5-10mins!
I'll pick one up later. I should have bought one for my other set of speakers. I ended up using a course file and it took quite a while...nice finish though!
Didn't you say the others were ply? It is a lot harder to do.
dave
This is what I used on my baltic birch chamfers, but I have never used it on MDF. The issue with trying a rasp when the cabs are already built like this is that it is very hard to position the tool correctly around the entire circumference. If you try to go at it from inside the cabinet, the walls are in the way and prevent you from approaching at a 45 for most of the circumference of both holes. If you go at it from the outside of the cabs at a 45, the end of the rasp will be banging against the interior walls after a very short distance of travel. It can be done, but it"ll be frustrating as hell.
Perhaps another approach would be to slowly carve the chamfer with an extendable carpet/utility knife (yellow Olfa). It might not be any quicker, but it might be less aggravating.
One other tip for the OP; avoid chamfering the areas where your screws will come through. Better to leave as much material there for the screws to grab.
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Richard,
Great footnote you have just below the speakers!
Hope you've been able to run that "to go" number a bit.
Slightly
Hi
I managed to add a decent chamfer to the inside edge of the driver apertures over the weekend, so that's a problem sorted
Stuffing
I have some compressed 1" rockwool insulation left over from a previous project. Would you recommend using this in place or adding in addition to the current cabinet lining? If you feel the current lining is not dense enough perhaps I can spray some contact adhesive and glue this to what is currently installed?
Regards
I managed to add a decent chamfer to the inside edge of the driver apertures over the weekend, so that's a problem sorted
Stuffing
I have some compressed 1" rockwool insulation left over from a previous project. Would you recommend using this in place or adding in addition to the current cabinet lining? If you feel the current lining is not dense enough perhaps I can spray some contact adhesive and glue this to what is currently installed?
Regards
Greets!
Damping is a highly speaker and user variable with technically correct being a measured critically damped response, i.e. no transient distortion [over-shoot/'ringing']. Most folks prefer some though as it makes the presentation sound 'richer', so the individual must find the type/amount empirically.
FWIW, I prefer to use 1" acoustic insulation lining one wall, back and the closed end [opposite the vent] same Altec mostly used to give me a reliable frame of reference. Best I can tell, in MJK's software designed based on polyfil's damping properties this equates to ~ 0.15 - 0.25 lbs/ft^3 depending on how far down it goes.
The various mass loaded [vented] TLs may only need this much down to just below the driver or all the way down to the vent. I don't recall ever needing to line below the vent much less all sides, so no idea what the stuffing density equivalent these may be.
If I need more damping, then I typically add it at the closed end since it has the most damping over the widest BW, ergo a little goes a long ways towards dialing the speaker’s ‘tone’. If it still ‘rings’ a bit too much, then I damp the vent.
In short then, yes, the rock wool and lining all sides might work well for you, but without knowing the material’s damping properties, best to start with minimal damping and incrementally add more if need be until it sounds ‘right’ to you and/or an acceptable compromise if others will be listening to them on a regular basis, which means that since women typically have more sensitive hearing, I always let them have the final say.
GM
Damping is a highly speaker and user variable with technically correct being a measured critically damped response, i.e. no transient distortion [over-shoot/'ringing']. Most folks prefer some though as it makes the presentation sound 'richer', so the individual must find the type/amount empirically.
FWIW, I prefer to use 1" acoustic insulation lining one wall, back and the closed end [opposite the vent] same Altec mostly used to give me a reliable frame of reference. Best I can tell, in MJK's software designed based on polyfil's damping properties this equates to ~ 0.15 - 0.25 lbs/ft^3 depending on how far down it goes.
The various mass loaded [vented] TLs may only need this much down to just below the driver or all the way down to the vent. I don't recall ever needing to line below the vent much less all sides, so no idea what the stuffing density equivalent these may be.
If I need more damping, then I typically add it at the closed end since it has the most damping over the widest BW, ergo a little goes a long ways towards dialing the speaker’s ‘tone’. If it still ‘rings’ a bit too much, then I damp the vent.
In short then, yes, the rock wool and lining all sides might work well for you, but without knowing the material’s damping properties, best to start with minimal damping and incrementally add more if need be until it sounds ‘right’ to you and/or an acceptable compromise if others will be listening to them on a regular basis, which means that since women typically have more sensitive hearing, I always let them have the final say.
GM
For the sake of experimentation, what do you microtower veterans think about tacking on a high-crossed tweeter to the top of an EL70 MT for a splash of extra 'air?'
In their current location in our living room, my MTs don't seem to have the HF extension that they did in my office (I'm even driving them with the same usb DAC and T-amp I had in the office), so I'm toying with the idea of adding a tweeter.
For the stupid-cheap-and-dirty effort, I was thinking of the Apex Jr. tweeters as a simple add-on. They seem pretty low-profile, so I think I may even be able to hide them under a grille, sticky-tacked to the top baffle.
Not worth the effort, or just crazy enough to merit something?
In their current location in our living room, my MTs don't seem to have the HF extension that they did in my office (I'm even driving them with the same usb DAC and T-amp I had in the office), so I'm toying with the idea of adding a tweeter.
For the stupid-cheap-and-dirty effort, I was thinking of the Apex Jr. tweeters as a simple add-on. They seem pretty low-profile, so I think I may even be able to hide them under a grille, sticky-tacked to the top baffle.
Not worth the effort, or just crazy enough to merit something?
I explored the same idea (and a similar one) in these two threads:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/201686-would-work.html
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/202117-stupid-idea-revelation.html
Lots of good input from other members in those threads...
I still plan to try the second idea in the new year some time (literally nothing to lose), but I have since been a bit more aggressive with my EQ (stacking Fletcher-Munson curves on top of my "EL70-Flattening" curve) and I am pretty pleased with the treble end of my microTowers at this point.
Good points, thanks.
I played around a lot with EQ and Foobar2000 in the office and would certainly go that route if it weren't for the setup I employ at home. I use a Squeezebox and its audio server to play music at home, and the MTs are on a PC running the software Squeezebox emulator. It works surprisingly well to synchronize the PC player and the hardware player in different rooms.
The tricky part for EQ-ing the MT's is: does a high quality software EQ (like the great VST plugins for foobar) exist for Windows7 that can EQ everything that is sent out to the USB DAC?
I played around a lot with EQ and Foobar2000 in the office and would certainly go that route if it weren't for the setup I employ at home. I use a Squeezebox and its audio server to play music at home, and the MTs are on a PC running the software Squeezebox emulator. It works surprisingly well to synchronize the PC player and the hardware player in different rooms.
The tricky part for EQ-ing the MT's is: does a high quality software EQ (like the great VST plugins for foobar) exist for Windows7 that can EQ everything that is sent out to the USB DAC?
I am not sure, but I would be willing to bet there is a solution out there. Heck, a hardware EQ might be the simplest and most effective solution. I have considered trying one, since there seems to be considerable debate about software EQ vs. hardware EQ. I'd like to decide for myself.
Regarding software EQ, the most important thing to ensure is that you use a "negative EQing" approach; reduce the bands you want reduced in order to attenuate them relative to the other bands, rather than increase the bands you want boosted - in other words, the highest bands should be at zero dB, never above.
and of course, while it should be common sense, don't overlook the effect of either EQ approach on amplifier power requirements, particularly with flea powered SETs that some of us crazies use
Hi, I am totally new in the forum and trying to learn from the experts. I am pretty good in Woodworking but have no clue about speaker building. I came across searching for plans/instructions on how to build a sleek pair of floor-standings to complement the sound of a Flat screen. No plans on hooking it to a home theater, just to the speaker out from the TV set to get better sound (fuller, improved bass and better highs). I don't know if that can be accomplish using this particular speakers. Also, where can I get a list of the electronics?
Sorry to sound so basic but I really have no clue on how to start.
Thanks!
Sorry to sound so basic but I really have no clue on how to start.
Thanks!
Since a lot of current TVs have the option of running a variable audio line output (although the ease with which you can drill down into the set-up menus to achieve that varies), if you don't want (to start with) the full immersion multi-channel home theatre circus, all that would be required to power external speakers would be a small digital amp.
I dare say that any of even the smallest class of "Full Range" drivers frequented herein ( i.e. 3-4" or so ) could easily outperform the built in speakers, and there are dozens of suitable enclosure designs from which to choose - so in this case I'd think the pirmary question would be are there constraints on physical dimensions / placement? Many of the higher performing enclosure designs are larger and may have placement requirements.
Chris,
Thank you for your reply. I don't have real limitations on space but would like to try and start with some sleek floor standings like the one in this thread. I'm thinking in something like 20"-30" tall, no more than 8" wide and about 20" deep. Something not overly complicated to build (this is my first try..!). I have a full woodworking shop (table saw, router, planer....) so no problem that part of the project.
Can you throw some speaker and digital amps brands/models for me to check?
Thanks!
Luis
Thank you for your reply. I don't have real limitations on space but would like to try and start with some sleek floor standings like the one in this thread. I'm thinking in something like 20"-30" tall, no more than 8" wide and about 20" deep. Something not overly complicated to build (this is my first try..!). I have a full woodworking shop (table saw, router, planer....) so no problem that part of the project.
Can you throw some speaker and digital amps brands/models for me to check?
Thanks!
Luis
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