Book Suggestion for HT Design

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

I would love to give this a shot... now where to find active Xovers for home audio... hmm...

$250 gets you the Behringer DCX2496 digital crossover.

$120 gets you a Beringer very limited analog crossover, but good enough to get

your hands dirty.

$40 gets you a car audio crossover that requires an AC to DC adapter, but

you can make it work.

You can skew those numbers around by changing brands, but that is the

general price range. You don't need $500 - $3000 crossovers to get started.

I'm not afraid to use the $250 digital crossover in the most expensive design

either.

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

Haha, well you know you should really sell your speakers then. Reason being if you can make something better than a team of engineers with millions of $$$$$ to play with then you must be the shit. Unless of course you want that thing called volume.

Random thoughts.

*I'm not interested in starting a business to manufacturer and sell product.

*If you like my audio style, then you will love my speaker ideas, if not then

you won't.

*Team of engineers with $$$ to spend doesn't guarantee results. To prove this,

go audition every loudspeaker and tell them they are all great, so great

that you will replace your current setup.... doesn't work that way, you chose

your loudspeaker based on listening tests right? A winner was chosen for your budget. If you chose your loudspeaker, not by listening, but by marketing influences and assumptions that there is nothing better, then that is the wrong

method.

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

You would hope the guys who build nuclear bombs read up a little before they started building wouldn't you???

This analogy is wrong as there is no absolutes in human perception of audio.

Bombs are absolute, they all go kabooom.... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I'm just not a fan of the propaganda and think people should be educated right and that there is more than "does that shit bump" or does it just sound ok. There is more than just throwing a speaker in a box and getting lucky there is knowing why it works.

I think we should just agree to disagree....On about everything…..

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

I'm just not a fan of the propaganda and think people should be educated right and that there is more than "does that shit bump" or does it just sound ok. There is more than just throwing a speaker in a box and getting lucky there is knowing why it works.
I think we should just agree to disagree....On about everything…..

You can use option 2 to accellerate the learning and still use option 1

as a foundation, but there is instant satsifaction when you do #2 {lol}.

Do you want to read a book for a year to learn how to work on a car engine

or do you want to take it apart instantly and get your hands greasy?

You can still learn theory, but there is more satisfaction when the wrench

is in your hand.

In the industry that I work in, what appears to be a smart engineer is really

not if that person has no hands on experience. Book worms are not

productive in this line of business. My friend has a MSEE and can't design

a simple circuit to turn on an LED much less design something interesting, yet

he spent 7 years getting that degree. I can tell you more stories, but the clever

folks are the ones working with stuff and managing both variables well.

If I was hiring people for a stereo business, I'd hire car audio guys because

car audio involves alot of hands on DIY. I wouldn't hire some punk out of school

with a degree that never seen an amp.

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

except option 1 is $40 right now, which is all I have for at least a couple months... I'd def go for option 2 once I have some more cash

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

Option 3 - no money down {lol}

Go to every audio store and audition music familar to you, ideally play the same

CD over and over again. If you have to drive far to hit up the high end stores then

do so. Take notes on each system, examine the speakers, driver types used, and

take notes on how much watts was running the system. Calibrate your brain and get

burn't out on listening to store bought loudspeakers.

Crossroads;

1. If you find loudspeakers that totally satisfy you and they are in reach pricewise,

then stop right here and just buy store bought. Don't pass GO and collect

the $200 DIY prize money.

2. If you can't find something awesome within your price range, then your

only choice is to learn to DIY speakers, but it takes some time to get the hang

of it, I'd say maybe 3 months if you follow my lead assuming you have your

'test bench' setup and an R&D budget for driver samples.

Last, there is woodworking tools and skills that need attention

also.

 

[req 5,000+ posts]

Buy the book, and learn then you can make a good loudspeaker system.
You would hope the guys who build nuclear bombs read up a little before they started building wouldn't you???

but you really have to remember, the word "entrepreneur" does not mean "to start a buisness that makes the best product possible", it means "somone who organizes a buisness, takes a risk, invests his\her money, in order to make the best profit possible."

so you have take in account, these companies are trying to make money off you for their billions of dollars spent. the people who make nuclear do not work to supply a customer, they work for the government, and failure\error is not an option.

otherwise, boston acoustics would be making awesome speakers that you would use, wouldnt they?

this kid wants to learn, and he does not have a lot of money, and thats what HT companies want. money.

what you need to do man, is get the book, and read it. and if you can, and if THY wants to - talk to him too. the more info you can gather in your brain from mutiple sources, and then apply to real situations is what matters.

a compliment of HANDS ON WORK and THEORY are what REAL engineering is about.

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I was just trying to say that reading the book is a good place to start to get a good knowlage of things. Then get your hands dirty. It's not about making money. It's about knowlage.

 

[thylantyr 10+ year member]

Make sure you bring this DVD when you audition store product.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0008KLVXC/qid=1146201009/sr=11-1/ref=sr_11_1/103-6102134-0162232?n=130

Empties the room quickly so you have it all to yourself.

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

Option 3 - no money down {lol}
Go to every audio store and audition music familar to you, ideally play the same

CD over and over again. If you have to drive far to hit up the high end stores then

do so. Take notes on each system, examine the speakers, driver types used, and

take notes on how much watts was running the system. Calibrate your brain and get

burn't out on listening to store bought loudspeakers.

Crossroads;

1. If you find loudspeakers that totally satisfy you and they are in reach pricewise,

then stop right here and just buy store bought. Don't pass GO and collect

the $200 DIY prize money.

2. If you can't find something awesome within your price range, then your

only choice is to learn to DIY speakers, but it takes some time to get the hang

of it, I'd say maybe 3 months if you follow my lead assuming you have your

'test bench' setup and an R&D budget for driver samples.

Last, there is woodworking tools and skills that need attention

also.

I'd go broke driving to portland