Happy at last

[Coll]

After many years of using different hi fi components I think at last I am very happy with my system. The speakers I have made myself from a design published by Troels Gravesen the model is Illumina 66. They are truly great speakers which cost about £1700 for all the materials and components. Drivers are Scan Speak and are very detailed and smooth. My current Cd player is the Audiolab 8200CDQ with built in pre amplifier.

Power amplifier is also built by me it uses 2 mono modules by BK Electric MF300 giving about 300 watts at 8ohms so plenty of headroom. They are mosfet amplifiers and are built to last. BK supplied modules and carried out most of the wiring for me. I have xlr balanced inputs and anti thump circuits. Iused wood for the front and back panels and 4mm aluminium sheet for the top and bottom panels. In my rack all you see is the front which I finished in 3mm matt black perspex and all this has on it is an illuminated on/off switch provided again by BK. Total cost for the amp was about £370 not bad for all that power and sound qulity.

Combined this is the best system I haver ever had great sound no hum or hiss even when on volume without music playing of course.

Total costt is not that bad at £3100 but of course if everything was ready made it would be more like £5000.

 

[Coll]

While writing the above I was listening to Brahms violin concerto played by Nigel Kennedy and it sounds absolutely superb, smooth, detailed and lifelike

 

[DocG]

Hi Coll,

Looks like you carefully did your homework and then you were brave enough to pull the trigger. Your amp and speakers have a very limited value on the second hand market... but if you intend to keep them, that doesn't matter, does it?

As I'd like to start a similar project myself, I was wondering: do you have any technical background (electric, wood- or metal-working, ...)? Cos I don't!

So, you're there! Enjoy the result!*drinks*

 

[Coll]

Hi Coll,

Looks like you carefully did your homework and then you were brave enough to pull the trigger. Your amp and speakers have a very limited value on the second hand market... but if you intend to keep them, that doesn't matter, does it?

As I'd like to start a similar project myself, I was wondering: do you have any technical background (electric, wood- or metal-working, ...)? Cos I don't!

So, you're there! Enjoy the result!*drinks*

Like you say big problem if you sell but I do intend to keep for a long time especially as I am happy with the sound.

My woodworking skills are good but my knowledge of electrics is limited to power systems. I read a lot on the internet before making the speakers. Take a look at the Troels Gravesen website and use his ideas and knowledge you would not be dissapointed. Also the people at BK are very helpfull and knowledgeable.

 

[wilro15]

Pictures please!

 

[iQ Speakers]

Yes pictures please wow and those are tough to make, more than gluing MDF!

I really like the look of these snappy name of TQWT-mkII all real wood and the size of the crossovers! (have to switch to chrome now)

 

[Coll]

Hi

Using a tablet at present so not able to post pictures.

My design differs from Troels in some respects as my wife did not want speakers without grilles but due to the slope they are not flat fronted and not totally conventional. They are veneered with oak and black stained with hardwax oil finish.

I have studied speakers for about 45 years and have made quite a few too and can tell you that Troels Gravesen is one of best designers you will ever find. His designs also give crossover options which will suit all ears.

 

[steve_1979]

Stunning looking speakers. I like them and at £1700 with those drivers is really great value. Bet they sound the dogs bo**ox.

 

[Coll]

Quite right sound great and although the cost is £1700 for me they probaly sound as good as speakers in £3000/£4000 bracket. I spent well over 100 hours making them. For the size of the driver the bass is very good the drivers have quite a long linear stroke but they are not cheap. I paid about £700 for the drivers alone.

 

[Coll]

BTW lets not forget the amplifier pays these are 4 ohm speakers and the amp produces 400watts into 4 ohms giving good control and plenty of headroom.

Total cost as I said was £370 try buying an amp with that output for that cost although of course I spent quite a few hours building so again it would cost a lot more ready made. I designed in a cooling fan that is operated by a thermostat but it has not come yet. It is a 12 volt computer fan and is very quiet, cannot hear it where I sit

 

[steve_1979]

Quite right sound great and although the cost is £1700 for me they probaly sound as good as speakers in £3000/£4000 bracket. I spent well over 100 hours making them. For the size of the driver the bass is very good the drivers have quite a long linear stroke but they are not cheap. I paid about £700 for the drivers alone.

The vast majority of speakers that use those drivers cost in excess of £10,000 so £1700 is really quite a bargin.

I bet the Jenzen Illuminator sound impressive in a big room. They're basically the same speakers that you have sitting on top of a high quality 10" subwoofer with a transmission line enclosure. Very cool! If I had the money and the space I'd love to have a go at building an active verion of these.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Hi

Using a tablet at present so not able to post pictures.

My design differs from Troels in some respects as my wife did not want speakers without grilles but due to the slope they are not flat fronted and not totally conventional. They are veneered with oak and black stained with hardwax oil finish.

I have studied speakers for about 45 years and have made quite a few too and can tell you that Troels Gravesen is one of best designers you will ever find. His designs also give crossover options which will suit all ears.

Hi Coll if you use an app imgupr you can upload the image on a tablet, it's really easy to use and something I learned on here. Would really love to see them. 100 hours for those seems conservative!

 

[Coll]

I am on my main computer now but cannot see how to upload photos

 

[iQ Speakers]

OK Coll, first off I can not do it in IE you need to use Chrome, uload the pics to Flicr or another picture hosting company.

Copy the link fo the image the one with jpg at the end, then click on the square box at the top of the comment box here left of the smiley, paste the link and should work. if not e-mail them to me I will pop them up for you. colin@iqspeakers.co.uk

 

[Coll]

Thanks for kind offer to up load pics I have emailed them to you.

 

[Coll]

Yes you are probably right more like 120/150 hours.

I used MDF 19mm for sides, top, bottom and back and 25mm for front panel. Used a lot of 20x20 batten in all corners and joints and bracing also. Veneered by hand before finishing.

 

[Vladimir]

Quite right sound great and although the cost is £1700 for me they probaly sound as good as speakers in £3000/£4000 bracket. I spent well over 100 hours making them. For the size of the driver the bass is very good the drivers have quite a long linear stroke but they are not cheap. I paid about £700 for the drivers alone.

Steve is 'on the money'. If you built it for £1700, a company with its overheads, capital goods as initial investment (building, machines, tooling, materials), distribution, transportation, packaging, taxes, labor, advertising etc. will cost at least x10 of what the materials will cost.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Thanks for kind offer to up load pics I have emailed them to you.

Not got them yet colin@iqspeakers.co.uk

 

[wilro15]

I wish I had the time and skills to build something like this. Must be so rewarding to hear them knowing they are your own.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Coll's Trolls, Alot or hard work in there the build is far more complexe than the IPL's lots of angle cutting, Well done Sir they look good but i bet they sound even better.

 

[Coll]

Thanks for putting the pictures on the site for me.

Couple of things I should mention is that they are the ring radiator HF version which cost a fraction more but not in the grand scheme of things. Crossover and wiring is all to Troels Gravesen spec as set out on his website.

Overall dimensions and internal volume are to spec as is internal damping and port which is on the front. As I said earlier you can change one of the resistors in the crossover to suit your preference and I went for the 1R5 version which to me is just right but I have a bright room and someone else may find a lower value resistor better. BTW the crossover components are not cheap but they are highly rated and give superb performance. The choice of resistor in the HF section of the crossover is a great feature because you can change HF ouput to suit different rooms and different amplifiers etc. till you get the HF output that you lke most.

The crossovers are in the bottom of the cabinets and can be withdrawn to carryout changes. I was able to get all the components on one board, but you must be carefull if you do this as the coils must be spaced apart a certain distance. One final thing is that I did not fancy doiing all that soldering but it did go well and my soldering skills are up to scratch now. There must be something like 80 joints in all and stripping the teflon coated wire is not easy. I saved a little space on the crossover boards and money by using Jantzen copper wound air coils instead of wax coils.

 

[iQ Speakers]

I also had to post these, the crossovers and driver quality looks superb. I may one day build these and add them to the iQ portfolio, they do look superb. Respect Coll by the way did you consider or hear the IPL, if so are these better?

 

[Coll]

Not heard the IPL kits so cannot compare, did see the site but did not fancy the drivers after comparing specs with the Scan Speak bass drivers. But then of course they are more expensive also the crossover components used with the Scan Speak drivers are top notch.

I dont know the man behind IPL so cannot comment, after reading for many hours on the TG website I just felt that he was someone who really knew what he was talking about. He talks about famous people like G Briggs but in my opinion he is just as famous himself. He has a great knowledge of sound and electronic circuits and his crossover designs are brilliant.

 

[iQ Speakers]

Ivan certainly knows what he's talking about, he has helped PMC out. Having said that the TG look in a different price performance bracket, I'll guess I'll have to have a listen, the components in the kit do look pretty special. I really like the look of the ones I pointed out. Made from real hardwood I think they we would look stunning.

 

[Coll]

Some of the TG designs would probably cost £4000 just to build so yes in a different price league. Good quality bass, smooth clean mid range and treble are the goals of all his designs. You need to spend some time reading to appreciate his designs goals but quality is always number one priority. There are some reasonably priced designs like nomex but they are still highly rated, read the builders responses.