$10 Eminence speaker any good?

[Phil_S]

I get regular spam from Parts Express. They have on sale a 6.5" guitar speaker for $10. https://www.parts-express.com/eminence- ... m--299-402
When I see something this cheap, it is hard to resist. It makes me think about a 2x or 4x cab.Your thoughts?
In the Q&A section, someone provided this info: A sweep on the WT3 shows the parameters below.
Re: 4.01 ohms
Fs: 108 Hz
Qts: .966
Qes: 1.04
Qms: 14.2
Le: .48 mH
Mms: 5.59 g
Vas: .378 cuft
SPL: 93 dB
I am not an experienced speaker builder. What does the Vas parameter mean, in practical terms? I don't understand how to use this information in determining the cab size. Yes, I can do the math and figure a size that makes that interior volume...that's not what I'm asking. It seems to suggest a rather small interior volume. What happens when I ignore this? Is there a rule of thumb for the relationship of width-depth-height? Do I double this for 2 speakers, and x4 for 4 speakers? Some general hints would be appreciated. It might help get the monkey off my back, or it might move me forward with a project.

[Colossal]

I'd put that $10 towards a spool of Kester solder, Phil

[Scumback Speakers]

Eminence used to have software you could buy (Windows platform only, IIRC) to determine the right size of a cab for a speaker's parameters, etc. It's been years since I saw it, but OCSR used to have it (before they closed down two years ago). I run a Mac so I couldn't use it, but maybe you can. You might check their site.

I can offer this trial and error (bad cabs abound in storage) info from experimenting...

Usually going with a cab deeper than 14" produces way more bass (412 Marshall for example is 14" deep). Had a client bring over his 412 custom made 32" x 15" x 32". It was deeper sounding than my Marshall cabs with the same speaker. But it didn't sound quite as lively in the mids/upper mids. Since he's going for a doom rock type tone, that worked for him just fine.

For a 6.5" speaker, I'm going to guess the same type rules apply, scaled down for the size of the speaker.

But just for shits & giggles, you might want to contact Eminence about the software, and while you're at it, ask them about the specs of that speaker and how it relates to your project.

Edit: they still offer it for $79
https://www.eminence.com/support/designing-enclosures/

Or you could say screw it and buy yourself lunch...LOL

[Phil_S]

I wasn't looking for a project. I thought maybe a project has found me. LOL, $79 for the software but only $20 for a pair of speakers. Something is wrong with this picture! Sounds like lunch and a spool of Kester is a better choice; costs less, more satisfying. Thanks for your thoughts.

[Bear]

For these, you would figure throw them in some cheap or free pre-made box of vaguely Champ-ish dimension or bigger. 1/4" pine wine crates from your local liquor store, say. Open back so who cares about tuning as long as there's some front-to-back depth. Leave it trailer-chic unfinished or throw some amber lacquer and burlap at it as speaker cloth. Cheap and funky, and with any luck, with a decent sound.

Seems like this could be a good speaker for starter project SE amps if trying to keep it cheap.

[Phil_S]

I couldn't help myself. $20 for a pair, free shipping. I need a 12 step program. I think I'm talking to the wrong group of people Since I can only run the table saw outside, that means I've got to wait for the warm weather. This is what I call a "shelf project."

[Littlewyan]

You could probably use a bunch of shelves to fashion yourself a speaker cabinet

[Phil_S]

You could probably use a bunch of shelves to fashion yourself a speaker cabinet

Very punny. LOL, I already cut those up. Really. The house came with some 50 year old 12" wide pine shelves in the basement. Very nice stuff, too nice for shelves. Brittle, but great reddish patina, narrow grain. Some of it was warped. (I realize, in your part of the world, 50 is nothing, but here in the US it's old.)

[TUBEDUDE]

I was thinking a nice small 8 × 6.5" cab!

[M Fowler]

I have four of those Parts Express Eminence speakers plus the four of the kits to make small amps for my grand kits, so far I've only made one amp and it works very well for kids to enjoy.

[Geeze]

Hi Phil,

I like your thinking - 'A project has found me.' My shop is full of those pesky bastards.

I went through a long and dark journey into everything small land - lunchbox low watt amps and speaker cabs to match - 4x8 & 2x8 + 1x10. I still own the latter that has been converted to a 1x12. After much study and like @Scumback Speakers a number of less than successful cabs I determined that most of the speaker calculators are geared toward HiFi [T/S parameters in particular] and they use bass frequencies below a guitars ability to produce. Guitars are LoFi. In summary you can build 'em too big and too small but there is a wide range of volumes in between that yield great sounding cabs.

I've bought $20 speakers and $300 speakers and have found that for the sound I want my sweet spot is in the $125 - $175 range. I've also fled the everything small land back to the There ain't no replacement for displacement kingdom and am very satisfied with my timbre.

Russ

[Phil_S]

Russ,
It seems you really get me on this one. I found that I have a closed back box 16.5" x 9.75' x 6"D interior that's doing nothing. I should cut a new baffle for this pair and see what it does. However it turns out, I'll have a good time doing it. I've got tinnitus (not real bad, but clearly present,) so I'm not liking loud any more because it aggravates it.

I agree about needing to move lots of air. Nothing will compare. I've got a 12" Weber blue dog (ceramic) in an old Electro Voice kit that I inherited. This is a nice hi-fi cab for guitar. It's really something with my JTM45 clone plugged in. The windows shake and the tone is everything anyone would want. It's uncomfortable. Every once in a while, I ignore the comfort factor as there is another sort of joy at the end of that.

Best regards,
Phil

[JMFahey]

That cabinet size is fine.

8 x 10" may be good but then you are spending "real speaker" money, either from Scumback/Celestion/Eminence/Weber, etc. .
Now for 20$ they can´t go so low, so go ahead ... and this is definitely not a bad speaker, at all, considering its size.

Might be the ticket for a single or dual 6V6/EL84 amp, singing at loudish but bearable volume.

[TUBEDUDE]

Maybe with a low watter practice amp. A 6v6 SE or a ECC99 maybe.