my DIY "easy to make" fostex 103e fullrange speaker

swami69

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Jul 2, 2009
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Location
Chennai
Hello all,

I want to introduce my DIY full range speaker to the forum. I bought a pair of Fostex FE103e drivers and looking for a plan to make a descent speaker. After researching many over the web, i thought a Zigmahornett design would suit this driver better (just 4") and also will look good. But, that design would involve more materials, a carpenter and time which i was not willing to wait for, as i wanted to try something quickly to see some results of this driver.

Then somewhere i saw a Japanese making a speaker with fostex drivers using Sewage pipes (local water pipes we use in our construction) and that looked very doable on my own without any help. So started off and the timeframe was just 2 days over the weekend. (tiresome, for sure)

The speakers in action in my living room.
photo6.jpg

Bought the following PVC pipes :
4" dia - 2 feet length x 2
L bend x 2
4" to 5" enhancer x 2
5" dummy end to close and hold the Drivers x 2
a small length of 5" connecting pipes
Went to a local wood working place and cut 2 x padauk wood pieces for the base stand - 1 feet x 9" and cut an arch at one end
Bought some L angles for fitting the tubes to the stand
Some brass nut/bolt to be used as the spikes
Now, painting :
bought a can of ready to spray acrylic paint
bought a sample can of Indian copper colour enamel paint
Some sanding papers
Silicon glue to fix joints etc.,
Gold plated binding posts

Construction :
  • Cut pieces to desired length
  • Sand them well for the paint to stick
  • Fix everything to-gether for a trial
  • Cut a precision hole on the 5" dummy for placing the driver. Place the dirver
  • Do whatever padding/damping you want - I used Yoga Mat as one layer inside the walls of the pipes and some polyfill taken out from a pillow
  • Once you are happy with how it sounds - dismantle
  • Prepare the wooden stand using sanding, sealing, varnishing several times to get the gloss you want
  • Drill holes for adding screws to fix pipes and spikes
  • Prepare the pipes by applying a primer
  • Drill holes for the L joint to fix
  • Spray paint them
  • Allow it to dry
  • Add binding posts
  • Solder wire to the driver and the binding posts
  • NOW, start fixing only the tall pipe to the stand
  • Once stable, add the top bend and the Driver side
View attachment 1959View attachment 1960View attachment 1961
photo4.jpg
You have your wonderful speaker.

Cost to make :

Drivers - SGD 150 per pair (INR approx 5500)
Wood - INR 300 including cutting
Pipes and other accesories - INR 800
Paint, varnish - INR 600


Now, the observations from my minimal listening to this beauty

Overall the sound is very good
Nice body to the sound
It provides a very good imaging and a great soundstage (i benchmarked it against the same song "bricks in the wall" we played few times in the chennai HFV meet yesterday and exactly followed the expert comments during the session)
Very detailed (need some more run in)
Crisp and clear
I mostly listen to soft, easy listening, instrumental types of songs and it suits perfectly - it may not suit some other genres like heavy rock etc.,
For some people, you can add a sub to take care of some bass freq. I am happy even without it.

My own considerations to improve it further :
  • I currently run it with a SS NAD 355 amp and it sounds good, may be a tube amp will sound even better as they make the best pair
  • This is not made to any specific professional measurements, just my own logic - trial and error
  • No professional damping materials used - just household stuff

As it has come out nicely, now, i am confident of spending more time in getting a PROPER WOODEN ENCLOSURE made for this like a Zigmahornett or a TL design available over the net (after sometime though !)

Hope you all like it and i would suggest people to just try it out for fun using some local full range drivers and these pipes - may not cost even this much as the Fostex drivers are the most expensive in this whole cost.

This BEATS my Mission M32i hands down in details and clarity and now my mission bookshelf is pushed to my other room to play with my AVR.

All above are just my opinion and thoughts and i invite our forum members to come home whenever they have time to have a listen.

Thanks for taking time to read this.

swami
 
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Hi Swami,

This is what I call is true innovation.

Personally, I too am inclined to take experimentation to such levels, but lack motivation enough, as the case with 'married with kids' ......

Congrats
 
Hi, thanks for your comments.

the forum members are there to motivate you and even i am married and have two kids, 11 and 8 years old - Do it man. It gives you great pleasure. All the very best.

swami
 
SS amp will sound hard with single driver. At the least get a tube preamp to soften the sound. I use a tube pre with nad and it does a good job or removing the hardness.

Regards
 
SS amp will sound hard with single driver. At the least get a tube preamp to soften the sound. I use a tube pre with nad and it does a good job or removing the hardness.

Regards
Thanks gobble, and i agree fully that a tube amp goes great with a fullranger - as wherever i have listened to full rangers, they were always played with a tube amp. Your suggestion of adding a tube-pre is very valid and i can continue to use my NAD SS.

swami
 
@swami,looks very good indeed.as cranky pointed out,similiar to the linkwitz-pluto in implementation.looks damn good,and as FR speakers from fostex are,see ur are lovin their sonic character already!!another tube covert in the makin :ohyeah:....enjoy and cheers
 
Great job. Truly innovative. Above all you made them look nice. Myself, I am currently going through a build process of a Fostex Back Loaded Horn with FE206Es.

Really appreciate your passion for making and as well as listing down everything in a detailed manner.

Cheers.
 
ET go home....

Very nice, and excellent effort. They look pretty good and you should tell people the pipes are special order :D

Linkwitz uses the same pipes for the Pluto, though that's an active multiway system and uses two pipes of different diameters, one for the woofer and another for the fullrange driver.

Thanks Cranky. I refered this pluto design as well prior to starting this. But, as i mentioned, as a first DIY attempt, i did not want to get into any complication on crossovers and other stuff.. But, sure i would need assistance from people like you when i take on complicated stuff in future. :) thanks again

swami
 
Hi Swami,

Your speakers look great. Very impressive, simple and tastefully done. Going very well with the room. From early impressions, they look to sound good too. Will be waiting to hear yours and others' impressions on the sound (including more detailed comparisons with other single and multi-driver speakers, because others heard them at the meet.

Regards.

PS: Would somebody (Cranky?) briefly tell us the different options available for cabinet designs (including open-baffle or cabinet-less) for single driver speakers and their expected sound signatures? How do these options then change or become more complicated if there are multiple drivers? Thanks in advance.
 
congrats swami69, it looks great. i will drop in some time to listen to your set-up. sent a pm in this regard.

regards
 
Design and looks are great ! A very well done job.
This BEATS my Mission M32i hands down in details and clarity and now my mission bookshelf is pushed to my other room to play with my AVR.
Kindly tell me was this comparison with same setting, source and amplifier ?
Thanks
 
Design and looks are great ! A very well done job.

Kindly tell me was this comparison with same setting, source and amplifier ?
Thanks

Hi, exactly same, just swapping the speakers and playing the same song few times between them. Mission had a better bass for sure as it is tuned by professionals, but, all the rest like details, clarity, crispness were better in this full ranger. This is just my opinion.

swami
 
Hi Swami

You say this is the first DIY but it looks like a pure craft man's design done by professional speaker designer,hats off. You could have brought it for HFV meet for everyone to enjoy.

Regards

Sub

Video: Panny 32 LCD, PS3, Sony DVP-NS78H, Samsung DVD-P365H, WDTV, Big TV.
Audio: Yamaha RX-V661, Sansui G-5000, Hand Made Towers for stereo, Pioneer Linear Power for HT with Onkyo SL-107 powered sub.
 
Looks like you have choosen to color the pipe later based on your rooms aesthetics.
Looks Professional - and you say its your First!.
And you joined my ENVY list.
 
Thanks gobble, and i agree fully that a tube amp goes great with a fullranger - as wherever i have listened to full rangers, they were always played with a tube amp. Your suggestion of adding a tube-pre is very valid and i can continue to use my NAD SS.

swami

And yes its a great job for a first speaker. Saleable in a shop looks and finish wise and going by your review of SQ

Regards
 
Very Nice! :D You should've bought this over yesterday!
Thanks Grubyhalo, it was nice meeting you yesterday. Since there were already many equipments, i was hesitant to add to that list. I can bring it to the next meet, for sure.

swami
 
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