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

izzywaldietransducerpaperDownload

765PAs

This is the system I built for the 2023 Fall semester of SND4120 @ MTU
I made PA’s with the main purpose of using them for DJing and Live Music, they are meant for use both outdoors and indoors. They utilize a panel amp so they can be easily transported and quickly set up. They make use of split 1/4″/XLR inputs as well as True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth, making them exceptionally easy to connect too. I used a 12″ woofer, and a compression driver from the SB Audience Bianco series for this system, as well a Dayton Audio Plate Amp with built in DSP

765pa-system-documentation

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:

The speakers were placed on blocks to get them off the floor, but reflections still colored the overall response. 10-50kHz, 60dB Range

Overall Horizontal Off-Axis Response:

10-50kHz, 40dB Range. On-axis (black), 15º (red), 30º (teal), 45º (magenta), 60º (orange)

Documentation:

MF 2.1 System DocumentationDownload

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

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HSD5

Designed & Built by Henry Sendek

• 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)

Full Loudspeaker (Red) | Tweeter (Blue) | Top Woofer (Yellow) | Bottom Woofer (Purple)

speaker-glossy-v4.5

hlsendek_fa4740_paper9

DD-8s

Designed by Devin Deal

Design Goals:

• Pleasurable Listening
• Low Frequency Extension
• Aesthetically Pleasing
• Simple Build

Features:

• Dayton Audio RS225-8 Woofer
• SB Acoustics SB26STCN-C000-4 Tweeter
• MiniDSP PWR-ICE 125 Plate Amp
• Maple Front Face
• Different Stain on Sides/Top/Back Than Front
• False Bottom to House MiniDSP

Frequency Response:

Integrated Frequency Response:

Off-Axis Response:

Harmonic Distortion:

DD-8 Speaker Glossy v4

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:

MC8R Design Binder

MC8R Speaker Glossy

 

 

JJM-001 Home Theatre Loudspeakers

Designed, Constructed, and Tuned by Jonah Mueller

Design Goals:

• Floor-standing for Home Theatre
• Full Range 2.0 System
• Flat Frequency Response
• Pleasing Sound & Looks

Key Features:

• Vented Cabinet Design
• +/- 2dB Frequency Response
• F3 of 19.5Hz when placed near wall (45Hz free air)
• <1% Harmonic Distortion
• Smooth Off-Axis Roll-Off

Drivers:

• SB Acoustics SB26STAC-C000-4 1″ Textile Dome Tweeter
• Dayton Audio RS225-8 8″ Aluminum Cone Woofer

Frequency Response (Integrated):

Off-Axis Response:

Harmonic Distortion:

Speaker Glossy

Research Paper

NC-17 Reference Monitors

Designed by Nick Cecconi

Design Goals:

• Mixing monitors for home
• Inspired by C-17 airplane
• Flat frequency response
• Budget: $1000

Key Features:

• F3 of 56 Hz
• Vented enclosure
• Battleship gray finish
• Dimensions: 12” x 15” x 17”
• +/- 1 dB from 56 Hz to 18 kHz
• MiniDSP 2-way crossover @ 1.8 kHz
• 1/2″ Maple w/veneer core, 1/2″ MDF

Drivers:

• SB Acoustics SB26STAC 1″ Textile Dome Tweeter
• SB Acoustics SB23NACS 8″ Aluminum Cone Woofer

Frequency Response:

Integrated Frequency Response:

NC-17 Research Paper

NC-17 Speaker Glossy

http://www.nickcecconi.com

8X25R

Designed By Samuel James Balk

Design Goals:

– 2.5-way design

– Active processing

– F3 of at least 50Hz

– Visually striking

Key Features:

– 2.5-way design

– +/-1.5dB from 50Hz to 30,000Hz

– Excellent Off-Axis Response

– Handmade compound front baffle constructed with layered 1.5″ MDF wrapped in carbon fiber

– Sealed enclosure

– Rear cabinet constructed with 1/2″ plywood and 1/2″ MDF sandwiching mass loaded vinyl

– 4th order asymmetrical crossover at 2200Hz

Drivers:

Fountek FW200 8″ Aluminum Woofers

Fountek NEO X 3.0 Ribbon Tweeter

Frequency Response

Integrated Frequency Response

8X25R Research

8X25R Glossy