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Topic: What speaker to put in these boxes? (Read 3426 times) previous topic - next topic
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What speaker to put in these boxes?

I picked up these 2 speaker boxes from the side of the road and would like to replace the speakers that are in it. It has a 12", 4" and 3" speaker. Can anyone suggest some speakers that would be good for backyard DJ'ing. I also wantedto hook these up to my car stereo for parties out the bush.

I'm from Australia so ebay would be my best bet wouldn't it?

Digital Reference DR-1204 3 way speakers


Inside

What speaker to put in these boxes?

Reply #1 –
Not that I'm too much into speakerbuilding, but I think you are better off crafting your own speakercase out of MDF.

First of all, a speaker is not just a speaker. It has many different properties, all which affects the optimal case for it, so if you have an already calibrated case for one speaker, it could end up sounding odd with another.

Secondly, it really looks like a cheap case - No isolating??

Try finding some optimal speakers (search forums around the web for the right brand/model for you) and look up some guides and tools on the web to make a case. I think I tried WinISD once for a sub i made, which works pretty well.
Can't wait for a HD-AAC encoder :P

What speaker to put in these boxes?

Reply #2 –
Quote from: Buttsack on
I picked up these 2 speaker boxes from the side of the road and would like to replace the speakers that are in it. It has a 12", 4" and 3" speaker. Can anyone suggest some speakers that would be good for backyard DJ'ing. I also wantedto hook these up to my car stereo for parties out the bush.


You can't just buy some drivers from eBay and have any hope of getting a speaker as good as what you'd get if you wisely spent the same money on a finished speaker.

If I was doing the project you seem to be proposing, I'd find a well-respected speaker project on the web that would fit into a box the size of the one at hand or a little smaller, built it in the boxes at hand, and put something inside the box to reduce its effective size to be that of the box recommended by the project.

I predict that if you try to follow my recommendation, you may well scrap the results of your roadside firewood expedition, and spend the money on a good finshed speaker.

 

What speaker to put in these boxes?

Reply #4 –
I suggest you get a book on speaker building.  It's not that complicated, and it is possible to build a low-cost speaker that's better than you can buy for the same money.  But, there are several disciplines involved, and a book should give you a lot of knowledge and a bit of confidence. 

OTOH - It is rather difficult to build a really good home-built speaker....  We don't generally have access to the proper test equipment (or anechoic chamber ),  and we don't generally have the funds to experiment with several different drivers, and we can't design/redesign drivers to meet our requirements, etc.

Some Considerations:
1. The drivers need to be "matched" so that they all have approximately the same output level (sensitivity).
2. The frequency range of the drivers need to overlap through the crossover points.  (With a 3-way speaker this shoudn't be a big problem.)
3. Since you (probably) don't know the crossover points, you can do some research on crossover design, look at the capacitor values to determine the crossover points.  Or, you can replace the crossover with one that better matches your new drivers.  (A "proper" crossover network will have at least one capacitor & one coil for each driver.  If you see something simpler, you should get a new crossover.  A proper crossover is also designed for a particular driver impedance...  i.e. If the old drivers are 8 Ohms, the crossover is designed to work with 8 Ohm drivers and your new drivers should be 8 ohms.)
4.  The woofer interacts with the cabinet.  The cabinet design (internal volume & port dimensions) MUST be designed for the particular woofer's Thiele/Small parameters[/u].  If the cabinet & driver are not "matched", the speaker will either have wimpy or boomy bass.  This is where a program like WinISD[/u] (FREE!!!) is very handy!  Of course, you can't increase the internal volume, but the software can help you choose a woofer that works in that size box, and you can change ("tune") the port, or seal the port, or reduce the internal volume. 
5. You might find it worthwhile to replace the front panel (baffle) if you can do that without distroying the box.  That will give you more freedom in choosing drivers sizes, and more freedom in re-engineering the port.

Have fun!