fostex grille - any good?

[woodturner-fran]

Hi all,


I've just completed a pair of fonkens using some enabled FE127e. Those cones look a little exposed - esp with small kids about - 2 year old, screwdriver and speakers should never occupy the same space .

So I see madisound have some fostex grilles at $25 a pair for the FE126/127 drivers.

Are they any good?

Do they look good or hideous in real life?

Do they impair the sound at all?


TIA,

Fran

[chrisb]

Fran, IINM, these are the same metal grilles that Ed Schilling offers with his Horns.

I guess if you consider the time required to make a nice set of wood frame (a great place to use MDF!)& fabric grilles* , the price is OK, although personally I think they're a bit fugly.

More importantly though, it's hard to tell from the picture on Madisound's website how much they overlap the actual grille frame, and as the Fonken's chamfered baffle is quite narrow, I'm not sure that they'd fit.

Even a simple homemade grille should provide enough visual deterrence to inquisitive little'uns (if they can't see it...), and would be easily removable for critical listening. (of course, just don't let "them" see you take the grilles off )

Grilles this size would be quite light weight and easily affixed with PSA velcro pads available from your local hardware / building supply shop.

[gmilitano]

I have the grills for the FE108Sigma and they are fugly!

While I never actually tired them, I would suspect that they will affect the sound.

[chrisb]

Could be, but I suspect not as much as a "toddler-tweaked" cone - very hurtful in the case of Enabled drivers.


Fran:
I just contacted Madisound, and the K312 pincushion shaped grille is "a hair" (you pick the color) under 5" across - so whether they'd fit would depend on how closely your side bevels are cut to the driver's mounting flange.



They use the same screw holes that attach the driver to the enclosure, so unless you get creative with small magnets (not a good idea around kids), blu-tak (daddy, this gum tastes funny) , or velcro, they wouldn't be easily removable.

You might need to consider modifying your BSC (or Zobel?) network if you decide on any type of permanent metal grille.





edit:

Funny thing (?) - I've built quite a few pairs of these (at least 6 pair to date) , and due to different material thickness, there have been slight variances across the front, so I had to refer to the official drawings for "standard" dimensions. (well to be honest, my declining short term memory was also involved) The K312 should fit with a slight margin to spare

[Bob Brines]

I have a pair of the factory Fostex grills on FE167E's. The grills are pretty much transparent, but different ears will hear differently. I use the grills for demo only for those who need grills for protection. I never actually use them.

Hint on mounting these grills: Drill out the mounting holes to 1/4". The press in 1/4"x1/4" cylindrical neodymium magnets. They will hold to the regular mounting screws of the driver. Rmoval/reistallation becomes trivial.

Bob

[chrisb]

Bob et al, I'd guess the neo magnets are strong enough to be really hard for little hands to remove from the grilles.

However, ( and call me anally paranoid ) my only concern would be if small children noticed the grilles were removable and found the magnets fun to play with. Everything goes into the mouth - swallowing a single magnet is bad enough, but 2 or more can be lethal.

[dnsey]

my only concern would be if small children noticed the grilles were removable and found the magnets fun to play with.

Epoxy the magnets into the grille frame

[chrisb]

Originally posted by dnsey


Epoxy the magnets into the grille frame

well, of course - i.e. why didn't I think of that?

[woodturner-fran]

Well I was thinking of using the magnets to hold them on. See, its not really my own kids - they never go near any of that stuff for some reason, but if they have friends over etc..... thats a different story!!

We also have a cleaner and while she is excellent, you just wouldn't know. I'd feel happier with something on there.


I'd make them myself if they were a ring, like say the jordans, because I'd just turn a ring on the lathe and put some material over them. But those fostex are a real pain with the shape of them. I might mock up a square and see how it looks. A good source of magnets for this is a kids toy called geomag/magnetix. Plastic squares with powerful magnets at each corner. Perfect


Fran

[Bob Brines]

Sure, you could make the rings on a lathe. The Fostex grills are rings. I think that you could make them out of wood that matches your cabinets. Send pictures!

The magnets: I drilled out the holes in the Fostex grills with a regular 1/4" drill. The magnets (from Lee Valley) were an easy press fit. They won't fall out and I can't see any child pulling them out with fingers. But hey! Epoxy those puppies in and they will never come out.

Bob