DIY Build my own Avontone style speaker

thewhitecoats

Having looked at a lot of mono monitoring speakers like the Aurotone C5, Avontones mix cubes, etc. I have discovered it would not be a bad idea to build my own as many people have with good results. I want to build a pair of passive speakers like the Littlepapercones (which are similar to the Aurotones but are now discontinued).

My Questions are...

1. I have the same drivers used for the Littlepapercones but am wondering do I need a crossover or can I just wire the speaker directly to the terminals?

2. Given the relatively small size of such a speaker, does it matter what materials are used for the boxes, eg MDF, chip board? Or can I use a nice hardwood?

I'm a newb to this kind of thing so go easy on me

TroutMask

Hi Thewhitecoats,
1) you will not need a crossover as 'grot boxes' typically use full-range speakers, i.e., the frequency range is not divided up between different specialised drivers
2) MDF is fine it's incredibly dense so that's good for speakers; some speaker builders use hardwood enclosures; chipboard is a no-no, it's not dense enough though the case could be made that chipboard will give you a more authentic 'grot box' experience since quite a few cheap stereos use chipboard as a material for fabricating speaker cabinets

MythBoy

I'm interested to learn how you might get on with making a mono grot box... how would you connect to your system - do you have a monitor controller?

thewhitecoats

I got all my information from the gearslutz forums. The build turned out very simple. 18mm MDF boxes 6.5 inches wide x 6.5 inches high x 6 inches deep. I veneered mine in walnut and satin varnish finish. The finish is simply aesthetics, the strength of the boxes is the most important thing, i.e. good clean and strong joins. The speakers are wired directly to the terminals (no crossover needed). Once it was all done I stuffed some polyester stuffing I cut out of a cheap quilt, into the boxes for absorption. The speakers and the amplifier I used are listed below.

You can view the finished speakers are at the bottom of this gearslutz thread
<--- gearslutz.com/board/geekslutz-forum/1099552-diy-aurotone-style-speakers.html --->


These speakers are the ones used in the Littlepapercones speakers
<--- visaton.com/en/industrie/breitband/fr12_8.html --->


I'm using this amplifier and connecting to a Focusrite Sapphire Pro 14.
<--- amazon.co.uk/Gemtune-SA-50-Amplifier-Adapter-Standard/dp/B00KBIV1WW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470318780&sr=8-1&keywords=sa-50 --->

The opinions about what amplifier to use for speakers like these can be very contradictory. One half will say a cheap amp is best to give a realistic sound of a car or house stereo. Others say that although you are looking for standard sound quality, you still need a good amplifier for studio mixing. Being on a budget and as I am home recording I decided to meet it half way, and although I don't have anything to compare it too, I am very happy with the results of my choices. The speakers sound great and the amplifier has far more power than I will ever need, at least in my house anyway.