Home Audio

Whether you're into two channel audio or multichannel HT...let's see what you've got

I get asked a lot about recommendations for home audio speakers, and it's hard to argue with the value of DIY speakers. But just Googling for random plans can be a little intimidating sometimes if someone doesn't quite know what they're looking for. Figured we could start a little list of pre-tested homebuilt projects for people to look through, to get ideas for their own stuff. Feel free to add any that you come across. http://www.zaphaudio.com/ - John Krutke's excellent site, concentration on smallish 'bookshelf' monitors and component comparisons http://www.frugel-horn.com - full range, single driver, crossoverless designs http://www.speakerbuilder.net/ - a good mix of…

Ok, here is what I have gathered on the design of BIB enclosures, I have compiled this from www.diyaudio.com. BIB Design Criteria o It is a

I am looking to get a better subwoofer for my room. I have a Insignia 600 watt Receiver, and front and surround speakers. The fronts and others are pretty cheap, but they are actually really clear and have taken quite the abuse. I also have a Yamaha 10" YST-SW216 100 watt sub and I'm not pleased with the performance of it. It is alright, but tends to bottom-out quite a bit when listening to demanding songs. My room is 13x13. What I am looking to do is: get a amplifier like this Pyle one for the Sub or Subs ONLY by using the RCA outputs on the back of it: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...em=270329650426 I was also thinking about 2 Kicker COMP C10's, or one Dia…

So, I am looking for something that can give me ~1000-1200W @ 4ohm for my home system & for testing subwoofers. Form factor really doesn't matter, rack mount or plate. Cost is a factor, so nothing outrageously expensive. If you have something for sale yourself, let me know, and we can talk. Let me know what you think is good, and why. I'm going to try to pick up something by the end of the week, so I can get one of our manufacturers my thoughts on one of his prototypes already. Thanks guys.

I am building a new house and decided to give IB a try. . . Just ordered (8) Fi IB3 18" subs for it. Plan is to run 4 subs from ceiling to floor on each side of the projector screen. Pictures will come. The front wall of the theater room is 2x6 studs. Will start building it up with MDF next week Brian

Finances are here. Time to start ordering. PICS and VIDS to come! What is for sure: 2 Fi Audio IB3 18's, each in their own 128 cubic foot box (before displacement) with a 12" sonotube port 48" long ( to begin with, will cut down raising tuning over time) resulting in a 6.5Hz tune! Dual EP2500's or EP4000's. I am building from the floor up... scratch. I need a solid 7.1 receiver capable of more than 110 watts per channel. I plan on building MT's or MMT's designed by Kevin with Exodus Anarchy's. IDK about using a HP filter yet.. but I may go as high as 15Hz with the tune...I'll start low and have myself some fun and learn all the way up to 15Hz. I'd like some input on the…

I am starting a IB build for my H/T in our new house. We finally bought a house that we (wife and I) really like and are trying to keep it very nice inside. I am going to design a complete 5.1 system for the living room with everything being stealth. In walls, no visible components, flat screen flushed into wall, etc... I want to have decent bass and really thought long and hard about this for the last 2 months. IB was the logical choice, but we are going to finish our 1200 ft2 basement next year, so having a big-ass manifold hanging from the floor joists down there would also be a no-no. After carefully laying out a baffle arangment that will tuck my pair of XXX18s i…

Aaron approached me about building a budget 2.1 setup for watching movies on his laptop. We came to the agreement to build two small towers which will have four 3" full range speakers per side arranged in a line array. Each tower will be roughly.5 cubic feet sealed after displacements. A SoundSplinter Orphan 8 will be used for subwoofer duty. The woofer enclosure is .65 cubic feet after displacements, which is rather large for the orphan but very low power is being used. Amplifier to be used: http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-775 Aurasound speakers: http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/approx-3-fullrange/aurasound-ns3-193-8a1-3-black…

From what I can tell, this guy has the DartZeel Pre and power amps ($20,000 each), Pass Labs X1 or x0.5 preamp (about $15,000), 4 of the compression drivers on the sub-horn (I've seen similsr drivers at $8-10,000 each), Some crazy ass tube amps for the upper midrange (If I had to guess..... $40,000 each), a Zanden CD transport and DAC (that's another $40,000), and more crazy ass tube amps for the lower midrange (let's say $20,000), a PS Audio conditioner ($5,000 or so), it looks like an SME 30/10 turntable ($40,000 with a no doubt expensive cartridge), and maybe another $10,000+ in wires. That's close to $300,000 in stuff. Then have the horns custom molded for his yard, a…

Ok, Amanda has been asking me about a nice little stereo in our bedroom. I have an old pioneer system, but that will be used for other needs. So I want to build a nice little book shelf type system. I am starting with the Mach5 MLI-65's for mids and a MAW-12 for bass, now I want to use a crossover and tweeters that will blend with them well. This is on a slim budget!!! Going to be either from Madisound or PE. I would naturally lean towards a soft dome tweet in this case. Might go with a ported set up for the MLI's. So I want to lean on you guys to give me some good ideas that would blend well with the Mach5s, check the Zaph test for the good results from them. So …

I just wanted to have some general conversation concerning a project I have wanted to do. This will not happen till the wife graduates this summer, so it is just for conversation sake now. She is supportive as long as it can be funded. I have this fetish for music. Music of all kinds. It can change my mood in an instant. I have always wanted to do something over the top. Something that is way more than I need. With that though I give you a solution. I found this searching though PE's DIY projects. I have always wanted to do a nice line array. I have also thought about adding subs to them to fill the bottom end. This is a possible sollution. The Collosi; http://www.parts…

I started the thread 2.1 Setup a while back but hit a brick wall beings I really had no clue what I wanted/needed. So I have scratched the idea completely and am starting again from the ground up. Here is a couple options I want to consider 1. A single Full range driver BIB setup like ANeonRider's. I figure my advantages are that things are much more cost effective, less channels of amplification, no crossovers. Its really all in the box and I can build a box. 2.Topgun mentioned a 10" with a horn setup. I really don't know all that involved with it wanted to explore that option more. (Maybe get use of a SD-1 as a midbass driver?) 3. Somewhere in between the two, or …

I have Dayton Audio spa 500 plate amp for power, and the sub I will be using is a sa-12 I have lying around. This will be used in my home theater. My questions are, what is the typical tunning freq with home audio. (I will also listen to some music occasionally) I have also noticed that in home theater that the boxes are larger than typically used in a car audio setup. This will be my first ht project and I was wondering if some one could point me in the right direction. ( box designing literature/software) Thanks in advance.

I've been rocking some $40 Sony ear buds that have been through the wash for a while and I'm just flat out TRIED of them. I'm looking for some head phones that will lend detail to my personal music experience. I listen to everything, except for mainstream country and bluegrass. Seriously... everything. I'm looking for something comparable to B&W 683's in high and mid range detail. I'd like to listen to "I don't know why" and get the same melt in my chair experience as when I'm in the stereo shop pretending I'm going to drop $10k on a stereo. I wanna listen to Jazz, and be able to hear every part of the brush on the head of the snare. And of course I don't wanna spe…

here's the dimensions of the wall the screen is going on. theres no windows at all, its above my garage. its sound deadened real good, etc. we just never got equipment for it. its pre wired for 7.1 surround, an outlet, etc on the ceiling where the projector will go, etc. we will be getting theater seats (nothing big) but its just a small little HT. want a nice screen, whatever the biggest 16:9 screen we can fit on that wall. i know at least a 100" will fit, possible 110-120" at the most. recomend me a projector as well. my dad wants a 1080p, but at the same time, dont need anything thats top line. i think hes looking for something in the 1200-1500 ish range. its not gonna…

Hello, my name is Chris and shortly I will be starting up a new business. Basically I will design and build custom loudspeakers enclosures, passives crossovers, and subwoofer cabinets. I can also aid in the design of subwoofer enclosures, if need be. I can offer a myriad of options when it comes to design, inside and out. I talked to Aaron (Denim) about introducing my services to the folks on forums. The insiration behind this business is basically the ability to pick and choose exactly what you want in a loudspeaker set. Everything will be hand built by me with care, and attention to detail. My website should be up within the next couple of days, and can be seen at www…

I figired I would share this with those that don't go to CA. The first of many pictures to come. This is delivery day. Look at all those pretty woofs in a row. Looks intimidating already. OK, here comes the head scratchin. I originally just thought I would do a 2stage manifold, but I also have enough room to do a line array above and across the screen area. I know there isn't a definitve answer on this, but is either application a safer bet generally speaking than the other? Is one design more susceptible to cancellation issues? Here is my room. Floor plan Sketch of proposed Line array Sketch of manifold placement. (progress after deciding on narrow manifold wit…

I want to give my brother a unique gift for his birthday. I decided that I am going to make him a MP3 radio. It will not produce ear shattering audiophile output but it should sound good for what it is. The design of this radio will make it useful for near field listening such as a computer desk or small room book shelf. There will be four different audio input methods: MP3 decoder with memory card and USB drive reader Bluetooth input capability 3.5mm audio input jack input The unit will have three identical enclosures. The center enclosure for the electronics and two enclosures for the left and right speaker. I am using a Dayton audio 15x2 amplifier and Tang Band 3" f…

just bought this projector at the advice of the great Johnecon2001. attempting to install it now. Also picked up a Onkyo 7.1 with HDMI switching. I'll post up picks later today when it's working.

Hey guys, I have e12 d2 I got a while back from Jacobs yard sale, I was thinking it would make a decent home theater sub, Just want some ideas on tuning/aero port/ down firing?/ If anyone can help out Id appreciate

I figured I might as well post some pictures while I'm building the Mileva's... It will be updated as it progresses. Plans. http://homepage.mac.com/tlinespeakers/FAL/...-1v0-021207.pdf Stacks of lumber The braces. Internal baffles with the 5* angle from the tablesaw. (There is another set too, just didn't photograph them) The sides drying on a back baffle. I'll post more pictures as it progresses.

I'm diggin the finish on this enclosure... It appears to be some sort of tile or kitchen counter material. How hard do you guys think it would be to do something similar? I'm seriously considering it.

I'm a student at a university with 100% on-campus residence, and this means we always party in dorms. I've done a few installs in cars, but have decided to work indoors this winter. My roommates and I typically host on weekends, and so far, the roomy's Harmon/Kardon computer speakers + sub have done a decent job, but I think it's time to step it up... and give the little things a break from max volume LOL. I'd like to know which way I should start looking: PA or home theater speakers. I originally thought two towers (two full-ranges and a tweeter in each) and a sub would do the job well, but I'm not the expert. I've seen places with a few bookshelf speakers and a coup…

Finally got around to getting a receiver. Pioneer VSX-816. It's cheap(er) and does everything I'll need....full preamp outputs and good internal power. Now I need some speakers for HT duty. Been eyeing the Dayton 8. The things that have my interest on them are that the Dayton 8 is supposed to have good midbass and LFE, and sound pretty decent aswell.........and ofcourse the price as it would be around $200 total to build. Likewise, going this route would allow me to use already designed plans and speakers from the same model line for the surround and center channels such as the Dayton budget 2-way or Dayton II for the surround channels and the Dayton III for the ce…