Building a Transmission Line SPEAKER - by SoundBlab
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- There is always a first for everything, and this is my first transmission line (TL) speaker build. I have heard people say that it is very difficult and time consuming to design a successful speaker of this kind, but it can produce far better quality sounding lower frequency response (bass) and a more spacious soundstage.
After initial listening tests, I can attest to the claim of better quality bass performance and a spacious soundstage. These point source full range drivers are truly very well designed. The speakers disappear and you and you are left only with the music. For my 1st TL, this came out better than expected, and honestly, I find myself listening to these speakers more and more. Even with a moderate bass response, the sound is full enough not to fire up the subwoofer to fill in the low end. A very balanced, detailed and well rounded sound indeed!
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► Electronics, Speaker Drivers, Crossover & Related PARTS:
Tang Band W4-1337SDF 4 inch Titanium Full Range Speaker - (US) parts-express.... , (EU) bit.ly/3l3YYpS
Speaker wire (14 AWG) - (US) parts-express.... , (EU) bit.ly/39erRI4
Weather Stripping - (US) amzn.to/2g0Pgir , (UK) amzn.to/2YDAxna
Female Crimp Terminals - amzn.to/2kY7cAm, amzn.to/2yyuS3l, amzn.to/2zl21gp
Terminal Cups - (US) parts-express.... , (EU) bit.ly/3Yrznpd
Under Carpet Felt 9 - 12mm thick (You can buy this from your local carpet store, or from Amazon at this link) - (US) amzn.to/2KswoKl , (UK) amzn.to/2M8HwxO
Polyester Batting - (US) amzn.to/2YRSae9 , (UK) amzn.to/33mh9d9
Parts Express Speaker Cabinet 1/2" Super Toe Spike Set 4 Pcs. - (US) parts-express.... , (EU) bit.ly/3YoSXDf
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As a car audio enthusiast that has built transmission lines and a carpenter, I said hell yeah so many times during this video I can't even recall. Excellent build, beautiful work by the way... Remember the speed of sound that's all you need to know LOL
Thanks
Nice job. I used to build transmission line loudspeakers myself but I used a design that as copyright free.
It was based on a paper written in Wireless World in 1969 and used a triangulated path rather than parallel panels with tend to produce more resonance.
I also mounted the crossover on a pice of PCB and fastened it to the cabinet.
Jeremy i also have one exactly like yours using Audax speaker during the 90s. Still using it paired with Yamaha 3020 AV. it still sound great.
Gracias again SoundLab...beautiful way of teaching and sharing...I really do hope you receive the blessings back in the way you need them most. Gracias desde Colombia
Buy the BUILD PLANS for these speakers here: soundblab.net/build-plans/
Also, if you would like to support my channel further, please consider becoming a Patron on Patreon: www.patreon.com/soundblab
if I wanted to learn everything and anything about this hobby, honestly completely new to me.. where do I start?
Book about speaker cabinets and a book about speakers :)
Now make a speaker with the following TB W4-1337SDF, Peerless SLS-213, ND20FA-6 ;) I had this combo in my car with a extra sub-woofer. After a while somebody I know noticed that the sub wasn't working anymore, yes the SLS was doing well in almost sub layers :o .I still got the SLS'en but want to use them in my home :)
Sir Douglas Howel, 5th Seat: Disregard the other comments. Where you would need to start would be by going to quarter-wave.com. That is a great place to read. The design of a "transmission line" speaker is similar in function to actual power transmission lines (or say oscilloscope leads) in the fact that it involves a line and second order differential equations. That is a bit much for beginners, but I would start at that site to get your feet wet. T-lines like in this video are very easy to build physically with a basic folded line.
@Sir Douglas.... Joseph D'Appolito "Testing Loudspeakers" is a great start... practically all youtube channels are for kids only....
TML speaker builds are one of the most exciting diy builds.
i have made a lot with TB speakers..these companies speakers offers a very interesting price quality but need a little little crossover build even in TML setup to sound well...like a Noch filter.
....what a wonderful and neat work, it's a musical instrument. Listening to the report in the video I imagine that listening to them should be an impressive and unique experience...
Thanks. Jip, I like them!
your workshop looks like a dream come true
Thanks. It took many years to gather the tools that I have and fortunate enough to have acquired the studio space in which I can work and live. I wish though that I had more time to organise everything better. But all with time I suppose!
Congratulations, and thank you, for actually constructing the enclosures where others might have just 3d-bloody-printed them.
Thanks!
@Spirit Oh you poor little boy. You can't make basic things, can you? How sad that you have to print the simplest things instead of just making them.
I love the music in this video. Reminds me almost of 90's computer adventure games.
Musics recorded in the "past" do not in average have such a high dynamic range that during replay, we need speaker systems that capable of re-producing Lower Freq. more distinct.
I believe Transmission Line is the answer. Long time wanting to build one but still have no chance to make it. Thanks for this good video.
Thanks
Awesome build! I love transmission lines, they just seem to sound so good to me
Very nice speakers and congrats on the RWC win!
Thank you! Yes, the team played well and we are all very proud of them!
A superb job, workmanship counts! some good sounding synth music along the way, thanks!
Thx
I’m sure there is a master woodworking engineer on here that’s going to disagree with me, but you did a beautiful job on the veneer.
Thanks. I think the footage might be misleading just a bit. There are a few imperfections and I actually struggled with this veneer job. I have done much better jobs of it in the past. It can be tricky if you do not clamp down on the entire surface.
Amazing. Never knew how much work goes into this.
Thanks
Comme toujours vous faites de très belles enceintes acoustique et excellente qualité
Thanks
I built folded transmission line 20 years ago. In my design, the cross section of pipe tapers providing a lower Q and flatter response at low frequencies.
It is interesting to play around with tapered vs straight line pipes. A lot of experimentation is normally needed to get a T-line to perform correctly.
I am also very interested in the TL designs along with back loaded horn. Experiment and then some...which is really part of the fun of it all.
Danke! Sehr informativ dargestellt. Interessant wären wie Materialien wie Marmorgehäuse oder Stahlgehäuse, Aluminiumgehäuse, sieht bestimmt Eddl Space futuristisch aus, Interessant wie Plexiglas sich im Klang verhält, das aussehen kann nur ein sehr Edles sein!
Grüße aus Nord Germany✌
Thanks!
i cant believe how good these sound. ill have to build a pair.
Thanks
very good job. it was beautiful
Thank you! Cheers!
Congratulations on the nice build! My first TL was a 10" for a 3-way that I designed. I found the bass quality and speed of dynamics to be unmatched by anything I have heard previously. I'm fairly particular, but when it's right, there is something to the quality of bass that is unlike a closed or regular ported box. Every note sounds even with a walking bass line, and kick drum transients seem instantaneous.
Cool, thanks!
Class workmanship. Reminds me of my youth when I admired the Transmission line speaker design and always hoped I could build one or buy one. The TLS80. From IMF
My dream
I think they used KEF drivers
Thanks
I never knew you needed a crossover for a full range speaker.
Awesome looking speakers. Reminds me of my dad's floor standing NAD's he built when he was younger, they have the same kind of reflex. Great job bro
Thanks man!
Dear Robin I apologize for hurting , these idiots never mention the dimensions they want to to touch the soft corner of our heart. Without proper tuning you will get only noise , believe me I am the industry for past 3 decades
your dad might want to see a dr for that :D
Very handsome enclosures.
Thanks
Looks like a rebirth of what was called a base reflex design in the 1960’s. Only then the box and speaker were much bigger.
LazyH-Online -
I have no recollection from 1030’s - I was not around. But if I can guess right, all those developments were evolving from the same idea appearing already on Edison’s phonograph. That means a horn. The difference being that the horn (straight and later folded for travel use) was on the forward side of the sound transducer. My mother’s childhood home had an old radio with a horn speaker (instead of the earlier ear pieces). That was from early or middle 1920’s. In my own childhood home, we had a His Master’s Voice record player that contained a majestic big horn. Later on, I saw some people demonstrating travel versions that utilized a folded horn to make the whole unit more compact.
But the Bass Reflex idea I saw in some magazines in the 1960’s. That was the time when I built my own stereo speaker boxes, totally closed and inside padded with mineral wool, because the reflex structure was too complex for me (I had essentially no wood working tools). Moreover, I then found speakers that were optimized for use with the closed enclosures. They were weak in the first octave (I think Stravinsky’s music was used as a proof material), but were - and are still - good from 40 Hz up. Which should explain why I still don’t have my own Bass Reflex speakers. Actually, I don’t know what is inside the Radio Shack speaker boxes that I have also had since about 1980.
I've been designing and building Transmission Line boxes for subwoofers, and I must say, they make the absolute most bang for your buck when you can make cheap 10s on low wattage sound like high-powered 15s. I've always wondered about running mids/highs t-lines through their own t-line setup. You did a great job on this.
Thanks
Very good job 🎉👍
Thank you 👍
Those are really really nice 👍🏼
Thank you! Cheers!
Came for the speaker instructions, stayed for the sped-up gameboy advanced music.
So awesome absolutely great 👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks
Thanks
Craftsmanship at its finest
Thanks
Nice build from 👍 Texas
Thanks 👍
Nice project. One suggestion though. Instead of using wood glue to attach the veneers use a solvent based contact cement. Not the green water based crap but the clear solvent based stuff. (Weldon red can, not the green can) That stuff grabs and doesn't let go. It gives perfect 100% adhesion and doesn't require any clamping and you can work the piece right away. No waiting for the glue to dry. Plus some veneers can swell up and form ripples in the veneer when you use water based glues like PVA's.
Thanks. I've tried that before and I still prefer the wood glue. However, I have also used a polyurethane wood glue before for some veneers that are more difficult and cause ripples. The wood glue IMO just provides a much nicer solid feel, almost as if the veneer becomes part of whatever you glue it to.
Nice work. But I would have the port exit either on the bottom or on the back side of the cabnet. Not on the top where it is visible and such a dust collector !!!!!!
Other than that, very well put together and an excellent job. !!!
I really love your work sir 🙂
Thank you so much 😀
Brilliant work.
thanks
This is good idea for sharing to each other that plays in youtube so that other know how to build good speaker thanks for making this kind of video
Thanks
Do you have a link to the adjustable bladed hole cutting tool you're using on your drill press?
I want to call it a hole saw but it's more like a hole "knife".....lol!
Thank you and I love your channel!!!!
I know this is an older video but wow....just wow! I'm really into car audio fabrication so I'm loving the idea of using less speakers in the car like you're doing in your cabinets. More of a full range or wide band approach.
Once again. thank you!
Thanks man! Try this link to a few options: www.amazon.com/s?k=Adjustable+Circle+Cutter&ref=nb_sb_noss
Goeie werk! Baie netjies. Talk about irony... a South African living in New Zealand, watching a video of a South African building speakers in South Africa and only realizing it at the end of the video when you started talking. Well done! Ek wonder nou al baie lank hoe sal n full range speaker aleen in n goeie boks klink. Ek hou nogals van Eminance se speakers.
Dankie!
Yeah... this is a new type of enclosure to me! I must say that I have no idea how in might sound, since I have never seen these Transmission Line Systems in action.
Thanks for the video! A study is needed [ for me, of course :) ]! As usual, an incredible demonstration of building enclosures!
Thanks!
Look up cyburgs needle TL speakers. Small speakers, cheap and way more sound than you will expect
Regarding speakers, there was a write up on it in 1965, the actual execution way before that. The full understanding (as in physics and mathematics), acoustic waveguides which what this is, should have gone back a hundred or more years.
Thats a really nice build. I built the JB Lord transmission line sub woofer with 12 foot folded pipe..Hi-Fi News
Nice to see a new video from you Hanri.
A pair of transmission line speakers are on my to do list.
I think I am going to make a pair of frugal horns as my design skills don’t quite match yours.
Hi Richard, thanks man!
Awesome work i should rate you . salute you , what a lovely job
Tx
Satisfying... Nice build.
Thanks
I would use black screws and paint the all thing white, but this project is a must try. Just what I was looking for. Thanks
I like it!
Great build! Apologies if you’ve answered this before but why do you install a crossover if it’s a single driver speaker?
You do REALLY good work!!
Thanks!
Nice build but why not use contact cement for the veneer? It's a lot faster and doesn't require the clamps. Are there concerns with durability of the contact cement?
The PVA wood glue is a much better bonding agent. I have used contact cement before with variable levels of success.
Super pěkná práce.Klobouk dolů.
Beautiful work. I hope they sound as good as they look 👍
Right
Great build...love the double layer baffle. Please explain the electronic components. I don't understand why these would be used on a full range driver.
My guess is it is some sort of power reducer? These speakers have a low power rating so if hooked up to a regular stereo it may be too much? Just my guess.
Thanks. Full range drivers will not measure a flat frequency response once mounted on a speaker baffle and put into an enclosure, even if it has a flat response as measured on a large infinite baffle as specified by IEC standards. For this reason I needed to compensate for the higher midrange that I measured in this enclosure with a compensation network to get the FQ response as flat as possible.
Good work ,but it seems to me what are they only for bass ? Thanks
Thanks. No, they cover from 50Hz to 20000Hz
Excellent work
Thanks!
Can you show us the circuit of the Cap and Resistors connect with the input socket internally? thanks.
That is unfortunately only available in the build plans you can purchase from my website at soundblab.net
Good looking floor stander. But isn't this a full range driver? Why the crossover?
Oh my god. so nice and seem sound very very good.
Thanks
Might I suggest using E6000 adhesive instead of hot melt glue for gluing the crossover components? It adheres better, and the slight flexibility of the glue will keep it all together much better. Works great for large heavy inductors, too.
even better yet, buy a pack of the plastic wire ties with the screw mount built in. Put one around each end of the components and screw them to a board through the wire tie. I also use hot glue underneath the component when I do this, but more for the sake of vibration. Make sure you don't mount through the middle of the air core inductors, as the screw will change its value.
Ciao mi permetto di darti un paio di consigli: alla base della cassa acustica crea un piccolo doppio fondo dove mettere il crossover ed i cavi devono essere aderenti al pannello perché le pressioni interne sono enormi e le vibrazioni vanno a sporcare il suono. Ho visto la doppia tavola sul frontale, molto bene.
Da quel progetto ridimensiona un po ed adotta un 2 vie, tweerter e woofer da 16 cm, crea una camera di compressione dove alloggiare il tweeter Il condotto deve stare isolato da tutti i componenti a parte il woofer. Complimenti bel lavoro. La mia prima linea di trasmissione la ho progettata e costruita 25 anni fa con risultati incredibili. Confronto fatto con gli stessi componenti montati anche su una reflex.
Thanks, I appreciate the tips and think they are good ideas.
When one determines what the internal volume of the box needs to be; dose one also have to add add volume to make up for the sound damping material that is used?
I never do, but I do take into consideration the volume of the driver, the crossover and the port (if it is a ported enclosure).
Why do you mount the oscillating SP on the top? It is more effective to lengthen the back of the SP than to lengthen the box of the SP downward without a box ringing.
When bonding 2 flat surfaces together, one should always clamp or fasten from the middle outwards to avoid trapping air and creating voids that can lead to delamination.
Good tip!
Or use a good contact adhesive that has a slow set time and iron out all air pockets...
Wonderful build, but i didn't understood, why you didn't secured cables inside... Just letting them float around looks annoying... :D if it touches the front baffle, it may rumble a bit. But after all, it must sound amazing, love these TB speakers ;-)
Thanks. So far the wires has not posed to be a problem. Normally the stuffing in the enclosure keeps it from rattling or making any noise.
@@SoundBlab Well... i think, i should also build some nice fullrange. Few ideas are bubbling in my mind :-) problem is only with parts, which are harder to get in Czech republic. I'd like to try TangBands, but the prices are absurd here.
Did you measure the frequency response on these? Published is 70 Hz to 20 KHz. I built 2 pair from a damaged PMC AB2 I purchased as salvage and disassembled it. It showed me exactly the proper measurements and damping.
You did a fine job sir.
I think I did, but don't have it on file. Thanks.
1994 we built 8 pair of Transmission Line loudspeakers....thanks to J G. Great speakers....
Looks nice but can't help but think the port exit area is larger than the speakers cone area. Some 45s in the corners would go abit further than a box full of wool.
В алюминиевые опоры я бы посоветовал засыпать кварцевый песок )))
Really good!
Thanks!
This might be a dumb question but why wouldn't there be rounded corners inside? Does the matting round the corners or is that something that has no effect on the sound? There is still so much of this hobby that I don't understand.
Rounded corners will be better, but not essential.
GOOD JOB! FANTASTIC! I WAITING TO TEST!
Thanks. yes, aiming for next week.
WAITING IMPATIENT!
Have you done any comparisons with or without all of the damping material? seems like quite a lot of volume is being taken up
The damping material is integral to the working of the transmission line to assist in slowing down the sound and energy coming from the rear of the driver. It works together with a specific line length for this driver and it's specifications. There is a lot more to it, but this is the basics of its function.
Awesome, can you explain since there is one drive why you used cross over? what is pole frequency?
It is a compensation circuit to flatten the frequency response in certain aresa of the passband.
Very nice. But you forgot to fill the stand tubes with a sand or lead shots. It's still could be done if you make a thru hole with a plug at the bottom the base.
Thanks. It did think of it and then decided against it for no good reason really. I am sure it will add somewhat to the weight, but I probably thought it was not worth it.
@@SoundBlab Yes it will add weight to the bottom and will make the towers way more stable but it would also eliminate any possible ringing of that bottom tube.
Not sure why you couldn't let us hear them right here. I'm impressed you built your own xovers but not sure why you need on a single driver.
Sound demo in the next video after this one. It's not really a crossover, but rather a flattening circuit to correct the frequency response.
look very nice nice job
Thanks
T-LINES are my favorite enclosures. When designed and executed correctly they can perform well beyond expectations.
Tuning can be a pain(stuffing) but after u get a hang on what type to use/combination, how much and most important where in the enclosure u can get some amazing response curves.
My first one I ever did before I knew how to design them was copying PMC designs from UA-cam videos lol :)
Awesome vid.
That driver is a little gem.
Thanks!
You might want to copy PWK instead of PMC ua-cam.com/video/k_Bp8dOsZE8/v-deo.html
Definitely South African!!! Howzit Boet!!!
Howzit!
Rally. Professional job
Thank you
incredible as usual.
Thanks
Quality build!
Thanks
Nice speakers!
Tx
a unique designed, your good
Thanks
why is the foam only on one side of the baffle? thanks looks great
What’s with the crossover for a single speaker? I have some plans for some transmission line speakers and a crossover is not mentioned.
Full range drivers will not measure a flat frequency response once mounted on a speaker baffle and put into an enclosure, even if it has a flat response as measured on a large infinite baffle as specified by IEC standards. For this reason I needed to compensate for the higher midrange that I measured in this enclosure with a compensation network to get the FQ response as flat as possible.
SoundBlab Okay; interesting.
Very nice! However, id figure the port would sound much better if it were pointing downward? Ive always gotten better resonance from having subs or ports closer to the ground. Also, wish you would’ve shown them playing
I'm assuming that crossover circuitry was to keep the highs in check, right?
I was wondering myself. I thought Full range did not need a crossover.
It flattens out the response curve around the midrange mostly. It has to do with baffle step compensation where you loose SPL because of the narrow front baffle. It's not a typical BSC circuit, since I also needed to flatten out the FQ in general.
Hi, just curious why you added those electronic bits. Isn't that unnecessary for a single full range driver?
The full range driver response is not 100% flat in when mounted in the enclosure. Therefore i added a compensation circuit to flatten the overall response.
Using a full range driver, a crossover shouldn't be necessary. The only consideration of any filter would be a passive low order high pass centered at or slightly above whatever the driver's lowest frequency is with whatever the acceptable amount of distortion is I would think. I could be wrong. I like what you're doing sir. Very interesting. What would you think about a bi-pole version, maintaining a shared, or mirrored transmission line?
Its not really a crossover, but a correction filter, or more specifically a notch filter that flattens out the midrange in this case to give me a flatter FQ response. Thanks. Have never tried a mirrored TL or horn before. I will hopefully try that one day!
that looks very interesting.. how were these tuned? is this your own design or an already existing one?
Thanks. It is my own design using computer modelling software to tune it.
Great work! Please make a speaker enclosure with aluminium trim.
Tx. Explain what you mean with 'aluminium trim'?
Like Bowers and Wilkins cm6 bookshelf
Curious why is there a crossover circuit for a full range driver?
Because it needs none, it is none ...
, very nice job
Thanks
Wow,those speakers sound fantastic!
Thanks
@@SoundBlab And where is it in video how they play?? Or is this just a sarcasm.
If someone doesn't like your speakers you can simply say, "diplomatic immunity"
😂 "..it's just been revoked.."
Great videos! Just one question... Why don't you cut all the pieces with a 45° angle so that no one can see where the pieces come together?
Thanks. Unfortunately, I do not have a table saw and have no other means right now to cut 45 degree angles accurately.
When building a T-Line enclosure, do you know if there is a difference between mounting the speaker parallel or perpendicular to the line? I don't know if I'm describing it properly, but I would describe your speaker as being mounted perpendicular to the line.
The placement of the driver along the length of the line does have some influence on the frequency response, but it is possible to mount it at the end of the line.
what was the value of the parallel filter, was that for high and low frequencies
It is just a correction filter that flattens the response of the driver in this enclosure, mostly around the midrange
Fyi: the base should be filled with sand or cat litter, to prevent standing waves / resonance etc.
That probably would have been better. However, the base is not open to the rest of the enclosure, so no standing waves can get to it. The concern is more to do with the metal ringing and influencing the sound. But this driver has fairly low output and limited bass response, so from my experience in listening to it, it will make a marginal difference.
jesus.. you got a garage for all those clamps???
Dude! If he had 100- clamps it would not be enough!!
Every time I go to Harbor Freight to get something I buy at least two clamps because you can never have to many.
A twenty clamps later.