Another piped driver DIY

[Sumanta]

I did my 3rd speaker design last Saturday. It is of Piping composition concept only, but this time acoustic behavior was similar to Pluto but drivers were completely different. Drivers were passive crossed over too with a simple capacitor (as it came with a Panasonic DVD player's speakers).

Because of the damping inside pipe and 180 degree horizontal sound wave direction and placing the speaker at least 3 feet away from both front and side wall, imaging was wonderful, sound clear, true to its content.
I compared it with my Tube and Cabasse set where the later one came out clearer. It does not have the heavy weight bass Cabasse brings out. It rather brings out distinct flavours, timbre sounds of individual instruments.

I believe I need to pack it more, and will be sealing it once they are properly packed. I need to steel base plates too, present baseplate is not heavy enough. It needs to be wide too.

I am happy listening it. I do not or intend to use instruments to measure sounds coming out of it as I will be listening it. My measurements are by my ear and other speakers only. These speakers are mostly made for my understanding of sound and pleasure of music only. I although feel these design is simple, effective, compact, can accommodate various drivers and can be played in rooms of various shapes and sizes. We only need to keep them 3 feet away from front and side walls while listening sound through it.

Here are some photos.

 

[ghatgepatil]

Too good an effort! That is what is true ingenuity. :clapping:

 

[saheb11123]

A bit of coloring and you would have a great set of speakers

 

[manniraj]

Sumata, try and post the step by step process and it would be a great help for FMs like me :licklips:

 

[Sumanta]

Too good an effort! That is what is true ingenuity. :clapping:

thanks.
I had to choose this path because of carpenters. They add so much complex, unsure end to any design that I think of, that I forced myself to choose a design that I can do it for myself. So, I tried to have things off the shelf. Pipe became a natural choice.
Pluto design was already in my mind. I had some other design involving tall vase too sometime back but was not sure about the reflecting sound design part of it.
Pluto cleared that.

In this manner, I can design things on paper and in my mind for days and finally make a speaker in 1 day.

I have Philips 48002 full range drivers now, which will be my fourth project.
My original dream of making a R907 or 707 seems a bit distant now. Actually OB takes more space, whereas this design gives part benefit of OB in a small space.

 

[Sumanta]

A bit of coloring and you would have a great set of speakers

I will, once Durga puja is over.
I have no idea on wall paper kind of things that I am thinking of covering these speakers with. I need to do some research and window shopping.

 

[Sumanta]

Sumata, try and post the step by step process and it would be a great help for FMs like me :licklips:

This is difficult part. I will do it some day later.
If you have some drivers with you and you want to try this out, I can try explaining what I did over phone or Skype to you.

In short, I had a plate having hole for the main mid woofer with another hole for the small pipe.
A 6 X4 inch reducer is glued to that plate with Araldite. I took cut out of my earlier pipe speakers bases (smaller discs) and nail them with a wooden disc that you see in the photo. Then I slid on the pipe that is connected with the reducer on top of those small discs. I put wools in to the pipe before sliding in the pipe.

Later, I will apply MSeals on those small discs and finally slide the pipe to seal it as final.

I will attach a metal disc below the current wooden disc to add weight. I will weld three tapered big screws to those steel disc to have pin point floor contact. I might have springs otherwise in place of those screws to avoid vibration. Let's see.

Call me @ eight4zero180threefour6one.

I can Skype @ "chhobichar".

 

[lifewater]

Dada, hats off.... nothing to say, fabulous :clapping::yahoo:

 

[madhurvyas]

I'm also using pvc pipe speakers for last one year orso for stereo listening, they are are similar to your older design, i used a wood taper to give it some TL effect. I used focal car speakers, I like the sound quality and stage, good for small to medium room, bass is not boomy, but its natural.

 

[Sumanta]

I'm also using pvc pipe speakers for last one year orso for stereo listening, they are are similar to your older design, i used a wood taper to give it some TL effect. I used focal car speakers, I like the sound quality and stage, good for small to medium room, bass is not boomy, but its natural.

Yes, I had used TL design but non tapered with mass loading.

 

[Sumanta]

I'm also using pvc pipe speakers for last one year orso for stereo listening, they are are similar to your older design, i used a wood taper to give it some TL effect. I used focal car speakers, I like the sound quality and stage, good for small to medium room, bass is not boomy, but its natural.

Dear Madhur,
How about some photos of your creation for our eyes?

 

[shafic]

Nice DIY work!! Bravo!!:clapping::clapping:

 

[Sumanta]

A friend made baseplates for my piped drivers.
Here are photos of the physically complete speakers. I now will seriously be trying to make it visually complete as well.

 

[saheb11123]

Why not paint it black?

 

[Hari Iyer]

I read about the Linkwitz lab 'Pluto' speaker 1.5years ago and was wondering to make them and finally dropped them. For more details check out this link Pluto introduction . You can go active if you need if you build the associated electronics too.

 

[saheb11123]

Given the drivers are local, is going active worth the money and hassle?

 

[Hari Iyer]

Given the drivers are local, is going active worth the money and hassle?

With my limited exposure with active speakers i can only tell that - Not all active speakers are good and also not all passive speakers are bad. Active or Passive designs depends on how good its being implemented. Nothing to do with technology IMO.

 

[Sumanta]

Why not paint it black?

Painting is a lengthy and probably a messy work. I am thinking about wrapping it with wallpaper kind of thing.

I am about to do further changes to the design. Once they are done, I shall make those beautification.

 

[madhurvyas]

Dear Madhur,
How about some photos of your creation for our eyes?

Here is my version, sounds good to me, I changed my car speakers with Peerless 6.5in speakers, now the bass goes more lower. Overall its good to work with pvc pipes if you dont want to mess with carpenters. My version is kind of TL, height is around 4f. Tweeters on top are car tweeters Polk db1001, they produce some great high end sound.
IMG_20150112_192228 by madhurvyas1, on Flickr

 

[Sumanta]

Given the drivers are local, is going active worth the money and hassle?

If you already have a pc and atleast two amplifiers, going active is not that costly. You can buy a Creative DSP. I am happy with it.

If by saying local you meant inferior then active way is probably more suitable. Make a plan and then check your net expected expenses. Decide thereafter your suitable path, active or passive.

Active DSP and digital equalization gives you tremendous range of real time control. Going passive IMO involves lot of hard work and in depth knowledge of electronics.