oh hohohohoho!!!!
ok, where shall i start!
1. I *WILL* be taking the tweeters and woofers out, as well as the crossover. I will post pics and show u what drivers/components are used, I want to find out exactly what crossover topology is used (should be simple 2.5way). Before that, here is some insight:
http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showpost.php?p=1601653&postcount=6
The tweeter is the Vifa BC25SG15-04.
The woofs dont have any markings on them but appear to be solidly built high quality units.They have a cast frame with very large magnets.
http://www.tymphany.com/datasheet/printview.php?id=222
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=279-182
So, if my source is accurate, then you can start by looking at any center channels that uses the same tweeter or equivalent. But thats probably not going to be easy, nor is it going to be cheap. If I was disparate to keep everything "matching" (and I can't think of a reason why I would) then I'd buy another set (remember they can still be bought for $200 a pair), take out the drivers, and use them to build a center channel - I'd probably build the CC as a sealed box, which should need about half the current ported box's volume. That way I can probably reuse the crossover too, and the result would be as matching as it gets (acoustically not cosmetically!) Obviously if you do that there are also limitations, e.g. the crossover is a 2.5way, so the CC cannot be an MTM unless a different crossover is designed, and if u plan to do that, u'd have to measure the response and impedance of the woofers. I know you won't do that
🙂
2. very interesting that u mention the energy speakers, seems like we have been looking at the same speakers lately, first the TSC and now energy. Energy is probably the most neutral sounding consumer (not audiophile) speakers you can get from the shop. And pretty good value. I myself have the C-100 bookshelves. You can usually find them at half price somewhere on the net. They are actually good speakers for what they are supposed to be, with their associated discounted price. And yes I have seen the guts of the energies (even the towers), and again, not audiophile, but good for the discounted price.
http://www.zaphaudio.com/blog.html
scroll down to the mid-bottom to see the C-500
3. As i said I will take the drivers out and tell you what I find, and when I say $20 drivers, I think thats a good guess. $20 from partsexpress can get you something pretty decent, if not audiophile grade - if you know when/how to look. I'm talking about buyouts of course. Looking at RRP, the average good quality woofers with carbonfibre and aluminium phase plug, non-buyout, would probably be around $40. Most DIY audiophile speaker designs use woofers between $40-60 - which, will be $20 if you find it in a PE buyout! And the fact that they are chinese made, and comes in a consumer speakers package, $20 is a good guess. with $40 I'd be looking at peerless/seas/tangbang, etc. And that brings us to the obvious conclusion, there is no way these woofers are anywhere NEAR ANYTHING from scanspeaks. I can pull the drivers out and run a WT3 test and find the T/S specs etc, but you definately can't compare them to SS woofers - even if the specs are similar. If they have same Freq. response graph then that means these woofers have a very smooth and flat response, if the T/S are the same then that means they have the same freq extension in the same size box. But that tells us nothing about harmonic distortion, which is what SS woofers are all about - super low distortion.
Usually cheap chinese woofers frond in consumer ready made speakers have a cliff in the response at 1-2kHz, thats what I'd expect from these, and hope that the crossover makes everything flat.
Anyway. I got an answer from thingfling - my second red speaker is on the way, and they sent me a "shipping label" - I am a little confused as to what to do with it. I got an email from fedex telling me to go print the label off. Does that mean the return shipping is already paid for, and I'll have to print the label off, and stick it onto the black speaker's box, and then dump it at the nearest fedex site? Last time when I had to return something to amazon, someone from fedex just came and picked it up, I guess I am asking too much....