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Criton 1TD build

Like many DIYers, I resist buying any commercial kits, and would rather "roll my own" and take on the challenge of crossover design and voicing because, hey, we like challenges!

About a year ago, I got excited by the Jeff Bagby deign of the Revolutions, with the Satori MW13p woofer and the SB29DAC tweeter. Loved the SQ, resolution, and dynamics (within obvious limits, of course).
Fast forward to the present, and I met a nice lady who was an accomplished pianist who was listening to her beloved classical music on dinky little computer speakers. I searched around, and thought that the CSS Criton 1TD TM would be perfect. In the mean time, I lent her an amp and my Revolutions pair and was subject to daily tweets with a lot of exclamation points (yeah, we know that feeling!)

Built the "large" version for the flatter bass response and possible orchestral music with the lower extension.

My newest box method is glue and screw. Feel that it gives me the best alignment, so less sanding and routing later on.



Decided that I didn't like the original bracing, so I used vertical strips tied side to side in two places.
Crossover board sits between them, directly under the woofer - for once I made the right decision!




Cut woofer relief on the back side of the baffle, then veneered. Trim router to cut the veneer to the holes and recesses.



Veneer trimming finished. No major mishaps (thank you Jesus!)


Finished with a coat of amber shellac (should have used 2 coats), and a wipe-on finish of Tried &True Danish Oil and Poly. Really great stuff
foolproof, forms a hard coat.




Got the cabs finished and loaded, and finally pulled up my playlist of favorite and torture tracks.
Steely Dan "Cousin Dupree" - the snare had a great visceral "whack" and everything else was great.
Trio II "High Sierra" - Linda Rondstat has incredible dynamic range, and this will show any problems with your tweeter crossover. She came through totally undistorted, even with a 2nd order HP on the LD22. You can hear the backup singers take a breath... wow.
Mozart's "Requiem" (Hogwood). I've heard this piece fail, even on a highly regarded ScanSpeak TM. Result - total clarity, resolution and detail, even on the most complex passages.
Yello "The Expert" - played about 90 dB of course, even the subsonics came through loud an authoritative without a hint of distress.

So now I am totally enthralled with these CSS drivers, and dreaming of a pair of Criton MTMs for my own reference. Thanks guys!

But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
Tagged:
dcibelani_1016thplanetkenrhodesDanPTurn2squamishdrocGowaNicholas_23joeybuttsand 2 others.

Comments

  • Hey, Don. I saw you had bought one of our kits a few weeks ago and glad they measured up. It's still always nice to hear positive feedback. 
    rjj45
  • Looks good Don. Is that the metal faceplate tweeter?

    I liked the CSS woofers when i had heard the MTM - that was a long time ago.... it had a ribbon tweeter and sealed?
  • ani_101 said:
    Looks good Don. Is that the metal faceplate tweeter?

    I liked the CSS woofers when i had heard the MTM - that was a long time ago.... it had a ribbon tweeter and sealed?
    Yeah, the LD22 with a metal face plate. I like the look and feel of it, but the SQ and robustness blew me away more.
    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • About where is that ld22 crossed?  Beautiful set....  ever try brad-nailing instead?  If I want a quick setup, I glue and brad..... even less finish work and let's you roll along.  Also can route right through them.....
  • edited June 2020
    From the CSS website:  "In this design, the LD22 is crossed with a 3rd order acoustic slope and the crossover point between the two drivers occurs at 1600 Hz."

    PS - The speaker comparison page is a very nice touch guys!  Kudos
    ani_101
  • From the CSS website:  "In this design, the LD22 is crossed with a 3rd order acoustic slope and the crossover point between the two drivers occurs at 1600 Hz."

    PS - The speaker comparison page is a very nice touch guys!  Kudos
    Quite a remarkable capability of that little LD22. Crossed 2nd order at 1600. I pushed it quite hard, and heard no sign of distress or struggling. Wow!
    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • joeybutts said:
    About where is that ld22 crossed?  Beautiful set....  ever try brad-nailing instead?  If I want a quick setup, I glue and brad..... even less finish work and let's you roll along.  Also can route right through them.....
    Thanks Joey!
    I enjoyed the speed of brad nailing, but didn't quite get the perfect alignment I wanted, because I was not using enough clamps, and the impact of the brad nailer would often move the pieces a bit - and then my brad nailer jammed up real bad. OK, now you've convinced me. I need to unjam the nailer and figure out a fixture with a couple of clamps for my next build with bare BB, so screws would not work at all. 
    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • wow 1600? I was assuming 2k on the lower limit and had them crossed at around 2.2k, but i am crossing over to a 5" SB15NRX30....
    rjj45
  • ani_101 said:
    wow 1600? I was assuming 2k on the lower limit and had them crossed at around 2.2k, but i am crossing over to a 5" SB15NRX30....
    The large surround really help with output down on the low end compared to other small domes like this. The actual slope on the tweeter is 3rd order acoustic at 1900 Hz but the physical crossover point between the two drivers or total system crossover is 1600 Hz. Third order distortion on the low end is exceptionally well behaved and most of what you are getting from the tweeter that low is still 2nd order which stays well below 1% at 95 dB at 1/2 meter.
    dcibel
  • And I would add that the woofer - tweeter integration is truly seamless, and has outstanding imaging. 
    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • joeybutts said:
    About where is that ld22 crossed?  Beautiful set....  ever try brad-nailing instead?  If I want a quick setup, I glue and brad..... even less finish work and let's you roll along.  Also can route right through them.....

    The router doesn't throw them out of there like shrapnel? 
  • joeybutts said:
    About where is that ld22 crossed?  Beautiful set....  ever try brad-nailing instead?  If I want a quick setup, I glue and brad..... even less finish work and let's you roll along.  Also can route right through them.....
    OK Joey, repaired my brad nailer, and very carefully aligned my panels using a right angle clamp at each end, tapped the joint into perfect alignment and shot 2 brads in the joint. Perfect boxes. Ok, just needed to refine my technique up front. 
    The brad nailer worked perfectly, and very much faster than screw and glue. Thanks for kicking my ass into gear on this.

    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
  • Thanks Ed and Kerry!

    KB, every once in a while you might get a rogue brad, but I've never had an issue.  I miter through them, route through them.... I've probably table sawed through them.

    Happy to help Don!  Not often I get to offer much on this forum 😁.  If I am in a rush or know that the box is getting an easy finish (bedliner, duratex, exohyde, rough paint texture) it's my go -to.  Once in a blue moon I screw things for mechanical bond but not often, generally for accessibility.  
  • joeybutts said:
    Thanks Ed and Kerry!

    KB, every once in a while you might get a rogue brad, but I've never had an issue.  I miter through them, route through them.... I've probably table sawed through them.

    Happy to help Don!  Not often I get to offer much on this forum 😁.  If I am in a rush or know that the box is getting an easy finish (bedliner, duratex, exohyde, rough paint texture) it's my go -to.  Once in a blue moon I screw things for mechanical bond but not often, generally for accessibility.  
    I hit one doing a rebate on a veneered cabinet and ended up with a metal chip under my Jasper jig which left a nasty scratch. You're right though, they're really soft metal and carbide blades go right through them.

    Ron
    joeybutts
  • Came across this review...

    NavyGuy
  • Wow. Seldom have I heard such accolades, and I agree, even with my imperfect ears. Thanks Ani
    But Chahly - Stahkist don't want speakers that look good, Stahkist wants speakers that sound good!
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