For the heck of it a couple of year back I decide that I wanted to build a pair of DIY speakers. I had a couple of goals:
...
The hunt was then on for a suitable speaker design.
I had previously done a couple my own speaker designs using Harris Tech's Crossover Pro and Bass Box Pro software that turned out OK. But given my goal of high-quality I decided for a a design by an expert. After much searching looking kits at Madison, Meniscus, Parts Express, etc., I decided on Zaph Audio's ZRT 'Zaph Revelator Towers'. See ... http://www.zaphaudio.com/ZRT.htmlr
The ZRT's are small towers utilizing high quality Scan-Speak drivers, namely:
The specs looked good. The frequency response and distortion graphs per the Zaph Audio look like this ...
On-axis measured response:
Measured far-field harmonic distortion:
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The drivers and completed crossovers were (and are) available from Madisound. I selected the Goertz 14 ga. copper foil inductors upgrade. ...
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2-way-speaker-kits/zaph|audio-zrt-2-way-revelator-tower-parts-only-pair/
Zaph Audio designed the ZRT's for Madison's MD38T tower speaker enclosure, 1.33 cu.ft. However this enclosure is no longer available. Since I don't have access to a table saw, I looked for a close pre-fab alternative. This turned out to be Parts Express' Denovo Audio Knock-Down MDF 1.16 cu. ft. Tower Cabinet. Since this cabinet is a little smaller than the originally intended 1.33 cu.ft., I used Bass Box Pro to calculated a different vent length for the smaller volume. I glued an extra 1/4" of MDF to the front of the baffle to make it a full 1" thick.
Since fine cabinet finishing isn't one of my talents, I decided to use a simple painted finish on the MDF. I used a latex flat finish paint and dress the surface with carnauba automobile wax. I fabricated the black cabinet bases myself ...
These nearly finished pictures don't show the Part Express Acousta-Stuf Polyfill used to moderately pack the lowest section of each cabinet.
I don't have the equipment to properly test the final result, but it sounds great to me. The ZRT's are more transparent than the Maggies and have slightly better articulated bass ...
- The new speakers must capable of high quality sound, and
- They must be less imposing than my then current Magneplanar MG 1.6QR panel speakers
...
The hunt was then on for a suitable speaker design.
I had previously done a couple my own speaker designs using Harris Tech's Crossover Pro and Bass Box Pro software that turned out OK. But given my goal of high-quality I decided for a a design by an expert. After much searching looking kits at Madison, Meniscus, Parts Express, etc., I decided on Zaph Audio's ZRT 'Zaph Revelator Towers'. See ... http://www.zaphaudio.com/ZRT.htmlr
The ZRT's are small towers utilizing high quality Scan-Speak drivers, namely:
- Illuminator D3004/6600 AirCirc Tweeter Textile Dome, and
- ScanSpeak Revelator 18W/8531G-00 7" Mid Woofer 8 ohm
The specs looked good. The frequency response and distortion graphs per the Zaph Audio look like this ...
On-axis measured response:
Measured far-field harmonic distortion:
The drivers and completed crossovers were (and are) available from Madisound. I selected the Goertz 14 ga. copper foil inductors upgrade. ...
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/2-way-speaker-kits/zaph|audio-zrt-2-way-revelator-tower-parts-only-pair/
Zaph Audio designed the ZRT's for Madison's MD38T tower speaker enclosure, 1.33 cu.ft. However this enclosure is no longer available. Since I don't have access to a table saw, I looked for a close pre-fab alternative. This turned out to be Parts Express' Denovo Audio Knock-Down MDF 1.16 cu. ft. Tower Cabinet. Since this cabinet is a little smaller than the originally intended 1.33 cu.ft., I used Bass Box Pro to calculated a different vent length for the smaller volume. I glued an extra 1/4" of MDF to the front of the baffle to make it a full 1" thick.
Since fine cabinet finishing isn't one of my talents, I decided to use a simple painted finish on the MDF. I used a latex flat finish paint and dress the surface with carnauba automobile wax. I fabricated the black cabinet bases myself ...
These nearly finished pictures don't show the Part Express Acousta-Stuf Polyfill used to moderately pack the lowest section of each cabinet.
I don't have the equipment to properly test the final result, but it sounds great to me. The ZRT's are more transparent than the Maggies and have slightly better articulated bass ...
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