How to Build $3000 Speakers for $500 - Soundstage 15
Тәжірибелік нұсқаулар және стиль
How to build a Pa Speaker? A lot of people are asking that, and they should. Take the JBL SRX815, it is close to $3,000 a pair. In this video, How to build a PA speaker, I wonder if I can design and build a similar PA speaker for closer to $500. If I can, that would be an insane value! So come along and watch how to build a PA a speaker, as I show you how I designed it. And see how close I got to my $500 mark.
Soundstage 15 Speaker Plans: toidsdiyaudio.com/product/pa-...
Parts Used:
15" woofer: parts-express.sjv.io/3PnB5A
Compression Tweeter: parts-express.sjv.io/4ebzkG
Waveguide: parts-express.sjv.io/QO9m2a
Port: parts-express.sjv.io/qnQM1n
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Пікірлер: 401
Finished mine several weeks ago. They are mainly going to be used for an outdoor theater space, however I was able to do some listening indoors for a few days. They sound amazing. I am amazed with how good the compression drivers sound. Also listening to several tracks of Victor Wooten which is primarily bass guitar, I am in love. I have a cousin that plays bass and have heard many hours of practice. While the sheer output can't match dedicated powered bass towers, the sound is reproduced better than any other tower I have owned. If I ever have the space to rebuild my home theater room, after having several children I had to disassemble the space I was using, I will definitely build a few more. Thanks again Toid.
@Toid
Жыл бұрын
I appreciate it. I'm glad you're enjoying them!
Great build, thank you for sharing.
15 months later and both the woofer and compression driver have gone up *fifty percent* in price. While the wave guide has *doubled* in price. Holy smokes.
@tvtime1505
Жыл бұрын
Joe Biden's regime. $$$ Killing the middle class.
@UltraNuggz
6 ай бұрын
As of Jan 7 2024, woofer went from $150 to $200, tweeter from $50 to $80!, and waveguide from $9.73 to $18.98 (Dbl)!!. So from $210 - $300 per speaker or 70% increase ... my salary in 3 years- 6%. I'm sure crossover components and wood supplies have doubled as well; kind of knocks the fun from DIY projects doesn't it? Glad others are getting rich.
@BlankBlankerson-py3ms
4 ай бұрын
@@UltraNuggz I was planning on building this, really love it.. but in Europe these woofers now cost 341.55 Dollars... each... So that would be almost 700 $ just for the woofers... Tweeters are another 100 per piece...makes no sense...
@BlankBlankerson-py3ms
4 ай бұрын
Just calculated that the price of just buying the materials for these, it would be more expensive than a brand new pair of Klipsch RP 8000F II delievered to my door....Just to buy the materials.... This makes no sense....
I came across your channel at the right time, I just started my DIY Audio journey.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Excellent! Feel free to join us on the forum. www.toidsdiyaudio.com/community
Thanks for making the vid man. Inspired me. 👍🤘
Ok, now you need to build the "Soundstage 12". Love these builds Toids.
Good call on that blue, looks like the big JBL 4343 Studio Monitors back in the 70s
Well done. I also like Parts Express :)
Sooo welllll doneee! Love your work, could you please do a classic cerwin vega clone? Something like the at-15, 380se, or d9
He is really a genius saving us so much money i would love to see his point of view on Concert Speakers or Line Arrays or Studio Monitor loudspeakers similar to ATC or Genelec farfield monitors 🙏🏾 PLEASE
Nice! Appreciate the content. Helpful performance tip; utilize a "window" brace, instead of individual pieces. Significantly better bracing. Plus quieting the cabinet is really key with panel sizes like those... as only slight panel motion creates unwanted output.
Awesome video! I think I'll take you up on this one! Thanks & Cheers!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Here's the report from the guy who I built the speakers for: "They're great! Love them! I wasn't an audiophile before but I think I'm turning into one now! Listening to music now is more enjoyable than I thought possible, I can "see" the music now. Karaoke is on a whole new level now too! I love the clarity of the sound they produce, no discomfort to the ears. You don't realize how loud they are until you try to talk to someone because the purity of the sound is so clean."
@fullwaverecked
9 ай бұрын
@@ToidI still haven't gotten around to this project as I'm in a small apartment, but I did score a pair of JBL-L56s for $13.00 buckaroos at a local thrift shop. My question: As the Not Foam rubber like surrounds are intact/completely still there with some minor separation, can I dab a bit of white glue to hold everything in place until I get the kit to refurb properly? It will all be removed anyway... Any advice regarding would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
There's something about a large diameter light cone strong motor mid woofer that brings music to life. In the spirit of big beautiful vintage JBL studio monitors, I'm running a DIY 4-way (18", 15", big radial horns and ring/slot tweeters) actively multiamped system with crossover points at 100, 800, and 6k... stunning!
@callmebigpapa
3 жыл бұрын
I totally agree, I am running jbl 4345 clones and the large mid is amazing.
@naturalverities
3 жыл бұрын
@@callmebigpapa too cool! Anywhere I can go to see more details of your project? I'm working on posting mine somewhere, including sound clips if I can get around copyright rules.
Thanks for the get back! That would be cool!
Hey,good subject! I have been designing/building small British style mini monitors for 25 years.goal: to achieve the incredible midrange/seamlessness/soundstage of the Quad ESL 57's.Succeded! I now have been building/upgrading horn designed types.(Klipsch Belle's Heresy's,JBL Mi 632A's,EV Marquis,etc....) Quality old school drivers ( EV tweeters, compression drivers,with alnico JBL cast frame woofers seems to be a marriage made in heaven!!) I love creating great sound for a fraction of the going price for substandard components.
Always educational watching you builds man... love it. Really looking forward to doing some more diy vs kit builds in the future once I get some more time. Keep up the great work!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I appreciate it.
@josealfredfernandes
3 жыл бұрын
@@Toid Hey brother. What do you say about DIY 1. Danley J5 caleb 2. Danley TH812 SUBWOOFER 3. Mccauley m421 SUBWOOFER 4. Bose MB24 WR SUBWOOFER Btw, you won a subscriber. Would really appreciate if you look into my requests for possible plans & crossovers. Note: please use Faital Pro drivers.
Pro speakers can be Really good for home use. My current build is a mix of JBL STX825 (wave guide) , JBL MD2 (HF driver) and JBL M2 (LF driver) :)
Thanks for the knowledge
Great Video! Loved it!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
Nice build👍
Wow!!! Awsome job!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much 😀
Nice build...! For outdoor theater use however I'd have probably gone with birch ply, rounded off those edges and cover the whole thing with white duratex dyed to my chosen colour and put on with a fine finish foam roller. And put a mesh screen on the inside end of those vents :-)
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Great points!
Great video!
Money saving is must in Corona pandamic..nice 👍 creations bro ..a great clone of JBL speaker....I like it very much..love you from India 🇮🇳 proudly
I agee the price of audio systems is extreme.I realize why, marketing, in store to sell the size, the name brand carriers weight, packaging etc.I think it's wonderful that you can build your designs.Keep up the good work.Just discovered your post.Good luck in your future endeavors.
@alxdava2004
3 жыл бұрын
The prices are not extreme. There's people that have wages, pay taxes, they have insurance etc. The quality is also very good and the fabrication process is long and complicated. Transportation is also a costly part, especially when you need something from abroad or even from another continent.
@el34glo59
2 жыл бұрын
Yeah they are. And what's sad is you open some of these expensive soeakesa up and they're made like shit
Nice job. Could you share how much power they handle. And the db output at different power settings. I want to build. My amp has 500 watts. Thanks for sharing this speaker build. Do more. Good stuff.
Like this project a lot. I will probably build it. The link you posted for the woofer takes me to a 7" Esoteric speaker. You may want to check that link.
Just found your channel, awesome videos! Subscribed! Have you ever thought of tackling recreating a set of KLIPSCH LaScala? That would be a great build.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
I have been considering it. Recently I did the Klipsch KL-650 THX. So maybe the LaScala might be a future option. I've also been considering their cinema series. Designed for commercial theaters
Nice Video !!
My mentor in the high end audio industry told me klipsch uses dirt cheap components but they sound good because they are really really good at engineering
Good on you for doing a 15". It's about the sweet spot woofer size for 'life sized' output at reference levels in a residential environment. Was so glad to NOT see yet another "surprising bass output from such a small driver" design.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you. I will have out a smaller version that should be really good for music and double as a nice surround speaker. It'll use a 10 in woofer and a compression driver.
@TimpBizkit
2 жыл бұрын
I've done pretty well using 12" drivers.
@jamegumb7298
2 жыл бұрын
@@Toid A bit smaller for on my desktop would be nice. And then I can put 2 in the back too.
Excellent. I've been eyeballing that woofer since it was first released.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
It's a great woofer. I really love it! Very versatile. In fact, I use one in my living room as a dedicated home theater subwoofer. kzread.info/dash/bejne/aZuhppKGYLjPYNo.html
@firecloud77
3 жыл бұрын
@@Toid Very nice. I've been meaning to build some PA subwoofers for quite some time and connect two of them in parallel. And this is the very driver I was considering. So many projects, so little time!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
@@firecloud77 I hear that! 😁
Exactly what I was looking for!
HI! Your build looks amazing! Do you know if its able to handle high bass Psytrance for partys? I mean i would build an subwoofer too. I want to make partys in small rooms for like 40-100 people. I will probably buy the guide and let the speakers and chassis grow by like 25% to make them a bit more powerfull. I love the build, best regards, Max.
Great job
Great video !! Build was awesome . Hey @toid Diy Audio , have you ever built a tower speaker like the Polk audio monitor 70 series 2 ? That's a awesome speaker too. What you do is amazing ! Love your work .
@mr.blackhawk142
2 жыл бұрын
WHO love his work???
Sir, excellent on you for building these! I realize the finish or visual appeal was not your goal with these, however some simple steps will significantly improve the finish. Use a sanding sealer on all the MDF...2 coats with a brush, sanding in between coats with 320 grit. Prime with 2 coats, sanding each coat with 320 grit. If you are not spraying the finish coat of paint, use a foam roller. 3 coats sanding in between with 320 grit. 3 coats of poly, sanding in between with 320 grit. Its not complicated, just requires some patience. Make them look as good as they sound.
@miheadhurts
2 жыл бұрын
You're right, I think he knew that he would be moving them on and didn't want to spend the time on them. I'm looking at building a CSS Audio kit and want the front panel to be gloss white and the rest in timber veneer. I'll follow your tips. 👍
I’d love to see how these measure to the real ones. Great build
Nice job men
I noticed that the original uses two triangular ports so that the woofer mounts much lower on the baffle and acts as a crossbrace to boot. Seems like a better way to go, but a bit harder to make without a table saw.
thanks for share! this video is a "guide" for refference ! XD ! I have two "empty" boxes of Sony Genezi speakers, I will install in them a new pair of JBL replacing the damaged OEM Sony speakers, still I'm thinking if install JBL or Cerwin Vega, just the speaker or to install the speaker+tweeter+crossover to have the box complete as "new". of course same Ohms, similar Wattage, and for home audio non demanding.
*Very great video. Would like more of it.* ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I have a JBL 4341Studio monitor. It's also very good.
Nick, did you happen to model the volume for a full range box? I'm wondering about extending the cabinet into a tower, and what the low end capability of the Dayton would be. Thanks.
Another good choice for this cabinet would be the Dayton PA380. 👍
Thank you very much. Im ready to build mine. What amp would you recomend for them?
Very interesting build! Do any of you think 50 watts could drive these well?
Great work! - Keep the videos coming.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Thank you! And don't worry they will keep coming 😁
Hey been watching your videos for the past whole year . Can you please make studio monitors like yamaha hs5 or 8 or KRK rokit 5's . Would love to build that .
I have a set of GEMSOUND speakers id like to do a very similar upgrade to, but you didnt show the crossover however. The GEMs have an 18"LF, 3x7" MF and an array of 5 supertweeters. I simply want to start with getting a proper 3 way xover in there and a set of horns. Great work BTW, good stuff!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
thank you. All the crossover information is in the plans which are linked in the description
very cool stuff!... go redsox!!!!
Best sound 👍🏻
Thank you so much!!! I dont have any money to buy ): i am going to build Now thanks to you (:
Thanks!
Oh man I'd really like to build these they look sweet. The only thing holding me back from ordering the plans is the price of Dayton audio stuff around here (Netherlands). If you take into account the currency conversion it's almost twice as expensive. Eminence however, is almost the same over here. Strange huh?, since I believe they're both manufactured in USA. Anyway keep the vids coming man, awesome as always! Greetings
@quinxx12
2 жыл бұрын
I ordered the parts for one of these speakers at parts-express USA and even though the shipping costs (to Switzerland) were horrendous, the total price for a single box was around 500 euros.
Hey man, incredible build! Do you think they are suitable for a little home club/dj-booth?
Great video, train of thought, smartly organized, the weight thing . . . like with the DIYSDG F-15's - when the CD weighed more than the 15" driver- WHAAAT?!? very cool work
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Haha, isn't that something else? It's crazy to think about. Thanks for the compliment on the video.
simply amazing build !!!! 😊 but what about beaming and cone breakup that's common with large woofers in a two way speaker....
@xxxYYZxxx
Жыл бұрын
The ideal xover point on a speaker like this is where the woofer matches the 90 horizontal dispersion of the waveguide, which is around 1.25khz on a 15" woofer I think, making all frequencies above the xover point uniform in the horizontal plane.
In the case of individual speaker wattages, how do you pair speakers as such? Example being a "60 watt tweeter" and a "300 watt" woofer, let's also say that their sensitivity is 100db each How do you know if their output will be close etc.. thanks!
Hi! love this :) Is there an advantage of using the horns tweeters with that woofer? Or can I have a similar set up but with Ribbon tweeters instead?
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
The horn tweets give it quite a few advantages with this particular build. And give it a really wide sound stage while maintaining a very high sensitivity. Which means you don't need to push it very much, which makes it a very dynamic speaker.
Hi, super nice video, love to see how the thinking process is through this project. Talking about JBL.......i always LOVED the old 70's and 80's very big JBL HiFi speakers, the 43xx seties with big 15" woofers, remember the deeeep bas (west cost sound) these fantastic speakers coug giv with the big soft 15 woofers. Any chance that you would try to build a clone of such a vintage JBL studio monitor for hifi?..... I was always wondering what characterize these highend 12 and 15 inc JBL woofers especially for hifi, and if there are cheaper alternatives to them out there?
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Maybe in the future. You never know what I'm going to do next. In fact I don't even know what I'm going to do next. But it definitely sounds like a cool build
@martinolesen9930
3 жыл бұрын
@@Toid thanks for the answer...:-), yes, JBL just did some awsome cool speakers back then......the JBL43xx series...15 inch woofers....big horns....and the studio monitor look........i just love it!........but maybe i am just a nostalgig....
Can you do one with the faital pro 8pr200 and a compression driver with a 1.2-1.3khz crossover ? :P Really want to build these for sides, backs, and heights. And a MTM verticle for LCR with the same driver, with an f3 of ~70hz.
Estupendo proyecto compañero....Pero algunas dudas que tengo....¿no sería interesante hacer una prueba de sonido?.....¿no he visto que haya rellenado el interior del habitáculo de espuma adsorbente acústico?....También creo que para la potencia de ese subwoofer las paredes del recinto no tienen el grosor necesario.....Tampoco he podido ver los filtros o crossover de dicho altavoz......Un saludo cordial compañero.......
Hey I'm just getting into the whole crossover design and what components do what. What did you use for these?
1:35 oh hey, made in brazil, didn't expect that
Mate, I'm starting to gather components to buy your course and to build this system. What amplifier/receiver will they work with? Tnx!
Hi Toids, sorry for asking again: What speaker design you designed is best for a Highfi stereo setup? I don’t have room for full movie setup. A subwoofer or bank shacking experience that would be oke 😆
Hi. Is there any speaker you would recommend that could keep up with the DIYSG Titan 818? DIY of course.
Hey I was wondering if you have some diagram or something of the speaker response over the 10 khz? ( Im not sure where does the one in the video go to ). I am interested in using these horns for some home hifi listening with these waveguides and hf drivers, they say it goes up to 20 khz, but I dont know the exact response with this waveguide. And in your opinion does it do a good job of staying clear to the top in both party listening levels and very low levels like midnight listening and such, or would you add an aditional supertweeter to it for everyday cinema and music use (maybe horn or a ribbon one).
Interesting please try a similar with midhorn design
Would it alter the sound appreciably to build these as a tower, with the lower portion completely sealed from the upper cabinet?
Very awesome. May I ask how much was your C&C machine and how much do you sell that flat pack for??🙏🙏
Awesome video! I'd love to see a DIY DynAudio Heritage Special type speaker. I'd love to own a pair because they sound amazing but they come at a hefty price point. I'm really interested to see how you would approach such a project.
@tallpaull9367
2 жыл бұрын
check out CSS Audio and GR-Research kits
@EricDSalisbury
2 жыл бұрын
@@tallpaull9367 I've seen them. They have some very good ones.
bass midrange you use is more 3 way speakers. You can use 2 inch drivers but they are not always as good at the brightest frequencies
Measuring phase is pretty important when making a crossover. Comparing the independent frequency responses does not account for constructive/destructive interferences that are inherent to different drivers with different natural phase slopes.
Hi Toid's, What is the best speaker design you have? 1) For a high fidelity stereo setup in my main sitting room (full range sound) 2) For my recreation room, sleeping area and shed 3) A subwoofer, where would you add these and what design would be best (in your humble opinion :-)
Would that woofer ring really be enough support? I'm genuinely asking. I understand it's ultimately thicker but still only glued to that thin piece of mdf. Wouldn't making a double baffle be much more rigid? Would lose some internal volume but maybe just add some or account for it with increased port size, so the frequency response says the same? Really great video!
I'm wondering if you can make hy-end Active Studio Monitors like PMC IB1SAIII or Neuman kh 310, Adam's etc..
I’ve ordered your plans. What I would really like to build is the Klipsch Cornwall. You could call it the Pornwall, lol. IMHO I think you would sell a tone of Plans. My last build was the Voigt pipe, that turned out amazing. Thank You for your hard work. I’m off to get some more Baltic Birch plywood !!!
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Oh man that is an excellent idea. I'll have to look into it. I'd love to see the finished product when you're done. Feel free to email me some pictures or put them on the forum. I'll make sure to repost them on Instagram as well. I love seeing what other people do.
@tomsteger1
3 жыл бұрын
+1000 for this idea!!
@kenb4911
2 жыл бұрын
Great! Design a Cornwall on steroids!!!
Hey which plate amp would. you choose for this as an active setup. 800W should not be enough according to the specs of the woofer which already can take 800W RMS alone.
Would it been have possible to buy the same model jbl woofer? Just curious if it’s even possible to get your hands on one. Thanks!
I was inspired by your project and was looking at using the LAVOCE WAF153.00 which is also a 15 inch woofer but the calculated box volume (in WinISD)comes in at 5.4 cubic foot which is vastly different from your box. Why is it so different or have I got it completely wrong ?
These look impressive, though their power capability and sensitiveity quite high, I wonder how they would perform on a low power 20watt class a amplifier. Any thoughts would be great.
@el34glo59
2 жыл бұрын
Probably greatly. They're sensitive
Did you wire the drivers in phase? It looks like the effective roll off of the woofer is close to third order even though electrically second order.
Dude, u are like a speaker genius Obie 1 Konobi. Can that be interchanged with any Klipsch horn tweeters and speakers as well?
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Haha, thank you! Really these are designed to use these specific drivers. I have to say these have the best soundstage out of any speaker that I've designed. In fact any speaker that I've heard for that matter. They are really special speakers for two-channel music listening.
I like, will this be a good studio monitor?
"Econowave" DIY speakers is pretty much the same thing. It's based on a Klipsch Heresy floorstander. For what is spent on building a pair, there's nothing on the retail market that even comes close. Or for double or triple the cost, for that matter.
How much do the crossover parts cost approximately ? I am thinking of building these speakers but need to calculate the cost. Would be great if you could give me a clue.
whats the power output for the speaker ? and what type of amplifier do you need for it?
How about off axis response ? Can it be used as a Hifi System ?
I'm thinking of doing this to a pair of HPM-60 that the previous owner cut 12 inch car audio subwoofers into the 11 inch holes...the only hiccup would be the original woofers are 6 ohm...so all new cabinets, but keep all the old internals and buy new 15 woofers.
Super inspiring, Thanks for the tips! Not happy with the price and performance of top industry standard speakers, I am interested in building something in between the soundstage 15 and the orange Klipsch 10" 2 way videos you posted. Looking to build some powerful pole mount 12" two way speakers I can use for vinyl performances in smaller venues and at home (pair with a compact 15" sub for the extra low.) Do you have any examples or recommendation for 12" 2 way? Something punchy, clean sounding and not too heavy? looking to get 40-20khrz if possible . Looking at dayton audio odium apollo 12" neo and selenium tweeter. Originally I was looking at archived builds by B&C but very expensive and complicated. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thank you for these great videos!!
@Toid
11 ай бұрын
I don’t currently have any recommendations. I am later this year going to design a two way with a 12” that will e similar to the Cornwall. However, that might be more than you’re wanting to spend. I’m guessing around 1k for the pair.
Would the tweeter you used work for a TR125 pa speaker
I appreciate your build videos that model high end products. It provides the budget conscious viewers and diyers with the opportunity to enjoy quality audio. What are your thoughts on build a powered PA system? is there a plate amplifier that would be ideal to go along with components you used for this build?
Just a tip from a very experienced speaker builder. You should always support those horn drivers. I couldn't see in the video if you did but what happens if you don't is if they ever take a hard hit or a drop it will break your horn.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Great tip!
@redbull8661
3 жыл бұрын
@@Toid thank you! Great video and I like that you braced your box. I've never understood why a lot of premade pro boxes don't do that. I mostly build custom PA boxes for some well known touring companies and I always brace the hell out of mine. There's a noticeable difference and when you're flying a lot of cabinets you definitely need the extra support too.
Did the tweeter end up wired in the same phase as the woofer or inverted?
Great! Love your work, best channel for DIYers ever! I've been playing with WinSD for vented projects, but I am confused what the port length means when specifying two ports instead of one. Does the figure displayed means that each one of the ports should be of that length, or that the total length of both parts should be this figure? Thanks.
@Toid
3 жыл бұрын
Great question. It means each port should be whatever the figured length is in WinISD. SO if it says 2 ports 3" diameter 12" long. It mean both 3" both need to be 12" long.
I made a flip 6 killer for 64 2mwith Dayton audio 30 watt driver @12v
Do a video showing your outdoors movie theater!
Hi man i have build speaker only ones in my life. Not really successful. I have used 4-chennel car amplifier with 6in. sub (sensitivity < 80) and 2 full range speakers 4'" 91db. sensitivity each (100-20kHz). But i got a problem LF and HF drivers didn't play in compliance. I could arrange them by amp gains but they still was playing with different loudness on different volume. Why did it happen?