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com

Daniel Castelao

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n Kits from the United States n US Kit A651 n US Kit A652 n Kits from France n French Kit HTG1780 n French Kit VAT414 n Kits from Englang n English Kit KLS9

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Daniel Castelao

The A651 is a 2-way design using an Audax HM170Z0 6.5" HD-A woofer and an AW025S3 1" Aluminum dome tweeter. This enclosure is computer optimized for a vented QB3 type of response yielding an F3 of about 55 Hz. Although the A651 could have been placed in a somewhat larger enclosure and the F3 reduced to a lower frequency, this volume provides maximum damping for bass detail and produces an output of 100dB, remaining linear down to 40Hz. CROSSOVER DETAILS The crossover is also computer optimized (using LEAP 4.51) as a 4th order Linkwitz-Riley type at 3kHz which yields an overall efficiency of about 86.5dB. To achieve this, the low-pass section of the crossover incorporates a modified third order topography which produces a transfer function that begins contouring the woofer response at 200Hz. This technique is used to create an anechoically flat response up to 3kHz crossover frequency and then produces an acoustic slope that is between 3rd and 4th order. The high-pass section also uses a third order topography to achieve a 4th order acoustic response and is configured to produce a shallow knee in the high-pass transfer function. When other sections are summed together, the final response of the speaker is 55Hz - 19kHz +/-2.2dB with a very flat off-axis response profile. SPEAKER LOCATION

The A651 speaker is designed to be placed on a high quality well damped speaker stand approximately 26" in height. This places the tweeter at 39" above the floor. Although the bass extension of the HM170Z0 is typical of many high quality 6.5" woofers and is more than adequate for most listening, this speaker makes an ideal satellite speaker for use with a powered subwoofer, or bi-amped with a separate amplifier and subwoofer. CONSTRUCTION INSIGHTS The enclosure is damped interally using acoustic foam (ACI foam or equivalent) placed directly behind the woofer covering the back and side walls from the area below the internal brace (which is placed between the woofer and tweeter) to about 1" above the port location. Additional damping material such as Dacron or Acousta-Stuf is placed in the upper area above the brace (sufficient to fill about 30% of this area with "teased" material) and directly behind the woofer (use enough material so that is is held in place by the foam and does not fall downward and interfere with the operation of the port). The port tube should be constructed of 2" ID ABS plastic pipe. NETWORK
SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

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Part # PARTS LIST Inductors L1 L2 L3

Value

Type

1.20mH 0.33mH 0.27mH

0.24 Ohms 0.10 Ohms 0.09 Ohms

14g air-core 14g air-core 14g air-core

Daniel Castelao

Capacitors C1 C2 C3 Resistors R1 20 Ohms 3 Ohms 10 Watts 10 Watts 15.0uF 6.8uF 15.0uF polypropylene polypropylene polypropylene

R2 SPEAKER CONSTRUCTION Specifications Internal Dimensions External Dimensions Front Baffle Sides/Top/Bottom Brace Construction

14.875"x7.5"x10" 16.375"x9"x11.75" 1" MDF 0.75" MDF All Members 0.75"x 0.75" Butt Joint Network Layouts

Tweeter Circuit

Woofer Circuit

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Daniel Castelao

The A652 is a 2-way design using two Audax HM170C0 6.5" woofers and a TW025M0 1" soft dome tweeter, mounted in the popular D'Apollito configuration with the tweeter placed between the two woofers. Using this technique produces a smoother vertical frequency response above and below the listening axis. This enclosure is computer optimized for a modified vented QB3 type of response yielding an F3 of about 53Hz. This volume provides a well damped group delay profile for bass detail and produces an output of 105dB, remaining linear down to 37Hz. The advantage of using the double 6.5" woofers in a 2-way speaker is higher efficiency and lower distortion in the lower frequencies. CROSSOVER DETAILS The crossover is computer optimized (using LEAP 4.51) as a 4th order Linkwitz-Riley type at 2.8kHz which yields an overall efficiency of about 90dB. The crossover utilizes a modified 3rd order topography for the low-pass section which provides multiple break points in the transfer function at about 200Hz and 2.8kHz. This configuration produces an anechoically flat response up to the 2.8kHz crossover frequency followed by a between 3rd and 4th order acoustic slope at the crossover frequency (necessary to produce a flat summation with the drivers mounted in the same plane). The high pass section also requires a 3rd order topography to produce a 4th order acoustic slope, with the circuit resistance adjusted to produce as shallow a transfer function "knee" as possible. When both sections are acoustically summed together, the final response of the speaker is 60Hz - 20kHz +/- 2.2dB with a very flat off-axis response profile. SPEAKER LOCATION The A652 speaker is designed to be placed on a high quality well-damped speaker stand approximately 22" in height. This places the tweeter at 39" above the floor. As with any high quality 6.5" woofer, the low frequency response does not produce much output in the lowest octave between 20Hz - 40Hz. For this reason, this speaker makes and ideal satellite speaker to be used in conjunction with a powered subwoofer, of bi-amped with and electronic crossover, separate amplifier and subwoofer. CONSTRUCTION INSIGHTS The enclosure is damped internally using acoustic foam (ACl foam or equivalent) placed directly behind the upper woofer covering the top, back and side walls from the area above the internal brace (which is placed between the lower woofer and tweeter) to the top of the enclosure and directly behind the lower woofer covering the back and side walls from the area below the internal brace to about 1" above the port location. Additional damping material suck as Dacron or Acousta-Stuf is placed directly behind each woofer (use enough material so that it is held in place by the foam and does not fall downward and interfere with the operation of the port). The port tube should be constructed of 3" ID ABS plastic pipe.

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NETWORK PARTS LIST Part # Inductors L1 L2 L3 Capacitors C1 C2 C3 Resistors R1 R2 5 Ohms 1 Ohms

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM

Value

Type

Daniel Castelao

0.68mH 0.47mH 0.33mH

0.17 Ohms 0.13 Ohms 0.10 Ohms

14g air-core 14g air-core 14g air-core

10.0uF 5.1uF 24.0uF

polypropylene polypropylene polypropylene

10 Watts 10 Watts

SPEAKER CONSTRUCTION

Specifications Internal Dimensions External Dimensions Front Baffle Sides/Top/Bottom Brace Construction 24.875"x7.5"x9" 26.375"x9"x10.75" 1" MDF 0.75" MDF All Members 0.75"x 0.75" Butt Joint

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Centro de F.P . R/ Urziz 81 -entrechn .36204 Vigo. Tlf.: 986 43 10 55 - 986 43 12 02 .corevia.com/cfpcastelao e-mail:castge@corevia.com

Tweeter Circuit

Woofer Circuit

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SPECIFICATIONS 8 ohms 60 Watts 89dB / 1W / 1M 48 Hz - 20KHz 230 290 410 mm 170 110 125 mm COMPONENTS 1 HT170G8 2 HT080G0 2 TWO10E1 3 Crossover 4 Terminal Panels 1 Port Screws CROSSOVER DIAGRAM Satelite Crossover

Daniel Castelao

Subwoofer Crossover

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Daniel Castelao

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Satelites

CONSRUCTION SPECIFICATIONS

Subwoofer

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Daniel Castelao

THE CABINET Not unsurprisingly, when the Thiele-Small parameters of the HM210Z0 are plugged into a computer programme to calculate box volume, the optimum figure turns out to be the size of a conventional floorstander. That's because nowadays, drive unit manufactures tailor parameters to produce a drive unit optimized for a real-life cabinet. The HM210Z0 suits a medium - to - large ported cabinet. From experience we have found it best to go for a high-pass response that produces a little bass peaking around the 30Hz-60Hz region. This gives real weight to bass, which most listeners prefer. With the HM210Z0, using a box volume pass box of 2.6cu ft (0.075 cubic metres), bass reaches down to 36Hz (-3dB), which is low. You will find that our cabinet is 0.072 cubic metres volume in fact, but internal sound absorbent makes the cabinet appear bigger as far as the drive unit is concerned. Generally speaking, the larger the cabinet the better - up to a limit. If you make the cabinet for this driver any larger than 2.6cu ft in volume, it will starts to peak up in the bass, sounding boomy and one-note. What I have done is to choose the highest volume figure possible, consistent with flat response, meaning +1dB of peaking at 40Hz. This gives low box Q, good damping and a relatively clean step response, suggesting solid sounding bass with weight but little overhang. Practice bore out theory; KLS9 delivers very deep, tight bass it can really thunder. Conveniently, for this volume of cabinet, dimensions can be set to give a large but not monstrous floorstander, measuring 93cms high, 25cms across the front panel and 38cms deep. THE PANELS

However, cabinet volume can be reduced, by up to 50%, for those who might want a smaller speaker or lighter bass. The best approach here is to knock up a pair of experimental cabinets of 2.6cu ft volume and then slowly reduce the volume with bricks until you get the bass quality you are after. The bass drivers can be removed to get the bricks in, or the rear panels if they are screwed in place
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Daniel Castelao

Analysis of the HM210Z0's frequency response by our B&K measuring microphone and Hewlett Packard 356 IA FFT spectrum analyser showed it rolls off above 3kHz and, as expected from an optimally damped and consistent synthetic material, doesn't break up badly at high frequencies. It looked suitable for a slow-ish roll-off Butterworth (or thereabouts, damping-wise) second-order filter response, but in the end I found a first-order (-6B/octave) low-pass filter was sufficient, as it should be with a good driver. The 1.2mH inductor has a ferrite core, which allows a low DCR of 0.65Ohms to be achieved, maximising sensitivity and leaving driver/box Q unaffected.
Input Terminal Panel (inside cabinet view)

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The high-pass section for the tweeter was engineered to make it flat in response terms and a good phase match with the bass/midrange unit. The first-order low-pass filter combines with the HM210Z0 in 1 complex fashion, because the driver unit itself rolls off above 3kHz. Also, the drive units are horizontally displaced by 30mm, which amounts to 90 degrees of phase shift at 3kHz. Experiment showed that best phase matching was obtained with a first-order filter feeding the tweeter, making the crossover network very simple. I usually expect to use second or third-order networks for the tweeter, but the slow roll-off of the HM210Z0 allows the tweeter to be rolled in high up the audio band, keeping low frequency energy out, and with this arrangement the phase matching proved excellent. First-order filters don't provide much flexibility in the all-important response tweaking department but in this design it didn't matter. Frequency response was as I prefer it, with a slow downward trend, no crossover suckout or dip around 3kHz at all, and no phase errors in this region to put in an off-axis suckout or dip. Keeping the midrange flat ensures good detailing and vocal projection without having to resort to any artificiality, like brightness. Talking of which, a tweeter should never be allowed to peak. The TWO25MO's response is tailored by the series high-pass capacitor so it exhibits A)no peaking and B)it rolls off slowly toward 20kHz. This ensures there's no sting in the treble output to allow treble to rise toward 20kHz, giving painfully incisive treble. In the end, KLS9 turned out to need a minimal crossover, much simpler than any of our earlier designs. That makes it even easier to build, of course and less expensive too. I expected fairly benign load characteristics as a result of this simplicity and wasn't surprised to see a gently undulating impedance curve, as our analysis shows. This means there is little reactance in the load, always a good thing, since energy storage is kept to minimum. The curve sits high up, meaning overall impedance is high, because of the HM210Z0's intrinsic 6.5Oms DC resistance, which sets minimum impedance. Overall impedance measured 12Ohms, meaning the speaker draws little current, so it will not stress amplifiers. When impedance is high , sensitivity usually suffers. In this case, it turned out to be a respectable 88dB SPL (sound pressure level) from one nominal watt of input (2.84V), so amplifiers of 30-80 watts are suitable, according to room size.

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BUILDING THE KLS9 The cabinets should be built from 18mm MDF according to our cutting plan. The most important parameter is cabinet volume, but it is not so crucial that demensions must be exact. Glue the cabinet with Evode Resin W or similar. It can be screwed as well, if desired - use coarse thread screws made for MDF. Note that we put in a bracing panel, with a cut-out in it, two-thirds of the way down. This is to brace the side panels and avoid boxiness.

Daniel Castelao

1. The Assembly Sequence: 2. Glue top, bottom and side panels together, then screw/pin on the front panel to hold them in shape
whilst the glue dries.

3. Glue and screw the internal bracing panel into place. 4. Cut driver cut-outs on front panel. 5. Glue damping pads of heavy, natural fibre carpet felt onto
every internal panel. An alternative is the bituminous felt used to damp car panels.

6. Cut terminal panel and port cut-outs on rear panel. Fix port into
hole and glue in place.
.

7. Screw and glue rear panel into place. 8. The cabinet can be accessed internally through the
bass/midrange cut-out on the front and the terminal panel cut-out at rear. Internal damping wool can be put in through the front opening.

9. Solder wires onto drive units and lead them out through the terminal panel cut-out when screwing
drivers into place. *Note polarity the narrow pin on both drive units is positive (+, marked red on woofer). Also, the tweeter has reversed phase, so connect +ve from the crossover to the tweeter's - ve (wide) terminal. *

10. Solder crossover components onto terminal panel. Connect drivers to crossover then screw the
terminal panel into place.

11.
We placed the terminal panel right behind the bass/midrange unit so we could fix it using nuts and bolts, if need be. A 7mm recess had to be routed out for the chassis front face, leaving I 7mm for screw thread. We were worried they might not hold after repeated use, but they proved OK in practice. CABINET PROPORTIONS

The cabinet was proportioned so that a point midway between the bass/midrange and the tweeter would be 2ft 6in from the floor - ear-height in a normal seat. The front was deliberately kept narrow, for best imaging. Wide-fronted loudspeakers image messily, so beware if you are of thinking of altering this dimension. You will notice that the cabinets are 'handled' by offsetting the tweeter, so there are right and left-hand speakers. This places the tweeter asymmetrically, dispersing phase and diffraction effects, and it reduces the path length to the cabinets
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Centro de F.P

inside face, pushing effects up-band. Bear this in mind when cutting the front panels, since they must be different. The tweeter sits closest to the inside panel of the speaker, which viewed from the front as a stereo pair. We used a router to inset the chassis of the bass/midrange unit, making for a flush baffle in order to minimise destructive reflections. The tweeter has been mounted over the edge of the bass/midrange chassis, to get it as close as possible; it is one wavelength away at 3kHz. I did not want this distance to be exceeded, since I rate good imaging very highly. For this reason, all the cabinet front edges were routed to have a smooth radius on them, to avoid edge-diffraction. This makes the cabinet difficult to veneer, so we applied Unibond as a sealant and then eggshell black paint. The crossover is so simple it can be soldered directly onto the input terminal panel. Glue the crossover components on with a hot-melt glue gun or, better, drill the panel and bolt on two three-way tag strips. The capacitor, inductor and resistor can then be soldered on. Keep the inductor and capacitor apart and it mutual right angles to minimise inductive coupling ('cos a capacitor is a coil of foil with inductance). We suggest you use Solen audio quality polypropylene capacitors. The inductor is ferrite cored for lowest DCR, measuring 0.65Ohms. These properties must be replicated, or performance will change. The resistor will not get hot; make it 5W-9W. We used a high temperature wirewound, but really this resistor is best made up front IW carbon film types, because of their neutral sound. The terminal panel we show is a bi-wave type and the speaker is bi-wireable of course. Because the panel is positioned directly behind the bass/midrange unit, a pad of carpet felt should be placed over it to eliminate reflections from the rear of the bass/midrange driver. The reflex port itself is not too critical. To keep distortion down, it must be made fairly large. Our port was made 4cms in diameter and 4cms deep. You might like to try experimenting with these dimensions. The port is placed close to the floor on the rear baffle. Since it works low, around 35Hz, it is close enough to the main driver to avoid phase problems, so positioning is not too critical. Ideally, the base should have floor spikes fitted. The cabinet side panels could well be braced further by a 1in dowel or similar, because this speaker produces a lot of bass energy. And finally, to the matter of internal damping. Regular readers will know we recommend long-haired wool. It must be teased out and should be supported internally on threads to prevent settling over time. The bracing panel is useful for this purpose. Put an open gauze over it and wool on top, as well as in the bottom chamber. Don't over-stuff the speaker or it will sound lifeless and the port will not work properly. Reflex cabinets must not be too heavily damped for this reason. The amount of damping used is a matter for experiment, being sufficient to suppress cabinet boom but not enough to create a 'dead' sound. Most people like to finish their cabinets with a good veneer. To retain beveled edges, I suggest hardwood or stained softwood 1/4 rounds are routed into the edges. Veneer up to these edgings. Bear in mind that all around the tweeter, up to 12in away, there should be no protuberances, especially ridges. The surface acoustic wave it produces must not be obstructed, nor should it be caused to diffract off sharp surface discontinuities. Attention to detail here, together with good drive units, narrow front baffle and accurate phase matching between drivers yields very sharp, clean-edged images, plus well embodied cymbals made of solid metal, rather than the sort of mellifluous representation that arises as a result of phase errors and anomalies.

Daniel Castelao

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