New Speaker Project

[Nordwall]

Looking for some advise...

I am wanting to build a pair of speakers and use up some of my collection of JBL supplies that are collecting dust.

I would appreciate the forums thoughts on what drivers would work well together.

Here's the list: 2235, 2202, 2426 w/o any horns, 2404 and 075 bullets.

A full range monitor would be the goal here.

Thanks.

[HCSGuy]

As you mentioned "A full range monitor", I imply a studio monitor for quality listening at home, versus a sound reinforcement project - let me know if I'm wrong.

I'm not how much crossover work you're interested in doing, but I would consider building a 4430 clone with your 2235 and 2426 (is your 2426 an 8ohm H or 16ohm J version?). You'd need a 2344a horn and the parts for a crossover. This would be very easy to build and probably most likely to sound great. I would sell the 2404's and 075's and buy a pair of 077's if you want to fill in the top octave a little (I'm happy without the 077, but have seen the modification done).

I understand the temptation to build some killer 4 way monitors using the 2202's as midbass/midrange, which they can do (up to 3khz), but you're going to be in passive crossover hell and are most likely to end up with something that sounds like s**t but plays really loud from 300hz on up (the 2235 will run out of steam on the bottom end first). Do you have a bunch of power amps lying around? if so, get an M553 for cheap and a cheap 2345 vintage horn for your 2426 and go to town with an active 4 way party monitor (sell your 2235's and 2404's to pay for a pair of 2245's).

Lastly, I guess you could also try to clone a 4344, but your drivers aren't close enough to avoid the crossover hell - you'd really want to sell the 2202, 2404, and 075's and buy the right stuff. I don't think this is in the spirit of your thread, though...

Hope this helps!

[Nordwall]

Thanks for the suggestion...I have already built 4430 clones and am getting used to them. However the butt cheeks ran me over $300 and the external X-over was $250. I think I was lucky finding those components locally... I thought I could build something using the left over parts in boxes.

I will keep searching the forum....:blink:

Maybe I'll be posting some stuff in the classifieds section...

[Mr. Widget]

I understand the temptation to build some killer 4 way monitors using the 2202's as midbass/midrange, which they can do...I agree... there is no way I could be happy with a 4344 where the 2122 was substituted by a 2202 and the 2405 by a bullet... that said, it could be done and most likely has been by someone... there are many on this forum who quite like even less obvious choices.

Perhaps a modular approach where you start out with these bits but make it possible to upgrade/change down the road.

I do tend to agree about the passive network hell that would likely ensue... going active would be one way around that, but it isn't all that inexpensive to do either.


Widget

[Ian Mackenzie]

I think the problem is understanding how to set-up integrate and those drivers and on that basis the 2202 gets a bad wrap.

The generic idea for the 2426 is to use the 2307/2311 horn as used in the classic 4 ways.

I would have a look at these options for the 2426.

Yuichi A480 diy
http://www.geocities.jp/arai401204/Horn/A480/A480.html

Or DDS horn
http://www.ddshorns.com/catalog.php?page=CFD1100Pro
http://www.ddshorns.com/catalog.php?page=CFD1110Pro

You could also try a pair of JBL 2344's which could be set up using the 4430 crossover on the 2202 and a bit of tweaking of the LF network values but it would probably go well anyway.

Make the 2202 box like an array wedge, narrow with (deep) sloping sides and stuff it with fibreglass (sealed).

The box volume for a 2202 is much larger than that of the 2122H and is therefore much more prone to resonance issues and the rear wave coming back out through the larger cone.

The walls of the box should be 1 inch baced marine ply. Do not use MDF, it will sound horrible in the box volume required.(like cardboard). The bracing required for MDF would occupy half the volume of the enclosure so its pointless.

I would not bother with the mini bum cheeks or the bullets to start with.

It would make sense to get a 2nd pair of 2235s if you want ti really loud.

Two 2235s would balance of sensitivity of the 2202 although I admit its easierto get one pair of 2235's to sound right in most rooms

[Nordwall]

Ian- If I had more time I would love to build the wooden horns, they look gorgeous...

Moving Along...
Every driver I listed has a mate (pairs) I also have a pair of K-151's to throw in.

Also...
The 2202's and 2426 drivers came out of some old monitors that used Mantaray Constant Coverage horns. I guess the 2202's should be nixed and sold?

BTW...
I will start another thread sometime as to the 4430's. I built a pair of clones, but would love to hear a factory version for comparison some time.

Thanks