At first glance, making your own speakers is quite simple. However, this is misleading. First of all, it should be noted that the models are made with various elements. Depending on them, the device parameters and sound quality will be different.
There are special requirements for computer speakers. You can also make a model for a car or a studio yourself. In this case, it is very important to follow the instructions. First of all, for the assembly of columns, you should consider standard scheme models.
Speaker layout
The speaker layout includes speakers, overlays, a diffuser and a crossover. Powerful models use a special phase inverter. Amplifiers can be installed with field-effect or switching transistors. Capacitors are used to improve sound quality. The woofer is selected with an amplifier. The dynamic head must be attached to the seal.
Models with one speaker
Single speaker speakers are very common. To assemble the model, you will first have to deal with the case. For this purpose, plywood is often used. At the end of the work, it will have to be sheathed. However, the first step is to make side racks. For this purpose, you will have to use a jigsaw. you can pick up a small power.
The inner side of the plywood is necessarily stitched with a vibration-proof tape. After fixing the speaker, the seal is fixed. For this purpose, glue is used. Next, it remains only to attach the diffuser. Some make a separate shelf for it and fix it with stacking screws. To connect the speaker to the plug, a terminal block is installed. How to enable speakers? For this purpose, a cable from the terminal block is used, which should lead to a power source.
Model drawing for two speakers
Speakers for two speakers can be made for home or car. If we consider the first option, then the diffuser will need an impulse type. First of all, strong plywood is selected for assembly. The next step is to cut out the bottom rack. Models with legs are very rare. To cover the veneer, you can use ordinary varnish. Vibration isolation tape on the front pillar does not need to be glued. The diffuser is attached under the speaker. To make a hole in the panel, you need to use a jigsaw. The phase inverter is fixed at the rear wall. Some make devices with horizontal speakers. In this case, the diffuser will be at the top of the structure. The speaker wires are of the two-wire type.
Devices with three speakers
Speakers (homemade) with three speakers are very rare. These devices are most suitable for multi-channel type. To assemble the model, first of all, sheets of plywood are selected. Some also advise using veneers. However, models from natural wood are quite expensive on the market. Speakers should be installed in a horizontal position. Also, the device will need an amplifier.
For its fixation, metal corners are used. To connect the plates, you will need lag screws. In some cases, the plates are attached with glue. Next, the model will have to be partially covered with leatherette. The next step is to install the terminal block. In order to fix it on the case, you will need to make a separate hole. It is also important to note with regulators. Microcircuits for them are used capacitor type. When the speakers are phoning, you need to change the diffuser.
Studio devices
Studio speaker drawings involve the use of powerful speakers. The diffuser is most often used of the impulse type. Many experts recommend installing two amplifiers. For normal operation, a zener diode is required.
With the aim of self assembly columns first of all the case is made. Round holes are made on the front panel for the speakers. You will also need a separate output for the phase inverter. The layout of the columns is quite different. Some prefer to varnish the surface of the case. However, there are models covered with leather.
Computer models
Speakers for computers are often made on one speaker. To assemble the model, veneer sheets of small thickness are selected. A hole for the speaker is cut out on the front panel. The phase inverter should be located at the rear of the case. If we consider low power models, then the amplifier can be used without a resistor.
In order to adjust the volume of the speakers, special crossovers are used. These elements are allowed to be installed on a phase inverter. If we consider devices with a power of more than 100 W, then amplifiers can only be taken with resistors. Some select impulse diffusers for the model. At the end of the work, a terminal block is always installed.
Automotive modifications
Available for two or three speakers. For self-assembly of the model, you will need sheets of plywood. In some cases, varnished veneer is used. To fix the speaker, you need to make a hole in the panel. The next step is to install a phase inverter. Some modifications are made with low-frequency cores. If we consider speakers (home-made) of low power, then the phase inverter can be installed without an amplifier.
In this case, a multi-channel crossover is used to adjust the sound. Some specialists install terminal blocks behind the phase inverter. If we consider speakers with a power of more than 50 W, then the microcircuits are used for two amplifiers. The diffuser is installed as standard with an impulse type. Before fastening the case, it is important to take care of the vibration isolation layer. For the terminal block on the plate, you need to make a separate hole. Some believe that the body must be cleaned without fail. Speaker wires are suitable for two-wire type.
Open cabinet speakers
Portable speakers with an open case are quite simple to make. Most often they are made with one speaker. Holes are made on the back of the device with a drill. The plates are connected directly with lag screws. The diffuser for such devices is suitable for a pulsed type. Phase inverters are often installed with a single amplifier. If we consider powerful portable speakers, then they use a resistor crossover. It is attached to the phase inverter. Many experts recommend installing speakers on a seal.
Enclosed Devices
Speakers (homemade) with a closed case are considered the most common. Many experts believe that they are the best in terms of sound quality. Phase inverters for devices are suitable for operational type. Woofers are installed in holes. For the purpose of assembling the case, ordinary sheets of plywood are suitable. It is also important to note that there are modifications with cores. If we consider high-power speakers, then the terminal blocks are installed at the bottom of the case. The design of the model is quite different.
20W Models
Assembling 20 V speakers is quite simple. First of all, experts recommend preparing six sheets of veneer. They should be varnished at the end of the work. It is more expedient to start the assembly with the installation of speakers. The phase inverter is used pulse type. In some cases, it is installed on linings. Also, experts recommend lining rubber seals.
The speakers are powered through the terminal block. It attaches to the back panel. The phase inverter can be installed with or without an amplifier. If we consider the first option, then the cores are selected of the phase type. In this case, the woofer can not be used. If we consider speakers without an amplifier, then they use a crossover. At the end of the work, it is important to clean the body and varnish it.
50W devices
Speakers (homemade) at 50 watts are suitable for conventional acoustic players. In this case, the body can be made from ordinary plywood. Many experts also recommend using natural wood veneer. However, it is important to note that he is afraid of high humidity.
After choosing the material, you should deal with the speakers. They must be installed next to the phase inverter. In this case, an amplifier is indispensable. Many experts recommend selecting only low-frequency crossovers. If we consider modifications with a regulator, then they use an impulse diffuser. The terminal block in this case is installed last. You can always use leatherette to decorate the speakers. More simple option surface coating is considered to be lacquer.
Speakers with a power of 100 W
Columns of 100 W are suitable for powerful ones. In this case, the phase inverter is taken only as a pulsed type. It is also important to note that the amplifier is installed with a crossover. Many experts recommend using veneer to assemble the case. It is more expedient to install the woofer on a lining.
In today's acoustics market, there are many sound systems- they can be different type, power and design, you can choose speakers for every taste and for every need. However, purchased speakers are not always the ideal option. Many want to try making acoustic devices with their own hands - from the realization that this is not a product from a Chinese factory, but something created on their own, the speakers will even sound subjectively better.
Of course, buying speakers is much easier and probably cheaper. But putting together your own speakers isn't that hard. The complexity of the process depends on several factors:
- What columns do you need. Whether you want to assemble a full-fledged multi-channel system or a simple stereo pair, they must be powerful or not very, broadband or multiband. First of all, the complexity of the calculations depends on all this, and then the complexity of the assembly.
- The number of parts available. The scale of the project can be different - someone assembles only the case, and buys electrical parts ready-made, while someone even makes a control microcircuit (crossover) and an amplifier on their own. The only thing that is bought in all cases is dynamic emitters, since it is almost impossible to assemble them outside the factory conditions.
- Experience and skills. The main thing you need to have is straight hands capable of doing woodworking at a decent level, because in the case of assembling speakers with your own hands, the final quality of the speaker system depends on the quality of the case.
If you are sure that you are ready to assemble the speakers yourself, you need to prepare the tools and materials, and you can proceed. Leaving aside the question of what type of final acoustic system- it doesn't matter, general principles the builds are the same whether you build small front speakers or a huge and powerful 5.1 system. In principle, only the scope of work and the number of calculations will differ.
Speaker design
Before you start making acoustic devices with your own hands, you need to figure out what and in what form they can be made of. First of all, you should find out what the column body can be.
The quality of the cabinet plays a huge role in giving the sound clarity and volume. If the box is assembled with gross design errors, the consequences can be very different - from a simple deterioration in sound quality (for example, it will be too deaf) to the complete inoperability of the speaker. Do not worry ahead of time - just having calculated everything, everything will turn out at a very decent time. If there are any flaws, it is unlikely that they can be identified with the naked ear. It is also worth remembering that in working with a tree, a decimeter of error is not an error, so minor errors are quite forgivable.
The first thing to choose is the shape of future columns. It can be almost anything, but for independent work it is best to choose the traditional rectangular shape. If it is planned to manufacture not a broadband speaker, but a subwoofer, then the shape should be cubic. Please also note that in the manufacture of a low-frequency speaker, the most accurate calculations of the volume of the speaker, as well as the phase inverter, are required, otherwise the bass will not be reproduced with sufficient quality, which will nullify the meaning of the work.
Column sizes can also be different. If a large set of speakers is to be used - up to three mid-ranges, one high-frequency tweeter and a low-frequency subwoofer - the speaker should, of course, be high. At the same time, it can be narrow - the volume is quite enough for high-quality sound. In general, there is a lot to be said about calculating volume - but all very precise calculations do not make much sense if you do not have ears capable of picking up the slightest deviations in the amplitude of the sound from a perfectly straight line. So it is enough to roughly calculate the required volume, based on the diameter and power of the dynamic emitter. If the speaker is multi-band, the subwoofer is taken as the basis.
One of highlights – right choice material. The walls of the column body can be made of different types material, the main thing is that it meets three requirements:
- rigidity - so that the walls do not bend under the action of the vibration of the speakers;
- ease;
- affordable price.
Medium density particle board, or MDF, works best. solid wood not suitable for the reason that it is too flexible and creates a resonance effect. In addition, the column is not an absolutely static object - during operation, vibrations and similar movements imperceptible to the naked eye always occur in it, due to which unpressed wood dries out relatively quickly and becomes unusable. One of the few types of wood that can be used to make a DIY column is ebony, or ebony, which is the hardest of all woods and also polishes perfectly. However, ebony is very expensive, so in most cases it will not work - after all, one of the goals of independent work is profitability.
Another possible variant material - plywood. It is easy to process, and after assembling the case, it can be finished with any decor - for example, with natural veneer. Its only drawback is not the highest rigidity, so for greater structural strength, you will have to additionally cut out the ribs that will be placed inside the box.
In addition to the materials described, it is possible to use GVL or DSP - they themselves have good sound insulation performance, which allows you to save some money on protective material. However, they have a high mass and are very difficult to process. It is not recommended to use plastic at all - we will leave polymers to factory manufacturers. Thus, it is best to opt for chipboard, especially laminated - it is better in terms of properties and looks good, imitating almost any material - for example, the same ebony.
As a result, the column should have the following qualities:
- Flat frequency response - this parameter reflects the quality of the sound, since it represents the difference between the received electrical signal and the sound waves emitted. It is to obtain the ideal frequency response that all efforts should be directed in the manufacture of a home-made column. The quality of the frequency response is influenced by many factors - this is the correct location of the speaker parts inside the case, and the quality of the materials used, and even the environment.
- Decent efficiency. Since in dynamics the electrical signal is converted into mechanical movements of the diffuser - vibrations of its membrane, which create sound - the efficiency is always very low. We must try to raise it as high as possible. Can help with this correct selection details.
- Subjective sound quality - the speaker should be pleasant to listen to, because it will not be used by a device for measuring sound characteristics, but by yourself.
- Nice design - the more attractive the speaker looks, the more pleasant it will be to use.
Having fully prepared for work and having drawn an approximate design of the column, you can begin to manufacture the column with your own hands.
Technology for creating an acoustic device
One of the main principles that must be followed when working is accuracy. It is necessary to make all measurements as carefully as possible before proceeding with cutting out the parts, and before fastening them, everything must be tried on to each other.
The steps for making a column are:
- On the prepared sheets of chipboard, the walls of the future building are drawn. On the walls, you need to mark the places for installing the speakers - the holes should be round and ideally fit the size of the emitters, so that in the end there are no gaps.
- Details are cut out. If the board is varnished, it is better to saw it with the finished side up so as not to damage the decorative coating.
- How to fasten the walls of the column? You can use two methods: either use glue or epoxy resin, or just twist with screws. In the first case, you need to do everything very carefully so that the column does not warp. To press the parts smeared with glue to each other, you can use the vise system. It is also necessary to fasten the walls with thin screws carefully so that they enter at a perfectly right angle.
- The case must be airtight, therefore, if the wall joints are not tight enough, the gaps must be filled with felt impregnated with glue. If the back panel is removable, a polymer or rubber seal must be glued along its edge.
- If the box is closed, instead of upholstering the walls with soundproofing, cotton wool or foam rubber can be filled right up, filling the entire volume of the column with it. The main thing is that it does not come into contact with the rear surface of the diffuser. In addition, a channel must be formed from the emitter to the phase inverter.
- It is not necessary to calculate the length of the phase inverter - it is perfectly selected empirically. The diameter is easy to calculate - for example, a pipe 5 cm wide is perfect for a speaker with a diameter of more than 100 mm. The length is determined as follows - two home-made cardboard tubes are taken and inserted into each other, and then placed in a hole designed for a phase inverter. Then the column must be turned on and the tubes must be moved relative to each other until the air flow from the hole becomes the most active.
- When the case is assembled, all that remains is to place the speakers and amplifier in it. Emitters are connected either in series or in parallel, depending on the required characteristics of the column.
If you follow the technology, you will undoubtedly get a very high-quality column.
Creating columns with your own hands: video
Today I will tell you, dear Durkovites, how with my own hands do what the store costs big money. That is, a good speaker system. I remember how I posted here about the S-30, and from that moment I began to make a similar speaker of my own from scratch.
To begin with, when I found this pair of S-30s in a shed at the dacha, I was almost stunned - not only were they different (one s-30B and the other S-30A), but another one had a broken body. The second one was not inside the filter, someone had already removed it before me. There was no point in doing restyling - they are too different, and I didn’t know how to restore the half-rotten body. And why, when you can re-make 2 identical ones. The woofers, GDN-25, are in perfect condition, but it is better to install new tweeters. Well, let's start.
Part one. Columns. 
I didn’t think about the material for a long time - there were walls from some sort of soviet sideboard (chipboard 16 mm), and with holes. We hammer holes with dowels on pva. Next, cut to size. Oh yes, the most important thing is the size. I took approximately the same dimensions as the original S-30, only slightly changed the shape. But the phase inverter had to be calculated in SpeakerShop "e. I took it with a margin of 50 mm. We twist the case with self-tapping screws, this is still a fitting. 
We disassemble, smear with glue, collect. We glue the glazing beads into the corners for greater strength: 
Now we dampen everything with linoleum, the shaggy side inward: 
We collect completely. 
Now that everything is working for us and it doesn’t whistle anywhere, we can putty. 
Well, now the most dreary and dusty sanding ... 
After a couple of hours, something even and velvety is obtained. Can be glued. At first I wanted a black self-adhesive under a tree, but in our, sorry, Muhosransk, it didn’t turn out. But how nice it is to have friends in other cities! A month later, of course, I will have it, but for now I will have to paste over it with what I have. roughly like this: 
In order not to mess with the style of the front panel, we make a black acoustic grill. (It’s better to make it from acoustic fabric, but if the budget is tight, you can get by with women’s black tights, you can’t tell them apart. The most important thing is to ask your girlfriend / girlfriend / mother for permission to take these very tights. Sometimes they cost many times more than the acoustic fabric itself so be careful ;) 
It turns out no worse than bought, it seems to me: 
While I was making the amp (more on that later), they brought me a self-adhesive. My joy knew no bounds! 
And now the most important thing - do not save on connectors! I first bought Chinese for 15 rubles, and was very disappointed. They make very unpleasant sounds at low frequencies, don’t do anything with them. Therefore, I bought some branded ones, with gold-plated contacts. Believe me, this greatly affects the sound. The extra $300 is worth it. 
Now we put the tweeter. I bought automobiles, I didn’t find normal ones with us, dug out the speakers themselves from the case, put them in a hollowed-out recess on a pva-based putty. 
Well, and most importantly, because. the domes on the woofers had to be removed because of their rattle, I made new ones, with their initials :) 
Needless to say, the sound turned out no worse than the branded speakers of the famous audiophile trends. 
Part two. Amplifier.
The speakers turned out like the original, 30 watts each - 25 watts of LF and 5 watts of HF, (although according to the documents it is written that these tweeters are 60 watts each, it’s more expensive for the Chinese to believe in themselves. The sound is no more than 5 watts) At first I had an amplifier-collected a year ago from the AT power supply and mikruhi TDA1558Q. But firstly, there are only 44 watts, and secondly, this mikruha draws basses rather weakly. I did not think about the choice of the Microcircuit for a long time - TDA 8560Q. Similar to the previous one, only the output is up to 80 watts, + the signal quality is higher and there is less distortion. I immediately warn beginners - it’s better not to collect anything on 8560, it’s very capricious. But if the hands grow from where they need to, then you get a wonderful amplifier. While I was collecting my own, I burned two pieces. And they cost about 150 rubles a piece, which money I feel sorry for, so I honed my stock of obscene language well. The body will be made of one-sided foil fiberglass. Convenient, lightweight, and does not conduct current where it is not needed. And it is also a wonderful mass, screen and antenna (if you connect a phone with a radio) 
We mark, cut with a jigsaw, drill the necessary holes:
I could not resist and tried on future connectors :) 
We skin the places of soldering, we play. 
We heat the tinned places with a soldering iron - and everything seizes wonderfully: 
Now we putty all the cracks and joints with auto-putty. After a day, we boldly skin and polish. 
Let's try the stuffing: 
Everything works, you can paint. We paint with glossy black paint, after which we skin the defects. 
And now the main highlight is aluminum inserts. A parody of expensive amplifiers, similar to protective steel corners. We cut out a 3mm aluminum sheet, bend it to the shape of the front panel, give it a texture with sandpaper, and screw it with hex bolts (namely, bolts, this is also part of the design). Looks cute: 
We remove all props and take out the filling. We paint normally: 
It turned out here is such a small wonderful case:
Now about the stuffing. Mikruha Tda8560 on a radiator from the 300th Celeron, a transformer (which is 40 years old, no less, but gives out about 15A and 12V), a diode bridge of about 12A and 3 capacitors: 4700uF, 2200uF and 0.47uF connected in parallel. Two conders at the signal inputs of the mikruha, 0.05 microfarads each (also Soviet, much better than the Chinese ones), and a 50 kOhm input dual variable resistor. . 
And so that the 2-kilogram transformer does not warp the case, we strengthen it with two corners and a steel plate at the base, on which everything is actually attached. 
Now we make the bottom from the same textolite and legs from a nickel-plated furniture tube:
It looks good next to my system unit, the same blue backlight (unfortunately, the computer is turned off in the photo): 
Part three. The final.
Here everything is assembled and works great. In total, it took me about three months. And I’ll say right away that there are only a third of the photos here, the rest show what went wrong with me, after all, this is my first project with such accuracy and such a high-quality study of every little thing.
P.S. I'm in the 10th grade, and this is supposedly my project for a regional technology olympiad, where, by the way, I took first place 3 days ago.
Happy modding! Sincerely yours, Viktor Sarbaev.
Do-it-yourself shelf acoustics
DIY or DIY
Once I decided to assemble myself high-quality acoustics for sounding small room, as well as for use as near-field monitors when working with sound on a computer (hobby). The main requirement is an adequate sound in relation to the source. Not so that “the bottoms are sausage” or “cymbals rang”, but an adequate natural sound. So, we collect high-quality "shelf speakers".
Number of lanes
In theory, the ideal system is single-lane. But, like everything ideal, such a system does not exist in nature. Yes, the same Vizaton has very high-quality broadband speakers, but for some reason all well-known manufacturers make two-way shelf systems. And when it comes to floor version, then 3 bands are not uncommon. There was no particular question here - the classic two-band version: bass and treble.
Speaker selection
The main requirement for speakers is optimal ratio price quality. Those. it should not be "cheap" for 500 rubles, but not a mind-blowing "high-end" for $1000. Besides, I wasn't in a hurry. The idea to assemble “shelf speakers” with my own hands came a long time ago, and I threw the bait in advance to my good friend, the “sick” sound, with whom we have been constantly and fruitfully communicating on this topic for a long time.
The first to appear were HF - Vifa XT19SD-00/04 ring-rad. These are high quality 4 ohm tweeters, quite popular among audiophiles. They were planned for one set, but for some reason they did not go and ended up in my set.
LF arrived second. They turned out to be very decent midbasses from the Soundstream Exact 5.3 kit. Here you can read a little about them. It so happened that the “tweeters” burned out during installation, and the lone woofers were not needed by themselves. 4-ohm 5.5" midbasses, mounted in a die-cast aluminum basket, were immediately purchased.
Now that you have speakers, you can start creating acoustics.
Active / passive?
Each option has its pros and cons. First, you need to take into account the compactness of the speakers themselves and the associated difficulties in layout in a limited space. And it makes no sense to mount outside. Secondly, individual modules as independent components can be combined in the future, and it is also easier to repair if something happens. And thirdly, active speakers are quite expensive. Because if you make a decent amplifier (and sometimes one in each case), then it will turn out to be more expensive than the acoustics themselves. Besides, I already had an amplifier. But in any case, I am for the scheme - passive acoustics + amplifier, it is more versatile.
Hull size calculation
We have decided on the speakers, now we need to understand which case is optimal for them. Dimensions are calculated based on the sound characteristics of the woofer. There are no recommendations on the manufacturer's website, because. The speaker was intended primarily for car audio. There is no point in keeping special equipment for these purposes, unless it is your job. Therefore, an intelligent dude with a special stand comes to the rescue. As a result of laboratory tests, we obtain the estimated case size of 310 x 210 x 270 mm. During the measurements, the parameters of the phase inverter were also calculated.
By the way, many manufacturers publish recommended cabinet sizes for speakers on their websites. When such information is available, it is logical to use it, but in this case I did not have such data, so I had to do laboratory research.
Housing material
In my opinion, the most optimal material for the case is MDF. It is acoustically neutral, and also slightly better in performance characteristics than chipboard. Plywood is also good, but quality plywood is not easy to find and is more expensive and harder to work with. A 22mm MDF sheet was chosen as the starting material for the body. In principle, the standard 18-20mm is enough, but I decided to do a little with a margin. There is no such thing as too much rigidity.
Housing construction and design
One of the most important steps. Before going for MDF, I advise you to decide on the design in order to immediately ask the seller to cut the sheet in parts, and at a normal point of sale there is always good machines with a precise and even cut. At home, such a cut is difficult to obtain.
So, design. The speakers should look at least as good as the "industrial" ones, so that there is no feeling of a club of crazy hands. After all, we make not only high-quality, but also beautiful acoustics. In general, there are practically no beautiful, interesting and at the same time structurally simple acoustic systems. Beautiful acoustics are made by the Italian Sonus Faber, stunning in beauty - Magico Mini. But they are all made using precision machines, which, by definition, are not at home. Alternatively, you can order cases to a good "cabinet maker" with hands and CNC. Such work will cost, depending on where and what you order, from 10,000 rubles. up to 30 000 rub. along with materials. If the specialist is good, then the columns will look no worse, or even better than the “store” ones. In this case, I decided that I would do everything myself. Therefore, we look at things realistically and make a design without any bevels, curly cuts, etc. Those. it will be a parallelepiped. The calculated dimensions give a rather pleasant proportion, and the proportion in design is already half the battle.
What to design? Although I am connected with design by occupation, I know 3D packages, to put it mildly, superficially. At the same time, the program should be more engineering than rendering. Specialized "Kadas" for this purpose are too heavy and unnecessary. The solution was quickly found - freeware SketchUp is more than suitable for this purpose. It is so simple and intuitive that it was fully mastered in about an hour. He can do the main thing: quickly create any shapes, set dimensions, use simple textures. I think that such a program is ideal for "home" purposes. In it, you can easily, for example, design a kitchen or even a small house.
Here is the body structure:
Based on the drawing, a diagram of cutting the sheet emerges:
In general, the options are good appearance, but purely constructively cause difficulties. As a result, it was decided side walls trim with ash veneer, and cover the remaining 4 walls around the circumference with leather, more precisely with high-quality automotive leatherette. The pishchal is beautiful in itself, but the woofer has a constructive overlay on the front side of the case, which will not look very nice. Therefore, it was decided to make an additional decorative overlay (ring) for it, which will press it to the body, and at the same time add beauty to the column itself. We decided on the design and construction.
Tools
Before moving on to the next step, I will outline what basic tools are needed for the job:
Circular.
Electric jigsaw.
Grinder.
Straight arms.
Without this set, it is better to order cases from a good craftsman.
saw cut
So, we cut the budget sheet of MDF. I already wrote that it is better to saw on special machines - it's inexpensive, but it turns out exactly. But since I decided to make the case myself inside and out, then for the purity of the experiment I sawed it myself with a manual circular saw, and small pieces with a jigsaw with a guide. As expected, the perfect cut did not work. After cutting, pairs of walls (left-right, front-back, etc.) are installed in pairs, adjusted with a grinder and / or an electric planer and checked for perpendicularity with a square. And in the future, during assembly, they are finally adjusted after gluing. Loss of 2-3 mm is insignificant. But still, I recommend sawing immediately “at the base”, save a lot of time.
Case assembly
The walls are glued with PVA and tightened with screws. First, we glue the case without the front wall.
Now there is a hole for the terminal block, as well as a chamfer in order to “drown” it. Initially, according to the project, the terminal block was supposed to be placed below. But in the process, it became clear that mounting the crossover in the center through the hole for the woofer would not be very convenient, so I moved the hole for the terminal block higher, and the place for the crossover lower.
You can close the box.
Now one of the very important stages is cutting holes for the speakers on the front panel. I have already said that the ideal speaker system is single-way. Why? Because the propagation of sound goes from one source to the listener without a mismatch in time due to the difference (negligible) in the distance, which is when using a multi-band system. Therefore, the speakers are best placed as close to each other as possible. So the sound picture is "dense". We calculate the holes so that the distance between the edges of the speakers will be approximately 1 cm. The holes are sawn with a jigsaw with a circular guide.
After the chamfers are removed, we apply the terminal block and speakers, after which we drill holes for future self-tapping screws with a thin drill. Without them, firstly, the MDF itself can “spread out” when screwing in the screws, and secondly, it will be more difficult to place the speakers evenly during the final installation. For a very long time I thought about how to set the speakers relative to each other, I came to this scheme:
Screw holes on exterior surfaces must be repaired before final finishing. I used epoxy. In order not to wait until one surface hardens, I sealed each surface with adhesive tape and took on the next. When the epoxy was dry, I went through the grinder.
The veneer needs to be protected. I covered it with clear yacht varnish.
Now you need to fit the body with leatherette. There are many options for how to do this. I decided to do the following. A strip is cut 20 mm larger than the body width and slightly longer than the body circumference. On each side it is folded by 10 mm, the hem is glued to the "special glue 88". Then, on the same glue, the strip is glued around the circumference to the body. First the bottom (partially), then the back wall, then the top, then the front and again the bottom. On the last step before gluing, the strip is cut in place and glued end-to-end. I glued all sides at once, i.e. didn't wait for each side to dry. After each side, I took a short pause (the glue sticks quickly enough), and started on the next one.
If you really want to, then you can somehow ennoble the fazik.
Then holes are cut on the terminal block, "woofer" and "tweeter". The skin on the terminal block and HF will sink down, so the cutout diameter can be left 5-10 mm smaller. The skin on the bass will be pressed by a decorative ring, so you need to cut it so that it is not visible.
Final editing
First of all, we mount the crossover. Cross - self-made, on a good elemental base. Air core coils, tweeter film capacitors and MOX resistors are used. I didn’t solder it myself, but I ordered sensible guys.
Now solder the right pair wires to the terminal block and fix it on the case. The terminal block and speakers are screwed with decorative black self-tapping screws with an asterisk head. The overlay on the “squeaks” is screwed with similar self-tapping screws, so it would be logical to use the same for the rest. The back wall is ready.
Midbass must be slipped under the skin, and pressed down with a decorative ring from above. Solder the remaining pair of wires and mount the speaker.
All? All. We fasten the speaker cable to the terminal block and begin testing.
Tests
The system was tested in the following configurations:
1. Receiver Sherwood VR-758R + acoustics.
2. Computer + Unicorn (USB-DAC) + Self-made stereo amplifier + acoustics.
3. Computer + E-mu 0204 (USB-DAC) + Sherwood VR-758R + acoustics.
A little about the configurations themselves. I personally think that the this moment perfect option home music center is: computer + USB-DAC + amplifier + acoustics. The sound in the digital without distortion is removed via USB and fed to a high-quality DAC, from which it is transmitted to a high-quality amplifier and then to acoustics. In such a chain, the amount of distortion is minimal. In addition, you can use completely different backing tracks: 44000/16, 48000/24, 96000/24, etc. Everything is limited by the capabilities of the driver and DAC. Receivers in this regard are less flexible and obsolete in advance. The size of modern hard drives allows you to store almost the entire media library on them. And the tendency to subscribe to Internet content may abolish this option, although this is not the near future and is far from suitable for everyone.
I will say right away that in all three configurations the acoustics sounded great. To be honest, I didn't even expect it. Here are some subjective aspects.
1. Adequate and natural sound. What is recorded is reproduced. There are no twists in any direction. As I wanted.
2. Greater sensitivity to the source material. All flaws in the sound recording, if any, are clearly audible. High-quality mixed tracks listen perfectly.
3. Well-readable basses for such sizes. Of course, you can't fully appreciate organ music on bookshelves (it's hard to appreciate it on acoustics in general), but most of the material can be "digested" without problems. It is difficult to expect more from such babies.
4. Very good detail work. Every instrument is heard. Even with a rich sound image and a decent volume, the sound does not go into mush (the amplifier plays an important role here).
5. I want to make it louder;) Ie. acoustics does not yell, but plays smoothly. Although there is also no small merit of the amplifier itself, because. as the load increases, a good amplifier maintains linearity.
6. From long listening does not hurt the head. For me personally, this often happens, but here he plays all day and at least something.
7. Fears about the incorrect panorama and strong dependence of the sound on the position of the listener were not confirmed. As far as I know, car acoustics have a specific sound phasing due to the location of the speakers in the cabin. Namely, I read about this kit that its midbasses are more universal in this regard. Which is actually confirmed. You can sit in the center in front of the speakers, you can stand next to them sideways - the sound is excellent. There is a relationship, but it is very small.
As for the configurations themselves, the best sound quality was achieved with the second configuration.
First, a very high quality Unicorn DAC was used.
Secondly, the "self-made amplifier" is the know-how of one sensible Togliatti "sound player". Here it is in a nice little aluminum case:
In a nutshell, we managed to find a circuit solution in which the amplifier retains its characteristics when the volume changes, i.e. does not distort the sound at any (structurally permissible) volume. A lot of amplifiers (even very expensive ones) suffer from this. It was amazing to listen to how such an amplifier brought many loudspeakers to life, i.e. made them sound like they should sound. By the way, some industrial amplifiers were also redesigned according to this scheme (in particular, quite good Xindak itself), and they had a “second wind”.
Compare acoustics with something else, you ask? Yes, for example, with the ProAC Studio 110, these are quite high-quality bookshelf acoustics, here's a little about them. Compared, realized that they sound exactly no worse. The “proaks” may have a slightly lesser dependence of the sound on the position of the listener due to the specific placement of the inverter and the “tweeter”, where they somehow cleverly calculated all this. And the rest is absolutely no worse, even I personally liked my homemade products more, but we’ll write it down to subjectivity;) I also put on headphones (quite good Koss) and compared by panorama, tops and bottoms. Absolutely identical sound. Even downstairs. In general, the delight is complete.
Material Costing
Mid/bass speakers (pair): 3 000 rub.
Tweeters (pair): 3 000 rub.
Crossover (pair): 3 000 rub.
Sintepon: 160 rub.
Terminal (terminal block): 700 rub.
Screws: 80r.
MDF sheet, 22mm: 2 750r.
Scotch tape: 30 rub.
PVA: 120 rub.
Special glue 88: 120 rub.
Vibration isolation: 200 rub.
Figured ring-lining: 500 rub.
Cable: 500r.
Total: 14 160 rubles.
Some materials were or got free of charge, respectively, are not taken into account here.
In custody
In any more or less complex device or complete functional system, absolutely everything is important. When it comes to a musical system, the final result is influenced by a large number of factors:
Soundtrack quality.
A device for playing a phonogram.
Digital-to-analog converter.
Signal amplifier.
Wires.
Speakers installed in the speaker cabinet.
Properly designed for speakers and high-quality assembled cases.
Scheme and kit for a crossover.
This is a basic but not complete list.
It is wrong to assume that the main thing is the amplifier or the main thing is the wires, or the main thing is the speakers. A home music system is like an orchestra. And if in this orchestra someone will be bad, and someone will play brilliantly, then in general it will turn out - average. Or, as a very precise example said: if you mix a barrel of shit with a barrel of jam, you get two barrels of shit.
There is another extreme. Good system costs fabulous money. So each component should cost half a million. And phonograms should be exclusively in Super Audio CD or on branded records. Like a closed society of elite audiophiles. Bullshit is everything.
I came to the conclusion that it is quite possible to assemble our own relatively budgetary system, which is described in one word “Sounds”. And if as a DAC or amplifier, due to its peculiarities, it is better to use real-life solutions, which are now very numerous. Then a properly made (independently or on order) speaker system will sound better than a “branded” one purchased for the same money. Almost all components can now be ordered online. Moreover, many manufacturers publish enclosure diagrams for the corresponding speakers. There is a mass software for calculating the parameters of the hulls. There are many specialized forums on the network, and offline there are people with hands. Of course, it is impossible to be an expert in everything. As in any field, the main thing is to know the general principles.
The article does not claim to be the ultimate truth, but I hope that my thoughts and my experience will be useful to someone else.
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I want to tell you about the Sony neodymium dynamic heads I purchased, made in Vietnam. The Vietnamese are generally great - they make very high-quality things, I always give preference to them when shopping. Who does not know, neodymium is a magnet that is lightweight and powerful, which is especially important for manufacturers of home acoustics. In voice coils, neodymium is responsible for the transmission of the frequency range, and therefore for the purity of the sound and its saturation. All these qualities are present in my speakers, which cost me only 750 rubles. - the truth on the action, as the last product. The declared peak power of these 3.5 inch loudspeakers is up to 200 watts :-) In Russia, as far as I know, the power differs from both China and Western manufacturers. However, with a 2 x 50 watt amplifier they work perfectly.
AC design
So, the goal was to make a homemade cabinet for them that would provide maximum bass transfer and be different minimum dimensions, so all these abstruse Internet programs - for calculating the speaker cabinet would not suit me.
I designed the speaker cabinet in such a way that the sound bounces off the cabinet wall and then off the magnet and exits through a fairly large bass reflex.
Believe it or not, the bass is quite impressive at this size (h,w,d - 115 x 115 x 130 mm.). In order to avoid the unnecessary effect of "knocking on a piece of wood", I glued the inner walls of the case with mineral wool.
After everything was done, it remained to attach the legs to the new speakers, and since they are homemade, I also decided to make the legs myself, and not buy them.
I made oval-shaped recesses in the plasticine, filled it with epoxy glue and, after hardening, leveled it with a file in height. I thought to put an LED in each leg - it would be very unusual, but these are an extra pair of wires, in general, I didn’t.
These speakers serve as computer speakers for me, but they can be used as rear speakers in a cinema or if put together (they fit perfectly in size) - you get a front speaker. That's all, see what happened in the photo. Especially for - Valery K.
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