Low-cost DIY practice/coffeehouse tweeterless 110 [long]

[KevInDaBassment]

You don't want to go too cheap. Just sayin'

Neo prices have raised since this post was made, that driver in the original post jumped substantially. Perhaps I didn't phrase it correctly, but neo isn't a necessity for me which is what I meant by a "cheaper driver".

...I also use the Eminence Beta 10CX - $74.99 at Parts Express. They both sound great. I would focus on the best price to get one of these speakers instead of trying to find a cheaper speaker.

That is what I would consider a "cheaper driver" since it's less than the current price of the neo driver that the OP had in his original post. I've had good luck with Eminence woofers so I wouldn't plan on using anything else.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Neo prices have raised since this post was made, that driver in the original post jumped substantially. Perhaps I didn't phrase it correctly, but neo isn't a necessity for me which is what I meant by a "cheaper driver".



That is what I would consider a "cheaper driver" since it's less than the current price of the neo driver that the OP had in his original post. I've had good luck with Eminence woofers so I wouldn't plan on using anything else.

I was thinking like $25

 

[Woodstockz]

Neo prices have raised since this post was made, that driver in the original post jumped substantially. Perhaps I didn't phrase it correctly, but neo isn't a necessity for me which is what I meant by a "cheaper driver".

That is what I would consider a "cheaper driver" since it's less than the current price of the neo driver that the OP had in his original post. I've had good luck with Eminence woofers so I wouldn't plan on using anything else.

You must have missed the post by Duke, the OP, that suggested the Beta 10CX "reasonable alternative to the now-expensive S2010". That's OK, it is a long thread and easy to miss. Since you asked for something cheaper, I thought that you wanted something even cheaper than that.

I'm sure that most people would be happy with the Beta 10 CX in their 110 build.

 

[Woodstockz]

Have you ever actually used the 10CX with a working mid/tweet? I'm curious how it works out. I toyed with the idea but buying the woofer, horn and crossover started getting expensive fairly quickly. On a lark, I'd be more curious how it worked with the 12CX anyway. For the cost it seems it would have more utility. Damn it, next I'll be firing up WinISD and a spreadsheet. I already have too many unfinished projects.

KO

Yeah, I have too many projects too. I'm trying to finish the ones in progress before I start any more.

I have all the parts - 10CX, crossover, tweeter. I don't have the tweeter connected yet, just using it to fill the hole in the CX for now. I don't have anything to report about the tweet yet, just that the CX works well. It performs like the S2010 and sounds like the S2010 to my ears.

Looking at the magnets is kind of weird. When I first saw the tiny neo magnet on the S2010, I wondered if I could get any sound out of it. I knew that I could, but it was my first neo. I had just gotten used to looking at the tiny neo, then I see this huge magnet with a hole in the middle on the CX.

Hey, I saw your video posted above. I have a similar trio - guitar, bass, percussion. Pretty cool - Keep it small. I can see where you are coming from now that I have seen your group. I don't want to derail this thread and go out on a tangent, but you can PM me for more details on my application and how you might use it.

 

[DJ Bebop]

You must have missed the post by Duke, the OP, that suggested the Beta 10CX "reasonable alternative to the now-expensive S2010". That's OK, it is a long thread and easy to miss. Since you asked for something cheaper, I thought that you wanted something even cheaper than that.

I'm sure that most people would be happy with the Beta 10 CX in their 110 build.

Yes, when this thing started rolling. I got my money together to do the build but,
I made the misstep of also at that time of looking at my local Craigs List and finding an old Dave Eden CX110 for a $100,
and it seem like it needed a home. I think it has a similar type of speaker in it (you all may know better than me).
Glad I save it. The guy thought it was about trashed. All it really needed was some attention, everything was loose on it.
The speaker, crossover and, handle. Tighten everything up, sounds as good as the day it was born

 

[KevInDaBassment]

You must have missed the post by Duke, the OP, that suggested the Beta 10CX "reasonable alternative to the now-expensive S2010". That's OK, it is a long thread and easy to miss. Since you asked for something cheaper, I thought that you wanted something even cheaper than that.

I'm sure that most people would be happy with the Beta 10 CX in their 110 build.

Guilty as charged

Yes, it was a long thread to read through lol. Would the regular Beta do fine or is the -CX a must on this build?

 

[kraigo]

The Beta 10 and the Beta 10CX are VERY different creatures. The CX is a must for the box specified. The Beta 10 is designed for lower frequencies and larger boxes.

KO

 

[kraigo]

How many of you that built these used T-Nuts to mount the speaker vs. just screwing into the MDF? My first cab was destroyed because I got a couple of spinners that just ate the cab up. The good news is that I'll use that cab to practice all of my cuts before going to the two remaining cabs and I have a better idea of how I'm going to mark things out this time, but still, I'd like to not buy another cab and still get a pair out of this, since I have all of the parts.

I've only built plywood cabs before. I'd never seen a T-Nut rip up a cab like that.

KO

 

[1n3]

My first cab was destroyed because I got a couple of spinners that just ate the cab up...

Before you throw that cab away, you might wanna try setting the t-nuts in the MDF with epoxy (taking care to keep the threads clear). If the gaps are large, and/or your epoxy is runny, you can mix a little sawdust in.

 

[kraigo]

Thanks. I'm happy to have the "destroyed" cab to do practice runs on in any case. I took _A LOT_ of MDF out with those spinners. I don't have an alternative need for that cab, assuming the two remaining go more smoothly than the initial run did.

KO

 

[Woodstockz]

Thanks. I'm happy to have the "destroyed" cab to do practice runs on in any case. I took _A LOT_ of MDF out with those spinners. I don't have an alternative need for that cab, assuming the two remaining go more smoothly than the initial run did.

KO

Glue and skewers may save your cab. Just rotate your speaker a little and drill your new holes in a different place. You may have done these things already, but I think it would help if everyone lists their techniques.

- I used to use channel locks to crimp the T-nut into the wood, but now I use c-clamps. The channel locks chewed into the wood. C-Clamps don't.
- 1n3 uses epoxy to hold the T-nut in place. Construction adhesive also works. Same result.
- I use all Allen head machine screws instead of Phillips head. Finesse and torque only to install them, never pushing down.
- I use screws that are a little longer than needed so that I can start them easily by hand, without pushing down on the T-nut. It's OK if they stick out the back a little.
- If I get a spinner, I use a flat tipped screw driver to pry the screw head up and make the T-nut catch. That way, I can take it out and re-set the T-nut.

This works well for me. If anyone has more tips, that would be great.

 

[MX21]

I glued 1" squares of 1/2" birch ply where the screws come through. I didn't trust the MDF to hold screws or T-Nuts.

 

[kraigo]

I glued 1" squares of 1/2" birch ply where the screws come through. I didn't trust the MDF to hold screws or T-Nuts.

Not a bad way to go about it. They could probably be considerably smaller than 1"x1". One could use a 1" diameter hole saw since you want a hole in the center anyway. 1/4" thick would probably suffice as well. But very good food for thought.

KO

 

[MX21]

You can see what I did in posts #186 - #197 of this thread, where I show my construction. I also used pieces for backing the handle, since it holds even more load.

 

[Woodstockz]

You can see what I did in posts #186 - #197 of this thread, where I show my construction. I also used pieces for backing the handle, since it holds even more load.

Adding backing is a great idea. That gets me thinking. Going further, if you want to get fancy, you can add a ring behind the speaker mount, then route around the original hole, and then flush mount the speaker.

 

[MX21]

Adding backing is a great idea. That gets me thinking. Going further, if you want to get fancy, you can add a ring behind the speaker mount, then route around the original hole, and then flush mount the speaker.

You certainly could. Of course, the original benefit of the TB-110 was that it could be built with a ready-made box and wouldn't require much/any woodworking.

Not that it stopped me from building one entirely from scratch using the original dimensions.

 

[ko stradivarius]

Not like its the old price but there's an S2010 on ebay for $112 shipped right now. I was going to build one of these but just put down a payment on a couple of fearful cabs.

 

[Wes Whitmore]

The $112 is legit. Fast shipper too.

 

[George Mann]

I found a driver that may or may not work in the box in question. Take a look.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[kraigo]

Since I was down on the machine with WinISD on it and the driver model was handy, I took a look.

The positive is that the whizzer cone in the B102 would help a ton with the top end.

Another positive is that the B102 (not a BP102 - totally different creatures) seems to be not allergic to the small vented box.

In the box used in this project the B102 starts to drop off at 500 Hz, but pretty slowly. F3 is at 83 Hz, but that's not really where it starts dropping off rapidly. I'd say that by about 60 Hz you're really done.

If you look at cone excursion, the speaker is really not going to work out in this box, though. At least not without a highpass filter. My weak skills suggest second order at about 60 Hz. Even then you're limited to about 70 watts.

In short, I don't think the driver is TOTALLY unusable, but I wouldn't buy one for this cab.

KO