| Advice needed for first timers [message #64569] |
Wed, 03 November 2010 05:03  |
ooztuncer
Messages: 2
Registered: November 2010
Location: Ankara, Turkey
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Esquire |
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Hello,
My cousin and I decided to start our own very first diy project. He is a very talented and avid acoustic guitar player, recently graduated from computer engineering and school of music and started his cognitive studies masters degree. Poor me is an old-fashioned civil engineer with very limited electronics knowledge.
Our criteria(s) are:
a) We both want to build something that has great bass response and extension.
b) His priority is around accuracy (especially the timbre) and mine is around soundstage.
c) Personally I don't like clinical sound (I generally listen to music via headphones and just to give an example I prefer sennheiser hd650 or even beyer dt880 to sony sa5000 or ety er4p)
d) We might get professional help (especially on the cabinet builds) but prefer something that is relatively easy to build.
e) Since we are in Turkey it is kind of limited to find good quality mid-fi or hi-fi diy parts, but I have close friends and relatives in US, England and Germany.
f) My source will be either a PC or Onix XCD-88 cd player or Rotel RCC-945 cd player, dac will be stello da100, amp will be either a Rotel RB980BX solid state or Rotel RX-950AX receiver or Denon 2807 receiver or Onix SP3 tube amplifier (with various tubes). We need to buy him some stuff or I will share with what I have currently.
Now, the hard part - please recommend us a model that will satisfy our hunger to build something while fits the above criterias. Are there some designs that will make both of us happy so that we can build 2-pairs!
THANKS in advance,
Onur
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| Re: Advice needed for first timers [message #64584 is a reply to message #64572] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 04:48  |
ooztuncer
Messages: 2
Registered: November 2010
Location: Ankara, Turkey
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Esquire |
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Hello Wayne and thank you for the links. They were really helpful.
Yes you are right that we forgot to include probably one of the most important factors, budget. But, to be totally honest, we have absolutely no idea how much would it cost for the woodwork (so many variables and we don't have any knowledge on the materials, manhour cost, investment needed, etc.).
From the links that you provided and the price information (for kits) on the home page, I am thinking that we could go:
a) 2 Pi bass reflex
b) 2 Pi bass reflex + 3 pi Subwoofer(s)
c) 2 Pi tower
d) 3 Pi bass reflex
e) 3 Pi bass reflex + 3 Pi Subwoofer(s)
Would you please share at least the difficulty levels of building these and their rough materials cost including woodwork (from here or through pm).
Also, which one do you think would be your best bet to fit our requirements/audio equipment in hand.
Probably, we are asking too general questions, but I believe if we learn from the designer, in the end we will be happy campers and our next project will be much more successful.
Thank you again,
Onur
EDIT: forgot to mention about room layouts. We may use it in our offices or one of the rooms in our houses; depends on how they will sound it in the end 
Office rooms are rectangular and around 215 square foot. Rooms in our houses are again rectangular but close to 425-500 square foot. Our listening levels won't be high.
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| Re: Advice needed for first timers [message #64588 is a reply to message #64584] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 10:02 |
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Wayne Parham
Messages: 18723
Registered: January 2001
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Illuminati (33rd Degree) |
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Honestly, the cabinets are very easy to build and materials aren't expensive, at least in America. The wood that's best to use is MDF, and that doesn't cost much. If the cabinets will be moved a lot or used in humid environments, I'd suggest baltic birch instead, which is a little more expensive but still not too bad. The thing that may potentially increase the cost of the cabinets expensive is veneer, which is totally up to you. You can paint the cabinets or use an inexpensive wood veneer and keep your costs down considerably.
That said, if you go with the best option - the three π with upgraded drivers - I think it would probably be appropriate to choose an attactive, high quality veneer and finish. That model is what I would consider to be one of the best speakers available. Here's a review and a photo:
I took that speaker to the Lone Star AudioFest last May and it was very well received. So if you search the internet, you'll find plenty of comments about it.
I would highly recommend using multiple subs, for best results. Not only do they provide additional extension but perhaps more importantly, they smooth room modes. Use two to four for best results.
The two π and two π tower models are much less expensive, and are really in a different class. But they are very satisfying speakers. I personally have two π towers in my bedroom, and I really like them. I use the smaller bookshelf version of the two π speaker for surrounds in my living room.
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