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Drivers Cabinet Crossover Speaker Kit
This project started with
Steen Jensen writing he'd acquired 2 x 26W/8861T00 bass drivers
and after the usual some 20+ mails, the top part of this
big 3-way became the 18W/8531G00 for mid and D2905/9900
for treble due to another diy'er giving up his
project. Not a bad choice! The 18W/8531G00 can go low in
a suitable top cabinet and possibly a simple crossover
could be implemented to mate bass and mid. Soldering the test crossover
didn't take long and it was immediately clear that this
speaker was quite different from any other big speaker
I'd done. The level of transparency was almost scary and
bass was dry and firm with excellent timing. Not the
deep, fat, overhung kind of bass we're used to from some
vented systems, but short and firm - almost like a horn
loaded bass driver. Some will miss the boomy bass I'm
sure and the cure is simple: Skip the Variovents and
insert a port. The 18W/8531-G00: I never heard the level of transparency from this driver until this speaker. Free of the tedious task of pumping deep bass, distortion seems significantly reduced and you can't help playing this speaker loud - because it can be played loud. The wider than normal front panel seems to add a certain amount of warmth to the midrange. The big 26W is taking the heat and the 18W is at ease. I wonder how a true mid-driver from the sliced paper (18W size) would perform. Another surround and a short voice coil - underhung. Well, SS will probably never make such a driver. Size of the bass cab is an issue and if size is of prime concern, 60 liters vented will do and makes an F3 = 34 Hz, where 80 liters ported provides a slightly deeper bass, F3 = 30 Hz, and this seems an overall good compromise. From 80 liters net volume and Variovents the F3 is around 43 Hz. Variovent'ed boxes cannot be calculated but are generally close to closed boxes, but having a slightly shallower roll-off profile, i.e. it reached a bit deeper, but not much. I know that raw MDF cabs turn people off, so here's what Bob in Holland made of it. Click image to go to full website. ScanSpeak data sheets:
26W/8861T00 +
18W/8531G00 +
D2905/9900
Right: Last minute before Steen took off
with his speakers again, we tried inverting mid-cabs. FAQs: Box simulation The ScanSpeak 26W/8861T00 is potent bass
driver and how should it be used? Closed? Vented?
Aperiodic (Variovents)?
Ports and Variovents, bass cab In case you choose Variovents: 2 pcs per cabinet. Please google "variovent" and find out where to buy them. Ports for 60 liter, Fb = 20 Hz, port
dimensions = 60 mm (ID) x 220 mm or 70 mm (ID) x 300 mm For 60 liter vented options the ports will
be rather long at adequate diameter. Port for mid cab Net volume = 21.5 liter, port tuning (Fb) = 37 Hz: 50 mm (ID) x 111 mm (50 x 145 mm port
supplied with crossover kit) Measurements
Crossover
Components
Kit with/without
drivers available from Jantzen Audio:
contact@jantzen-audio.com
All technical questions to troels.gravesen@hotmail.com
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