Test Box

[brucegseidner]

I have some ideas for the construction of a test box that would accept multiple baffles and could be re-used but don't want to re-invent the wheel.

I watched most of the Tour de France this morning trying to find plans and ideas for speaker test boxes and was surprised to find none. I suppose it is so simple and generic that people just slap them together on an ad hoc basis. But I have confidence that some of you have put your years of experience into a rig that covers most drivers characterized as "full range."

Thoughts and pictures would be appreciated.

[pjanda1]

I used to use a pair of old Sansui Cabinets for test boxes. I plugged the driver holes and made new baffles to fit in the back (the original screwed on). They had two ports each, and I built plugs with PVC pipe caps wrapped in weather seal. That gave me two vented box tunings or the option to go sealed. I suppose ultimate test boxes would be fairly large, with easily swapped baffles, several ports that you could block and provisions for changing the cabinet volume (by adding stuff inside).

pj

[Godzilla]

http://www.zillaaudio.com/straight-pipe-1354.htm

http://www.zillaaudio.com/fostex-127e-straight-pipe.htm

I use bob brines straight pipe with a removable baffle to listen to various drivers. Had radio shack's in it, TB's and fostex and it offered a way to hear the drivers 'character' in a decent box of all trades.

If you want to play with drivers from 3 to 6.5" i think it's a decent compromise. if you want to play with 6.5 to 8" drivers i'd recommend a larger voigt pipe.

I noodled around with some generic BIB sizes that might serve well too but would have to get to my work pc to find the dims.

Godzilla

[brucegseidner]

Embedded in my question is the size of the box relative to testing for Vas with USB units like the Dayton WT3, Tenma, and S&L WT2 units.

They all use a "test box" but do not specify the size. Presumably one would chose a box that was large enough for the driver and of known volume to enter into the units' software. The software looks like it takes it from there. Not wanting to sound too much like Goldilocks, "This box is too small, this box is too big, this box is just right," what general rules of thumb or recommendations are there? Does one chose some volume relative to Fs which can be found without a box initially? Can a box be too small or too large to get accurate measures of Vas?