# Building a 5.1 system as a wedding gift...need help



## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

One of my good friends is getting married in March and I'm building him a 5.1 system as a wedding gift. They just bought a house and he asked me for it because he wanted one for the house and he knew that was what I was into.

So here is the deal. I need to build a set of medium size towers, a center, two satellites to be hung on a wall or small shelf, and a sub. I don't want to buy ScanSpeak stuff but I'd like this system to be the only 5.1 system he'd need for a VERY long time. So quality is key. He doesn't need a Shiva X in 4.3 cubes either. He likes bass but I think a sealed 12 with some good power should be more than enough.

So where to begin? I honestly don't know dick about crossover design and baffle step stuff (I've got a book and I'm learning) so I'll need help from the veterans here. 

Here are some things I'll ask from the beginning to start this in the right direction. I feel like the towers should have some authority but the system will have a sub. Should I go with 8's in the towers or 6.5's? If I go with 6.5's should I do dual 6.5's? There are so many options I honestly don't know where to begin. I'm like a kid in a candy shop; I've always wanted to build a system like this and now I have the excuse to go crazy and do it.

I recently heard a dipol arrangement that used two Peerless 8" woofers (nomex cone) and a Vifa XT25BG60-04 ring dome tweeter. It was sex. I loved it. I'm thinking about making the towers similar to the TriTrix or some other horn alignment. 

Give me some ideas guys. I'm really going to need everyone's help on this.


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## Inferno333 (Mar 29, 2006)

I would follow one of the builds on DIYaudio.com or zaphaudio.com.

You wouldn't have to get so involved in the design process and you could focus on construction and finish work.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Inferno333 said:


> I would follow one of the builds on DIYaudio.com or zaphaudio.com.
> 
> You wouldn't have to get so involved in the design process and you could focus on construction and finish work.


I suppose I could but that would take all the fun out of making something new and unique.


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## JediMentality (May 7, 2008)

ItalynStylion said:


> ... I recently heard a dipol arrangement that used two Peerless 8" woofers (nomex cone) and a Vifa XT25BG60-04 ring dome tweeter. It was sex. I loved it. I'm thinking about making the towers similar to the TriTrix or some other horn alignment.


Can't really help you, but do by chance have a link to this build (if there is one of course)?


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

Inferno333 said:


> I would follow one of the builds on DIYaudio.com or zaphaudio.com.
> 
> You wouldn't have to get so involved in the design process and you could focus on construction and finish work.


x2. Designing x-over networks from scratch seems like a VERY daunting task.

I would think to build it ‘right’ you’d really need to work out the details and you’d have to have a good setup to experiment with this (pull your active headunit out of the car as your x-over, and run to a test amp, maybe).

I understand wanting to start fresh, but I’d follow the advice above and look into the DIY designs that are available on diyaduio, zaph, or madisound. 

My $.02.

What kind of budget do you have? I can’t believe you forgot that! (‘not scanspeak prices’ is not a good quantifier!)


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

$700-800 I'm thinking. I came up with that number budgeting $50 per tweeter, and $50 per midbass driver assuming there is 2 in each tower, two in the center, and 1 in each surround.

The dipol I hear the Vifa and the Peerless in was here...Metasearch Search Engine - Search.com


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

^Looks like a weird link but I promise it's clean.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Autiophile said:


> New and unique might be great for your use and tinkering, but most people just want something that works well. Anything DIY is pretty damned unique in the general audio arena.


True I know....

I found the Elsinore project that looked very cool till I saw the price tag associated with the parts kit....$2k 

Elsinore Speakers DIY


I like it though. If I could use a single or dual 8" setup instead of a quad 6.5 alignment that would save some money on the cost of drivers.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

I wouldn't be opposed to replicating a documented build as long as it was something that really fit the bill. Where can I find some more of these? I didn't like the ones on Zaph.


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## Inferno333 (Mar 29, 2006)

Also check out the builds on Partsexpress.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Inferno333 said:


> Also check out the builds on Partsexpress.


I did but I think I might have found the one I might go with. Zalytron has a great kit/build that uses Axon drivers. If I get the 5 speaker kit they will even take 10% off for an out the door price of $680. Check the link, do you think I could do better than that?
untitled


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Here are some pictures of the design shots. Looks like a pretty nice kit with decent efficiency. The rears are a little deep for what I'm going for though. I wonder if I'd be able to change the design of the rears to make them shallower.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Autiophile said:


> HTGuide Forum - Missions Accomplished!
> 
> Some good stuff in there.


Oh man....there is TONS of cool stuff in there!


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## Inferno333 (Mar 29, 2006)

Bamm!


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Have you considered using full-range single driver towers? 
The Spawn Family of Double Horns

They might be a good option if he has a quality amp to power them. They usually only require 10-15w of power to sound amazing and since you'll be mating them to a sub anyway there shouldn't be any issues regarding lack of bass.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Most of the stuff I'm finding in there uses 4 or more drivers in each speaker. That would get expensive quickly I think. The only design that really looked like it would fit the budget is the TriTrix which is what I was sort of looking at before. That wont work for rears though.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

chuyler1 said:


> Have you considered using full-range single driver towers?
> The Spawn Family of Double Horns
> 
> They might be a good option if he has a quality amp to power them. They usually only require 10-15w of power to sound amazing and since you'll be mating them to a sub anyway there shouldn't be any issues regarding lack of bass.


I think that might not be an option considering xmax might be a factor in a HT application. But, I do like the horn style enclosures.

I when to Curt Campell's web site and found a bunch of other goodies on there too. I like the Triune TL design since it's cheaper to build and there is a center channel version for it and also rears. So far it's either that design or the Axom kit from Zalytron.


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

With a crossover blocking 50-80Hz appropriately, XMAX doesn't become much of a factor, and the full-rangers can get pretty loud. I haven't tried mine in a HT setup but they definitely rock out my bedroom.
More reading...
diyAudio Forums - Full Range Home Theater - Page 1


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## pontiacbird (Dec 29, 2006)

Right tower drivers = 2 midwoofers ($50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 150
Center Channel = 2 midwoofers (50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 150
Left tower drivers = 2 midwoofers ($50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 150

Right Rear surround = 1 midwoofer ($50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 100
Left Rear surround = 1 midwoofer ($50) + 1 tweet ($50)  = 100

Total $ for drivers $650

$150 for cabinets is a gross understatement....i'd say almost $600 for cabinets....

i didn't even include a subwoofer or receiver etc....



You may have to make this a 'budget' HT....which i think is still doable and you will have a VERY nice finished product.....

seems like an expensive wedding gift, say the least.....you are a good friend lol



I currently have the Dayton BR-1S as my main speakers, and the Dayton center channel and surround speakers...for the relatively budget cost, it is very nice....requires level matching, but that is about it....


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

pontiacbird said:


> Right tower drivers = 2 midwoofers ($50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 150
> Center Channel = 2 midwoofers (50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 150
> Left tower drivers = 2 midwoofers ($50) + 1 tweet ($50) = 150
> 
> ...


600 for cabinets? How do you figure? I'd be making these myself out of MDF.

Regardless, I just spoke with Elliot at Zalytron and I think I might be going with a kind of custom kit from them. I can get all the drivers and crossover components from them for $900 shipped which is a little over my budget but it's using all Focal drivers. And yeah....I'm into that 

I think I might do that after I give it some thought. I would need to build the enclosures and wire the crossovers to the schematics that they will provide. It sounds damn good to me. I know I'll still have to build a sub and I'm more than capable to get that done.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

^ by toppled do you mean horizontal?


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

Autiophile said:


> Yes I do


Forgive me father....for I have sinned. And will sin again because it's geometrically easier.


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## Ga foo 88 (Dec 18, 2005)

I would agree with the full range comment, try it. Maybe you could do all css fr125s with the two towers being BIBS or one of the spawn family, and the rest being BRs. Maybe even use the dipole fr125s design.

check out the homebrew speaker project thread stickied at the the top of this forum. 

Im interested in the alpair 5/ sdx 7 combo.... on the css website. You could run three of those (just stand the center up right) and the fr125s in the rear.


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## Oliver (Jun 25, 2007)

ItalynStylion said:


> 600 for cabinets? How do you figure? I'd be making these myself out of MDF.
> 
> Regardless, I just spoke with Elliot at Zalytron and I think I might be going with a kind of custom kit from them. I can get all the drivers and crossover components from them for $900 shipped which is a little over my budget but it's using all Focal drivers. And yeah....I'm into that
> 
> I think I might do that after I give it some thought. I would need to build the enclosures and wire the crossovers to the schematics that they will provide. It sounds damn good to me. I know I'll still have to build a sub and I'm more than capable to get that done.


I'm liking this choice


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## chuyler1 (Apr 10, 2006)

Ga foo 88 said:


> check out the homebrew speaker project thread stickied at the the top of this forum.


Got a link? I don't see any stickies.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

a$$hole said:


> I'm liking this choice


It sounds like a winner to me. I'm still mulling things over and I have to figure out exactly what he wants. He thinks he's paying for all and I'm just doing the work for free. I'm actually going to pay for half of it without him knowing. He said his budget is about $1000 so that will work for sure.



chuyler1 said:


> Got a link? I don't see any stickies.


Yeah, I don't see any stickies either...?


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## Ga foo 88 (Dec 18, 2005)

haha that sticky is on the SSA Forums: , my mistake Its got several links of the basic full range sites and plans available. Its in the home audio sections ofcourse at the top.


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## critofur (Jan 6, 2008)

ItalynStylion said:


> Forgive me father....for I have sinned. And will sin again because it's geometrically easier.


Ha, but usually, when you sin, it's at least pleasant.  What we are saying is, don't put your MTM on it's side, because it won't sound "just right" if you're sitting to either side of it. Unless, you've got an MTM with close C-T-C spacing and/or (preferably and) a low crossover between the mid/woofers and the tweeter.


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## ItalynStylion (May 3, 2008)

I ended up solving that problem in a totally different manner. Full range speakers.


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## turbo5upra (Oct 3, 2008)

you should keep the speakers in the same family, I swapped out a pair of dipoles for matching dipoles (to my front stage), just having matching timbre made a huge change for the better. try doing a test tone and note the change in tonal qualities.




Autiophile said:


> You don't have to match the rears to the fronts. In fact, I'd look at a dipole for the rears anyway so just go down whatever road you want for L-C-R.
> 
> 
> (toppled MTM is a sin)


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