Wanting to build floorstanders with RS225-8 and D27TG-35-06

[kalell]

I am looking to build some tower speakers using the Dayton RS225-8 and Vifa D27TG-35-06. I am looking to possibly do a section with a woofer and tweeter in a sealed area and another section with another of the same woofer below it ported. I had built some the same style about 9 years ago using the classic 8 and they sounded really good and i am wanting to try to duplicate with the reference series. Or would i be better doing them both in a WTW ported and neither in a sealed? Thoughts? Ideas?

[5th element]

The only trouble with the RS225 is that it is more of a bass driver and doesn't suit two ways unless crossed very low and steep.

A two woofer setup is absolutely fine and would most likely be configured as a 2.5 way and if done correctly would sound nice.

Perhaps you could look at Mark Ks two way for inspiration.

[Hdale85]

Yeah for a woofer in that category it takes a special tweeter to play down that low.

[JonMarsh]

Another point to consider is that 2.5 ways using different enclosure volumes don't have to use the same driver for the 0.5 and the fuller range woofer- you could match an RS180 or some other wideband driver (like the Vifa NE180w-08 7" which has a very smooth and extended upper midrange and presence region). You could run the Vifa sealed (to limit excursion a bit and increase power handling) and the RS225 ported.

The RS225 requires special crossover techniques and a tweeter with good characteristics down to 1 kHz- the RS 1" tweeters are OK, the SS 6600 Air Circ is a good choice, too, if the budget allows. Crossover will have to be quite steep (an elliptic filter such as I used for the M8ta, or MarkK subsequently used for his two way).

And if you're considering a 2.5 way route, you might want to just try Jim Holt's Finalist three way; the crossover slopes are a little bit shallower than I'd like but it keeps the crossover component cost down. I have that Vifa midrange, too, and had been thinking about a similar three way with it, with the SS Revelator aluminum 8", but I'd go for a crossover more like the NatalieP, with Allpass 3rd order characteristics. That would increase the crossover cost substantially, but then the elliptic crossovers for a two way with the RS225 aren't cheap, either!

A 3rd order all-pass would also permit using my favorite inexpensive tweeter, the Scanspeak Discovery D2608/9130. In the existing Finalist crossover, the tweeter is only down about 12-14 dB at 1000 Hz, though it steepens in roll off below that.

I wonder how those drivers would work in a true Duelund configuration; I should model that in my copious spare time! /SARCASM OFF

[Paul K.]

Speaking from direct experience, my 2-way RS duets use a single RS225-8 with an RS28F tweeter crossed at 1.4 kHz. The floor-stander cabinet is an ML-TL. The crossover was designed by Mark Krawiec, with the whole design based on but an evolution of his 2005 design using the RS225S-8 and RS28A. I'm very pleased with how these sound and perform. The RS duets won first place at last year's MWAF and here's a link to my writeup on them: http://www.midwestaudiofest.com/2012...rs/rs_duet.php
Paul

Edit: Here's a link to Mark K's writeup on the crossover design for the RS duets: http://www.audioheuristics.org/markk_wp/?p=376
Paul

[joeybutts]

Another vote for doing something similar to Markk's build. I absolutely love his RS225/28A.

[kalell]

I am thinking i might be better off going back to Darren Kuzma design from 2001 with the Dayton classice dc200-8 and Seas tweeter. They were tuned down about 30 Hz so i did not need a sub, and there was pleanty of volume and minimal distortion if any and the complete build was right at $200. I really liked that configuration and prefer 8" drivers. We do watch movies and like to crank the music up at times and they never had an issue keeping up. I had some Jamos with 6 1/2 drivers and just was not happy at all, say the referance series, liked the looks more than the classic and thought i would ask the possibilities. I do like Mark K build and there is great information, just not sure the one 8 will get the lower end i would rather the towers cover.

[5th element]

In terms of performance the reference series are a serious step up compared to the classics. The classics are really very basic drivers without any of the more advanced construction techniques used to improve a drivers performance.

You don't have to build the Mark K design into a stand mounter like he did. If you keep the cabinet width the same you can always build them into a ported tower design. This should give you more then enough bass.

[joeybutts]

I would love to know how Markk's RS225/28A sounds ported.

[kalell]

OK... so here is my thoughts... and may be way off, but what i am seeing it should be really close. If i try to do Mark K's design but in a tower ported i am coming up with a tower that is 36" tall, 10" wide and 12"deep giving ma a volume of about 1.766 cubic feet. Tuning it at 35Hz i am comming up with a port 3" x 4.75 to 6.5 depending the type. There will be alot of fill in the box from what i am seeing. So is this way off or at least in the ball park?? like to hear your ideas.

[joeybutts]

I have nothing to add other than this is EXCITINGGGGGGGG.