They are bending. I put some smaller o-rings under the frame at the screws but I'm not happy with it since there is still bending. I'm not sure how much is too much, but I'm going to try cutting some of the big 3" o-rings into pieces and putting those by the screws. Or just buying thicker o-rings. Or... using the big 3" o-rings but stretching them around the outside of the screws. The other thought is to just not tighten the screws down very much but that seems like a bad idea.
Any other ideas?
Any other ideas?
You could counter bore the screw holes to sink the o rings into the plate and still allow the isolation to be effective.
You will need to use some form of gasket behind the frame in any case as they are designed from the factory to be rear mounted with the factory gasket on the front. I used self adhesive foam weather stripping bent around the frame. Its not very stiff so it squashes easily but provides a good seal.
Like this
You will need to use some form of gasket behind the frame in any case as they are designed from the factory to be rear mounted with the factory gasket on the front. I used self adhesive foam weather stripping bent around the frame. Its not very stiff so it squashes easily but provides a good seal.
Like this
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If you go that way I would round over the edge or at least chamfer it as a straight edge so close to the driver isn't ideal.
Yah, I'm leaning that way. I tried a few different permutations but I think the Orings will really only work well if I had room to cut a rabbet around the hole so the driver sat nearly flush with the baffle. One option is to just snug up the bolts so there's pressure on the o-ring. I doubled up the little o-rings at the bolts which helped a little but really doesn't solve the problem.
I'm looking for thin gasket strip now. Any suggestions? I thought about silicone caulk too. That would be messier, but effective I think.
Another thought is to go with an o-ring that is thinner so I get some compression and sealing but less bending of the frame.
Good to have options, but the gasket is what I'm leaning toward. Maybe 1/4" wide or so. And something that compresses easily.
Trouble with silicone calk is that is messy, and it will make it very hard to swap drivers if something were going to happen to a driver.
Thin 1mm or 2mm neoprene gasket should do fine.
I got tools of it sent from Parts-Express last time, and I like it better than neoprene strips found in hardware stores.
The one from P-E compresses very easily. Very soft and easy to work with.
Thin 1mm or 2mm neoprene gasket should do fine.
I got tools of it sent from Parts-Express last time, and I like it better than neoprene strips found in hardware stores.
The one from P-E compresses very easily. Very soft and easy to work with.
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I ended up doubling up the little o-rings and that seems to do the trick reasonably well. I really wanted to realize the benefit of the big o-rings and I tested each of the drivers independently to make sure there were not issues with voice coil rubbing.
Also, I ended up replacing the neoprene weather seal that was between the wood and aluminum with wider (and thinner) strips of dynamat-like material. It's a better constrained damping layer and more importantly, also let the wood sit more evenly than the neoprene was as it was too thick and not wide enough to span the width of the overlap.
I'm now trying to decide how exactly I'm going to mount them into the corners. Need to trim some of the baseboard trim back and then figure out what's next. Lots of options, but trying to keep it as simple as possible.
Also, I ended up replacing the neoprene weather seal that was between the wood and aluminum with wider (and thinner) strips of dynamat-like material. It's a better constrained damping layer and more importantly, also let the wood sit more evenly than the neoprene was as it was too thick and not wide enough to span the width of the overlap.
I'm now trying to decide how exactly I'm going to mount them into the corners. Need to trim some of the baseboard trim back and then figure out what's next. Lots of options, but trying to keep it as simple as possible.
Mock up of how the speakers will look when in place. I will have gray grill cloth covering everything up so it won’t be as um... intimidating when complete. Second photo just show the back side of the speakers with the dynamat installed.
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This is going to sound like a bad idea, but what do you all think about using industrial strength Velcro to literally stick the baffles to the walls? I would still need a neoprene or similar seal since Velcro isn’t air tight. But it would make it easy to service if necessary. And if it doesn’t work, it’s cheap and easy to scrap and start again.
I don’t know if there are sound quality downsides though? Or, maybe there are upsides given this would further isolate the speakers from the walls.
Would love your reactions!
I don’t know if there are sound quality downsides though? Or, maybe there are upsides given this would further isolate the speakers from the walls.
Would love your reactions!
Is it due to the camera lens, or is the baffle bending down at the end?
If so, you'll need a strong subframe to hold it up, and I doubt velcro can qualify as a subframe fastener...
No, it's definitely bending in the pic as it's cantilevered at the last few feet. But in place, it will be supported entirely along both sides at the wall. I'm not worried about needing a sub frame at all.
As for the Velcro idea, admittedly, a bit out of the box. But I'm starting to like it more and more. The wood edges that mate to the wall are about 1.5". I can put a neoprene seal between two 0.5" strips of velcro. Another thought I had is that if I really have issues, I can go ahead and drill a few holes through the baffle and then screw threw the velcro into the wall.
What's the real downsides though? Is it the possibility for the baffle moving and messing up the frequency response? Or is it structural?
As for the Velcro idea, admittedly, a bit out of the box. But I'm starting to like it more and more. The wood edges that mate to the wall are about 1.5". I can put a neoprene seal between two 0.5" strips of velcro. Another thought I had is that if I really have issues, I can go ahead and drill a few holes through the baffle and then screw threw the velcro into the wall.
What's the real downsides though? Is it the possibility for the baffle moving and messing up the frequency response? Or is it structural?
The right Velcro is plenty strong, but I doubt it can provide a stiff joint like this. IOW, I'd bet that the baffle would vibrate badly. Perhaps you could mitigate this by preloading with your neoprene seal.
Also, good dual-lock Velcro offers so much grip, I doubt you'd be able to uninstall the speakers without a pry bar. Considering the angles & lack of handles, it definitely won't be convenient for maintenance.
Also, good dual-lock Velcro offers so much grip, I doubt you'd be able to uninstall the speakers without a pry bar. Considering the angles & lack of handles, it definitely won't be convenient for maintenance.
That's a good point. I played with some velcro that I had used for something else but never actually had to separate and it was really hard to get apart. And it wasn't even that much velcro. I supposed I could experiment to get the "right" amount of velcro with a pre-loaded neoprene seal. Perhaps even just use a few short pieces separated by a couple feet between them. More to mull on but thanks for the input!
If your corners are solid you could use a decent amount of acrylic caulk to permanently hold it in place - practice making it look good on something else first
Otherwise i would be very tempted to make the 2 remaining sides out of mdf so they are already in 'boxes' and you could then fix them to the corners once you are ready
Otherwise i would be very tempted to make the 2 remaining sides out of mdf so they are already in 'boxes' and you could then fix them to the corners once you are ready
You think caulk would hold it? I considered it as it would be reasonably easy to remove and reapply if I needed to. But I didn't think it would be strong enough to withstand the pressures. I suppose it would have a fair amount of surface area to stick to so maybe it would work. Wouldn't hurt to try I suppose. Would you think acrylic would be better than silicone?
Wiring question. If I do 7 parallel groups of 4 drivers, does it matter if the series groups are together or spread among the array if I’m not separating the enclosure into sections?
Also; I’m planing on using left over Cat 6 twisted pair wires. One twisted pair will make up one wire. That seems reasonable assuming they are soldered and shrink tubed to the terminals? I have wago connectors otherwise.
Also; I’m planing on using left over Cat 6 twisted pair wires. One twisted pair will make up one wire. That seems reasonable assuming they are soldered and shrink tubed to the terminals? I have wago connectors otherwise.
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