"Tiny Towers", stupid simple build for TB W4-930SF

[Tom V]

Hat Tip to Planet-10 (Dave Dlugos) and his re-interpretation of the EPI Micro Towers.

Built using two 8ft 1"x6" (nominal) boards with a 1.5"x4" vent. 7 liter (.25 cu ft) cabinet, about 6.5 liters minus driver, driver brace, and vent.

Picture shows them doing the work normally done by a pair of Fostex 127E Metronomes. The Mets are better (duh!) but the little TB's have improved markedly in just two hours of run-time. Bass is good for such a small driver but they (currently) lack "air" on top, and drums and piano lack that "twack" on the initial transient.

They look far better than I expected given my rudimentary wood working skills and tools. Thanks to my next door neighbor Ed, for his planing and belt-sanding which allows me to use the word "joinery".

-Tom-

[Tom V]

Obtain two 8 foot 1"x6" boards (.75 x 5.5 actual). I used poplar from Home Depot.

For each speaker, cut four 20" long pieces for the front, back and sides. Cut a 4" piece for the base, a 7" (or just a skosh longer) piece for the top, and a 2.5" (or just a skosh shorter) piece for the driver brace. You might want to cut the remaining (hah!) piece to 4" as a temporary spacer between front and back during glue up.

Cut a hole for the vent centered in the base piece, and a 4" hole for the driver, 3" down from the top of the front piece.

Glue them up. I used Quick Grip cement I got from the hobby store.

[Tom V]

The driver brace goes at the top, behind the driver, slightly offset to one side.

I originally was planning on going with a "shabby chic" painted finish, but they looked so good after sanding I switched to an all-in-one honey maple finish, 3 coats.

Some leftover accoustic padding went on each side of the driver brace and the remainder of my wife's polyfill pillow stuffing went inside.

A wire was led up through a hole in the bottom for the speakers with banana plugs on the other end.

Commercial feet were used (Peavey 3/4" x 5/8"). Make sure they are at least 1/2" high so you don't obstruct the vent on the bottom.

A commercial 1.5" x 4" flared plastic vent went in, the drivers were soldered to the wire and mounted on the speaker, and it was time to listen to music.

[planet10]

Excellent Tom. This project should be very approachable for those with minimal "infrastructure" for cabinet building.

dave

[loninappleton]

Yes, well done. I especially appreciate projects with standard boards ofeasily accessible materials and available outlets for purchase.

[Godzilla]

>>> but they (currently) lack "air" on top...

Just a suggestion:

http://www.zillaaudio.com/tb-1320-bamboo.htm

Piezo on the rear.

You can even sit a super tweeter on top but it might muck up the clean look.

Godzilla

[Tom V]

When reading the Metronome thread I was struck by someone's remark that the sound improved when a hard surface instead of carpeting was put under the speaker.

The downfiring port tube that I used flares to 2" at the end. A circle of 2" has an area of 3.14 sq inches. The circumference of that circle is 6.28 inches and a height of 1/2 inch equals the same 3.14 sq inch area.

Past that it is a linear expansion until the edge of the speaker. There is also maximum reinforcement from the floor or desktop, and often from the rear wall as well.

You could also lower the speaker more and make a resistive slot port of the floor.

When you put your ear to the floor with this speaker, most of the bass, and only the bass, is coming from the bottom.

Has anyone played with these ideas or modeled them?

-Tom-

[Tom V]

>>> but they (currently) lack "air" on top...

>Just a suggestion:

>ZillaAudio.com, Outdoor Speakers | Rock Speakers | Garden Speakers | Patio Speakers | In-Wall Speakers | Ceiling Speakers and more!

>Piezo on the rear.

Resistors? Capacitors? What are they? This is my third set of speakers, and so far they are all an amp, a wire, and a speaker - no equalization. Stupid simple. But it may be time to branch out.

Actually I was thinking that for $25 dollars more I could have CHR-70's..........

-Tom-

[chris661]

How are they sounding now they've had more time to run in?

Amp > wire > speaker are the designs many of us aspire to. The problem seems to be finding a speaker that'll go 10Hz-50kHz at 90dB@1w (some manage 40Hz-20kHz, but you still miss the low stuff...)

[Godzilla]

>>> Resistors? Capacitors? What are they? This is my third set of speakers, and so far they are all an amp, a wire, and a speaker - no equalization.

LOL Tom! In many ways, i agree! I only use them when needed. If not, i pass too. But the piezo on the back does not detract from the overall 'full range' sound of this driver. It's barely audible but there. Without the piezo i felt the driver was a little too recessed on top. Certainly, a tweeter was not necessary but welcome.