Building my own center channel for La Scalas

[yamahaSHO 262]

Our house always had a mantel that has been way too high which placed the TV much higher than I could stand.  I decided to rip it off so I could lower it an mount the TV on the wall above it.  It's still not going to be as low as I'd like, but it is what it is.  I also took the opportunity to make my own mantel and also make it my center channel speaker.  The mantel is 95% done as I wait on a few things to be delivered to finish it, plus I need to cut the wood for building my crossover.  

 

The start... cutting the wood:

 

Building:

 

 

Ready for routing and a finish:

 

 

Ready to be mounted:

 

Size comparison:

 

 

 

 

Now I am in the process of tearing the fireplace area apart, beefing it up, mounted the TV mount, cut some holes, route wires, etc.  Tomorrow, the plan is to get up into the attic and run wires over to the rear where I have mounted some RS-52's.  

 

 

 

What it previously looked like:

[yamahaSHO 262]

I am currently in a couple-day holding pattern as I wait for some proper-length HDMI cables.  Once those come in and are routed away from heat, I'll start putting it all back together and tiling up to the ceiling.  I am curious to see how it sounds and test... to see how I need to adjust the crossover.  

[Lbk 46]

Alot of work but looks great so far! Which drivers, horn, crossover are you using.

[yamahaSHO 262]

Thank you.  I'm pretty happy with it.  I keep reminding myself that it is a mantel first.  😛

 

 

The parts I am using:

 

- Dayton Audio ND140-8

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-nd140-8-5-1-4-aluminum-cone-midbass-neo-driver-8-ohm--290-218

 

- B&C DE120 (matches what's in my La Scala's)

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-de120-1-neodymium-mylar-compression-driver-8-ohm-2-3-bolt--294-5809

 

- B&C ME45 horn

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-me45-1-exponential-horn-90x40-2-bolt--294-622 

 

 

I just cut and stained my crossover board, and currently waiting for some polyurethane to dry (it's just more practice and testing different colors).  I'll build the crossover in the next day or so, then test when it's all up to see what might need changed on it.  

[RandyH000 4228]

4 minutes ago, yamahaSHO said:

Thank you.  I'm pretty happy with it.  I keep reminding myself that it is a mantel first.  😛

 

 

The parts I am using:

 

- Dayton Audio ND140-8

https://www.parts-express.com/dayton-audio-nd140-8-5-1-4-aluminum-cone-midbass-neo-driver-8-ohm--290-218

 

- B&C DE120 (matches what's in my La Scala's)

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-de120-1-neodymium-mylar-compression-driver-8-ohm-2-3-bolt--294-5809

 

- B&C ME45 horn

https://www.parts-express.com/bc-me45-1-exponential-horn-90x40-2-bolt--294-622 

 

 

I just cut and stained my crossover board, and currently waiting for some polyurethane to dry (it's just more practice and testing different colors).  I'll build the crossover in the next day or so, then test when it's all up to see what might need changed on it.  

NICE SPEAKERS , BEAUTIFUL CABINET

[MC39693 346]

@yamahaSHO what crossover are you using? Did you have plans for the cabinet? Thanks. It’s a good looking mantel/speaker!

[yamahaSHO 262]

@MC39693, I am building my own crossover.  I am going to put one more coat of poly on crossover board today, and then build tomorrow.  I know I'll need to test and probably change it up a bit, I imagine it'll be pretty good the first time.

No specific plans for the cabinet as I was working to fill a space, essentially.  I took some measurements, calculated volume and modeled it, picked the driver, etc, but it was basically me saying, "the fireplace is 55" wide and I want the mantel this high".   

[MC39693 346]

Thanks. I have a great centre channel but it’s a tad big, Martin Logan Theatre I. If I could build one that came even close in sound, probably a bit of a trick as the ML is awesome for mid range which is key for a centre channel, then I might sell the ML but it would be hard to part with it. Yours looks very good, would like to hear your impressions of sound when you have it up and running.

[Lbk 46]

Pics of crossover if possible? Mantel first, IDK center  channel looks pretty good.

[yamahaSHO 262]

I'll take pics when I am done building it.  I am curious to see how it does!

[yamahaSHO 262]

I've got the board done and everything mounted.  I will solder the crossover tomorrow or Monday.  

 

 

Also have these to solder, too.  I am rebuilding/refinishing/upgrading some 1982 Heresy's as well.

 

[Lbk 46]

On 5/10/2020 at 12:39 AM, yamahaSHO said:

I've got the board done and everything mounted.  I will solder the crossover tomorrow or Monday.  

 

 

Also have these to solder, too.  I am rebuilding/refinishing/upgrading some 1982 Heresy's as well.

 

Nice work! Did you a use an xo software program to design center channel? It will  be interesting to hear your thoughts on the sound and see final product.

 

 

 

 

[yamahaSHO 262]

On 5/11/2020 at 8:36 PM, Lbk said:

Nice work! Did you a use an xo software program to design center channel? It will  be interesting to hear your thoughts on the sound and see final product.

 

 

 

 

 

I utilized Xsim for my crossover.  I am curious to see real-world results. 

 

 

I got the fireplace ready for tile and mounted the mantel.  I'm very excited to get this done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a widget

[Lbk 46]

On 5/19/2020 at 8:17 PM, yamahaSHO said:

 

I utilized Xsim for my crossover.  I am curious to see real-world results. 

 

 

I got the fireplace ready for tile and mounted the mantel.  I'm very excited to get this done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a widget

Have you fired it up yet, interested to hear your reviews. Looked at xsim,  curious to see how the xo design works.

[wvu80 6313]

I'm not a crossover guy but when I saw the orientation of your inductors I wondered if they are proper, based on this chart:

 

[Lbk 46]

3 hours ago, wvu80 said:

I'm not a crossover guy but when I saw the orientation of your inductors I wondered if they proper, based on this chart:

 

Interesting chart, I like it.

[yamahaSHO 262]

Nothing yet.  I have been working on tiling the fireplace up to the ceiling, plus the other things I've been tasked with at the house while at home.  

As far as the inductors, I can stand one or two of them up.  I wasn't even thinking about the fields they create as they weren't right next to each other.  

[yamahaSHO 262]

One side is complete. I was working on the opposite side today, when I had time.  The front will test my skills up until I am above the mantel.  I've only tiled one other time, and it wasn't up a wall not cutting around things.  

 

 

[Lbk 46]

On 5/26/2020 at 8:07 PM, yamahaSHO said:

Nothing yet.  I have been working on tiling the fireplace up to the ceiling, plus the other things I've been tasked with at the house while at home.  

As far as the inductors, I can stand one or two of them up.  I wasn't even thinking about the fields they create as they weren't right next to each other.  

You could start a separte post with pics of xo and get some expert opinons before taking it apart. There are some good xo people here, I'am not one of them.

[yamahaSHO 262]

I don't have to take it apart, really.  Just cut two zip ties and stand up an inductor that's closest to another and zip tie it back down.  I'm actually pretty good with electronics, but it's been awhile since I went down to the component level (which is what I did on Active Duty Air Force, quite a few years ago).   These days, we just replace cards, and at that, I'm not the one doing it. 

 

I'm not overly concerned how they are now either, so...