Archive
Tone Buck Two’s
The Tone Buck Two’s were built with the intention of having nice home entertainment speakers. I wanted a aesthetically pleasing good sounding set of speakers. I prioritized SPL and size. With my typical listening in mind I was not very worried about low frequency extension.
Goals
- Aesthetically Pleasing
- Flat frequency response
- Low distortion
Drivers
- Tweeter:SB Acoustics SB26CDC-C000-4
- Midwoofer:SB Acoustics SB17CAC35-4
- Subwoofer:RSS265HO-4 10″ Reference HO Subwoofer
Measurements
Horizontal2&Vertical3
On axis frequency response (pink), 30 degree off axis (Blue) 60 degrees off axis (yellow)
Cherry Bombs
Designed and Built By Ace Hobbs
Description
The Cherry bombs were a passion project from the very beginning. I designed these speakers to listening forward with my personal taste in mind. I emphasized low frequency extension with the 8 cubic foot subwoofers, paired with crisp medium to high frequencies from the mid/high components. The design is modular, allowing me to separate the mid/high’s from the subwoofers. This expands the use case of these speakers while also increasing mobility. The Cherry wood front baffles give the speakers a warm glow that will darken with time. They are also the inspiration for the name, cherry for the wood and bombs for the booming subwoofers.
Key Points
Goals
- Emphasized Low Frequency Extension
- Custom Modular Design
- Flat Frequency Response
- Simple Cabinet Design
Drivers
- Scan Speak D2606/9200 Tweeter
- Dayton Audio RS180-4 7″ Woofer
- Dayton Audio RSS390HF-4 15″ Subwoofer
Specifications
- 3 Way / 2 Way Active Crossover
- +/- 2 dB Mid/High Component
- +/- 2 dB Subwoofer
- f3 = 20 Hz
- f10 = 15 Hz
Features
- Completely custom cabinet w/ interior bracing for increased cabinet rigidity
- Hand oil finished front baffle for appealing design
- NL4 connectors for ease of use
- Wide stereo image for use around a living room television
Selected Measurements
Mid/High Frequency Response (60 dB amplitude)
Horizontal Off Axis Response (40 dB Amplitude)
Brown – On Axis / Red – 15° Off Axis / Green – 30° Off Axis / Blue – 45° Off Axis / Purple – 60° Off Axis
Subwoofer Frequency Response (40 dB Amplitude)
The Copperheads
The Copperheads are a 2.5 way tower speaker system that are a multiuser speaker system for movies, mixing and more. These may not be the best speakers on the planet but with the parallel wiring design and large cabinet the build process taught me a lot about speaker building.
MF 2.1 System
Designed by Matthew Fisher
The MF 2.1 System is designed for music listening and enjoyment. It consists of a pair of Dayton Audio C-Notes and a Dayton Audio 12″ Ultimax Subwoofer, all of which were purchased as kits off of Parts Express. I decided to bypass the passive crossover portion of the C-Notes and design this system as a fully active system to allow for the most efficient and accessible form of control during tuning and playback. I also wired the subwoofer as 2+2 ohm setup, again allowing for greater control over each voice coil.
The construction process was straightforward because these were kits. The decision to design a fully active system removed the necessity for installing passive crossovers and saved on construction time, which allowed for more tuning time. The tuning process focused on a flat response with extended low end to enhance both music listening and mixing. Unfortunately, the limited high frequency response will impact mixing usage, but the overall frequency response works well for enjoyment purposes.
Specifications:
Tweeter: Dayton Audio ND25FW
Woofer: Dayton Audio DSA-135A
Subwoofer: Dayton Audio UM12-22
Cabinet Material: MDF
Dampening Material: Rockwool
Overall Frequency Response:
Overall Horizontal Off-Axis Response:
Documentation:
Jupiter 6103s
Introduction
Juglans nigra, more commonly known as Eastern Black Walnut or simply Walnut, has long been one of the most sought after cabinetry hardwoods in North America. Taking its name from the Roman god of the sky, Jupiter, (Juglans being a compounding of the Latin for Jupiter’s Acorn), its remarkable strength, striking color, and fine workability have made it a favorite among woodworkers the world over for centuries, truly a wood worthy of its godly namesake.
Walnut was the clear choice for this design as it immediately evokes the feeling of a classic 70s hi-fi stereo. The rich brown of the walls and the black front baffle were a near uniformity of hi-fi speakers of the era. And the sound too aims to capture some of the feeling often associated with that era of music: warm, laid-back, and pleasant. However, the retro-styled exterior belies a very modern internal system.
A fully digital crossover networks allows for the fine tuning of the entire system to suit the needs of any particular room. The 3-way functionality also allows each driver to function within its most efficient frequency range. The height is calculated to center the mid and tweeter with an average listener’s ear when seated on an average couch (roughly 40″ from the ground).
With their end use being “do-anything” living room stereo towers, these speakers need to be able to cope with a wide array of content, from background music to intensive “home” mix review, from television to intense cinema. Versatility is key to their very existence.
Key Points
Goals
- Balanced, broad frequency response 30 Hz – 30 kHz
- Clarity through entire frequency band
- Warm, flattering music playback
- Classic visual aesthetic
Drivers
- Fountek NeoCD 3.5H – Horn Loaded Ribbon Tweeters
- SB Acoustics SB17CAC35 – Ceramic 6″ Mid-Woofers
- Dayton Audio RSS265HF – Aluminum 10″ Subwoofers
Specifications
- 3-Way digital crossover (miniDSP 2×8)
- +/- 1.5dB 30Hz – 30 kHz
- f3 of 28Hz
- f10 of 21Hz
Features
- Hand-rubbed oil finished Eastern Black Walnut Cabinet
- Double-walled front baffle for added rigidity
- Fully sealed enclosure for increased transient definition
- Warm, flattering frequency response
Selected Measurements
Overall Frequency Response (60 dB range)
Integrated Frequency Response (20 dB range)
Overall Harmonic Distortion
Integrated Step Response
Overall Waterfall Plot (18 dB Range)
Photo Gallery
Serotina
Introduction
Prunus serotina, or black cherry, is a hardwood species found throughout the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is known not only for burning all night in the wood stove, but also for it’s gorgeous color, figure, and grain pattern when properly finished. It was for this reason that Black Cherry was chosen to comprise the the baffles of these loudspeakers, eventually leading to the name Serotina.
From the beginning the intention was for these loudspeakers to provide the most pure, uncolored reproduction of any audio signal that was passed through the system. This meant a very broad spectral response and extremely accurate transient reproduction were necessary of the final product, and were achieved by employing multiple high-quality drivers and sizable, sealed enclosures.
An active crossover network ensures that the system can be fine-tuned for a wide variety of applications. At 6′-4″ they are stretched to accommodate the height of the end user when at a standing desk. However, with a quick re-alignment of the drivers using delay presets, the same great results can be enjoyed from a seated position for an extended stereo listening session or home theater application.
Key Points
Goals
- Uniform Frequency Response
- Highly Versatile
- Clean System Integration
- Pleasing, Natural Aesthetics
Drivers
- Raven Point Source Tweeter
- 5″ Eton 5-212/C8/25 HEX Woofer
- 10″ Focal P25FS Subwoofer
Specifications
- 3.5 Way Active Crossover Network [MiniDSP]
- +/- 1.5dB From 40Hz to 22kHz
- 3dB down @31Hz
- 10dB down @25Hz
Features
- Oiled Black Cherry baffles
- Tall for use at a standing desk
- Sealed cabinets provide accurate transient response
- A narrow front baffle makes for wide horizontal dispersion
- Removable back panel for future access
Selected Measurements
Integrated Frequency Response
Horizontal Off-Axis Response 
Blue = 60deg | Lime = 45deg | Red = 30deg [listening axis] | Purple = 15deg
The HNY: Buns
Design goals
- Home Entertainment and Mixing Use
- Floor Standing
- Natural Wood Look
- No taller than 3ft 7in
Specifications
- Fully Active 3-way Speaker
- Founteck NeoX1.0 Ribbon Tweeter
- 5-in Dayton Audio RS125-4 Mid Woofer
- 8-in Dayton Audio RS125-4 Reference Woofer
- Dimensions: 10”, 13”, 43”
Features
- F3 of 40 Hz
- +/- 2dB from 40Hz- 22kHz
PH1090Zs
Design Goals:
- Casual listening
- MTM design for subtle bass extension
- Small size for portability
- Budget of $900 dollars
Key Features:
- 8″ x 12″ x 18.5″
- f3 = 34.87Hz
- Vb = 0.6256 ft cu
- +/- 2.5dB 60Hz – 20kHz
- 2″ Ports
- Active 2 – way
Driver Selection:
- Woofers: SB Acoustics – 5” SB15NBAC30-8
- Tweeter: Peerless Vifa XT25BG60 – 04
TNS6
The TNS6 or “Temporarily Named Speaker 6” is a 2 way loudspeaker.
Design Goals:
- Relatively small size suitable for resting on a desk with maintaining maximum desk space.
- Crisp transients while reaching an f3 of at least 60Hz
- Natural wood aesthetic
Technical Specifications:
- Tweeter: Dayton Audio ND20FB-4
- Woofer: Dayton Audio RS225-8
- +/- 2db 49Hz-20kHz
- f3 of 47Hz
- Dimensions 11.25″ x 10.25″ x 19.75″
MC8R Studio Reference Monitors
Designed by Michael Chopp
Design Goals:
- Portable music mixing monitors for professional use
- Flat frequency response full range
- $1000 budget
- Natural wood look – visually appealing
Key Specifications:
- Drivers
- Fountek Neo X 2.0 Ribbon Tweeter
- Fountek 8″ FW200 Midwoofer
- F3 of 40Hz – Vented Enclosure
- 2″ port on front baffle
- +/- 1.5dB from 50Hz – 20kHz
- 0.1% THD from 50Hz – 20kHz
- Dimensions: 13″ x 22″ x 17″ (w, h, d)
- MiniDSP active crossover
- Tweeter at 1.8kHz
- Woofer at 2.2kHz
- Baltic birch exterior, MDF interior
Frequency Response:
Integrated Frequency Response:
Off Axis Response:
Harmonic Distortion:
Tech Speakers 