DIY audio: what are you building?

[Upfront]

Yea, I try and avoid opening my wallet, no not because I'm afraid of the moths escaping....... just worried that if I start spending I won't be able to stop!
Then you see some of the workmanship, and feel totally inadequate. Even the school kids work makes me look like a beginner.

Yeah some amazing furniture there.

[mwhouston]

I'll admit the cone diameter is 6.5" but the basket is 8".  To me it is an 8" driver. Regardless it's impressive. 

[Upfront]

I'll admit the cone diameter is 6.5" but the basket is 8".  To me it is an 8" driver. Regardless it's impressive. 

Any build photos of the cabinets mate?

[mwhouston]

7 hours ago, planet10 said:

 

 

 

The Alpair 12p is a 6.5: driver, not 8. And while it can move the most air (except for the A12pw, which is the bass king), the A10.3/p and Pluvia 7 can go lower.

 

dave

I can't find the A12pw.

[mwhouston]

34 minutes ago, Upfront said:

35 minutes ago, mwhouston said:

I'll admit the cone diameter is 6.5" but the basket is 8".  To me it is an 8" driver. Regardless it's impressive. 

Any build photos of the cabinets mate?

Only the ones I have already posted. 

Edited June 10, 2018 by mwhouston

[Upfront]

Only the ones I have already posted. 

Was after some of how you actually built them. Internals, bracing etc.

[mwhouston]

The plans are on the Markaudio site. I have some bracing down the wide sides. That's it. 

[Brucec]

Any more pics of the preamp Lagoon?

[andyr]

20 hours ago, nzlowie said:

Got one but she's got her addiction as well. Sewing and quilting.
She's even dragged me in some how, I built a CNC quilting machine for her quilts.

 

Impressive feat, nz - and the quilts look lovely.  But I suggest they're 'faux quilts' - as real quilts are made by hand!! 

 

Andy

 

[andyr]

Just finished building the DA24QS DAC from here:  http://www.beis.de/Elektronik/ADDA24QS/ADDA24QS.html

 

It can run at 192kHz - but, as it's being fed from the digital output of my miniDSP 10x10HD, it's only running at 96kHz, atm.

 

Pics below; the volume pot (TKD CP2500) is needed because this feeds a power amp which drives speakers in other rooms of the house.

 

Can highly recommend Uwe Beis to deal with.

 

Andy

 

[planet10]

19 hours ago, mwhouston said:

What I liked about the 12P is the higher effciency of close to 92db compared with the others

Measures out at just over 91 dB.

 

dave

[planet10]

18 hours ago, mwhouston said:

I'll admit the cone diameter is 6.5" but the basket is 8".  To me it is an 8" driver. Regardless it's impressive. 

Cone diameter is 120mm (hence A12) = 4.72”.

 

It is impressive.

 

dave

[planet10]

18 hours ago, mwhouston said:

I can't find the A12pw.

Mark Audio site is way out of date. Look to frugal-phile.com for a lot of Mark audio stuff.

 

http://frugal-phile.com/downloads/Alp12pw_G1.pdf

 

Including all the Pensil plans (and more).

 

http://frugal-phile.com/boxes-markaudio.html

 

dave

[planet10]

18 hours ago, Upfront said:

Was after some of how you actually built them. Internals, bracing etc.

 

Mark had Scott & me do all the plans with no braces so as not to be intimidating, but they could all really use a holey brace (or more) as shown in the SuperPensil12 plans.

 

The holey brace can be almost as much work as the entire rest of the box.

 

The insides of the Pensil7 i have downstairs:

 

 

dave

Edited June 11, 2018 by planet10

[Upfront]

 
Mark had Scott & me do all the plans with no braces so as not to be intimidating, but they could all really use a holey brace (or more) as shown in the SuperPensil12 plans.
 
dave

Thanks Dave. I've just been looking at the super pencil plans. Not something I have an interest in building but always interesting to see how others build things.
Linc

[mwhouston]

52 minutes ago, planet10 said:

Mark Audio site is way out of date. Look to frugal-phile.com for a lot of Mark audio stuff.

 

http://frugal-phile.com/downloads/Alp12pw_G1.pdf

 

Including all the Pensil plans (and more).

 

http://frugal-phile.com/boxes-markaudio.html

 

dave

Had a look at  response curve for the 12PW and yes more bass but the driver appears to roll off a lot early than the 12P. Really don't need more bass and find the top end in mine surprising excellent. Beautiful extended highs, triangles ring clear with no sign of excessive sibilance. Also I notice, over my Beymas, reverb, decay and echo are better. In fact they are quite much better and clearer. 

[planet10]

7 minutes ago, mwhouston said:

Had a look at  response curve for the 12PW and yes more bass but the driver appears to roll off a lot early than the 12P. Really don't need more bass and find the top end in mine surprising excellent. Beautiful extended highs, triangles ring clear with no sign of excessive sibilance. Also I notice, over my Beymas, reverb, decay and echo are better. In fact they are quite much better and clearer. 

A12pw is a bass-wide, it starts dropping at about 10k — we have a couple customers that don’t miss the top. Gets near an octave lower than the A12p, but won’t move anymore air. 2 in a Woden ML-TL produce tremendous bass. This a proper MTM with XO point lower than the quarter-wave centre-centre.

 

 

dave

[nzlowie]

 
Impressive feat, nz - and the quilts look lovely.  But I suggest they're 'faux quilts' - as real quilts are made by hand!!  [emoji4]
 
Andy
 

You're a brave man to say that to a quilter..... If you check Wikipedia it states that it can be done by hand or machine....
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quilting

Just like saying all hifi must use a phonograph.

It was a cool project to make, I enjoy a challenge.

[mwhouston]

46 minutes ago, planet10 said:

A12pw is a bass-wide, it starts dropping at about 10k — we have a couple customers that don’t miss the top. Gets near an octave lower than the A12p, but won’t move anymore air. 2 in a Woden ML-TL produce tremendous bass. This a proper MTM with XO point lower than the quarter-wave centre-centre.

 

 

dave

Always in the past when I have used full range drivers I only ever use one driver. Otherwise I would use woofer\mids and tweeters. 

[planet10]

We have only used 1 FR (Alpair 7.3eN). The A12pw are running below 250.

 

dave

[nzlowie]

It's alive.....

Can't help my DIY addiction.
 
As I found an improvement inserting a Burson buffer between my DAC and amps I thought I'd build another buffer to try. This is a direct coupled B1 buffer, shunt regulated.
 
I know I should just buy a good pre amp but I just can't stay away from DIY!
 
Is there a cure?
 
 

[Upfront]

It's alive.....

Well done mate! Always nice when the magic smoke stays inside!
Nice looking kit. Where did you get it from?

[mwhouston]

3 minutes ago, nzlowie said:

It's alive.....
 

 

 

Looks like someone else likes solid core Cat5 for hookup wire. No need for shielding . I use that or\and fine silver plated wire wrap wire. Solid core rules. 

[nzlowie]

@Upfront it's a kit from TeaBag on the diy audio forum. Nice board and good spec components. Yea always good when they power up and the voltages are where they should be. Pretty simple board really. Now see how it sounds......
@mwhouston yea I'm a big believer in solid cable, I make all my interconnects and speaker cables from solid. We have a company over here that specialises in Hi quality wire, they buy in the best billet copper from Japan then extrude and coat to whatever the customer wants. They give me whatever I want for a few beers, any diameter or flat wire. Great guys.

[andyr]

2 hours ago, mwhouston said:

Looks like someone else likes solid core Cat5 for hookup wire. No need for shielding . I use that or\and fine silver plated wire wrap wire. Solid core rules. 

 

Yes, solid-core rules ... but the Cat5 needs to be teflon-coated - not vinyl coated.  (Hint - Belden 1585a!  )

 

Andy