# ucf52's TriTrix MTM TL Build Log



## UCF52

First time DIY home speaker project... should be fun!!



I went ahead and finished one of the crossovers this evening. Went surprisingly smooth!


Pics:









































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Please please please, reply with any constructive criticism you may have throughout this build. I'm here to learn along the way, so I would appreciate any tips or any "I would have done it like this" remarks.


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## AudioAmbiance

Way to go on embarking on building your own speakers! I'm sure you'll have lots of questions along the way. Take your time, do your research, and ASK QUESTIONS! 

Are you planning to use these primarily for home theater or music or both?

Looking at your crossovers, you've done a great job isolating and positioning the coils. For future builds or just FYI, I can offer a few things that I've picked up along the way...

When making your solder connections, try to get the components twisted or compressed around each other as tightly as possible before soldering. I overlap about a 1/4" then use needlenose pliers to twist them as tightly as possible without distorting or breaking the leads. This assures the best possible connection. You can also use crimps (without insulation) to compress the leads. This is similar to a "cold weld" connection. I also use brass ring terminals for the inputs and wire them directly to the speaker binding posts inside the cabinet when I can. Looking at the ideal scenario, you don't want anything in the signal path that doesn't need to be there. I'm sure you'll be ok with your connection blocks for this build. Also, as you build more revealing speakers, you'll want to experiment with capacitors and resistors and then lastly coils. Sonicaps are definitely my favorite, and if you really want to get the most of out them, you can take a Gen I and bypass it with a .01uF platinum. It's expensive, but when you're building to that level, you will appreciate the difference. Finally, the sandcast resistors are the entry level. Eagle resistors are a nice improvement and Mills are the best. You'll mostly hear the difference in the tweeter. It will have a bit more sibilance, may be a little more harsh and just will not resolve the details in cymbals, etc. Now, this is nit-picking and again, you'll notice it more as you progress into the more revealing speakers. 

Great job, and keep at it. I still have the first pair of speakers I built. I'm now using them as surrounds in my HT. The very first time I played them I was so excited and nervous. The sound fell WAY short of my expectations, something just wasn't right. I went up to them and it turns out I missed a connection in the chain going to one of the tweeters! After getting over the embarrassment and fixing the speaker, they actually turned out pretty good. 

Good luck!


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## UCF52

I finished the second crossover last night. Just waiting on some final supplies and I'll start construction on the cabinets. 

I also powered up the receiver - started to get comfortable with all of the features (even though I've read the manual twice, lol). 




AudioAmbiance said:


> Way to go on embarking on building your own speakers! I'm sure you'll have lots of questions along the way. Take your time, do your research, and ASK QUESTIONS!


Thanks! I have a couple threads over on PartsExpress TechTalk forum, and am getting some good feedback. 



AudioAmbiance said:


> Are you planning to use these primarily for home theater or music or both?


For the time being, I will be using these as Left/Right (mains) for my TV (movies), and for music. Hopefully sooner rather than later I'll be adding a sub woofer.

Eventually I will remove the drivers from the TL cabinets and build matching (sealed) L/C/R and MT surrounds. 

I bought the kit with the knock downs (CNC'd) so I could simplify my first build and because I won't have a sub woofer right off the bat. 



AudioAmbiance said:


> Looking at your crossovers, you've done a great job isolating and positioning the coils. For future builds or just FYI, I can offer a few things that I've picked up along the way...
> 
> When making your solder connections, try to get the components twisted or compressed around each other as tightly as possible before soldering. I overlap about a 1/4" then use needlenose pliers to twist them as tightly as possible without distorting or breaking the leads. This assures the best possible connection. You can also use crimps (without insulation) to compress the leads. This is similar to a "cold weld" connection.


Wow, I wish I knew this before I made them (doh!). This was my first time soldering (besides soldering over a crimped connection) and it was a mess :blush: :blush: . I'll have to remember this for next time, this would have made it much easier. 



AudioAmbiance said:


> I also use brass ring terminals for the inputs and wire them directly to the speaker binding posts inside the cabinet when I can. Looking at the ideal scenario, you don't want anything in the signal path that doesn't need to be there. I'm sure you'll be ok with your connection blocks for this build.


Interesting! I like that idea. 

I won't be mounting them inside the cabinets though. This being my first DIY crossover, I want them to be located in a place where I can get to them easily if service is necessary. I'm thinking of mounting them in the bases (that I'll fabricate). 



AudioAmbiance said:


> Also, as you build more revealing speakers, you'll want to experiment with capacitors and resistors and then lastly coils. Sonicaps are definitely my favorite, and if you really want to get the most of out them, you can take a Gen I and bypass it with a .01uF platinum. It's expensive, but when you're building to that level, you will appreciate the difference. Finally, the sandcast resistors are the entry level. Eagle resistors are a nice improvement and Mills are the best. You'll mostly hear the difference in the tweeter. It will have a bit more sibilance, may be a little more harsh and just will not resolve the details in cymbals, etc. Now, this is nit-picking and again, you'll notice it more as you progress into the more revealing speakers.


This is the kind of stuff I really want to learn and understand. Any recommended books or articles that kind of breakdown the DIY loudspeaker? Are those loudspeaker cookbooks essentially that?

(You can see why I went with a boxed DIY kit  )



AudioAmbiance said:


> Great job, and keep at it. I still have the first pair of speakers I built. I'm now using them as surrounds in my HT. The very first time I played them I was so excited and nervous. The sound fell WAY short of my expectations, something just wasn't right. I went up to them and it turns out I missed a connection in the chain going to one of the tweeters! After getting over the embarrassment and fixing the speaker, they actually turned out pretty good.
> 
> Good luck!


Good stuff! I'm pretty excited to get this things some power. I just hope I don't do something stupid like wire a woofer out of phase or miss a connection   . I'm sure I will :laugh:


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## morepower

Subscribed!!
I definitely need a new set of house speakers, why not just build them!!!


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## UCF52

morepower said:


> Subscribed!!
> I definitely need a new set of house speakers, why not just build them!!!


Agreed!

I've read nothing but fantastic things about this kit!


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## AudioAmbiance

The cookbooks are great for theory. But, just like anything else, you learn the most when you read about it, then dive in and start doing it. The biggest advice I can give is to keep researching and asking what others are doing. AudioAsylum and AudioCircle are good forums as well. As you progress with your designs and thoughts, keep one thing in mind as you ask others for their opinion: Their opinion is based on what they know today. Ten years ago, I know what I would've told you sounded good. Today, that's quite different. All in all, it's still my opinion and I've always been happy with what I have built until I experienced otherwise. To do better now, I can't imagine what I'd have to spend, there's definitely a point of diminishing returns. So, it's time to focus on other projects until I think I need better.

Learn all you can about the theory, do your homework, then think about your next weakest link.


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## UCF52

AudioAmbiance said:


> The cookbooks are great for theory. But, just like anything else, you learn the most when you read about it, then dive in and start doing it. The biggest advice I can give is to keep researching and asking what others are doing. AudioAsylum and AudioCircle are good forums as well. As you progress with your designs and thoughts, keep one thing in mind as you ask others for their opinion: Their opinion is based on what they know today. Ten years ago, I know what I would've told you sounded good. Today, that's quite different. All in all, it's still my opinion and I've always been happy with what I have built until I experienced otherwise. To do better now, I can't imagine what I'd have to spend, there's definitely a point of diminishing returns. So, it's time to focus on other projects until I think I need better.
> 
> Learn all you can about the theory, do your homework, then think about your next weakest link.


Excellent post, thank you!


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## UCF52

I got started on one of the cabinets this evening. I halted construction at this point until I can get the internal wiring in and situated.


Snapped a few pics. Nothing all that exciting. 
































Finished crossovers, AVR (Sony 3500ES).
























75' of 1/4" Techflex - heat shrink















I'd prefer to use one of these woofers (at least for now) as opposed to purchasing a new one. I'd like to get familiar with what kind of responses I'd like in the home environment. I know large and low-tuned is typically the best for theater, but I think I'm going to try and compromise for 50/50 stereo/movies. I'll toy around with something I already have before I start making purchases. 














Dayton drivers
































Kind of a busy weekend ahead of me, but I'm going to try and fine time to get cabinet wiring finished and cabinets constructed - not finished though.


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## UCF52

Yes, I'm working inside so I can watch the Stanley Cup playoffs


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## UCF52

I'm still not sure how I'm going to incorporate the bases. I did some quick MS Paint sketches... didn't feel like busting out the Sketch-Up skills 

I'm almost certain I'm going to house the crossovers in the bases with removable bottoms so I can service them if needed. Any ideas on designs? Keep in mind I have ZERO familiarity with anything home theater, so I'm really not sure what looks appropriate, and what doesn't... any help would be great!


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## UCF52

Did a quick sketch of what I have in my head. (accidentally saved them as a JPEG, as opposed to a PNG, oh well, they'll suffice).

Very close to scale.

The cabinets will sit 2" or so deep in the bases, so no permanent mount is necessary. This leaves me the opportunity to change the bases if I don't like them.

The rest of the base will house the crossover with a removable bottom plate for any necessary service.

The cabinet and base both have vertical round over (.5")










































Thoughts?


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## UCF52

Images to help you visualize what I'm talking about for the base.

The cabinet will sit in the recession (that's curved). The bottom part (with the 90 degree cutout) will be where the back plate will attach. The crossover will be mounted on the back plate. 4 bolts, removes the back plate, drops the crossover out of the base - service can be performed.





















Flipped - bottom POV


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## UCF52

New rendering...


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## UCF52

Okay, well I was able to finish up constriction on one cabinet (sans the base).


All of the wiring has been made, so construction on the second cabinet should only take an hour or so. 

Here are some pics (poor photography skills - beware):


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## UCF52

Next step will be the design and construction of the bases. For now, I'm going to make a fairly simple square base - the cabinet will sit a few inches into the base, so I can make new ones if I don't like the look of these.

I'm going to sketch them up in Sketch-Up... post renderings a little later.


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## UCF52

Sketched up a base (to scale). Pretty simple - I plan on using threaded inserts for the bottom of the base (where the crossover is attached) for removing/replacing. 4 supports for the platform that will hold the cabinet. Entirely constructed using 3/4" MDF.

My only gripe is the height of the base - the added 2" of 'pocket' space for the cabinet to 'sink' into is pretty much the culprit. 

If I decide I like the look that the base provide I plan on taking the assembled base (crossover/bottom plate removed) and, using a table saw, trimming the 2" of height that makes up the pocket as well as the support plate. I can then add a single piece of MDF on top to 'cap' it off and create a solid mounting plate for the cabinet. This would also allow me to easily incorporate a round over the to all vertical edges. This is most likely what I'm going to do, but would rather try a reversible option to begin with.


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## ajw2685

I just ordered this same kit this morning. I saved the pictures of your crossovers to use as a reference for mine. THANKS!

Did your kit come with the hurricane nut thing-a-ma-jigs? The guy that built the kit in the Parts Express You-Tube video used them as well. I did not add any to my cart...  Should I order some as well or did they come in the kit?


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## UCF52

ajw2685 said:


> I just ordered this same kit this morning. I saved the pictures of your crossovers to use as a reference for mine. THANKS!


haha, nice! I wish I had the same for added security as it seems I couldn't find a single overhead shot of the crossovers before I built mine. 



ajw2685 said:


> Did your kit come with the hurricane nut thing-a-ma-jigs? The guy that built the kit in the Parts Express You-Tube video used them as well. I did not add any to my cart...  Should I order some as well or did they come in the kit?


Yeah, the kit comes with them. I wasn't sure either, but I figured I may as well wait and see - they do.

Although, the bolts they came with have a weird <insert correct word> - the part where the tool is used to screw them in. It's not a typical hex bolt. I'm going to pick some better ones up at home depot for sure. These are a bit cheap. 



Let me know if you have any questions. It's a pretty straightforward build - the YouTube vids definitely make it a breeze!


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## ajw2685

Thanks for the clarification! 

The screws included in the kit are security allen head screws. You need the following part from PE:

Parts-Express.com:5/32" Security Allen Type Bit 2" | security allen allen head hex screwdriver tools torx nut driver phillips head security hex


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## UCF52

Rendering - cabinets with 'drop-in' bases















ajw2685 said:


> Thanks for the clarification!
> 
> The screws included in the kit are security allen head screws. You need the following part from PE:
> 
> Parts-Express.com:5/32" Security Allen Type Bit 2" | security allen allen head hex screwdriver tools torx nut driver phillips head security hex


Doh! I wish PE could of included that or at the very list flag it as a 'necessary item' for the kit. Oh well. I may just pick up some hex bolts at the local hardware store. It's 8 bucks to have that security allen thingy shipped here. That's probably what I'd spend in hex bolts anyways... plus they'll 'look' better, in my opinion of course.


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## UCF52

Second base option - I like it more - sleeker, and the 1/2" round over.

It can me made from the original, 'drop-in', square base you see below for comparison. I may just start with the square bases and modify them to the slender/round over style base if/when I feel the urge.


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## 2500hd

Dang that kit is such a good deal!

For your bases, it seems you prefer a lower/slimmer design, I would suggest only setting the towers in about a half inch and only go up as much as you need for the x-over. Basically the same design, just shorter walls. That way you could have a sleeker image, say like a 3 or 4 inch base. And do the roundover on the whole tower/base setup. 

How do you plan to finish them?


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## UCF52

2500hd said:


> Dang that kit is such a good deal!


Yeah, I really wanted to dive into the DIY-home audio, and after all my research this seemed like a perfect beginners project.



2500hd said:


> For your bases, it seems you prefer a lower/slimmer design, I would suggest only setting the towers in about a half inch and only go up as much as you need for the x-over. Basically the same design, just shorter walls. That way you could have a sleeker image, say like a 3 or 4 inch base. And do the roundover on the whole tower/base setup.


I actually think I'm going to skip the 'temporary' bases design altogether and go straight for the 'sleeker' design right away... I mean, I know that's what I'm going to end up with, so I may as well avoid the extra work and just go ahead and do it. 



2500hd said:


> How do you plan to finish them?


At first I was planning on doing a very forgiving finish, like a hammered or textured paint - and my vinyl/veneer skills are non-existent.

But, I think I'm going to go ahead and give piano black a shot. It'll probably take weeks of prep-work, as it should, but I'd rather do this and spend a little extra time to finish it the way I really want to, as opposed to just giving in to the easy/forgiving route.


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## chad

LOL, don't you find texflexing and shrinking internal wiring a bit...ummm.... excessive?


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## UCF52

chad said:


> LOL, don't you find texflexing and shrinking internal wiring a bit...ummm.... excessive?


Absolutely! 

But I like doing it... dressing wire is a part of why I like this hobby... plus it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside


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## chad

Dressing my barbies makes me feel warm and fuzzy. You should see my new line of duct-tape barbie bikinis!


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## UCF52

chad said:


> Dressing my barbies makes me feel warm and fuzzy. You should see my new line of duct-tape barbie bikinis!


pics..?


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## chad

Britney barbie hanging in her flame outfit on the desk lamp 

She has a neo magnet drilled into her ass that allows her to pole-dance on console lighting driven by a coil under the doghouse of a mixing console


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## UCF52

BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Touche sir, touche.


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## the other hated guy

The devil is in the details brother....

speaking of the details... were did you get those labels?



chad said:


> LOL, don't you find texflexing and shrinking internal wiring a bit...ummm.... excessive?


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## chad

the other hated guy said:


> were did you get those labels?


he made a deal with the devil


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## UCF52

the other hated guy said:


> The devil is in the details brother....
> 
> speaking of the details... were did you get those labels?


Printed them from MS Word - font = calibri, size = 11 or 12

Cut them down to size.

Placed them over black heat shrink, heat shrinked on top of the paper labels with clear heat shrink.



chad said:


> he made a deal with the devil


:laugh:


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