flat pannel sound bar diy

[grillnchilln]

My parents have been looking at a 48" sound bar to go under their new flat panel TV. From what I understand you can connect your LCR channels to it. They are interested in having me build them a DIY version. As my amateur audio mind starts to think thought the project - having LCR channels that close together would create cancelation and a pretty 'messy' HT front sound stage. Has anyone experimented with this type of set up? My parents are far more into ascetics then they into having their 'big' speakers in the room which are some two-ways on stands. Has anyone heard any of these that they can comment on? They model they were looking at was close to $400. I wandered how the Dayton BS36 sounds over at Parts Express for around $169?

[ThomasW]

To recreate the soundfield there's a ton of DSP occurring in these things. So realistically they probably aren't a DIY project unless you're a programmer with the ability to create your own custom chips.

[peter_m]

I would personally opt for a conventional speaker design. Soundbars just feel wrong to me. Consider L+R with this design and just add a small sub. For the centre channel you can modify the enclosure slightly if need be.

Peter

[fourdegrees11]

{deleted} oops

[Brian Bunge]

Thomas,

I imagine any "soundbar" selling for only $400 is simply 3 passive LCR type speakers in a single enclosure. In other words, the units that have all the built-in DSP stuff are 2-3x that cost.

Here's the Dayton unit that the OP referenced:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?Partnumber=300-684

[ThomasW]

Looks like Dr Hsu created a comb-filtering nightmare..... Might work better if there were damping material on the baffle to function as waveguides.

From design to plugging in it would cost more than $169 to DIY something like that.

IMO he'd be better off building something like this and run a mono signal...

http://www.partsexpress.com/projectshowcase/indexn.cfm?project=Cynosure

[chrismercurio]

I think the Seas coax would be a nice option for a bar-type LR or LCR. I use these in a Rick Craig designed speaker, and like them very much. Zaph just measured them too.

Since everything is so close together, you may want to consider a phantom center with LR only ala the Theil Viewpoint.

Chris

[dlneubec]

How about something like this, with or without the center channel. Use pairs of 3-4" semi full range drivers, like the Dayton RS100, paired with a neo tweeter, like the Vifa D26nc55. Run them sealed and cross them over to a small sub at 120hz or so.

[servicetech]

How about aiming the L/R speakers away from the center channel, therefore beaming the sound off to the sides?

[ThomasW]

I think we're wasting our time with suggestions/comments. The OP hasn't been back to the forum since he made the original post...