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The Short & Sweets
By Izzy Waldie
By Izzy Waldie
These are called the Short and Sweets because they are short (:o) and I went into the project with the goal of making the song “Short and Sweet” (by Brittany Howard ‘reimagined’ by Bon Iver) sound awesome on them. These are meant to be easy listening speakers for my small apartment, with the listening axis at the perfect level for sitting in a bean bag.
The 8 inch woofer provides impressive low end for the cabinet size, and the planar tweeter provides an insanely crispy high end.
The design is pretty straight forward, just a 2-way speaker with a vent on the bottom (hence the cute little feet), crossover is at 2kHz. I originally intended to use a 2 inch port tube, but testing revealed that leaving the port hole with no tube yielded the best response. One fun thing I tried was adding wedges on the inside of the cabinet to make the sidewalls non-parallel from each other. These wedges are the height and width of the side walls, and are 1.5″ inches thick at the bottom and taper to nothing at the top (this seemed an easier solution to a trapezoid shaped interior without having to do wacky joints). These wedges are glued and screwed to the inside of the sidewalls, doubling as bracing for the enclosure (and adding to the weight for a total of 52 lbs)
Specs:
- +/- 3dB 30-20kHz (with slight smile curve)
- 8″ woofer
- Planar tweeter
Drivers:
- Daytion Audio Reference Series 8″ Woofer
- GRS PT2522C-4 3-1/2″ Planar Tweeter
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.
Thunder and Lightning
Designed and built by Chris Wilson
Gonçalo alves is a Brazilian hardwood. It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscores the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme, that some compare to rosewood. It is considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it’s used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for fine furniture.
I wanted my speakers to be different. So I built a Lichtenberg machine and burnt Lichtenberg figures into the front side of my baffle. Finished by filling with blue glow-in-the-dark resin, I think I fulfilled my goal.
Since I invested so much time into the outward appearance, sound quality would have to be top notch. That is why I bought ribbon tweeters and ceramic woofers for the desktop monitors. The combination of those two provided the widest possible range (55Hz-22kHz) while having the flattest response. The subwoofer had to go as low as possible while still being inconspicuous and out of the way. The final design follows closely the form-factor of the footrest that is beneath my desk and is painted black. With its 10″ subwoofer and sealed cabinet design, it can get as low as 28Hz.
Design Goals
- Visually appealing in a unique way
- Flat response
- Full range
- Relatively Portable
Key Features
- Unique lightning bolt effect
- Beautiful wood grain with hand-rubbed oil finish
- Sealed enclosures for increased transient response
- Flat tuning
Specifications
- Measured F3 of 28Hz
- +/- .7dB from 100Hz – 22kHz
- Sealed box including sub
- Fountek Neo X 1.0 ribbon Tweeter
- 6″ SB Acoustics SB17CAC35-8 ceramic woofer
- 10″ Dayton Audio RSS265HF-8 subwoofer
- Desktop monitors 8.5” x 11” x 14”
- Subwoofer 15”H x 15”D x 20”W with integrated legs
Overall Frequency Response
The subwoofer and desktop monitor were placed on a tall stand to simulate anechoic conditions. Because of this, the subwoofer is not receiving the 3-6dB boost from the boundary effect from the floor.
Horizontal Off-Axis Response – 0º, 15º, 30º, & 60º off axis
This measurement was taken closer to the floor. The flat frequency response is being affected by floor reflections. The main data points to look at are above 5kHz.
Overall Waterfall Plot
Impulse Response
Photo Gallery
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
HSD5
- Design Goals:
- Full-Range Loudspeakers for Living Room Entertainment
- Relatively Portable
- Extended Bass
- Specifications:
- Dual 5″ SB Acoustics SB15CAC30 Woofers
- Single 5″ Ribbon Fountek CD2.0 Tweeter
- 2.5Way Active & Passive Crossovers
- Features:
- F3 of 45Hz
- +2dB/-3dB (45Hz to 20kHz)
- 94dB (Max Continuous SPL)
Gust Op. 1
Designed by Jacob Gust
Design Goals:
- Active Home Theater Loudspeakers
- Warm & Unique Sound
- Extended Low Range
- Even Off Axis Listening
- Pleasing To Look At
Features:
- Ribbon Tweeter, 5″ Mid, & 8″ Woofer
- Passive 3kHz Crossover between Tweeter & Mid
- Dual Internal Volume Design with Crossover Cubby
- Matching Custom Speaker Stands
- F3 of 30Hz
- +/- 3dB from 30Hz-20kHz
Frequency Response:
Integrated Frequency Response:
Off-Axis Response:
Harmonic Distortion:
HA-3s
Designed by Henry Ashburn
Design Goals:
- High SPL output
- F3 of 30 Hz
- Aesthetically beautiful
- Wide horizontal dispersion
Features:
- Ribbon tweeter, mid-woofer, 12″ side-firing subwoofer
- MiniDSP PWR-ICE 250
- Separate enclosures
- F3 of 31 Hz
- ± 3 dB frequency response
Frequency Response
Integrated Frequency Response
Off-Axis Frequency Response
Harmonic Distortion Percentage
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:
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