• Welcome to ASR. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Small 2-way speakers with linear on-axis and power response characteristics (Scan Speak and SB Acoustics drivers). H&V off-axis measurements included

I think the bass issue is really just my room and desk. After some room EQ the bass seems fine. Playing some test tones and walking around, there is a large variance in response everywhere. My larger living room is far more forgiving in this aspect. Of course the speaker placement can change this but this is creative music space and I tend to orient in a way that feels better, rather than what is acoustically ideal. I'll just have to live with the rough response for now until I can get some more treatments in here.

Everything sounds pretty balanced at this point. I would like to cut out some rear panels I can screw on and see how that sounds since I will likely be adding subs, maybe just use the PR's for another project like the 3d printed 2 way another user here made recently.
 
a4eaudio said:
Madisound has them.

www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/scan-speak-discovery-h2606/9200-horn-loaded-1-textile-dome-tweeter/
Click to expand...
I was going to order parts to make a set of these here in Canada but it looks like the
Tweeter Scan Speak h26069200
Is still out of stock. Is there a replacement for it that I can get in Canada? Or other US sites?

Also, I have been creeping a bit, but have there been any updates to the design since the review and original components list was made? As I would want to get the most up to date components list.

As it seems like these are the best bang for your buck DIY bookshelf speakers out there for office / smaller rooms if you can use them with a sub. Correct?
 
johnp98 said:
I was going to order parts to make a set of these here in Canada but it looks like the
Tweeter Scan Speak h26069200
Is still out of stock. Is there a replacement for it that I can get in Canada? Or other US sites?

Also, I have been creeping a bit, but have there been any updates to the design since the review and original components list was made? As I would want to get the most up to date components list.

As it seems like these are the best bang for your buck DIY bookshelf speakers out there for office / smaller rooms if you can use them with a sub. Correct?
Click to expand...
www.solen.ca

D2606/9200

Scan-Speak Discovery D2606/9200, 26mm (1in) Silk Dome Tweeter, 6ohm, 104mm Faceplate
www.solen.ca www.solen.ca
 
Last edited:
a4eaudio said:
The only place in the US is Madisound and according to my previous link they are still in stock.
I have bought things from Soundimports in the Netherlands, so depending on shipping it may be cheaper than in the US...they do have 10+ in stock.

https://www.soundimports.eu/en/scan-speak-h2606-920000.html
Click to expand...
Thanks for the information! Disappointing that I can not just order it all here in Canada (can order all but the tweeter). Are there any interchangeable parts or another Canadian option that people have used? Or stuck with that tweeter and needing to look international?
 
johnp98 said:
Thanks for the information! Disappointing that I can not just order it all here in Canada (can order all but the tweeter). Are there any interchangeable parts or another Canadian option that people have used? Or stuck with that tweeter and needing to look international?
Click to expand...
Every tweeter has different specs and electrical characteristics. You would need a different crossover and a redesign from the ground up. No you cannot substitute and get anything like the original design results.
Our nationwide postal strike here in Canada doesn’t help either.
 
Spent a lot of time thinking about how to place things in my room after running into bass issues. I've always had problems figuring where to sit in this space. I've grown to be quite picky, a younger self seemed content being right up on some monitors in a closet but older me prefers some space. I find I don't like to listen or be in small rooms.

Overall just a tricky room dimension wise, it's narrow, long, and one end is open on one side. I weighed my options. I hate how anything sounds if you go all the way into the room, but it would have symmetry in it's reflections. I think that's a bad thing though because it tends to leave me a bass null if I sit center in the room. Would need a massive amount of treatment to make that placement work so I moved on. I could sit facing the long wall, but it sounds a little awkward. If I sit visually center here both speakers measure very close in terms of room interactions, but it's also a poor response, so they're both bad here.

I opted for the end of the room that would leave me the left side open as the only con. It would give me a mismatch of horizontal reflections but also the smallest order of them as the wall to my rear and left are effectively not there. I have enough treatment to throw to my right to kill any reflections I'd get there. I have to say after moving things I'm happy with the sound of the speakers and where I sit seems to satisfy my other criteria of avoiding small spaces. After some corrective EQ my response is about as good as it's going to be and I feel confident to start writing and mixing on the speakers. One thing I noticed about these speakers that differs from some of my others is they sound good everywhere. You can pretty much be any where around them and you get a tonally correct presentation, I guess this is from the great DI.

I had to angle the speakers, partly because my floor seems to be sinking, but also because the speakers are slightly low and I noticed they seemed to be a little picky on vertical sweet spot.

20251007_212852.jpg



Night time shot. In the day, one gets a great view of outdoors onto our deck. There are two other windows in the room that offer pretty poor views as they reveal a tree line. Treatments are an assortment of 4-6". I plan on placing some 6" panels on the ceiling and a few in the ceilings corners. Blanket on the desk serves two purposes, knock off some desk reflections and appease my cats.

Speaking of desks, that's my next project. I hate, hate, hate desk reflections. They just ruin a speaker. But I also like having a platform to sit at and set things on. I have a few ideas I'd like to try and hopefully accomplish some sort of desk that is at least semi-transparent acoustically. I also need to build some new stands because I get reflections off these.


20251007_212354.jpg
 
Gringoaudio1 said:
Every tweeter has different specs and electrical characteristics. You would need a different crossover and a redesign from the ground up. No you cannot substitute and get anything like the original design results.
Click to expand...
A redesign from the ground up? That's not entirely true. That SS isn't so unique.

Find a tweeter with similar specs, including small/shallow waveguide. Maybe https://sbacoustics.com/product/sb26stwgc-4-fabric/ It's also 1", WG & can be crossed below 2kHz.

Just dropping it in as a substitute wouldn't be ideal, but it's worth a try. Chances are, it won't sound identical to the original, but you might get close.

Better would be to measure the new tweeter in the enclosure & use that data to tweak the high pass filter to match the original HF characteristics & blend with woofer. This assumes you have measurement tools & some DIY skills.

You could also ask for help from others in forums like this. Perhaps even the original designer. It's nice to update a design, especially as that tweeter is proving hard to find. (I think it's also a bit long in the tooth.)
 
johnp98 said:
...Are there any interchangeable parts or another Canadian option that people have used? Or stuck with that tweeter and needing to look international?
Click to expand...
There are several Scan-speak Discovery drivers with nearly identical Peerless/Tympany drivers. They are not always drop in replacements but in this case the Peerless looks very close. I don't see Solen carrying, so it may not be available in Canada.


www.parts-express.com

Peerless by Tymphany H26TG45-06 1" Silk Dome Tweeter with Waveguide 6 Ohm

Peerless by Tymphany H26TG45-06 1" Silk Dome Tweeter with Waveguide 6 OhmThe Tymphany H26TG45-06 features a treated silk dome and horn loaded faceplate, making it an efficient and natural sounding tweeter suitable for high efficiency speaker designs. Thanks to a damped rear chamber lowering the...
www.parts-express.com
 
Ktacos said:
Spent a lot of time thinking about how to place things in my room after running into bass issues. I've always had problems figuring where to sit in this space. I've grown to be quite picky, a younger self seemed content being right up on some monitors in a closet but older me prefers some space. I find I don't like to listen or be in small rooms.

Overall just a tricky room dimension wise, it's narrow, long, and one end is open on one side. I weighed my options. I hate how anything sounds if you go all the way into the room, but it would have symmetry in it's reflections. I think that's a bad thing though because it tends to leave me a bass null if I sit center in the room. Would need a massive amount of treatment to make that placement work so I moved on. I could sit facing the long wall, but it sounds a little awkward. If I sit visually center here both speakers measure very close in terms of room interactions, but it's also a poor response, so they're both bad here.

I opted for the end of the room that would leave me the left side open as the only con. It would give me a mismatch of horizontal reflections but also the smallest order of them as the wall to my rear and left are effectively not there. I have enough treatment to throw to my right to kill any reflections I'd get there. I have to say after moving things I'm happy with the sound of the speakers and where I sit seems to satisfy my other criteria of avoiding small spaces. After some corrective EQ my response is about as good as it's going to be and I feel confident to start writing and mixing on the speakers. One thing I noticed about these speakers that differs from some of my others is they sound good everywhere. You can pretty much be any where around them and you get a tonally correct presentation, I guess this is from the great DI.

I had to angle the speakers, partly because my floor seems to be sinking, but also because the speakers are slightly low and I noticed they seemed to be a little picky on vertical sweet spot.

View attachment 481305


Night time shot. In the day, one gets a great view of outdoors onto our deck. There are two other windows in the room that offer pretty poor views as they reveal a tree line. Treatments are an assortment of 4-6". I plan on placing some 6" panels on the ceiling and a few in the ceilings corners. Blanket on the desk serves two purposes, knock off some desk reflections and appease my cats.

Speaking of desks, that's my next project. I hate, hate, hate desk reflections. They just ruin a speaker. But I also like having a platform to sit at and set things on. I have a few ideas I'd like to try and hopefully accomplish some sort of desk that is at least semi-transparent acoustically. I also need to build some new stands because I get reflections off these.


View attachment 481306
Click to expand...
Let me just quote the first sentences of the chapter 'Below the Trasition Frequency: Acoustical Events and Perception' of the book 'Sound Reproduction' by Floyd E. Toole: '"Small rooms" are notorious for bad bass. Sustained bass notes fluctuate in level as they change frequency. Bass transients "boom" and lacks the tightnes that can be experienced in live performences. All of this audible characteristics come an go as one moves aroud the room, or sits in different seats'
You put a lot of effort into getting the situation under control, and I hope you succeeded.
 
mikessi said:
It's nice to update a design, especially as that tweeter is proving hard to find.
Click to expand...
A Mechano version with a Dayton tweeter is available (link), and there is even a 3-way version in the same small enclosure (link).
 
XMechanik said:
A Mechano version with a Dayton tweeter is available (link), and there is even a 3-way version in the same small enclosure (link).
Click to expand...
Interesting! I was working on a tiny desktop (4L) speaker with Dayton drivers ND25 and TCP115. The main compromize is probably the ability to play loud; I suspect distortion will kick in at ~90 and sensitivity is low ~79. (Ignore to zobel, I was just messing about). I just couldn't get that directivity wrinkle out, but it's small.

1760043706648.png


Actually looking at you crossover you have it ~3.5K. I tried going hgher and directivity flattened out. Thank you for sharing your designs. I find them very educational.

1760044341494.png
 
Last edited:
XMechanik said:
You put a lot of effort into getting the situation under control, and I hope you succeeded.
Click to expand...

Satisfaction should really just be a matter of budget and more treatment, I think that's a pretty good position to be in.
 
Ik arc analysis. I have an older version and may buy the hardware unit. I have to say the results do sound quite nice, perhaps a bit nicer than other suites I've tried. I can generate my own correction filters but I just don't feel like bothering anymore, not as much free time as I used to have. Not sure how accurate that filled in low end is but it does sound balanced and like nothing is missing or boomy.

room eq.png
 
Mr.Christiee said:
How would they differ/compare to the Mechano23 performance?
Click to expand...
Both Dayton-based designs have a bit more low end extesion at slightly lower usable SPL and lower sensitivity (Dayton drivers used have 8 ohm nominal impedance comparing to 4ohm Mechano23).
There are few more advantages for 3-way design (Mechano325): lower distorsions in midrange, better controlled port emissions, PIR and Sound Power slopes closer to the reccomended levels (at cost of some rise in the highest octave).
Unfortunately my tweeters copies used in 3-way (ND28F-6) appear to have some dicrepancy so the L and R characteristic differ a bit (up to 2dB)
 
If you happen to be in Warsaw in the next few days, there is a big audio event here called Audio Video Show (link).
Courtesy of diyaudio.pl forum, Mechano23 will be part of their exhibition at the Radisson Blu Sobieski, room 414.

[edit Oct27]:
M23_AVS25.png
 
Last edited:
It took me couple of months (well, few hours within couple of months), but the wood part is nearly over.
It's not perfectly done (I'm not a manual guy, but I'm still picky), but it's done well enough.

It's more a message for those who are newbies, like me.
Others will be like : :facepalm::eek::rolleyes:

My first mistake has been to try to lower the cost of the router and bits (knowing that the chance of using them ever again is very unlikely)
Aliexpress Router (45 USD), bits sold with it.
My initial testings were fine on MDF. Perfect holes. Perfect depth.
But plywood is much harder than MDF.
So the router and its bits were strugling, ruined some wood.
I bought a tool to make circles, but as the router was struggling, it quickly broke.
Bought a second one, which also broke after I finished the tweeter holes.
The router itself was bad, but so was its plastic case : setup for a 5mm depth, after few seconds, it was 10, sometimes more.

I finally bought a more expensive router (Bosch), better bits, and made my own circle tools using plywood.
And it was much easier.
The only big downside of my own router circle tool, is that I can't make small holes.
Hopefully, I only had the woofer holes left, to make.
Bought a 45mm hole saw to make the hole at the back.
I have painted both front sides in white, more to mask wood filler I had to use, than for an aesthetic reason.

Now, the crossover.
See you in 2026. :cool:

PS : anyone could tell me what size the crossover board should be ?
Or even better, if I can buy two boards for the crossover somewhere ?
 

Attachments

  • 20251025_214305.jpg
    20251025_214305.jpg
    173.7 KB · Views: 91
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

K
Simple Inexpensive Passive 2-way with Dayton and SB drivers.
2 3
Replies
42
Views
5K
Ktacos
K
Back
Top Bottom