Building Audio Speakers using the Golden Ratio Rule. A perfect affordable DIY Speaker Build?

[@gmb7606]

Best Speaker-Build-Video ever - you are a fantastic exactly craftsman - everybody can learn a lot

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Thank you for your comments. Much appreciated!!

[@norakat]

Ok maybe I won’t build these speakers after all 🤦‍♂️. Great to see someone with the knowledge and resources to see it through. Amazing job!

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@subbassrules]

I have built golden ratio speaker enclosures in the past and my advice is if you want to do this, put the driver in what would technically be the side. This helps minimize the baffle diffraction step. There seem to be a lot of people in the comments who have nothing better to do than criticize others. Building non-paralell walls is another easy way to achieve better sound. Very nice woodwork. 👍

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Thanks, I was considering doing exactly that but wanted something a little different looking. I've built quite a lot of speakers on the channel with free range drivers and so far these are my favourite sound wise (jazz, chilled, classical music especially sounds fantastic for such a small 4" driver)

[@flynow5614]

I've never meet anybody the has heard of the golden ratio. Good job!!!

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@Rocker6969]

Beautiful build !!

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@ogs6881]

great job!

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Thanks 👍

[@davebutler3905]

So impressive and therapeutic... Watching your skill and meticulous attention to quality and detail. Did the golden proportion please your ears?

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Thankyou, I've had some people comment that such a large baffle wouldn't work but, they are now my favourite speaker. Superb clarity from the Markaudio driver and a really light sound with good soundstage

[@eddiebaby22]

Brilliant, lovely build

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Thanks!!

[@tweakerman]

Interesting video, I purchased a book back in the early 90's from Tandy's, here in the uk, about speaker building, & it mentioned the golden rule ratio, LWD, sizes matter, great video👍

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@TeslaNick2]

Was it Vance Dickason's "Loudspeaker Design Cookbook" ?

[@tweakerman]

@@TeslaNick2 to be honest with you, I can't remember 😃

[@NackDSP]

The best ratio is 1 x 2 x 2, internal dimensions of a half cube with the driver centered on the square face. Use the minimum volume for the driver in a sealed box and this produces the highest possible first resonant mode frequency in the box. Use the speaker below that frequency to avoid all resonances. it works beautifully. This helps to produce a wide baffle which lowers the baffle step frequency, improving max SPL. If you model this in cabinet design software you will see that the three resonance modes all line up. If you build with the "Golden Rule" the lowest resonance will be half that of this half cube design and you now have a speaker that sounds like a box. Full range drivers are great for a beginner, but two and three way designs have much better directivity, can be designed without cone breakup and don't need to have ported ringing bass bell response.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@MarkSWilliams27]

SO many self-proclaimed experts here criticizing and critiquing your build. Ha. Most probably never fired up a table saw in their lives. Question: Are you using the Mark Audio Golden Ratio design? Or, would you provide us with dimensions, please. I am interested in that CH driver too.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

I agree Mark. But, it's OK, they only spend 1000's or read lots of books😂😂. I have the channel just to inspire people to give it a go!! Anyway, made this after carrying out measurements of the drivers I bought (slightly differing but not a lot from the small thiele parameters that MA supply) so, not an actual size as will all differ and had to calculate space taken by the port, cleats etc etc. These drivers are perfect for my small lounge so don't hesitate for the cost. FYI. I also put in the actual supplied parameters and box size came out at 15L so around 16 with everything taken into account which gives approx max internal measurement of about 156mm x 251mm x 406mm. Mine were fractionally smaller and I did get the rough idea from a planet-10 design that briefly turned up on the Markaudio site (although that was 15mm MDF, didn't have a removable back and had a slightly different Golden Ratio (apparently there are quite a few!!) Anyway, best of luck in your build!!

[@richardl3835]

Great video!! I see you have some other 4" wide range speaker builds; how does the golden rule design compare to those? I built a rough version of the golden rule design from the markaudio website and dropped in a 4" woofer and 1" tweeter from an old Minimus 7 speaker (sounds pretty good). Is your design the similar to the design on the markaudio website? Keep up the DIY speaker videos.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

The only other ones I built with these drivers was a cube design and it sounds better than those (sound stage is great)

[@dilbyjones]

I dunno but the set I have that are golden ratio are brilliant

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@EricDSalisbury]

Are we talking about the Fibonacci Sequence? Phi Ratio? Interesting.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Pretty much phi

[@EricDSalisbury]

@@DIY-AUDIO sweet!

[@Spicycomment1]

Very very nice build❤.. question, i would like to try a markaudio speaker, which build and plan would you recomend for bass, and spaciousness? Cheers

[@DIY-AUDIO]

I can only go on the lower cost builds I've made. This one sounds great and also the smaller chn50 in the compact horn build sounds great and doesn't cost the earth either. Good luck with your build!!

[@Spicycomment1]

@@DIY-AUDIO thanks. Cost and size are not a matter, i'd like to try a little bigger with markaudio 6 inch or higher. Wivh of your videos woumd you recomend then?

[@DIY-AUDIO]

@@Spicycomment1 try looking at the alpair 10 then. The MA website gives designs for builds for all its drivers!!. Best of luck!

[@robertthurston6858]

What type glue do you use for the veneer and what temperature is used for the iron ?

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Hi Robert, it does says it all in the video!!? . Pva (2 coats box and veneer ) hot iron (cotton no steam) but iron through something. I use greaseproof paper in video. Seems to work well

[@yellow_noise3]

what is the rationale to build such a wide front baffle? you will have hell lot of reflection on the edges which you cannot compensate with crossover because there is no crossover.....

[@DIY-AUDIO]

offsetting the speaker to the left or to the right, can improve the linearity of the frequency response.

[@thomasschafer7268]

😅😅😅ich frage mich immer in welche Geschmacksrichtung dieses Funier denn passt? Art kitsch?

[@DIY-AUDIO]

There's hundreds of them. Just being a bit different!!

[@chrisregister8021]

Our ears are curved to create more surface area, I think some sort of speaker could mimic the same principle to produce amazing sound...

[@DIY-AUDIO]

It's a thought, not sure it would work in practice though!! 👍

[@kengrimme420]

The construction of the boxes is great. However, the finish is horrible. Recommend sanding between coats to flatten the ridges and orange peel. On mdf, start with a coat of shellac on the edges, them another coat of shellac to seal the surface. Thoroughly sand with 220 or 320 grit sandpaper. If you don't have a sprayer, try a small foam roller. It will provide a much smoother result. Also, a satin or flat finish would be better, then end with lightly sanding the top coat with 600 grit. If you want a gloss finish, apply a coat of paste wax.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

We're you watching another video? I did seal the MDF, sanded between coats (not all shown on the video because it's boring!!) and applied a wax at the end🤔

[@rikardekvall3433]

@@DIY-AUDIOGreat build. Seen some of your builds and they look so neat. Let’s see if this kengrimme will come up with a better KZbin video soon. He’s got a lot to live up to, complaining about others work.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

@@rikardekvall3433 Thankyou!! 👍

[@PaoloCaminiti]

I don't understand going trough such a building process and not using one of their flagship drivers.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Cost and to prove you don't have to spend a huge amount to have great sound

[@annihilationindustries1990]

man looks great but to me all that work using a Vinal wrap when u could have just used real walnut or plenty of other hard woods .

[@DIY-AUDIO]

It's a real wood veneer not a vinyl wrap!!

[@einarbk885]

the most important rule is to avoid fullrange driver builds at all costs :P

[@DIY-AUDIO]

Hohoho

[@MarkSWilliams27]

I wonder if einarbk885 has ever built anything in his life? @@DIY-AUDIO

[@ryansemplexyz]

There is no audio science out there that proves this "golden ratio" build style is even remotely close to an ideal speaker design. In fact, modern speaker design and audio science suggest that wider flat front bafels such as this create a lower directivity of sound, and an uneven frequency response at varying angles.

[@DIY-AUDIO]

The build was to test a theory. Tbh this sound stage generated is excellent. Far better than I thought it would be!!

[@Fred-ck1gh]

The only thing negative is the finish of the clearcoat, it's awful, brush finish is not suited on this build...

[@DIY-AUDIO]

I end up using a water based clearcoat and it was disappointing but I have the option of sanding and re-doing it!!

[@pissywitspissywits1886]

Mdf massplate softboard layers to kill cabinet resonation, no internal bracing because thats not the golden ratio any more on the in side. looks nice the and result. Greetings from da low lands

[@DIY-AUDIO]

👍

[@alexkay1874]

I hope they sound good cause wow they are Fugly . And to rikardekvall3433 if he is happy to take compliments he should also be able to take criticism and it has nothing to do with whether or not the critic makes videos . Either way it is good for the bottom line as any comment makes KZbin happy 🙂

[@DIY-AUDIO]

And they do sound good!! And as they say, you don't always look at the mantelpiece whilst poking the fire😂😂