Building a High End Small 3-Way Stereo Tower Speaker - by SoundBlab

[@SoundBlab]

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Fountek FE85 driver seems to be either out of stock, or discontinued. Either way, I am working on an update for this speaker with a new driver, and will be releasing updated build plans hopefully within a couple of months from the time of posting this comment. In the meantime the current BUILD PLANS have been removed from my webshop. I apologise for the inconvenience, however these are circumstances beyond my control.

[@arvlux1872]

Thanks for the update,, it is really appreciated to know you are working on an update as I am near to be finished with my build where only the fountek drivers and corresponding holes are missing Let’s hope you can find a good substitute driver with minimal impact and still high performance. Crossing my fingers; It looks really great already ...

[@lisaclayton9651]

Great to know this & really impressed with how quickly you've addressed this , I have an order placed for the founteks with a uk supplier & they are saying possibly July arrival at the earliest so will keep an eye on your findings regards an alternative. I'm just at the start of my build so plenty of time to play about with an alternative

[@dtyra]

Could this be a drop in replacement? www.parts-express.com/Fountek-FR89EX-3-Neodymium-Full-Range-Driver-296-721 I would like to buy the plans anyway if that's possible.

[@SoundBlab]

I am reluctant to go with the Fountek drivers, since they seem to have a lot of supply problems right now, without really being able to say whether these drivers will even be available again.I have found a Tang Band driver that can work. But right now I can't comment if it will be a drop-in replacement, still in the process of testing.

[@dtyra]

@@SoundBlab Thanks for your prompt reply. I am interested in building these, so I am looking forward to your progress!

[@henryrichards1556]

I have just finished building these and they sound incredible. I am so pleased. My first speaker project and it went great.

[@SoundBlab]

Great to hear, thanks for the feedback!

[@peterst-uh5me]

Good day Richard I am very interested in that LS and will build one soon. My only concern is how the bass sounds. As i listen to classical concerts i would like a deep bass feeling (like orgue). Maybe you can describe your personal impressions please. Thx in advance. Peter

[@nermushermus]

These sound absolutely amazing! My son and I recently finished making these and all we (and anyone else who listens to them) can say is - wow! This was our first attempt at building our own speakers, and these directions were very detailed and easy to follow. Thanks very much for the hard work on these speaker build plans and the videos! Liked, subscribed, and already purchased another set of plans....please, keep them coming.

[@SoundBlab]

I'm so glad you love them! Thanks for the positive feedback. Enjoy the next build!

[@MrMarnix1234]

Really enjoy that you're explaining what you're doing in every shot

[@timschutte6924]

These drivers are the best for the human voice and instrumental type of music. The quality of the cabinets you built are second to none. Absolutely brilliant

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks again

[@FaridShakil]

WOW, Those Small Speakers Are Really Producing Some Excellent Sound Quality With Brilliant Details.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@FaridShakil]

@@SoundBlab Sir, Is There Any Way To Purchase Your Speaker System From Bangladesh?

[@gunnar045]

i am more impressed by the amount of tools you have. remember my fathers workshop wasnt something he had overnight. love your teaching and explanations!

[@SoundBlab]

Cool, thanks!

[@duantorruellas716]

Wow those are great , I can hear the air and separation from here. I think that design is incredible. That narrow front bafflle and side firing woofer design does allow the sound to wrap around the cabinet thuss making the speaker disappear.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@gregphillips.1312]

Speaker design is something that has always fascinated me. I'm listening through Bluetooth and KZbin compression, but that sounds nice and tight. Currently using a Lepy 4 channel mini Amp with 2 Pioneer 3 way 6x9's in tight stack layered enclosures, capped at around 80 hz and an Old School 10" SPL Sub in its original enclosure also Filtered at around 80 Hz and bridged over the rear channels. Not massive power but enough out here in my Workshop without annoying the Neighbours.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks for sharing!

[@logotrikes]

I think essentially this is how the manufacturers make their speakers. For many commercial reasons, the retail price price ends up being many multiples of base cost. Therefore if you have the gear, the time, knowledge, money and temperament, you can have something like these speakers for a fraction of the cost of commercial units, and much the same sound. Remember that manufacturers invest many $$ in R&D and expensive production equipment. These speakers come from a dude in his workshop, but that doesn't mean you can't end up with a hefty slice of the sound of a commercial unit. And, the big attraction is the feeling of accomplishment you get from a project like this. I very much enjoyed this. Wish I had what is needed to make the things. They're very appealing to me for many reasons...

[@henryrichards1556]

I made these speakers and I can attest that they sound fantastic. The project was also very fun for me as I had built furniture and boats in the past but never something like this.

[@Negativezero48]

Got the plans, ordered the parts, and am putting it together now! Really cool enclosure design.

[@Linesy]

How did you go? Did you finish them?

[@above-us-only-sky]

results?

[@proz71ful19]

Uhoh.. the project killed him

[@gigiboxa]

one here who has the speakers version 2 for over an year as main speakers dive them with a marantz pm7001 the soundstage is great an not so deep as with some jbl 830 for comparison the voices are in front of you but no piercing to your head ,i think is because of the side woofer the good point is that they are not create fatigue after long hours of listening they need a sub to hit below 35 hz wife aceptance is verry high i`m working on the crossover to lower the cross freq. i believe that the mid driver can go lower still keeping the original crossover just in case

[@romanengelbrecht6717]

Im so proud of this guy hes setting a good standard for speaker builds and hes South African honestly mahn more people should know about your work i make and sell speakers myself but im totally in auuw from your designs and techniques ive learnt alot that i incorporate into my own builds so thank you youre a legend and you deserve way more recognition i mean 87k subscribers but im talking about South Africans needa jump on this instead of supporting these huge manufactures whe only care about passing quality control tests and making tons of money i know builders that build from home generally try make it as affordable as possible whilst trying to get the best quality sound out of the unit i mean theres a passion to it and kinda nerdy factor that you need to achieve great speaker builds lets face it you need a certain sense of discipline to do what you do

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man! Appreciate it!

[@silvertamman3218]

Very nice build! I recomend to make chamfer inside of the mid driver hole and if bass driver is playing so high, then there as well. This midrange is so tiny, basket will not reach much to the box, so chamfer will reduce reflections coming back to cone from hole walls. Also, you can but that self- adhesive foam what you used to sealing on the driver baskets to reduce them ringing.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@attainableaudio4533]

Very nice. And I like the way you addressed the price some speaker manufacturer charge, people who always bauk at the prices stating that it only cost x amount of money in parts... We'll look around almost anything you buy you could say that about... Literally just about everything!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@_gheo]

I've never seen such well though and careful build. There's so much to learn from you! Thank you for sharing ❤️

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you so much!

[@milesdufourny4813]

I've been watching your channel for a number of years now and I think this is the best speaker you've designed and built.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@saturnsl21999]

They sound outstanding i wish i had a workshop and the knowledge like you i would be building speakers all the time

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks 😊

[@dwarfywow1955]

Hi, i bought these build plans and just finished in building these fine speakers. The sound is very impressive and of a clearness i ve never heard before. I opted for a white speaker design with chalky varnish and a clear satin cover.

[@SoundBlab]

Thats fantastic. So glad you are enjoying them. Please send me some pics!

[@bradsamplemusic]

Bought the plans and built two sets! ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM! They sound beautifully deep, and have a directional but all encompassing soundstage that just makes you want to keep listening. Great design. If you have the tools and the know how, I can not recomend them enough! Oh, and while I plan to get an amp with some more wattage; I am currently powering them through a JVC A-S5 that is only 30 watts a side. They sound lovely in my living room.

[@SoundBlab]

Hi Brad, I am so happy that you like the speakers, and well done for finishing them. Would love to see some pics? Thanks for the positive review, it helps me and others a lot to hear from someone that has actually built these. Enjoy!

[@bradsamplemusic]

@@SoundBlab sure! I’ll send some pics in the DM section.

[@bradsamplemusic]

@@SoundBlab I sent those pictures to your Instagram account. Let me know if there is a better place to send them. Thanks again for a great design. Both sets that I made sound absolutely beautiful.

[@KevinNguyen-zn4vv]

I'm listening to this on my mac air speakers and man, I'm sold. I can't imagine how they would sound in real life.

[@henryrichards1556]

They sound amazing. I just finished building my own set.

[@henryrichards1556]

Paired with my Dayton Audio HTA100. Loving them.

[@KevinNguyen-zn4vv]

@@henryrichards1556 I need to build a sound-isolated room in the basement for all my toys, otherwise the neighbors would hate me when I'm pushing like 2K watts :D.

[@carlosmacmartin4205]

Very nice sounding music examples! I'm glad I found this video. Now I'm wishing I had a small workshop and tools to build a pair these speakers. Oh well. Perhaps in the near future. Thanks for sharing, mate! Cheers!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@timschutte6924]

This particular design is very unique. I have 4 old acoustic reasherch speakers with 8 inch side woofers on one pair and 10 inch on the other set. These unique designed side mount woofer speakers actually out performed way way way better than the JBL floor speakers I used to have. Not by a little, I mean blown out of the water. Those JBL speakers had dual 8 inch woofers. I love this design cause it seems to have an enormous bass frequency. And saves space cause the are a slimmer speaker vs. The traditional front mounted design.

[@SoundBlab]

Tx

[@G3rain1]

When doing your round over cuts you should include the interior edge of the driver holes as well. That sharp edge can cause some diffraction spikes in the response.

[@SoundBlab]

In this case it was not possible, since I assembled and veneered the enclosure before cutting the driver holes.

[@shawnsmakershop2099]

Cool Beans! I'm listening to the demo section on my Snell E.5 MKII's with rear firing tweeters and your speakers sound very nice. They seem to drop off at 36 Hz ! wow..........

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@zoltankaparthy9095]

I njoy watching a master craftsman at work who can show ell what the is doing and explain it, too. Always interesting. This looks to me like a tuned port bass reflex. Is this true?

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! Yes, it is a ported enclosure.

[@Gruuvin1]

I was hoping you listen to better music than we had to listen to during the sped up video. You did during the demo. Well done, and thanks for the video!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. We can't all like the same stuff though. I have a very wide choice in music taste, so I listen to wide selection in genres

[@stephenmcbride6359]

From a fellow speaker builder, I love the build.I go out of my way to build weird and different speakers, just because I am bored of building what's expected.I have done something similar, except with a 6 1/2 and a transmission line /folded horn type box. Height and width seem similar.It's the fun of squeezing every last ounce out of what you have built.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man! Yeah, I like to experiment with builds that are not necessarily typical, but I do try to cater for both approaches.

[@presidentpotato222]

Great Video .. as someone who owns Boenicke W8se+ speakers .. i see many similarity’s in design .. and I bet these sound absolutely Gorgeous ..wonderful build guide .. my hats off to you ..

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@kiweekeith]

Wow 'Japie', Baie Mooi 'Jop' .... Sound Absolutely Fantastic .... Very Best to You and Yours from ChCh NZ

[@SoundBlab]

Many thanks!

[@haley8004]

I wonder whether inverting the polarity of the ambient tweeter would improve the sound stage.

[@SoundBlab]

It is inverted.

[@hammer-and-thumb]

@@SoundBlab Can you comment on the effect between inverted and non-inverted configurations for the rear-firing tweeter?

[@timschutte6924]

Never know, until you try it. Good question

[@weareallbeingwatched4602]

The fact is that the directivity plot and phase response of the drivers per angle per frequency are complicated, and the off-axis radiation of a driver is usually much higher in phase distortion. Additionally the sort of time delays at tweeter wavelengths across a depth of 8 inches will mean that a "true dipole" directivity plot of the array will not be what you measure. Additionally the classification of these tweeters will not be an omni/point source, or a dipole, so combining them into a viably controllable array mixing forward and rear firing drivers is unlikely. I would be willing to bet that you could install a polarity reversing switch for the tweeter, and hear no difference one way or the other with a blindfold on - the mixture of phase / wave propagation at any given point will be a diffuse reverberating multi-path issue, and simply moving the listening point a distance of a centimeter or two will produce a completely different set of interlaced and diffuse comb filters. I would also hazard a guess that analysing waterfall plots / convolution impulses measured from a lively listening room would reveal that the rear firing tweeter mostly adds harsh reverb and non-linearities in the high frequencies, and makes the high frequency response "notchy" and "smeared".

[@SlowCarToChina]

These sound absolutely wonderful. I would like to have heard rock music on them too. Do you sell finished speakers as well as plans?

[@lowendgamers5968]

I have used the same plans and the drivers but instead of MDF I have used walnut wood and it really sounds very well and clear

[@SoundBlab]

Cool man, send me some photos!

[@tttuberc]

These two speaker boxes sound amazing

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@95lovi]

Oh another tip if building speaker cases it’s desirable to reduce the amount of openings to the necessary. If possible install the binding posts directly in the case without plate’s or plastic binding connections. A good example is the warfdale Linton

[@SoundBlab]

Yeah, I have done this before in many of my previous and more current builds. However, in this case I wanted a place to mount the crossover, and thus the plate.

[@ruud24k]

Cool video! I really like how clearly you documented the process. Keep up the great work :)

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you

[@イエンスヨハンセン]

This speaker is just beautiful. If it sounds half as good as it looks I’ll be happy. I just bought the build plans which are well beyond my expectations - they are exceptional. Ikea plans pale in comparison.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! Enjoy the build!

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

When you have to drill plates and boards where all the holes are the same distance from the edge it is a good trick to clamp an edge like a piece of wood where you hold the workpiece up against it to ensure the hole is the same distance all the way around. You find you can whizz around the board much faster that way as the piece can only move in 1 D and not 2.

[@blakey271able]

To be honest it sounds bloody good on KZbin never mind real life very enjoyable to watch

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@tedshred8436]

Beautiful. very reminiscent of classic audio physic designs.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@neps4th]

Sound great on Bose C35 headphones. Very nice baseline and dynamics.

[@SoundBlab]

Many thanks!

[@timschutte6924]

, very professional job. Beautiful speakers. This particular design of speaker with the side fire woofer is my favorite Has been all my life. I have 4 large floor standing speakers with side fire 8 and 10 inch woofers made by acoustic audio that are decades old but still out perform anything I've ever had or heard for that matter. I love the tang band woofers.

[@SoundBlab]

Tx

[@stephenyoud6125]

Very nicely done and impressive frequency response.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@jimbob4456]

Very impressive. I’d love to make those but I don’t have the equipment or more importantly the skill.

[@peterst-uh5me]

Amazing job! I wished i would have the skills to do it by myself. I keep on dreaming as of now. Peter

[@dahoetube]

Wauw, didnt expect that (result). Beautiful build. Great job.

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you very much!

[@lepeejon2955]

Excellent video. As a matter of personal taste. I would prefer the legs in black and the back panel same as the cabinet.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. That could look good too!

[@christianginella5545]

Nice, very detailed. Midrange a tad tinny, lacking a little warmth. I don't like muddy sound either. Overall good sound for the money but seems to need more fill between tweeter and essentially a 5" sub. I bought my first hi end system at 16 so excuse me if I seem critical. Nice job overall.

[@SoundBlab]

Cool, thanks!

[@mndlessdrwer]

One recommendation I have is to switch the screws that you use to square, torx, or hex bits. Something where the bit solidly seats into the head of the screw and cannot slip out. I've seen too many horror stories of people building speakers and having their screwdriver bit slip and impale their driver.

[@SoundBlab]

I've struggled to find those locally, so the star bit it is for now until I can find something else that works better. I always try to be rather cautious when installing the drivers. Up until now I don't think I have had a mishap yet!

[@IliyaOsnovikov]

Very nice built! You could also make a rear chamfer inside of midrange driver holes. That would reduce some internal reflections.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. I wanted to do a rear bevel, but because of the way I assembled it and the narrow baffle, I could not do it with a conventional bevel bit. I will have to get one that can actually cut an undercut bevel. Could not find one though. Luckily the effect it had on the mid-driver response fell outside of the passband I was using the driver in, and it worked out well.

[@bbfoto7248]

@@SoundBlab What about baffle step compensation? I think it would improve the response if you had chamfered or rounded-over the front baffle edges. However, I realize that this would have made the application of the veneer much more complicated.

[@SoundBlab]

@@bbfoto7248 The mid range rolls off to high for baffle step to be a problem. And I think rounded corners would ruin the look.

[@oaantonsen3275]

If these sound anything like they look, then wow!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@95lovi]

Nice build! Just a small tip , use piece’s of excess wood as a clamping shim when gluing. It has the advantage that you don’t eventually have clamping marks on your work piece it protects the edges and you have a better force dispersion on your gluing areas . Especially when gluing bigger areas as by veneering or to compensate the use of less clamp’s. In our workshop we say you can never have enough clamp’s ! 😉

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! This happens sometimes, but often I don't bother, and have not had many occasions where the clamp made marks, but it is good for spreading the clamp force.

[@peterst-uh5me]

Good day I like the design very much, congrats on it and how you built it. just wondering how they sound. analytical and crispy , clear highs, bass fundamental (knowing that the size cannot go very deep). How is the virtual scene, can I close my eyes and see all instruments in the orchestra? are they comparable to high end (like B W)? apologize for all those questions but KZbin does not transfer high end sound and in my case the speakers sound bubbly and not detailed which is for sure definitely not the case in real. also wondering about the costs for buying the wood plus carpenter. many thanks, you inspired my day. best peter

[@jbarelds78]

Very nice build! I understand your disclaimer, but the demo at the end sounded awesome using headphones (AT M50x's). I'm working on something similar. The Tangband W5-1138SMF in a 9L BR cabinet, but with the Dayton RS125-8 for mids and the Dayton DC28F for highs. I already built the crossovers, first time I designed my own (using VitruixCad). I did end up using a 2nd order low-pass for the W5-1138-SMF. I'm looking forward to building the cabinets and listening.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. Cool, sounds like a nice build project. Enjoy and hope they come out great!

[@SoundBlab]

The BUILD PLANS for this project can be purchased here: soundblab.net/build-plans/ . It includes a comprehensive 26 page description of materials, parts, etc. on how to build these speakers from beginning to end.

[@3rutu5]

looks like you were inspired as well buy a speaker that starts with a "B".....i like the bookshelf version personally, but not keen on that price tag :) Great work as always :)

[@dakken74]

I have found that with side firing woofers its beneficial to make the speakers a 2.5 way instead of a 3-way. That is having the 2 front driver behave as a full 2-way and have the side firing woofer lowpassed to fill in the bottom end maybe up to 200 Hertz

[@justkiddin1980]

Maybe a stupid question, but wouldn't it be better to round over the edges completely from the port on the inside?? Because now you have a sharp edge on the inside of the cabinet..

[@OzzyCPT]

Hi. Are you South African? If so, how much are you paying in shipping, taxes, duties, etc. on top of the $200 for the speakers? This has always made me scared to buy from Parts Express. Great work as always :)

[@SoundBlab]

@3rutu5 Thanks! Yes mostly..

[@d.s.w7779]

Good work want see more 3inch woofer designs 3 way.what about 8 ohms

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@roninmantis7584]

Nice to see how the build goes together. Also the tools involved. Thanks

[@SoundBlab]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@haley8004]

I always like it when during a listening demo the camera is moved around the speakers. You get a good idea of the sound stage that way.

[@SoundBlab]

I used very linear microphones to record these, not the camera mic, so thats why the camera is stationary. This way it gives you a very good linear and consistent response of what each speaker sounds like in its position in the room.

[@larryyen7793]

Hi I stumbled upon this video while looking for a video that may assist me building two tower speaker, with speaker I already have, 4 -10 inch woofer 4- midrange and 4 tweeter . However I am very impressed with your speaker. I may instead try to build the one you made.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! This speaker is really good, and many that have already built it have had good things to say about it.

[@peterresetz1960]

Nice looking speakers, but if the woofers are facing each other, wouldn’t there be wave form cancellation ?

[@swiftink]

Impressive speaker design in software to get a great response and sound stage. Props on the craftsmanship that went into these. Its mind boggling when you think that buying something like this from a "PRO" audio brand will cost into the thousands of dollars and probably sound worse...

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@jaspermous7514]

Just bought your Build Plans for this project. Can't wait to start. Although it's very comprehensive, I would have liked to see the projected frequency response from the crossover sim and the bass response from the box and a measured frequency response. I know they are on your site, but would have loved to see them in the guide as well. For the rest; keep it up!

[@SoundBlab]

Hi Jasper, thanks again for the support! I will try to include these in the future. Hope your build is going well?

[@paulvela1369]

Beautiful little speakers

[@SoundBlab]

Tx

[@honiswagner7674]

You picked nice music content for the video. I see the link to the music site but a list of music used would be epic. The speakers --- Top notch. As stated by others I would love to hear it live.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man. I'll try to remember to add links in future.

[@rakitakhan]

I love your designs and the build process. What I really love though, is the fact that you know how to solder. It irritates the hell out of me watching others just melting solder onto a joint and they're attempting to teach others...ugh. Anyway, great video as usual !

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@kishorehublikar1576]

Great work! Excellent workmanship. Nice video photography 👍👍👍

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you very much!

[@kijkmijnwoning]

Very nice design, next month i will build this speaker...

[@SoundBlab]

Great 👍

[@sjwright2]

Far from being a problem, a very slight dip around 2kHz is the natural behavior of the crossover point on many older high end two-way studio monitors and has thus become something of an unofficial faux semi-non-standard. This dip is actually modeled into some speaker calibration targets. For example Audyssey calls it "midrange compensation," a -3dB dip, or slightly more significant than the one you've measured here. Now of course there's no reason we need this dip in modern speakers, but if you're listening to older music, chances are there was a similar dip on the speakers used by the engineers at the time. (And purely subjectively, this is a frequency zone you'd rather err on the side of a slight dip than a slight boost, as it's the highest risk for harsh sound.)

[@SoundBlab]

Yes, it actually works in this speaker. It's always good when something falls into place without trying too hard.

[@verhoeff95]

Lovely design and they seem to sound great. Also made my own floorstanding speakers. Very fun thing to do.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@jeremygunkel]

Love the TV riser blocks :)

[@SoundBlab]

Lol, how to use cheap speakers!

[@joeyannece6197]

You sir are a craftsman.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@gordthor5351]

I really like your masking tape method of keeping any glue off the veneer, but I hope you caught the splatter at 30:07.

[@SoundBlab]

😅

[@macukfalcon7888]

Great work boet! Build sounds great! Respect ✌🏻

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@JeanMarcJoubert]

Baie Nice :) Very nice to see Local RSA People doing these kind of videos. You've given me a nice idea on revamping some of my vintage speakers to look like new. I think a nice video idea would be what equipment you use and how you measure your frequency responses (Mic specs ,distances from speaker, software etc) :) Ps . Where did you buy your verneer in RSA? and what do the cost these days? Really Impressed :)

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! I can work in a video like that at some point. I get veneer from Veneercraft in Cape Town. Cost depends heavily on the wood choice, but 4 leaves of 2500 x 300 in Walnut is around R500 - R750.

[@JeanMarcJoubert]

@@SoundBlab Thanks for the reply :) Watched your Home Theatre Build - 2-WAY STEREO SPEAKERS really like the look of those aswell. Keep on doing what you're doing really like your videos :)

[@timsweden2460]

What is the midrange crossover frekvenz? Hz up and down? How big is enclousure for midrange. Is the side fire woofer play all the voice tones to? I this good have woofer off axis instead on axis

[@headbutt9170]

fantastic i want a pair . how much a set cost me

[@ejwang615]

great job! that's a really oustanding product. consider selling it as a private brand, people would buy it for a reasonable price.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@justsomeguywithsunglasses1876]

Nice speakers sir, would you mind if I ask the name of the songs you used in this video?

[@Alfa_Rx8]

Very nice build ! i love the sound ! I

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@ReferenceFidelityComponents]

Nice job. Surprised it’s tuned with a much lower initial impedance peak signifying cab tuning is below woofer Fs or did the damping lift the initial peak a little for improved efficiency? I use a similar method of veneering for my designs. I wonder have you considered using a vacuum bag to veneer? Is the mid dip cured by reversing woofer or mid driver polarity? Nice response👍

[@stevewright4576]

What is the first song of the build called? I like it!

[@timschutte6924]

Very nice job. Those tang ban woofers are awesome.

[@taxi615]

This is nice but Ill stick to getting assembled speakers as just getting all the tools to do this will cost more then building a speaker set. Still nice to watch you work

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks man!

[@jayweb702]

The sound is wonderful and your frequency graph looks impressive! Great job.

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you kindly!

[@dominicdiclemente8877]

Great Job. I recently built a set of small bookshelf speakers and used some more exotic non paper backed veneer... what a hassle. I would suggest you take a look at the Titebond branded cold press glue, it was recommended to me as it should have more temperature stability with veneer.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks, I'll check it out.

[@krzysztofkomor9877]

Nice job.Greetings from Poland.

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you very much!

[@AthSamaras]

Very clever design, and very good video. Thank you very much...

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you too!

[@olegraikov5181]

Good morning! Nice speakers, but maybe better use fountek ribbon twitter cd1 for fountek midrange. Thanks!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! The ribbons will be a different option, not necessarily better or worse, since the current tweeters works really well in this setup. But I would like to try the Fountek ribbons in a build sometime.

[@klokibril]

Brilliant! Good example of creativity and craftmanship. You are an inspiration.

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you!

[@martinmako6566]

With presented Xover it will definitelly lack good stereo image and localization, bit messy and muddy over entire reange where speakers play to ~ -20dB. But if price tag matters, it also doesnt matter

[@rsjojo]

I have a question, is the center speaker under the TV used in this demo ? remarkable sound through my air pod pro's. Nice work. I purchased the plans, thank you for the video's.

[@SoundBlab]

The demo only features the stereo speakers, no center channel.

[@leonking9459]

Unique design, out of the ordinary.. yet it sound cool.. great job..!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks!

[@l.b.stringfellow2413]

Very nicely done !!

[@SoundBlab]

Thank you very much!

[@cedric9370]

Great video, as usual. May I ask, what your choice of stain is for veneer?

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks! These do not have stain, and generally I do not prefer to stain veneer, I like the natural look. My best suggestion for a great natural finish that brings out the grain of a dark er wood like walnut is a danish oil. For lighter veneers I prefer a water based polyurethane. This keeps the lighter veneer from going yellow over time.

[@YTinfullview]

With the woofers facing each other, don't you get cancellation on certain frequencies that match the quarter wave distance between the towers?

[@donalddeorio2237]

Very impressive, though you need quite a few woodworking tools. Really beautiful looking. Good job

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks

[@brentwalker3300]

Interesting design. I am curious about the crossover point of the woofer/midrange being so high and the fact that the woofer is side-firing. Given that sound becomes audibly directional around 100Hz doesn't this create a problem with so much important musical information firing at 90 degrees to the listening position? Thanks for the video, by the way. I'm not doubting your listening impressions at all.

[@SoundBlab]

This side-firing woofer gives a very natural roll-off which eliminates the need for any crossover components on the woofer. Then we can fade in the midrange slowly to match and give us a nice flat response curve. In the version 2.0 of this design using a different midrange driver, I lowered the crossover point so we get a better integration between the two. However, the original design still works. We can see in the frequency response that we do not lose any musical information from the listening position, since the response is fairly flat throughout the passband. You probably get more reflective sound as a result, but with proper positioning of the speaker this adds to the soundstage and imaging. These speaker are actually rather forgiving in their positioning, as long as they are about 1.5 to 2 feet from the front wall, and the woofers face inwards when used more than approximately 6.5 feet apart, or close to the side walls.

[@brentwalker3300]

@@SoundBlab Interesting. Thanks for the information and keep up the good work.I'm a DIYer and love seeing different reasonably-priced designs.

[@jerichotm2122]

Yes! That was quite interesting at least! I've never tried mounting woofers on sides of the enclosures, so I'm not quite familiar with the sound of such a system. I see it's a very complex construction (and skillfully done by the way ;), a labyrinth type if I'm correct... but I didn't quite understand, when tested, the woofers are facing towards each other or vice-versa? Or it doesn't matter? And the biggest question of all: why mounting the additional rear tweeter?? I saw in the crossover design that it was linked in series with the front one! Thanks for showing how to work with the aluminum plates!

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. This is just a normal ported (bass reflex) enclosure. The woofers can face either inward or outward depending on the distance between the speakers or distances form side walls. My recommendation is to face the drivers inward if the distance between the speakers exceed 2 meters, otherwise face them outward. The additional rear tweeter helps to create a better soundstage and sense of space around the speaker.

[@jerichotm2122]

@@SoundBlab Thank you!

[@viktornedelin9671]

Thank you! 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@SoundBlab]

👍

[@Anenerbe]

I very like what you do, so many interesting ideas! But in this construction can be wrong stand, better something for most low resonance. And you not try option where two bass speakers in down, bass port in center? Possibly it will be most effective.

[@SoundBlab]

Thanks. I can only try one design in a single project.

[@Anenerbe]

@@SoundBlab I cannot understand how it's a work, but bass port in center give so deep bass. But need find correct size for all.

[@matthuston1767]

I am an audiophile without woodworking tools. Although I do have novice abilities at woodworking I just have yet to get the tools needed so I’m forced to buy and trade vintage gear online always searching for what sounds right to me. I can’t wait until I have the ability to diy!

[@Cakebattered]

A pair of foldable saw horses, a circular saw, an orbital hand sander, a router, a jig saw, and a bunch of clamps, is more than what you will need to complete 90% of DIY speaker projects. All of this can be purchased from Harbor Freight tools for under $300 without a sale or coupon. You can save even more going to Yard Sales in the spring and fall.

[@matthuston1767]

@@Cakebattered thank you. In the 8 months since this comment I have bought everything you named except horses and router I count use my dremel tool as a router but it’s not the best for larger projects

[@corymarcotte5853]

Does this work with other forms of hearing lose.