Auratone DIY

What an awesome thread ppl 

This is getting me to build 2 Davetones myself as well  8)

There's a few things that I'm wondering:
On the following links in this thread, the original Auratones have a frequency response of: audible, 50Hz - 17kHz ; Anechoic on axis 120-12500 Hz on the one pdf, Anechoic on axis 140 - 12500 Hz on the other pdf.
Now the maplin driverr has a frequency response of 45-10KHz.
That seems to go way lower then the original Auratones.
I want to look for a driver that I can order in the Netherlands but now I'm confused in what specs that driver should have.
http://mpe.berklee.edu/documents/studio/manuals/monitors/Auratone%205PSC/Auraton%205c%20PSC.pdf
http://mpe.berklee.edu/documents/studio/manuals/monitors/Auratone%205c/Auratone%205c.pdf

I can easily get my hands on this one:
http://nl.rs-online.com/web/p/speaker-drivers/3643290/

But then I imagine I can get my hands on a ton of more drivers. I could even ask a mate to send me the maplins, no problem.

Thank you from me as well, Dave!!! Just finished mine over the weekend. I had a friend doing a Ph.D in Cambridge a couple of years back, so he was able to mail the drivers to me over here in the states. Didn't get around to starting the project till a couple of months ago, lol. Used 3/4-inch particle wood. Found these 1-1/2 inch wooden balls for the corners. I was surprised how heavy they turned out in the end-7 and a quarter pounds each. Does anybody know the weight of the original 5C's?

Hi Dave, thanks for the idea!! I have done mine... here is one of them..

If you were going to make these active what amp would you use ?

See my reply to your post in the drawing board.

DaveP

Hi All

I appreciate this is an old thread however I found it and am keen to make my own davetones.

Sadly Maplin have discontinued this speaker cone and no longer do exactly the same.

I. Have looked for alternatives and compared the key frequency stats at nothing exactly match s the L69aw but that wasn't quite perfect anyway (I don't think).

Do you think my project would suffer very badly if I used one of these and if so why ch should you use?

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/20w-4in-shielded-bass-mid-range-speaker-l68aw

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/55w-65in-shielded-bass-mid-range-speaker-l70aw

The aura tone itself seems to have a 4.5 inch driver and the frequency response of the maplin 4 inch model goes 10 kHz lower but is 5W less at 20w.

It seems in the ball park. What do you think?

I annoyingly bought the preamps I was going to mount onto the back from Thomas before I saw mapllin discontinued the speaker. I bought these which looked ideal.

https://www.thomann.de/gb/prod_AR_162094.html

I figure the general aim of a fairly crappy mid range speaker with little bass and top end will be achieved and with integrated amps. It possibly won't exactly match the aura tone will it be 'worse' for the purpose and should I stop and look elsewhere for a driver?

I guess even though this 4 inch driver is .5 inch smaller than the genuine aura tone one I will make the box to the original specs to get the same reasonance?

I would hugely appreciate your thoughts,

Thanks

Toby

It's a pity they have withdrawn this speaker, but its an old project now.

You don't have to confine yourself to Maplin or to magnetic shielding, that was only important when used next to old CRT type tv's and monitors, where they did not distort the picture.

I found this one from Monacor
https://www.monacor.com/en-cn/monacor/products/components/speaker-technology/pa-midrange-speakers/sp-4-60pro/

at 90dB efficiency it is twice as loud as the Maplin one you found, which is only 82dB.  The resonant frequency is also lower at 92Hz as against 141Hz.

Basically, you want a half decent speaker that runs from 100-10,000Hz,  this enables you to mix the mid range detail without being swamped by the bass.  You can always mix the bass on the monitors.

Good luck
DaveP

this was a fun project.

I was seconds away from ordering an Aventone MixCube when I found this thread...
I'm completely into DIY'ing an Auratone instead!

Awesome project.

I found this speaker on the bay, would it be appropriate?
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/haut-parleur-Bose-901-serie-IV-/112242984457?hash=item1a22340609:gDEAAOSwA3dYWUGt

@Golgoth
You need to read the frequency response posts at the beginning of the thread.

The speaker you suggested has no specifications, you need a full range speaker that is reasonably flat from 100 to 10kHz

Bonne chance
DaveP

Thanks for the reply!

I just thought I read somewhere Auratones were loaded with these Bose speakers from the 901 series...

I'll try to source the specs

Thanks alot for your response Dave.

I missed your reply and got excited and went ahead and bought the Maplin cones as they were so cheap at £2.99 each. I see the Monacor ones although they are a further £60.

I have bought Thomann amps to power the speakers, but volume wise I am working in a small room so total volume isn't really an issue for me as it stands.

I will just be using these for cruddy mid range ref speakers and have other monitors to mix on, so these are ref speakers to give me something to check the balance on. To that end when you say:


Basically, you want a half decent speaker that runs from 100-10,000Hz,  this enables you to mix the mid range detail without being swamped by the bass.  You can always mix the bass on the monitors.

Do you think these cones I bought are worth the effort of building with? I am sort of childishly looking for approval before I build something shit and not worth my time! and my understanding of speaker terminology is low, although working on it.

Thanks

They will probably be OK for your room.

Make sure the boxes are well sealed with no leaks and put some bonded acetate fibre (BAF) inside to absorb the back output and stop it returning through the front causing out of phase cancellations.  Keep to similar dimensions to originals.

DaveP

Thanks - I will do.

Good drivers for Auratone type monitor:

http://www.oaudio.de/en/Loudspeaker-DIY-kits/Loudspeaker-chassis/OmnesAudio/Wide-Range/OmnesAudio-BB4-01.html

http://www.oaudio.de/en/Loudspeaker-DIY-kits/Loudspeaker-chassis/Tang-Band/4-wide-range-drivers/Tang-Band-W4-1052SDF.html

http://seas.no/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=376:h1600-08-fu10rb&catid=53restige-fullrange&Itemid=466

Here a post where Seas R&D engineer comments that the Seas H-1600 is designed to be used in very small sealed box (1L):
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/212717-seas-prestige-fu10rb-h1600-08-4-full-range-new-madisound.html#post3144783

I would take the Seas, the other ones may need larger vented box.

In UK you can get the Seas from here:
http://www.falconacoustics.co.uk/seas-h1600-04-fu10rb-prestige-series.html

That is 4 ohm driver, there is also 8 ohms version.

Though a smaller (3.5") this Peerless driver might also work well in a small box. This was recommended by someone in the Diyaudio thread instead of Seas:
http://www.hobbyhifiladen.de/peerless-tc9fd-18-08 (out of stock there but find it elsewhere)

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/268626-vifa-tc9fd18-08-best-bang-buck.html

Amazing thread Dave!

Looking to build myself a pair, I am currently leaning towards the Monacor drivers compared to the SEAS.

I was wondering if from the stats anyone could vouch for which of these will be better suited?

SP-4/60 PRO (as suggested by Dave)
https://www.monacor.com/en-gb/monacor/products/components/speaker-technology/hi-fi-midrange-speakers/sp-4-60pro/

MSH-115
https://www.monacor.com/en-gb/monacor/products/components/speaker-technology/hi-fi-midrange-speakers/msh-115/

The MSH-115 seems to have a very linear response with more severe roll off slopes at 100hz & 10khz, which to my simple little brain means better. However, I am fully aware that I could be very wrong about this. Also, I have a very limited understanding of how the other specs will affect the suitability for this project.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

The Maplin driver is still on their website, but unavailable,  so you can see specs:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/25w-525in-shielded-bass-mid-range-speaker-l69aw

There are some interesting waterfalls & etc for the Auratone in Phil Newell's book where it is compared with a number of other smallish monitors. The waterfall plot is extraordinary and  gives a good clue as to why they were so useful

I have spent a few thousand hoursi n front of them. The frequency response is not really the big deal, it's the lack of crossover, lack of energy storage blurring the sound and the way they let you concentrate on relative levels that makes them so useful

I think the idea of a pair of active Davetones is a wonderful idea. I think a pair of chip amps would suit very well

Nick Froome

I have the MSH-115's as the mid-range in my HiFi speakers and it is the most linear speaker I've ever found, but it is not built for cone excursion and so would not be any good in the Auratones.  It needs a 300Hz crossover; I use 500Hz.

You need something like a small bass-mid or a full range/PA type for this job.

DaveP