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"The V-D Monitor"
 2-Way Vifa-Dayton Monitors

Project, Text and Images courtesy of Dave Tenney

"After finishing my first set of  DIY speakers (The D3's), I had the overwhelming urge to build another set of speakers. I had purchased an extra set of Dayton Silk Dome Tweeters on the deal of the day, and as luck would have it the Vifa P17WJ-008's followed suit a few months after..."

Overview

Now all I needed was a crossover. Having limited experience with crossover design, I was a bit apprehensive about wasting a lot of money experimenting on my second DIY attempt. I guess lady luck was on my side for this project, because Wayne Jaeske of SpeakerBuilder.net fame had posted a suggested crossover design.

Drivers
Vifa P17WJ-00-08 6.5" Cast Frame Woofer
 PE Part Number 297-305

Ideal for mid-sized bass reflex designs, this is Vifa's most popular woofer. It utilizes a cast magnesium basket, rubber surround, mineral filled polypropylene cone, and very smooth frequency response. Intended for use with vented enclosures with .35 to 1.00 cu. ft. of internal volume.

Full Specifications
Download Spec Sheet (379k pdf)


 

 Dayton 1-1/8" Silk Dome Tweeter
PE Part Number 275-070

Clinically tested and compared to Morel with amazingly similar results, this tweeter is recommended for crossover points as low as 1800 Hz. That versatility, along with its high performance to cost ratio, makes this one of the most popular Dayton drivers.

Full Specifications
Download Response Graphs (17K PDF)
Product Review By Wayne Jaeschke

Cabinet Design

The next thing I needed to tackle was a proper enclosure design. After researching different designs (especially this one), I decided I would need a cabinet with an internal volume of around 17L tuned to 45Hz. I used the calculators on Loud Speakers 101 to do all of my calculations.

Click here to see the enclosure schematic with measurements.

The enclosure is pretty basic. It is a 17L box with internal dimensions of 7"W x 10"D x 15"H. It has one brace in the middle which measures 4" x 7". The port is made from a 2" ID x 5.5"  PVC pipe located 3" from the top of the box. All of the drivers are flush mounted. I use a 1/2" rabbit bit in a router to do this. The port is glued in, and all joints are sealed with white bathroom caulk.

Building the crossover

Building your own crossover is a pretty easy task, all you need is soldering iron, some solder, and the ability to read simple schematics. The way that I assemble a crossover is to lay out all the components on a newspaper and twist the appropriate components together. Then I glob on a ton of solder. I do not use any jumper wires when I build crossovers. I will readily admit my circuits are very ugly! 

You will notice in the parts listing that there isn't a 9 ohm resister listed. I substituted the 8 ohm in place of it...I seriously doubt that anyone could hear a 1 ohm difference between the two values in a zobel network.  

Installing the crossover

I wouldn't recommend my method of installing crossovers, but it does work and it's cheap. I take a tube of two part epoxy, smear it all over the bottoms of all the components, stick them on the back of the enclosure, and pray I have them wired right. A lot of people use hot glue to install crossovers, but I always have a fear that one of the glue joints will come loose and cause a rattle inside the cabinet.


Crossover Courtesy of Wayne Jaeske

 Testing

After I have the crossovers assembled, I tape the front baffle and speaker on the enclosures with masking tape so I can give them a test listen. This gives me a chance to see if I've got everything wired up right, and kind of gives a sneak preview of what the speakers will sound like. I was impressed!

 

Cabinet Assembly

My personal method of cabinet assembly is to use glue only. I like to use either Titebond or Elmer's carpenter glue. I assemble the sides and rear baffle first, install the crossovers on the rear baffle, line the sides of the cabinet with egg crate foam, and then glue on the front baffle. In final listening tests I used about two ounces of poly fill behind the woofer. 

Veneering the cabinet is also pretty easy. The veneer is secured with contact adhesive, and trimmed with a flush trim bit in a router. I stained them with two coats of Olympic America Cherry stain, and six coats of Minwax satin polyurethane lightly sanding with 320 grit paper in between the first two coats, and steel wool for the last four.

Auditioning the Finished Speakers

The only thing that I have to reference these to are my D3's. The VD's are a bit bass shy, but this is a noted characteristic of the P17's. This is not to say they don't have a good low end, they just don't seem to go as low as the Dayton drivers. This might also have something to do with the D3's having dual woofers. Where these speakers really shine is the midrange. It is more detailed and pronounced than the D3's. You can really hear the guitar or bass player's fingers on the strings, snare drums really pop out of the mix. The high end is very good also...a bit more laid back than the D3's, but very easy on the ears. You can always tweak the treble knob if you want to split hairs. This is my first experience with European drivers and I am quit impressed. I do feel that this design would make an excellent studio monitor. Overall I'm very happy with the way this project sounds, and at the price it costs to build a pair you would be hard pressed to find a commercial speaker of similar quality.


Burnin' em up with the old H-K!

Parts Express Ordering List

SKU

Item

Qty.

Price

Ext. Price

027-410

DAYTON 1.0uF-250V POLYPROPYLENE

2

$1.15

$2.30

027-424

DAYTON 6.8uF-250V POLYPROPYLENE

2

$2.25

$4.50

027-432

DAYTON 15uF-250V POLYPROPYLENE

2

$4.10

$8.20

260-302

GOLD PLATED SPEAKER TERMINAL

2

$1.99

$3.98

266-355

1.2mH 14 GA. PERFECT LAYER INDU.

2

$13.13

$26.26

266-814

.40mH 18 GA PERFECT LAYER INDU.

2

$3.40

$6.80

275-070

DAYTON 1-1/8" SILK DOME TWEETER

2

$15.50

$31.00

297-305

VIFA P17WJ-00 6-1/2" WOOFER

2

$37.90

$75.80

005-8

MILLS 8 OHM 12W NON-INDUCTIVE

2

$3.50

$7.00

005-3

MILLS 3 OHM 12W NON-INDUCTIVE

2

$3.50

$7.00

027-419

DAYTON 4.3uF-250V POLYPROPYLENE

2

$1.86

$3.72

Subtotal:

$176.56

 Cabinet Materials 

Supplier

Item

Qty.

Price

Ext. Price

84 Lumber

 4x8 sheet MDF

1

 $19.00

$19.00

Lowes

24x48 Red Oak Veneer

1

 $25.00 $25.00

Lowes

12x48 Red Oak Veneer

1

 $14.00 $14.00

Lowes

Silicone Caulk

1

 2.00 2.00

K-Mart

Egg-Crate Foam

1

 $4.00 $4.00

Dollar Store

Polly Fill

1

 2.00 2.00

K-Mart

2 Part Epoxy

1

 $3.49 $3.49

Subtotal:

 $69.49

Total Project Cost: $246.05

About the Designer
Dave Tenney

"I am a SWM lookng for high SPL via DYI. I have an AAS in Network Technology from The University of Akron, and am currently pursuing a BS in Tech. Ed. By day I am the Technology Coordinator at a medium sized library. By night I play bass with various shady characters in dirty bars and build speakers... that is when I'm not studying, of course!"

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