Getting into DIY(hopefully)

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Ch@pS

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Hey all

Ok, so I'm loving the DIY secition, love to read the topics and learn more as I go along. :) The only problem is, it all seems rather daunting to a beginner like myself. So I've decided to start a little project and hoped I could turn to you guys for advice.

Some background info:

Earlier this year, I found a centre + rears set of Denon Overture speakers at Cash converters for R400. I was impressed by them and thought why not, if they turn out rubbish I can always give them to my sister and she can use them as PC speakers or something. Soon though I followed the advice of this forum and got myself a pair of Wharfedale Diamond 10.1s, so the Denon rears went in the cupboard, and the centre remained for when I watch movies(everything else being done in stereo). A week ago I was at Hifi corp buying a TV for my gran, and happened to find a Wharfedale Crystal 2 centre speaker for sale as a demo. The speakers were in perfect condition, the only problem i could see was a few small chips towards the rear of the speaker, unnoticable unless I point them out to people. So For R150, i decided to replaced the Denon centre with the Crystal 2. There is a noticeable improvement in the high's through the centre, however the mid range seems almost unchanged, colder if anything, and it also requires less fiddling on the amp.

So I have the Denon Center and rears just sitting here. I figured lets open them up and see whats inside.

The speakers in question

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Rear of the speakers

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Centre speaker label

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Rear's label

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Grills off

2d0yts.jpg


Centre channel speakers(25watts, 16 ohms)(yet the label says 100w 8 ohm?)

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Inside the centre (no crossover, just a box with some speakers in it)

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Rear speakers and Inside the rears (25watts, 4 ohms)

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So after taking apart these Denon Overture speakers, I've come to the conclusion that they're a box with speakers in, nothing more complicated than that.

Ok, so what I'm trying to do here. I'd like to get a set of tweeters, design and build speaker cabinets, then put in the tweeters, centre channel speakers(one speaker per enclosure to act as a mid range), get a crossover, and really just mess around with this. Between work(Freelance Tech Journalist) and my studies(my Journalism course) I currently have quite a bit of free time on my hands, would like to do something fun and interesting during it.

I'm fairly handly when it comes to woodwork, and have most(if not all) of the tools I'd need to make the enclosures. What I need advice on is the following:

Which tweeters to buy and where(nothing too expensive).
Suggestions for designing the enclosures(nothing to adventurous as this will be my first project).
Where to have a custom crossover designed(once again keeping costs "down").
Is this a waste of time?

Thanks :)
 
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