# New build, ScanSpeak 18W4531 w. Eton ceramic/mag domes



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

I have been putting together my new build. It uses ScanSpeak 18W4531s with Eton 26HD1/A8 Symphony's in PE .5 cf, curved cabinets. They use miniDSPs for crossovers. 

Well, one of my Eton hard domes got dented. Seems I'm in another round of hardware failures, what with my BD-ROM/DVD writer quiting, and my t.v. acting flaky. Ordered a new Eton tweeter and hoping to get it Saturday by USPS. They look good though and I will put together the second Eton/ScanSpeak today. The tweeter cost about $150 with shipping but my experience tells me it's worth it.

I will try to get myself to take some photos of the second during the build. I have a tripod I've hardly ever used and a very good DSLR but most of that is wasted when posting. Its hard for me to be so organized while in the midst of a project such as this. Perhaps if I write out a plan/script detailing each step.


----------



## robbo266317 (Sep 22, 2008)

Those Etons seem very well protected, you must be unlucky to dent one? :huh:


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

I think it got dented when I was carrying it to my work surface. The "diffuser" over the dome is very weak, bendable plastic. They really should have made it sturdier. They certainly sound wonderful though, especially with the ScanSpeak mid-woofers, VERY neutral.


----------



## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Theresa, it sounds like a really nice project... sorry to hear about your dented tweeter, what a pain. Please take advantage of that DSLR and get us some nice shots of the build process! I hope your run of bad luck and hardware difficulty comes to an end so you can get these together soon.

P.S. How do you like the miniDSP?


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

I've got them together and they sound wonderful. I took some pics but they 
didn't turn out. I have a movement disorder and I was stressed so they 
suffer from motion blur. I will take some of the finished speakers using a 
tripod and they should turn out.

The miniDSPs are the tool I often dreamed of ever since I first started wrestling with crossovers in the '70s while trying to use Weem's book.


----------



## Binary (Nov 23, 2009)

this might sound silly, but try the tripod you mentioned to help get yourself stable, and you can even go so far as to get a remote shutter for the dslr if you find youre shakey when pressing the button.

This is the only way to get accurate high quality photos over distances. Most camera's shake just from pushing the shutter, even when on a tripod.

i wanna see these speakers. lol.


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

Yes, that is a problem. My camera has a setting that delays the shutter to ten seconds after it's pushed (lifts the mirror immediately though to eliminate mirror vibrations).


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

My ScanSpeak/Eton active crossover speakers.









Photo taken with my Sony a850 and 135 f/1.8 lens which is why the background is so nicely blurred.


----------



## Zeitgeist (Apr 4, 2009)

What crossover did you use with the miniDSPs? and any EQ?

Just curious how you end up tweaking it..


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

I've tried many variations of different crossover slopes. Currently the crossover is at 1800Hz 24db/octave LR. I have equalized out a dip at 1700 Hz for the tweeter, a shelf filter starting above 1100Hz for 3db of excess energy on the midwoofer channel only, and 4db of baffle compensation between 100Hz and 1000Hz (centered at 300Hz, 4db, Q=1).


----------



## hearingspecialist (Mar 15, 2010)

I sure like those drivers! Awesome job :T





Brian in Bakersfield...


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

Thank you. They sound great too with the right sources.


----------



## kstich (Jul 24, 2008)

Very nice! Your implementation with the MiniDSP is sweet.


----------



## Theresa (Aug 23, 2010)

Thank you. I am very impressed with the performance of both drivers, the miniDSPs and the Emotiva amps. They are the best sounding speakers I've ever owned.


----------

