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Bradley’s Speakers
High precision two-way monitors
Hello, all! Here is my design for a pair of two-way monitors for pairing with my existing SVS subwoofer. I only needed these boxes to stay flat down to the the subwoofer crossover point (90Hz), so I focused moreso on selecting high quality drivers and a solid construction. Though I did run into the issue of my tweeters performing significantly worse than specification, the end result is still a very responsive and detailed monitor.
Construction: In order to combat box resonance, I created a two-material design. The box has an interior layer of 1/2″ OSB and an external layer of 3/4″ MDF.
Tweeters: ScanSpeak Illuminator d3004/6620-00
Woofers: ScanSpeak Revelator 18w/4531-g00
Goals
- Flat response
- Wide, deep, detailed soundstage
- Minimal distortion
Specifications
- +/- 2.5dB from 70Hz – 20kHz
- +/- 1.5dB from 180Hz-20kHz
- Only 3 peaks above -50dB distortion (2nd and 3rd order) from 70Hz to 20kHz at 83dB
Sno-Cones
Designed by Noah Lukkari
The Sno-Cones were designed for near-field mixing monitors as well as for casual listening to music. I wanted the monitors to be able to fit on a desk as easily as possible without taking up too much space, while also maintaining as much low-frequency response as I could. The build consists of 0.56ft3 enclosures that were purchased on Parts Express. My biggest deciding factor on the enclosure was that the front baffle came blank so I was able to cut my own spaces for the drivers to fit which allowed me some flexibility in my driver selection. The design is fairly simple, these are two-way mixing monitors with a 6-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter. They have a 2-inch port in the back on the enclosure directly behind the tweeter. The crossover frequency between the drivers sits at a 4th order Butterworth crossover at 2.7kHz. I wanted to be able to have more control over the crossover and EQ so I opted for an external DSP so I could tune everything efficiently.
Key Points
Goals
- High-Frequency Directionality
- Low-Frequency Extension
- Transparency
- Flat Frequency Response
Specifications
- +/- 2.5 dB 100Hz – 19kHz
- f3 = 80Hz
- “Wave-Guide” Tweeter for Off-Axis Response
Drivers
- Woofer – SB Acoustics SB17CAC35
- Tweeter – Dayton Audio ND25FW
Tuned Frequency Response (Orange – Woofer, Yellow – Tweeter, Green – Full Frequency)
Horizontal Off-Axis Response (Blue – 30 Degrees, Pink – 60 Degrees)
Woofer Harmonic Distortion
Tweeter Harmonic Distortion
The Supernovas
These are the Supernovas, a pair of 2.5 way tower speakers that were designed to enhance the movie/ tv watching expierence. I have never had goood quality movie speakers and so i figured why not build some. These have duel 8 inch alluminum coned dayton audio rs225-8 drivers per cabinet. These woofers are working in parellel so the lower woofer can reinforce the low end from 0-300 Hz. The tweeters are Dayton Audio DC28F-8 1-1/8″ Silk Dome Tweeter. These are standing at only 3 feet tall and about a foot wide and a foot deep. These speakers can function perfectly fint without a sub, however there is always room for more bass. These speakers can get as low as 35Hz and can hit up to 20kHz. These have a active crossover through a dayton audio 4×8 Dsp, and only need 2 100 watt per channel amps. These mightve cost me $920, ($660 after mtu rebate), but in comparison to other speakers on the market these can contend with some $1000+ systems that have similar drivers and specs.
Crockett and Tubbs- Samba MT kit
These are my two Samba MT kits that I received from PartsExpress and constructed. I was in the market for some smaller sized studio monitors that have a nice extended low frequency response for personal mixing. The Samba kit really came through on a lot of the goals that I had for this project including budget, you really get some bang for your buck out of these. Drivers include a Dayton Audio RS180P-4 7″ Reference Series Woofer paired with a Dayton RST28F-4 1-1/8″ Reference Series Fabric Dome Tweeter. The kits also come with pre-cut MDF cabinets that are easy to assemble. This system features a passive crossover, all components are included but I did end up purchasing a custom printed circuit board to keep everything in one place and to speed up the construction process.
Aria-7R7
Designed and Constructed by Spencer Beasley
These are the Aria-7R7 professional monitors for mixing, mastering, and critical listening. They feature a MTM (WTW) vertical layout with a horn loaded ribbon tweeter sitting between the two woofers. The decision to use this layout comes from the needs of minimally treated listening environment: a lack of ceiling treatment and a large desk causing unwanted reflections. The MTM layout provides vertical directionality, limiting the sound thrown at the ceiling, floor, and most importantly desk. Conversely, the horizontal coverage is fairly wide, allowing for greater flexibility in choice of listening position from left to right, as well as providing a wide image. Wherever you sit, as long as your ears are in between the woofers, a strong phantom center will persist. The CSS LDW7 and Fountek Neo CD3.5H drivers match up perfectly, seamlessly handing off response at a crossover point of 3kHz. The CSS drivers provide low bass extension and very low distortion for an accurate and tight bass/midbass response. The Fountek ribbons steal the show with their extreme detail and transparency, creating a sphere of sound that sits between the speakers and extends far beyond physical position of each box, sometimes sounding as if inverted phase (polarity) elements emanate from behind the listener. Their visual aesthetics are also beautiful with a nice birch veneer and pleasant height to width ratio and distribution of divers. These are designed to be used with a subwoofer, but extend very low on their own. In short, these sound very tight and detailed, with no added coloration or tonality.
Goals
- Vertical Directionality
- Bass Extension
- Transparency
- Flat Frequency Response
Specs
- +/- 2dB 100Hz to 20kHz
- 2 7″ Midwoofers
- Horn Loaded Ribbon Tweeter
- F3 of 60Hz
Drivers
- CSS LDW7 – 7″ Midwoofer
- Fountek Neo CD3.5H – Horn loaded ribbon tweeter
Tuned Frequency Response
Integrated Step Response
Tweeter Harmonic Distortion
Woofer Harmonic Distortion
The Hobb-5’s
The Hobb-5’s are designed to be a stereo bookshelf or home theatre system. This system functions through the use of a built in LP40PA amplifier with bluetooth/AUX inputs and a 2nd order passive crossover at 2.5kHz to keep the frequency response as even as possible.
These speakers were built from the C-Sharp speaker kit from PartsExpress.com. The C-Sharps being the active version of the popular C-Note speaker kit. Construction consisted of three phases: Cabinet, Crossover, and Completion. The most time consuming portion of creating these speakers was the soldering of the crossover. If you take your time, it will be very much worth it. These offer great frequency response out of the box and can get even better with a little bit of love (and tuning).
Specifications:
- Tweeter: Dayton Audio ND25FW-4 1” Soft Dome Neodymium Tweeter
- Woofer: Dayton Audio DSA135-8 5” Designer Series Aluminum Cone Woofer
- Cabinet Material: MDF
SOUND STRIPED – 2X298
Designed and built by Matthew Jacobson
Introduction
The Sound Striped two-way home speaker system was designed to fit in with a night of fun, whether that be a night of movie watching or jamming to some tunes. To achieve this goal, the cabinet was designed to be noticeable, bright, and striking. The end result created a loudspeaker layered with stripes of several different types of wood, including redheart, padouk, birch, and maple across its front baffle, reminiscent of something you may see down a bowling lane.
The cabinet was designed to work as a floor standing system, with a height under 2′ tall. The angled front baffle was constructed to allow the sound to be directed up towards the listeners in an average living room. This allows for ideal listening when seated for a movie watching experience.
However, the striking aesthetics would not be enough to fulfill the goal of the loudspeakers. The two-way system was made for the listener to fully experience the booming, explosive sounds that may be heard in movies, or for the thumbing beats and satisfying kicks heard in music. In other words, the clean, bass-boosted system was made to really be noticed.
Design Goals
- Affordable component and construction cost
- Room filling sound pressure level output
- Deep bass response
- Clean sound with low distortion
Key Features
- Sharp, striped front baffle
- Ported enclosure designed for low bass response
- Good off-axis response for multiple listeners
- Active cross-over design allowing for easy future adjustments
Specifications
- 12″ x 23″ x 21″ Cabinet Dimensions
- Designed F3 of 28 Hz
- Two SB Acoustics 29mm Textile Dome Tweeters
- Two Dayton Audio 8″ Reference Woofers
Photo Gallery
Note: Loudspeaker construction occurred in Spring 2020 semester, during the COVID-19 epidemic. This hampered plans for the final tuning of the loudspeaker design. The attached documentation covers up to cross-over design of the speakers.
Kitten Koffins
Near-field Reference Monitors
Designed by Sarah Calvert
The Kitten Koffins are near-field reference monitors that incorporate a unique shape size that produces a wide dispersion of sound. The coffin cabinet is an excellent shape for producing a flat and even frequency response. Both of which were very important goals of my design.
Due to being a sealed speaker and their smaller shape, the Kitten Koffins have an F3 of about 70hz. They are 13 inches in height and just over 14 inches in depth. Because of the angled shape on the front of the speaker, the width is roughly 10.5 inches. I designed them smaller and to incorporate a subwoofer with the system.
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
Amy
Designed & Built By: Maddy Hunt
Design Goals:
- Desktop speakers for enjoyment listening purposes
- Easy to build with simple yet pretty aesthetics
- Small size and easily portable
- Affordable
Features:
- SB Acoustics 5″ SB15NRXC30-4 Woofer
- SB Acoustics SB29RCDN-C000-4 Tweeter
- Active system
Results:
- 14.43″ H x 9.5″ W x 10.19″ D
- f3 at 50 Hz
- Crossover at 2000 Hz
- Ported Enclosure
- Total Spent: ~$525
Materials: Curly Cherry
Overall Frequency Response:
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