Speaker Asylum

General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

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RE: Maybe I'm missing something here, but

Posted by Presto on March 24, 2012 at 00:01:34:
No, no. We're probably coming across as brash and pig headed.

Thing is, there is a big difference between a kit and what you're attempting to do. You're thinking that you are going off manufacturers data (type test) and so it the guy who designed the kit. Yes and no.

The kit designer IS relying on tolerances of the drivers used. However, the designer of the kit DID do measurements of not just the drivers all alone, but the drivers in the intended cabinet, and the drivers TOGETHER. Only after getting close enough to his design goal will the designer start "tweaking" the sound (tayloring, voicing) to what he thinks is best.

The thing to understand here is that a speaker does NOT give the same acoustic response no matter what cabinet you put it in. The baffle size, shape, edge radius, driver spacing to edges... all these thingsa affect frequency response. Response on an infinite baffle is not going to be the same.

So, no - the kit designer is NOT using manufacturers data at all. He is measuring like speaker companies do and competent DIY guys do.

You can spend 20 years trying to master "textbook" speaker design without measuring and never get more than 40% of the way there. Some guys think it's close enough, well, if "getting sound" is the goal, then it's close enough.

To get audiophile quality sound with studio monitor level flatness (and appropriate baffle step compensation) you need to know a fair amount of theory and have some good consistent measuring practices.

The kits are already pre-designed and done using the required measurements. So, yes, there is a big difference between what you're calling a design process and how most good quality kits are designed.

The premise of "textbook" speaker design and using manufacturer curves is simply based on a number of misconceptions and false assumptions that can only be overcome by learning the correct way to go about things.

Get the book by David Weems below. It's the best $12 you'll ever spend if you want to build speakers DIY style.