ECE 715 Electroacoustics Project Proposal

Joseph M. Langr

Abstract
The proper design of a loudspeaker enclosure system is critical to take get the best
performance from loudspeaker driver. The first step in designing a loudspeaker
enclosure is to take measurements on the loudspeaker drivers. These
measurements are then used in calculations to determine the enclosure type and
size. This design is going to be a bookshelf or small floor standing 2-way stereo
loudspeaker enclosure system with a frequency response of less than 60 Hz up to
20,000 Hz. A component that is important in a multi-speaker loudspeaker system is
a crossover network to split the audio into frequencies that each speaker can
accurately produce. Together, a properly calculated and constructed enclosure and
a crossover network for a specific set of loudspeakers will enhance the listening
experience of the speaker enclosure system.

Background
The project for this class is to design a loudspeaker enclosure system. I contacted
several loudspeaker manufacturers asking if they would be willing to help out with
the project for this class. Focal replied and agreed to provide a pair of woofers and
tweeters. The speakers I received are two 6.5inch woofers and two inverted dome
tweeters. There is very little information on these speaker drivers on the internet.
The only specs I could find were from an ebay ad for the woofers. This is not a very
trusted source for information so complete measurements of the speakers will need
to be taken.

Objectives
Specifications
2-way stereo loudspeaker enclosure system
-3dB frequency response of less than 60Hz to 20,000Hz
Bookshelf or small floor standing speaker enclosure with a footprint of 2 square feet
or less

Tasks to be accomplished
The first task to be accomplished for the project is to test the speaker drivers in the
laboratory. Procedures outlined in the class handout entitled Driver Parameter
Measurements as well as well as our book Acoustics: Sound Fields and Transducers
will be used to make the measurements and calculate the loudspeaker parameters.
Additional measurements of frequency response and relative sensitivity will need to
be taken for both the woofers and tweeters.

Once all the measurements are made, the average value of each parameter will be
used for calculating the enclosure dimensions. Since the parameters are not already
known, it is not possible to determine if the speaker driver will be best matched with
a closed box or a bass reflex enclosure. The quick design of a closed box system this
will be done first. If the system can meet the above specifications, a closed box
system will be used. However, if any of the specifications are not met, a bass reflex
design will also be done. The designs will then be compared and the one that best
fits the specifications will be chosen.
The final dimensions of the enclosure will be determined taking into account the
volume of components internal to the box.
Next, the enclosure will be constructed. This will be done with MDF because it is
a dense material that will not flex easily with the movement of the speakers and air.
Measurements and lines will made on the board prior cutting. Precise cuts will be
made and the boards will be assembled into an enclosure using wood glue as the
primary way to attach the boards with screws utilized as needed. Internal bracing
will be used to make the box more solid. A gasket will be placed between the
speaker drivers and the MDF to ensure a tight seal and reduce the possibility of air
leaks. Bi-amp binding posts will be added to the back of the box to allow the
speakers to be bi-amplified or amplified by a single source using an external
crossover network and bridging bars. Fiberglass insulation to the inside to prevent
resonance inside of the box.
Once the speaker and enclosure are constructed, the last step is to employ a
crossover network to filter the signal prior to reaching the loudspeakers. This is to
ensure only frequencies that can be accurately reproduced are sent to each
speaker. In order to construct this crossover network, the frequency response of
each speaker will need to be measured. An attenuation network may need to be
built if the sensitivities of the tweeter and woofer arent the same. A 2 nd order
crossover network will be adequate for this project, providing a roll off of
-40dB/decade or -12dB/octave while keeping the complexity and cost down.

Timeline
Dates listed are goals for the completion of each deliverable of the project

November 2nd
o Loudspeaker Testing
November 9th
o Calculations Done for Closed Box/Bass Reflex designs
o Enclosure Type Determined
November 16th
o Enclosure Designed
o Crossover network designed
November 30th
o Enclosure Constructed
o Crossover Network Completed
December 4th
o System tested

o
o

Corrections made to system

Report written

Materials and Budget

Speaker Drivers: 2 Focal 6V3252 Woofers and 2 Focal TSC Tweeters

$0

Speaker Wire

$0

Fiberglass Insulation

$0

MDF 4 x 8 sheet

$30

Screws

$4

Wood Glue

$3

Bi-Amp Binding Posts

$13

Speaker Gasket Tape

$10

Metallized Polypropylene Capacitors

$15

20 AWG Magnet wire to make inductors

$20

Resistors

$5

Plastic bobbins to wind inductors

$5

The speaker drivers were donated by the manufacturer for this project which
significantly reduces the overall cost. The budget for the remaining items is
calculated to be $105 as a rough estimate of actual part costs found online. The
goal is to stay under $120 on the system.

Closure
The completed project will be a 2-way stereo loudspeaker enclosure system with a
crossover network. The frequency response will be 60 Hz to 20,000 Hz or better and
the footprint of the speaker box will be less than 2 square feet. The process to
construct the enclosure system will begin with taking measurements of the speaker
drivers. These measurements will then be used to calculate the type and size of box
that will be utilized in the design. The dimensions of the enclosure will then be
determined and the box will be constructed. The last step will be to design and build
a crossover network. This allows the sound from the woofer and tweeter to be
blended together and not cause spikes in the overall response of the system. The
entire project is set to be completed by December 4 th with time goals set for several
sections of the project to make sure timely progress is being made. The speaker
drivers were received free of cost, greatly reducing the overall cost of the project.
The budget for the remaining items required for the design is set at $120.

Appendices
The following is information found on an ebay ad for the 6V3252 Speaker driver.
Since this isnt from a very trusted source, the specifications will not be relied on for
the design of the enclosure but is included here to compare measurements.

FOCAL Model: 6V3252

Upgrade you stock audio system woofers with these high quality long throw
woofers.
Polyglass Cone
4 Ohm Impedance.
Very smooth top end roll off makes it easy to crossover.
A 0.50mH inductor is typically all that is needed.
High Sensitivity of 93dB@2.83V/1m
Mounting Depth of 68mm

SPECIFICATIONS
Fs
Vas

74.7 Hz
10.7 Liters, 0.37 cuft

Qts
Qes
Qms
Re
Xmax
Sensitivity
Power RMS

0.73
0.79
9.24
2.8 Ohm
4.75 mm
93dB @ 2.83V/1m
75W