Outline of Steps to Planet10 EnABL

[jallenbass]

I haven't seen this in one thread anywhere so I'm hoping to that this will outline the Planet10 pre-treatment and EnABL process. Once you have the outline then a search can be done for the specifics of each process. Feel free to correct any inaccuracies.

1. Damar trifoil pattern

2. 2 coats of thinned ModgePodge Puzzlecoat

3. EnABL pattern using Poly Scale

4. 3 coats of thinned Microgloss

Correct? I know that there are other products that can be used as well.

[chrisb]

Originally posted by jallenbass
I haven't seen this in one thread anywhere so I'm hoping to that this will outline the Planet10 pre-treatment and EnABL process. Once you have the outline then a search can be done for the specifics of each process. Feel free to correct any inaccuracies.

1. Damar trifoil pattern

2. 2 coats of thinned ModgePodge Puzzlecoat

3. EnABL pattern using Poly Scale

4. 3 coats of thinned Microgloss

Correct? I know that there are other products that can be used as well.

Be aware that item #1 above has so far only been developed for the Fostex FE126/127 drivers. It was based on early work shared on DIY Audio by Mark McKenzie - his methodology has since been refined and is proprietary, and unlike Bud's EnABL pattern, it is not necessarily scalar.

Further - while the block pattern in #3 is scalar, there is a specific method to determine the number and location of block rings - which varies on size, shape and materials of cone / dust cap etc.

Finally, the number of coats in #4 can also vary, depending on actual listening tests - which unfortunately need to take into account the curing time for the acrylic material.

As there has yet to be "scientific method" perfected, the development of treatment regimen for any new driver is part art / part experience (of which Bud has decades) . Of course once that's been determined, "production" is merely a matter of meticulous repetition and patience, and waiting for the paint to dry.

[blumenco]

I could not agree more that experience and art will play heavily into it. I still enjoy greatly my pair of FE126eN and remember fondly my surprise the first time I heard them. What I was surprised at was that it sounded so pleasing and artful. not "dead." In my opinion, death is easy to measure, easy to discuss. Easy to design a dead sound. I can only imagine that the eN is not an easy or totally straightforward undertaking and likely involves some difficult to teach (i.e. not infinitely scalable) processes. It definitely unleashes the true musical potential of an otherwise hindered driver and does not slow it down in the process.

Cone treatments are definitely an area for research. I cannot say that any one method or set of methods could or should be considered "standard" for any driver. Even within the Fostex line, the cone material and glues might be the same, but the paper thickness? The motor strength?

It will help to be as model specific as possible. (and iteration specific too). For instance, has anyone else noticed that about jan or april 2008 or so that the Fostex drivers started being shipped with more glue around the dust cap? To my ears, this totally improved the sound via taking away a twitch of nastiness from the HF response. The drivers also lost a bit of subjective HF response, however. A tradeoff, but in the right direction, IMO.

The best advice I could give (from the truly tiny amount that I feel like I understand about anything audio related, really) is to try to learn to "listen" to different parts of a driver. Put your ear up next to it (not for long). listen from a distance. realize that it is a cone. with a dust cap? Meditate on what each part of the driver is doing and what parts are underbuild/overbuilt by the factory. Then try to adjust from there with trial and error, revisiting each process again and again. (Almost all points are floating).

No free lunch for sure.

Cheers,

-Clark

[planet10]

1. Damar trifoil pattern

2. 2 coats of thinned ModgePodge Puzzlecoat

3. EnABL pattern using Poly Scale

4. 3 coats of thinned Microgloss

1/5/7 specific to FE126/127

0/ min 100 hrs break-in and measure for matching (the latter if you are doing more than 1 pair)

2, 4/ ever decreasing coats

5/ add the stealth ring on top of the gloss (Clark's FE126eN were before the discovery of the stealth ring)

6/ measure & match pairs

7/ if you have EnABLed the box you will also need the optional mid dustcap stealth ring.

dave

[planet10]

Originally posted by chrisb

waiting for the paint to dry.

A lot of that.

dave

[planet10]

Originally posted by blumenco
[B]I could not agree more that experience and art will

For instance, has anyone else noticed that about jan or april 2008 or so that the Fostex drivers started being shipped with more glue around the dust cap?

At least for FE126/127 they have been mucking with the assembly of the dustcap. At one point i moved from 3 rings to 4 at the dustcap as it seemed someone at the factory said "using too much black goop" and all of a sudden there were "canyons" where the middle row went. Drivers went thru a couple batches where consistency of this glue at the dust cap -- the last 2 batches seemed to have sttled down.

dave

[loninappleton]

Only slightly off topic.

After not having ordered speaks for a lot of years (7 or so) from Madisound, I was surprised to notice my new 167e was marked made in China. I would have overlooked it except someone I know was going on about buying American and identifying UPC codes for same.
They were all wet about the UPC's but my examination of the box had me spot it.

I can only hope that the Fostex brand has not taken a slide.

The unit is still breaking in and I'm just now practicing using and setting up my first real router.

[planet10]

Foster has a big factory in China... when it made sense (or even still) they had/have factories in Korea and Taiwan as well as Japan.

dave

[loninappleton]

Also on topic here is that I looked for Micro Gloss in the hobby store.
Didn't find that whereas the Hobby Lobby did have Damar and Mod Podge.

Online research showed that Micro Gloss is more readily found where
auto decals are sold. But I haven't been to the car shops.

[chrisb]

welcome to the new global economy - there's no going back, so let's all just get over it