Dream Scenario - Wife Requested a Speaker Build - HEEEELLLPPP!

[dCraig]

I was playing around with my SONOS wireless music system last night when my wife came into the room. She got intoi how easy it is to play any music in any room with the press of a wireless controller button.

So, next thing she says is - "if we had speakers in the bedroom we could listen to the music and cuddle." Ok, if you saw my wife, you would understand why a 6 foot 3 bruiser like me is comfotable telling the world he likes cuddling - you would too! Anyway, back to the speakers...

She says she wants two nice in-ceiling speakers and potentialkly an in-wall sub too. And, she says "why don't you build them?"

Hoo-yeah!

OK, that's where the fun ends. Now I need help. I will search to see if there is anything on this but what would be a good option for building a set of speakers that must:
1 - be able to be installed cross-wise between two cieling joists.
2 - sit in an attic that is not heated or cooled without deteriorating fast.
3 - sound good in an infinite baffle arrangement like that (in-wall, in-ceiling, whatever).
4 - work well with or without a sub (I could build a box around it in the attic for more bass extension
5 - Sound VERY GOOD at low volumes because they would mostly be used at night when our son is sleeping.

Am I smokin crack here? Is thare a good design like the in-wall Nat-Ps that would work? Perhaps an in-wall Modula MT?

I will search for these ideas but I want to share my good fortune and see if anyone had any "cuddly" suggestions.

Fire away.

[joecarrow]

Ah, man- I feel for you. Seems like the greatest thing in the world that your hobby is being encouraged, but then the pressure is on and it's time to perform!

I think the in-wall Modula MT is a sure thing. Is there any reason you can't build the cabinet, have the cabinet in the attic, and the face of the cabinet (including port) flush with the ceiling?

I listen to my Modula MTs at low volume all the time, and they're fine. If you can build the cabinets and have ports into the room, I see no need for a sub.

[Dennis H]

I'd be tempted to go with the Seas coax for good off-axis response in any direction although a separate woof/tweet speaker like the Modula MT could work well as long as you align it so the woofer and tweeter are about equidistant from your listening position (pillows.)

http://www.madisound.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?cart_id=3937043.9925&pid=2060

Drape some unfaced fiberglass batting over the speaker to protect it from the elements and conserve energy.

[cjd]

Hehe... if you have an attic above, you could go IB for the sub.

[dCraig]

Ah, man- I feel for you. Seems like the greatest thing in the world that your hobby is being encouraged, but then the pressure is on and it's time to perform!

I think the in-wall Modula MT is a sure thing. Is there any reason you can't build the cabinet, have the cabinet in the attic, and the face of the cabinet (including port) flush with the ceiling?

I listen to my Modula MTs at low volume all the time, and they're fine. If you can build the cabinets and have ports into the room, I see no need for a sub.

I'm free to do whatever I want for boxes. On issue I just realized, though, is that the speakers will be within a few feet of two light fixtures. Any interference might annoy mey at low volumes. Does this mean I should use all shielded drivers?

[dCraig]

I'd be tempted to go with the Seas coax for good off-axis response in any direction although a separate woof/tweet speaker like the Modula MT could work well as long as you align it so the woofer and tweeter are about equidistant from your listening position (pillows.)

http://www.madisound.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?cart_id=3937043.9925&pid=2060

Drape some unfaced fiberglass batting over the speaker to protect it from the elements and conserve energy.

How does the Seas do at low volumes and how is it for detail. When I go low volume I like to up the detail if possible.

[Dennis H]

How does the Seas do at low volumes and how is it for detail. When I go low volume I like to up the detail if possible.

Sorry, I don't know what 'detail' means. The Seas is a low-distortion driver but it's SPL-limited due to its low Xmax.

[joecarrow]

I'm free to do whatever I want for boxes. On issue I just realized, though, is that the speakers will be within a few feet of two light fixtures. Any interference might annoy mey at low volumes. Does this mean I should use all shielded drivers?

"shielded" drivers refer to the stray magnetic field they emit- or in the case of shielded drivers, don't emit. This mainly has to do with CRT televisions and monitors- not much else cares about sitting in a static magnetic field.

As long as you run the post-amplifier wires to the speakers and keep the line level interconnects away from things that are electrically noise (a light fixture), then you should have no problem with the speakers picking up noise.