Designer:

Tom D

Project Category:

Bookshelf Speakers

Project Level:

Intermediate

Project Time:

20+ Hours

Project Cost:

$100 – $500

Project Description:

A set of 2-way floor speakers using Dayton Audio components in a custom built cabinet made from cabinet grade 3/4 plywood.

Design Goals:

Clear sound definition from my system using my CD player or streamer and fits in my office environment.

Driver Selection:

#295-356 Dayton Audio RS225-8 8″ Reference Woofer
#275-085 Dayton Audio PT2C-8 Planar Tweeter

Enclosure Design:

Two-way driver design using 3/4″ Cabinet grade plywood, sealed construction with approximately .55 ft³ volume and 3/4 depth baffle-stiffener above woofer. Crossover mounted in rear of bottom with hot melt.

Enclosure Assembly:

Glue up structure with Gorilla wood glue & clamps. Back is screwed on and sealed using wood screws for access. 2″ Fiberglass batting around woofer and below tweeter. Woofer is mounted with machine screws-nuts and planar tweeter is mounted with small head wood screws. Cabinets finished with Rustoleum, Stone, Mineral Brown spray paint.

Crossover Design:

#260-1882 Dayton Audio 3k-HPF-8 High Pass Speaker Crossover 3000Hz 12dB/Octave

Conclusion:

I’ve been playing these speakers for many hours since building them and they sound better each hour as they break in. I’m very pleased with their dynamic range highs and bass. I used to build speaker cabinets in the 1970’s and ’80’s for my systems and drivers have come a long way since then!

Tips & Tricks:

Don’t be afraid to experiment! The Rustoleum Mineral Brown finish gives a professional look and nice background to the Dayton drivers. It takes a little practice before spraying ti on the finished cabinets though.

About the Designer:

Retired product designer getting back to building things for fun. I used to build speakers many years ago when companies like Lafayette Electronics and Olsen were the local electronic products and parts stores near me. I like to do research before I start a project and then develop a plan and drawings. I gave my vinyl and turntable to my son as I got more into CD’s and streaming. Space for sound systems has gotten smaller over the years and the speakers described here fit the bill perfectly for me.

Project Parts List: