The Minions build

[Leroy R]

Searched the forums to see if the name had already been used and didn't find it, so hopefully I haven't stolen someone else project name. Also not sure if such a simple design actually qualifies as a build.

Parts List:

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=260-300

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=299-249

http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=260-317

I originally just put these in the boxes that a couple crossovers came in from PE:


I was originally going to put them in 4"x4"x4" cubes made from 1/2" mdf, but they sounded so good in the boxes I decided to try 3.5"x3.5"x3.5" cubes made of 1/4" mdf. Let me tell you, trying to glue 90 degree corners with 1/4" is a pain. The cubes also got a 1/2"x2.75" port as well which extended the low end a bit.











Still need to finish up the exteriors. I'm sure someone with the measurement tools and know how, could improve on them with some crossover components, but everyone that has heard them so far are very impressed as they are. I have several requests to build additional sets for friends already. They are great teamed with the little Lepai amp. Of course the low end is limited, but decent enough to use as stand alones. If you have a small sub to team them with, they really sound awesome. I ran the right channel through the 70W amp and 10" Dayton DVC sub you see on the floor in the last pic just to see how it would sound with a little more low end. These also get very loud and stay clean. Great deal for less than $11 parts from PE plus mdf, 1/2" pvc for tube and whatever you decide to finish them with.

[greywarden]

Re: The Minions build

Oh wow, I knew I should have finished those before I left, haha. Same exact design except sealed.

Oh well, they look nice haha. I guess I have a name for when I finish them, now.

[Leroy R]

Re: The Minions build

LOL, I was hesitating posting about them, because I don't want the driver to sell out. I still need to buy more so I can gift them to my daughters and nieces.

Let me know what you think of them when you get yours built. The port is nice as such a small driver needs all the low end help it can get.

[Wolf]

Re: The Minions build

Any fill material?

I'm betting that port will be tuned rather high, and actually give you a bump in the response to sound full with quasi-BSC, and make them sound a little bigger than they are.

I like it though! Reminds me of me! :D
Later,
Wolf

[Leroy R]

Re: The Minions build

I didn't play around with the quantity of accousta stuff that I put in. Put enough to loosely fill the box without blocking the port. Wish I had the means to measure them. Of course then I would probably see areas where notch filters and whatnot might be needed. Now I just enjoy them in my ignorance. :D Of course if any of you build them and have any improvement suggestions, it would be nice to know.

[Randall Kepley]

Re: The Minions build

Leroy, Man those are just COOL ! ! ! They would be a nice little computer speaker, what about building a little stand that would angle them at aroud 3 or 4 degrees? Very Cool indeed. R.K.

[patrickm]

Re: The Minions build

I didn't play around with the quantity of accousta stuff that I put in. Put enough to loosely fill the box without blocking the port. Wish I had the means to measure them. Of course then I would probably see areas where notch filters and whatnot might be needed. Now I just enjoy them in my ignorance. :D Of course if any of you build them and have any improvement suggestions, it would be nice to know.

nice work. i did something similar with the 2" peerless drivers PE had last year - 1/4" MDF boxes, sealed/stuffed. i found that with the rising high end, making sure you're about 10-15 degrees off axis fixes a lot. for HT, depending on the size of your room, mounting them above ear level may fix the problem. or try pointing them in or out and see if that improves things or makes it worse.

the rust-oleum granite rock paint gave an interesting textured finish for these.

i ran mine as satellites to a RSS315 crossed at 180hz, and they sounded all right. i didn't do any system measurements though to see if there was a gap near the crossover.

[Leroy R]

Re: The Minions build

Thanks Randall. Do you mean something like a wedge that would tilt them up toward the ears when sitting on a desk?

My original intention was to use them as computer speakers or for an Ipod or other digital media player, but after hearing them I think they would work well as surrounds in a small home theater setup as well. I'm living upstairs in an approx. 3200 sqft house. I have them setup in the upstairs family room that is open to the rest of the house at the top of the stairs and can hear them loud and clear downstairs in the kitchen. Since I don't have any means to measure them I am a little cautious about hyping their sound quality. One of the more experienced builders on here may build and measure them and determine my hearing is biased because I built them.

It's about as simple as you can get, nothing complicated like the experienced designers on here have produced. Plugged the numbers into a box design spread sheet and built the ported box it spit out. The hardest part was cutting and gluing the tiny box with just a circular saw, an orbital sander, clamps and a drill.

[DjDisturbed]

Re: The Minions build

I thought about buying some of those buyouts myself. They make for some tiny computer speakers. Good job

[Leroy R]

Re: The Minions build

Thanks Dj.

Patrick that granite looks good on yours. I might have to try that on a set. I have enough drivers to build 15 pair and 14 more drivers on order, so I should get to try all kinds of finishes by the time I finish all 22 pairs.

I also have the 4 foot tall towers in the build process from the Peerless India 838 6.5" buyouts and Heedless India theaters. I have a pair of the Dayton 10" dvc subs to build with the Dayton 70W plate amps, a 12" Titanic sub to build and the two pairs of Overnight Sensations to finish. Wolf, Paul C. and Curt C. have other designs I'm looking forward to building too. I need to win the lottery, so I can afford everything I want to build.

[bolland83]

Re: The Minions build

Another Bose Buster perhaps? Very cool!

[tobis]

Re: The Minions build

I've been thinking of doing some small his & hers bedside TV speakers. Those look like just the thing to try.

[Leroy R]

Re: The Minions build

Exactly why I'm reserving my comments to they get loud and clean given my environment. I don't want to look like an idiot if one of the pro's here builds them and they measure out as bad as or worse than bose. I like how they sound, but don't have the means to measure them and see how good they actually are. I still have the pair in the boxes, so think I might hook them up in place of my mains and center to see if 5 of these and a sub would work as a home theater on a budget.

[Leroy R]

Re: The Minions build

Ok, played around with these this afternoon while watching Lord of the Rings Return of the King. When teamed with a sub, the single driver cubes are great as mains and surrounds. The voicing was a little weak on the center with a single driver, but two units in parallel solved that. I think I'll build a 3.5"tall x 3.5"deep x 7"wide center with two drivers this weekend. According to my ears, this configuration makes a nice budget 5.1 HT setup.

[Randall Kepley]

Re: The Minions build

Yea, Leroy just somekind of little stand that would angle the up toward your ears. If your sitting at a desk, most desk are around 28-30" high so if their sitting on the desk their fireing toward you stomach but w/ a few dgr angle I would think it would sweeten them right up. Killer little speaker! R.K.