SCOOTERDOG Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 I finally finished my Custom Center Speaker, My Klipsch Raritage! It sounds awesome! I am sooo pleased. The only thing I have left to do is build a proper base for it to sit on and complete the grill. And as time goes on it should start to really sounding more awesome then it does now. Here are some pics for you all to see. I took pics through various construction phases but there are so many. If any one is interested in the complete build pics let me know and I can email them. Right now I am listing to Opaline by Dishwalla DVD Audio Disc. It is so amazing the depth and detail this new center brings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 17, 2003 Author Share Posted May 17, 2003 Here is another pic. Don't laugh at my temporary stand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 Looks good. What are your crossover setings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garymd Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 Scooterdog - Very nice job. I'm sure it sounds great (even better when broken in). What are the dimensions? More than 24" wide? Looks like it. What was your total cost to build? Shielded? If I don't find an academy, I may have to go the DIY route and then bug you for info. Hope you don't mind all the questions. Thanks, Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 17, 2003 Author Share Posted May 17, 2003 Hey guys, Here is a pick of the final wiring. I am using 2-Klipsch KV1089 10" woofers, T35 horn tweeter, and a K52 midrange horn with the 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn. Crossover is a 3-way, 2nd order (12dB) crossover with a 3 octave spread between crossover points. Metallized polypropylene capacitors are used in critical midrange and tweeter signal paths. 18 gauge inductors are used to keep DC resistance to a minimum. crossover points are 700/5600. The cabinet is 42"w x 13,5"h x 15"d. Also has 2 4" ports in the rear. Cabinet is made out of 3/4" oak plywood with complete internal bracing and wired with 12 gauge monster cable. Can't wait till she gets a little broken in but she sounds soo smooth now. I am very pleased with the results. Scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Warren Posted May 17, 2003 Share Posted May 17, 2003 Tear out the Acousta-stuff and put in fiberglass. I know fiberglass *sucks* but thats the price you pay for something that actually works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 17, 2003 Author Share Posted May 17, 2003 John, What type of fiberglass you talken about. Do you mean the stuff you insulate your house with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 17, 2003 Author Share Posted May 17, 2003 Here is a pic of the cabinet with the front motorboard installed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j-malotky Posted May 18, 2003 Share Posted May 18, 2003 Looks nice. Good job. JM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hwatkins Posted May 18, 2003 Share Posted May 18, 2003 Great stuff Scooterdog - A quick look at the specs says this ought to sound very nice. I was intrigued from your start and could not see a downside - as long as the Xovers were done in such a way as to be sure that the roll to the speakers was niether abrupt nor soft. When you get a chance, talk a little about what you get in off-axis seating. Quite a stir is always around the horizonal two woofer approach with many saying that off-axis suffers from spikes or localization. I found it to be quite different than folks had forecasted and that off-axis was the greatest strength for my speaker. Good looking work - let us know if you are now hooked on the DIY so we can help you spend inordinate sums and time on another speaker or two... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 18, 2003 Author Share Posted May 18, 2003 Henry, The off axis is exceptional! Even my wife was surprised at how wide the center sound field is now. I played a variety of DVD Audio disc yesterday and a couple of movie chapters to get a feel. I have not measured the sound pressure yet but I can bet it is pretty close to 100db 1 watt. With my previous center I would have to boost it +6db and drop -3db on the La Scala's to compensate for the efficiency difference. Well not any more! This baby is right in there. Once I get some hours on this it should start to really get close to the sound I designed it for. The KV1089 woofers sound excellent. I was not worried about the T35 or the mid horn sound quality but rather the bass response. I guess 30 hours plus using speaker design software really paid off. If I could have used another La Scala instead I would have but due to placement constraints that was not feasible. But to be honest this is no small speaker. In fact, it may be one of the largest speakers I have seen made just for center channel use. Scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formica Posted May 19, 2003 Share Posted May 19, 2003 Nice job Scooter... I really like the "heritage" like exposed plywood edges... I think it's a nice touch. Your centre must be pretty big as you mentioned, to make those 10" look so small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 19, 2003 Author Share Posted May 19, 2003 Thanks Formica! I wanted to give the cabinet the same quality look that the Heritage line provides. Now I just need to refinish my La Scala's so they have a lighter finish. And yes this is a big boy. 42"w x 13.5"h x 15"d. Sounds awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 22, 2003 Author Share Posted May 22, 2003 I'm surprised I have not had much feedback on my new addition. There were alot of people here that aided and guided me through this project. I guess I am looking for a little pat on the back. But I can deal with it. LOL Scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myhamish Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Absolutely brilliant. Good for you - takes some gonads to follow through on such a project. I've been toying with the same idea, ran it on the Forum and got some suggestions, including your insights and input. Easy way for me is leaning towards a single Heresy on a cookie sheet, but yours looks & probably sounds great, so I'm going to copy your specs down. Coupla questions for you. Are the woofers magnetically shielded so you don't have to use metal mesh inside as shielding? And for us Math challenged individuals, what are the crossover points in frequency herz rather than octaves. Thanks Scooterdog. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STL Posted May 22, 2003 Share Posted May 22, 2003 Looks good Scooter! I too had a somewhat lukewarm reaction when I posted about my complete center channel too (so I know how you feel). BTW, your RPTV looks to be sitting a bit too high -- or does it just look that way in your picture? Is it still within the optimal vertical viewing angle range? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HornEd Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 Scooterdog... glad to see you come through with flying colors. Your center surely is the kind of "big guy" that desereves the spot when DVD's put 75%+ of the total sound through your center. On my Heritage system, I use a Belle Klipsch in the middle and a pair of Klipschorns in false corners, just like Mr. Paul favored to his dying day. Given the size of the Belle in relation to the K-Horns, PWK understood the need for a robust center even before the advent of center weighted DVD movies. That's why I used a KLF-30 cabinet weighing in at 105 lbs. and sporting specially re-engineered motorboards for center... with a bit different config for surrounds. My Legend Center atop the HDTV is 45" x 14" x 16" and that makes it a tad larger than your good work. My hero, Q-Man, takes top honors for big Heritage centers with his all out Heritage effort. Check it out. In the meantime, enjoy what must be a most deserved and heady experience! =HornED Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOOTERDOG Posted May 24, 2003 Author Share Posted May 24, 2003 Thank you very much HornEd! I really appreciate your nice comments. I was so happy how well this matched up with my La Scala's. I even finished the cabinet to give it the "Heritage" look. Again, Thanks Scooter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diggs Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 It looks damned good. I'm a tad bit jealous. I'm still trying to get up the nerve to refinish one of my KG-4's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audible Nectar Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 That looks VERY nice....the natural woodgrain look of the heritage is a nice touch, too. If it sounds as good as it looks, it's a winner! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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