# Noob needs some advice on floorstands....



## gregnash (Dec 31, 2009)

So I have been lurking these forums and the forms at HTGuide & AVSForum for some time now and have finally hit a time where I can start planning for a DIY build in the upcoming months. 
I am planning to upgrade my HT system in the near future here as I have recently purchased a LCD and Blu-Ray player. Currently I am running a Sony STR-DG500 that is powering two Polk Audio RT25s (not the i's). I would like to build a pair of floorstand speakers and am having trouble deciding between these:
TriTrix
Dayton RS TMWW
Mini Statement Towers

I will be using this for a mix of everything, Movies/Gaming/Music but the primary usage will be movies and gaming. Will any of these stand out better than the others for those? Also, I will eventually be adding a sub to pick up the low end for these.

Any advice? The living room is semi small and opens up to the kitchen and a hallway that leads tot the rest of the house, dont know if that will help or not.

EDIT: sorry the one thing I forgot was that I would like to keep the budget around $600-$800 for the pair including materials. I have most of the tools to build any of these and anything I dont have I can borrow from family and friends.


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## lsiberian (Mar 24, 2009)

gregnash said:


> So I have been lurking these forums and the forms at HTGuide & AVSForum for some time now and have finally hit a time where I can start planning for a DIY build in the upcoming months.
> I am planning to upgrade my HT system in the near future here as I have recently purchased a LCD and Blu-Ray player. Currently I am running a Sony STR-DG500 that is powering two Polk Audio RT25s (not the i's). I would like to build a pair of floorstand speakers and am having trouble deciding between these:
> TriTrix
> Dayton RS TMWW
> ...


My first advice is to make sure you build them well. Use the right dampening, bracing, and construction techniques and you can have a reference speaker. 

My plan is to use 1x 4 oak oak shelf style bracing on every axis at 4" intervals. Bracing is proven to reduce panel noise by raising the panel resonances to a higher frequency. 

I will line the walls with R19 since it's cheap and readily available. This is to absorb the back wave which contributes significantly to the sound. 

My exterior wall will be made out of Birch-Ply, my interior wall will be particle board. My constraint layer will be 1/4" thick peel-n-seal. A constraint layer eliminates the resonance between the speaker driver and the box. 

Building a speaker like that with virtually any good plan will net you reference quality results. 

Of course it is a bit overkill, but the fact is how far you go will determine the quality of your speaker.

My speakers will be composed of an unfaced RTI1 tweeter, a single Dayton RS252 driver and the new Anarchy. The advantage of this design is that only the Anarchy needs volume to function properly. 

I don't think you can go wrong with a proven design though. Build any of those right an you will have a great speaker.

http://www.tapeease.com/4rounds.htm is a good source for quarter rounds. They help even the baffle step.


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## gregnash (Dec 31, 2009)

Thanks for the info lsiberian.... that seems like a bit of overkill, like you said, but the reason it has taken me so long to get to this point is the fact that I want to do it right the first time. 

I have been hearing about the new Exodus Anarchy's and from what I saw on their site I am very interested in using those but dont know the first thing about designing a set myself. I am trying to do a draw plan of the front area of the house with pictures so that everyone can get a better idea of what I need. So with your setup is it basically a 2.5way instead of a 3way? I see one tweeter, mid driver and woofer for a TMW setup?! Box design really isnt a problem for me as i can be pretty creative in those respects and would LOVE to have something that was my own but I do not know enough about the fundamentals to build it properly, hence why I am looking at those three proven designs.


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## 1Michael (Nov 2, 2006)

Stick with the proven design and you will probably be quite happy. You did not mention how much cash you are going to spend, or the size of box you can handle.


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## dyohn (Apr 17, 2008)

I agree, stick with a proven design for your build, especially if you're relatively new to the hobby. You did not say but is this your first DIY attempt? None of the designs you've chosen are particularly difficult, but none of them are easy either. If you have good wood working skills and the proper tools you should be able to pull any of them off. Proper measurements and interior enclosure volume is critical to any of these designs.

Good luck!


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## gregnash (Dec 31, 2009)

Thanks for the responses guys.... Budget is around ~$500 for the pair which I think all of those will meet (aside from wood).. Tools are not an issue as if I do not have it then I can get it from family members. Woodworking skills aren't too bad, havent done anything in a number of years but I did a lot when I was in highschool (about 10yrs ago) and some here and there afterwards. 

Like I said, I know that the three of these are proven designs but I am looking to see which would give me the best bang for the buck? And I will be adding a small sub (probably 10" or 12") later as I have a fairly small living room.

Thanks


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## jackfish (Dec 27, 2006)

The TriTrix towers are now available in a complete kit, including CNC cut cabinets for $200 a pair. Outstanding value and should be pretty easy to assemble.

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-702


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## soho54 (Jul 22, 2006)

For output I would go:
RS
Mini
Tri

For SQ the RS or Mini should be about the same just pick the one with the tweeter you think you would prefer. The Tri isn't quite up to the level of the other two.


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## soho54 (Jul 22, 2006)

The Tris are great for 2-ways, but the all out 3-ways are better still.


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## gregnash (Dec 31, 2009)

Well as I said before I currently have a pair of Polk Audio RT25's that are about 10yrs old that I now want to replace with a good set of floorstands. Since I have a set of 2ways already I thought that upping to a set of 3way towers would help improve things.

Here is a pano that might help with the explanation of things. I want to get rid of the Polks (probably move them to our bedroom once I get a new AVR) and put the towers on either side of the ET.... I am still working on doing a flat file diagram of the front room, hope that helps.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I bet just bringing the Polk's down on stands beside the entertainment centre would dramatically help your sound. Are you sure that you even need new speakers?


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## gregnash (Dec 31, 2009)

Ya know.. probably not.. I mean they still sound great but figured that I might try starting a "real" HT system with a little DIY build. Also I have been reading about the efficiency of some speakers and that Polks really are at the bottom of the list, meaning they take more power to have greater output than say Klipsh or Energy speakers. I have had the speakers for ever and guess it would probably be easier to justify to the wife having towers on the ground vs. those out of the way on top of the ET.

Figured it would also probably be easier to match a sub to DIY towers then one for the Polks but could be totally wrong. As you can see by the picture, the room is pretty small, distance from couch to TV is about 10ft, and the wall that the ET is on is about 14' but the livingroom does open up into the dining room, kitchen and a hallway that goes down the length of the house. Room gain from the sub will be pretty good and I dont want to have inefficient speakers that I will have to crank up to play evenly with the sub. For the sub I am thinking of something in the small ported box for a 10" or 12" that will get me down to 20hz as we do more movie watching than music listening.


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

My advice is proceed carefully, as I started with something similar and...:spend: Now I have components in every closet, and I'm still trying to figure how I can best integrate it all:doh:

The stands would be a great, lower cost improvement as the tweeters would be on the same plane as your ears-huge difference. Unless you've tried a sub in there, you might be surprised by the resultant gain: many of the members on here have unbelievable gain, while others with open layouts (me, perhaps you) need quite a bit more displacement.

If you have tools and aptitude, funds, and inclination, diy builds are really sweet:T A diy sub would be a great way to start, then progress to the mains, if desired.

Oh, forgot to mention- lots (LOTS!) of members are selling nice used 15" drivers on here right now.


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## 1Michael (Nov 2, 2006)

You could do the NatP http://htguide.com/forum/forumdisplay.php4?f=39

Or for some more poundage http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/diy-speakers/18814-budget-8-dayton-classic-mtm-rocks.html


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## mademperor (Jan 5, 2010)

ironglen said:


> My advice is proceed carefully, as I started with something similar and...:spend: Now I have components in every closet, and I'm still trying to figure how I can best integrate it all:doh:
> 
> The stands would be a great, lower cost improvement as the tweeters would be on the same plane as your ears-huge difference. Unless you've tried a sub in there, you might be surprised by the resultant gain: many of the members on here have unbelievable gain, while others with open layouts (me, perhaps you) need quite a bit more displacement.
> 
> ...


Are 15" Drivers on the way out as far as home Audio goes?


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

mademperor said:


> Are 15" Drivers on the way out as far as home Audio goes?


They're not in vogue for mains, however, I was referring to subs-and 15" subs are definitely in, given it meets WAF:dumbcrazy:


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## mademperor (Jan 5, 2010)

ironglen said:


> They're not in vogue for mains, however, I was referring to subs-and 15" subs are definitely in, given it meets WAF:dumbcrazy:


WAF?


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## ironglen (Mar 4, 2009)

mademperor said:


> WAF?


Lingo for Wife Approval Factor :dumbcrazy:


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