# New guy from Canada planning to build own Speakers (no experience at all)



## Funzy454 (Mar 6, 2009)

Hello everyone,I have been reading on Home theater Shack for couple days and I've been really interested in building my own speakers.

I have been told to put my Thread here to got some good support from members, so thank you very much for the tip.

I would like to start with my center speaker my 2 surround and 2 surround back. My main speakers and sub are already very good.

If anyone wants to help me starting this project it will be appreciated. My major concern is the crossovers... For my center speaker i would like to go 3-way as WMTMW the woofers would be 6 1/2 in.
the mids 5 in. so thats the one I would like to start with as the enclosure desing will be more simple than the sourrounds one.

WOOFER SPECS:
High compliance rubber suspension
Silver gray ceramic cone
High-temp aluminum voice-coil

6-1/2” woofer 
Fr : 40 - 4500 Hz
Power : 50W RMS
Impedance : 8 Ohms
Voice Coil : 1"
Magnet weight : 20 OZ.



MID RANGE SPECS:
Mid-range speaker

Size : 5"
Power : 600 Hz - 10 000 Hz
Power : 40 W 
Impedance : 8 Ohms

Rubber suspension
With capacitor 6.8 MFD 50 V


TWEETER SPECS:
Tweeter

Size : 3-3/4" 
Power : 40 W RMS
Impedance : 8 Ohms
Voice Coil : 1”
Freq : 3 KHz - 20 KHz



If starting with I a 3-way configuration is to complicated for 
a first project I have found those that can be a good alternative.
The woofers goes from 58 hz to 6 000 hz.... not bad. This was
I am cancelling the mids but the woofers should do the job... I think.... what you think?
But honestly I would prefer go with a 3-way for sure.

WOOFER SPECS:
Rubber edge Hi-Fidelity loudspeakers, with a butyl suspension
Polymer injection cones 
Casting frame, large gold plated speaker terminals

6-1/2" woofer
Power : 45 W RMS
Impedance : 8 Ohms
Freq : 58 - 6K Hz
Voice Coil : 1"
Magnet weight : 20 OZ. 
Gold Color 
SPL: 90 dB

Thanks in advance to everyone who wants to give advise and support to my project
Hope to start soon!


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## JCD (Apr 20, 2006)

*Re: New guy from Canada planning to buil own Speakers (no experience at all)*

I'm taking a quick break from work -- I'm a tax guy and it's tax season down here south of the border.


I thought I'd throw out a few questions:

What speakers are you using for your front 2?
It appears that you're not building from a kit, is that correct? (follow up questions will come on this one)
What are the specific drivers you're looking at? You listed some of the specs, but a lot is missing
Why a three way?
What is your budget?
Do you have the testing equipment already?
Do you have the woodworking equipment already?
What is your ultimate goal? 
​i.e., you want to build them for savings or the fun of it or ???

I'm sure there will be some follow ups.. but that's a good place to start.

I'm looking forward to reading about your build.


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## Funzy454 (Mar 6, 2009)

*Re: New guy from Canada planning to buil own Speakers (no experience at all)*

Hello JCD!

Thank for your reply. I'm in the Containers business and I have to say it is quiet at the moment so reading too much on the internet can causeproject development! hahaha.

1. My main speakers will be Ikon CM-6500 (I should go get them this week) I already have the subwoofer that match it Ikon CM-15 (******* loud and powerfull). The one I have now is old Realistic that they are really surprising!

http://www.logans.ca/store/index.php?target=products&product_id=217

2. Not building from a kit is correct.

3. I did not try to find specific drivers actually I was looking to buy real cheap stuff 
from a local big electronic store in Montreal and see what potential we got there. 

https://www.addison-electronique.co...10193&osCsid=b5395596e9b4c2276b45e64aba255a40

https://www.addison-electronique.co...04279&osCsid=b5395596e9b4c2276b45e64aba255a40

https://www.addison-electronique.co...10031&osCsid=b5395596e9b4c2276b45e64aba255a40

4. The three-way was to get a better frequency range (and I love a lot of drivers! lol).

5. Budget is as low as possible.

6. I don't have any testing equipment but it will be great to have one.

7. I will receive a brand new router Saturday for my birthday, I got 2 4x8 MDF in garage and a big basement to work. A friend of mine will let me borrow is table saw.

8. Ultimate goal is learn, I really like kind project and this is one, and of course having fun! oh yeah! I want to replace my small small Kenwoods I bought couple years ago from a pawnshop to complete my surround in my appartment but now I have a quite big enough room for HT.


So there we are I know it is not a high end project but if the result is good enough I'll start over a better quality project after this one. I'm sure my sister would love to have a HT at her house too.

Thank you very much, looking forward to have a lot of fun and of course I'll post pictures when I'll start.


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

Funzy, welcome to the Shack. I think you'll find people here very helpful (but a little strange sometimes  )

First of all, good for you for getting into DIY. Having said that, you picked a difficult place to start. The centre speaker is arguably the most important one in an HT setup, and ideally it should match the front L and R speakers as closely as possible. This will be difficult to match to store-bought speakers, since you never really know their driver or crossover parameters. Surrounds and subs are usually a good place to start because they're easier (no crossover in subs) and less critical (less information goes to the surrounds).

If you're still set on building the centre, I think you would be better off choosing a kit based on a proven design. There are SO MANY things that can make a bad speaker, and so many variables that can make a good one. I started off by reading the Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, which taught me how truly over my head speaker design was. But... if you don't have to figure out how the drivers and crossovers will work together, assembling a kit is really not too hard, and very rewarding. You can take a look ay my surround project linked in my sig, which was one of the designs from the LDC. I didn't design anything, I just built it all based on thier proven design and it worked out great.

I really don't want to discourage you by telling you it will probably take longer than you thought, and involve more than slapping some components together. I hope that by going the slower route you can learn as much as I did, and in the end have a project that you are truly proud of and happy to have in your system. I would urge you to read the LDC though if you have any interest in designing/building speakers, as it is one of the best books out there, and great to have as a reference for any future projects.


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## JCD (Apr 20, 2006)

I think Owen nailed it most eloquently.

Some other comments..

I appreciate that you want to keep costs as low as possible, but I think that your choices will leave you disappointed. I'd take a look at the kits that are on Zaphaudio.com for some ideas. Also, being from north of the border, you could also look at the kits at Solen.ca. I think you'll be FAR happier going this route rather than the path you started on.


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## fbov (Aug 28, 2008)

I'll echo Owen as well. 

Your path of buying very good mains then skimping on the CC is bass ackwards, and I know because it's the same mistake I initially made. I've seen estimates that 80% of the sound in HT applications is coming from the CC. It's the one place you want to do everything right, and the first thing you need to get right is something called "timbre matching." From the Logan's Audio web site:
"Ikon Audio Center Channels are designed to blend with both the bookshelf and tower models to provide perfect timbre matching across the front channels and clear lifelike vocals."

Simply put, sounds panning from one side to the other need to sound the same from all three front speakers. DIYers usually achieve that by building an L-C-R set. I'd strongly suggest that $300 for a CM565 is a small price compared with $1500 for the mains...

HAve fun,
Frank


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## 1Michael (Nov 2, 2006)

I will give that a fourth vote. Making a 2way crossover from scratch is a very difficult situation...a 3way is much harder.:rolleyesno:


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