them flat, and cut the windows for the terminal cups. I had to do some creative soldering to rearrange the supplied electrical straps to facilitate the tri-amping option:
Oh yes, finish was Deckover, hides all sins!
fill35u
Super Member
Finally I ordered some custom nameplates from an eBay vendor. Took three tries for him to get them right, but good service nonetheless!:
I hope Bill Waslo doesn't mind being associated with my crude execution of his design!
Here's a front pic of one of the finished speakers. Pretty darn efficient at 99+dB/2.83V, and very well controlled directivity with the SEOS-15 waveguide.
Hope that gives somebody food for thought- like maybe why *not* to do it my way!
BTW, each speaker used over *300* screws total, they added up!
I hope Bill Waslo doesn't mind being associated with my crude execution of his design!
Here's a front pic of one of the finished speakers. Pretty darn efficient at 99+dB/2.83V, and very well controlled directivity with the SEOS-15 waveguide.
Hope that gives somebody food for thought- like maybe why *not* to do it my way!
BTW, each speaker used over *300* screws total, they added up!
kfa888
Addicted Member
Are you planning to run these in a huge room?
fill35u
Super Member
They've been in my living room, at a 13 foot listening distance. The constant directivity design reduces problems with early reflections, so placement and treatments aren't so critical.
I don't have a projector/screen, so the center channel is a pair of horizontal Aggressive 1299 speakers above and below the TV. Reasonably well timbre-matched.
They don't actually go very low, about 45 Hz, but they weren't designed to. I have the eight 18" sub drivers posted earlier in this thread to take care of the bottom two octaves and below.