# 2.1 speaker system vs 2-channel



## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

Complete DIY Hi-fi noob here. For building your own speaker system, what are the pros and cons of going with 2.1 speaker system consisting of two nice bookshelf speakers and a sub vs 2-channel system using 3-way speaker towers?

I am worried about the cost, build complexity, tuning complexity, tuning flexibility, and audio quality.


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## hottcakes (Jul 14, 2010)

karma indignias are great. a sub with them definitely fills out the <60hz notes. for casual listening i go sub-less, however when "jamming" i have the sub run for them lower notes and mad dee-beez. 
check out PE for more info on the book shelf speakers. a sub in the garage is pretty much just a sub for low frequencies.

edit: to build the indignia pair is ~$110 plus whatever it costs you to build your own ~.38 cu.ft ported box. audiokarma.org for more info on the build.


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## erknjerk (Dec 24, 2010)

PE Techtalk has a ton of great info.


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## lostthumb (Dec 16, 2005)

If you are a new diy, I recommend making a set of proven design is you are worried about cost. There are many designs out there.

Look up 
murphyblaster productions
zaph audio
rjb audio
diyaudio

I have built a pair of three way tower from rjb audio's and a set of bookshelf speakers from murphyblaster.
I have 2 2 channel systems. For the three way setup (Alpheus MKII) , I feel that I do not need a sub. The bookshelf speakers (CAOWI) are in my bedroom and I run without a sub. They are great for music an tv watching.

I am not an expert but I think a 2.1 system will end up costing more due to having another channel of amplification, another speaker, another cabinet, and more wiring. If you are making bookshelf speakers, you will also need stands.


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## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

hottcakes said:


> karma indignias are great. a sub with them definitely fills out the <60hz notes. for casual listening i go sub-less, however when "jamming" i have the sub run for them lower notes and mad dee-beez.
> check out PE for more info on the book shelf speakers. a sub in the garage is pretty much just a sub for low frequencies.
> 
> edit: to build the indignia pair is ~$110 plus whatever it costs you to build your own ~.38 cu.ft ported box. audiokarma.org for more info on the build.


hottcakes,

I went to PE web site and found their article about Karma Indignias. I like it. I think it's a good starter project. If I don't like their bass, I'll put them into my bedroom for some easy listening. Any ideas, what's a versatile and affordable receiver to power these speakers?


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## hottcakes (Jul 14, 2010)

well the sensitivity is a little low at ~85 db/w, mostly being determined by the woofer. also according to a few posts on audiokarma.org those guys claimed satisfactory results with as little as 30 watts a piece to 100 watts. i've mine powered with a cheap-o Technics(?) amp from a garage sale since my 2.1 receiver crapped out. the old and current one are 100 watts per channel. i'm sure for the price you'll be most satisfied, probably more so than two store bought bookshelves for an equivalent price.


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## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

Do you know if 8-ohm stable receiver is good enough to power these, or whether I need 6-ohm or 4-ohm stable receiver?


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## hottcakes (Jul 14, 2010)

they measure ~6.4 ohms or so. my little amp doesn't have any issues with them. i trust you know the resistance varies. i also had them temporarily hooked up to my main receiver for a while and it did fine running them for a while at a healthy level. i was somewhat worried since i wouldn't have the money to really replace it had they messed it up, but it did just fine and its only 8-ohm stable. the mediocre speakers that came with the thing only read 7.2-ohms. basically, i wouldn't worry about it, but don't hold me to replacing anything should it not work. 
i thought i saw the resistance graph somewhere on that site but there are far too many pages to go through.


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## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

My little understanding about lower ohm loads is that the most important issue is not to overdrive the amplifier. It also probably depends on the amplifier quality. Some brands may have more tolerance than others.

By the way, I have heard that using longer thinner speaker cable in theory should increase the impedance. Would it be possible to use some kind of multimeter to experiment with that? Say start with a relatively long speaker cable, then cut until impedance is approximately 8 ohms? Don't laugh if I ask it wrong.


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