No problems here, today. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/markaudio/184463-alpair-selection-2.html#post2572404
dave
"No problems here, today"
Great to read about the alpairs
I would go the alpair 7, But my budget is limited.
Have done some more listening today, It's tricky, as where I am at the moment is the most unideal listing space available - except at low level. (tiles and painted breezeblock - like your bathroom!).
I think there is enough promise to go with the TB5" build, unless, you (dave /Jeff)? have a strong feeling against.
Jeff - were you specifying 18mm? (Baffle X2?)
I am limited to woods up here - can get Hoop Pine BB Ply 15mm, Aruaco ply BC@18mm, mdf is easy - but probably not a good idea.
Am limited in my experience with, resistors + Baffle Step Correction as norman stated, and possibly the reduction/attenuation of any shout later.
Anyway, I'm willing. And possible an idiot.
Hardest part, I think, is finding a 45deg bandsaw.
Finally - should I be concerned about the closeness of the vents to the rear wall?
Anyway, thanks all for the input and feedback so far, regardless.
Will.
Great to read about the alpairs
I would go the alpair 7, But my budget is limited.
Have done some more listening today, It's tricky, as where I am at the moment is the most unideal listing space available - except at low level. (tiles and painted breezeblock - like your bathroom!).
I think there is enough promise to go with the TB5" build, unless, you (dave /Jeff)? have a strong feeling against.
Jeff - were you specifying 18mm? (Baffle X2?)
I am limited to woods up here - can get Hoop Pine BB Ply 15mm, Aruaco ply BC@18mm, mdf is easy - but probably not a good idea.
Am limited in my experience with, resistors + Baffle Step Correction as norman stated, and possibly the reduction/attenuation of any shout later.
Anyway, I'm willing. And possible an idiot.
Hardest part, I think, is finding a 45deg bandsaw.
Finally - should I be concerned about the closeness of the vents to the rear wall?
Anyway, thanks all for the input and feedback so far, regardless.
Will.
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If you expect to be there for a while, you may want to tweek the box design for a "warmer" response.
I say go for it! You're the guinea pig for this driver/box, but you'll be the only one on the planet with a pair.
You could build most of the box with 15mm, but I'd use 18mm for the front and rear baffles. The 12mm vent spacers could be just about any kind of wood, even mdf (gasp).
A nice big table saw would be the best for cutting, with a relatively fine carbide tipped blade.
Yes.
jeff
Hi, I've seen cardboard loudspeaker boxes being sold in a Akihabara/Kyoto shop, there was a three-partition box (double bass reflex alignment) for my Fostex 88ES. Highly curious.
The cardboard was a stiff type, not corrugated.
So don't dismiss cardboard!
So don't dismiss cardboard!
very interesting.
Yes - cardboard is brilliant.
Very limited supplies out here, but the place I went to had cardboard pallettes that were certified to 1.5 ton (downward force).
Well - I'm definitely going to be building these + have sourced the matrerials..........er....except for the wool / cotton felt. Spotlight has some v. thin sheets (see pink stuff in previous post images) ,
but if anyone knows of a good Northern Territories source....
.......Sharing is caring!
Thanks for all the input and plans - stand by.
very interesting.
Yes - cardboard is brilliant.
Very limited supplies out here, but the place I went to had cardboard pallettes that were certified to 1.5 ton (downward force).
Well - I'm definitely going to be building these + have sourced the matrerials..........er....except for the wool / cotton felt. Spotlight has some v. thin sheets (see pink stuff in previous post images) ,
but if anyone knows of a good Northern Territories source....
.......Sharing is caring!
Thanks for all the input and plans - stand by.
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To improve the stiffness of the cardboard, you can soak it with a diluted kind of varnish, or I imagine, even submersing it.
This will create a very hard result, like the structured metals in airplanes (aerolam) also useful for speaker enclosures.
If the result is a bit high resonant, add a layer of latex paint.
I feel like Mr. Bricolage, as the French so aptly call it
This will create a very hard result, like the structured metals in airplanes (aerolam) also useful for speaker enclosures.
If the result is a bit high resonant, add a layer of latex paint.
I feel like Mr. Bricolage, as the French so aptly call it
New Onken Influenced Speakers
Ok...
Well, here they are: the fOnken inspired speakers using the Tangband W5-1611SA. It took a while to get the (near) equivalent materials.
They are constructed with a high grade Hoop Pine Ply which will be softer than BBirch, and less laminations. All panels are 15mm, Baffle is 20. Spacers for the vents are MDF. Box constructed then cutting the 45 degrees after assembly.
Dual Posts on the back are in case I decide to be a girl and put a x-over in them with a tweeter on top of the cab. screws in back panel are temporary.
Damping is a wool mix 12mm underlay.
How do they sound?
Pretty good so far. The listening env is crap - (look at the wall in the images).
They are a (v.small) bit shouty - but they are not run in at all, so Ill wait it out.
....Actually they sound bloody great! nice separation, responding well to all manner of music thus far, clear, ballanced and suprisingly good wide frequency response.
Internal wiring is some thick auto wire I had .... I only have that, some "braided" speaker cable and some cat 5.
Should I leave the auto cable in?
Big Thanks to Jeff for the original plans and Dave for the inspiration.
Thanks to Joe Meek book on the table for added support. and my better half for putting up with a million trips to Bunnings.
This was all done with very limited tools. Very limited.
There are no correction or electrical components added. just as is.
Any comments / suggestions to that are welcome.
All in all, I am V.happy.
Ok...
Well, here they are: the fOnken inspired speakers using the Tangband W5-1611SA. It took a while to get the (near) equivalent materials.
They are constructed with a high grade Hoop Pine Ply which will be softer than BBirch, and less laminations. All panels are 15mm, Baffle is 20. Spacers for the vents are MDF. Box constructed then cutting the 45 degrees after assembly.
Dual Posts on the back are in case I decide to be a girl and put a x-over in them with a tweeter on top of the cab. screws in back panel are temporary.
Damping is a wool mix 12mm underlay.
How do they sound?
Pretty good so far. The listening env is crap - (look at the wall in the images).
They are a (v.small) bit shouty - but they are not run in at all, so Ill wait it out.
....Actually they sound bloody great! nice separation, responding well to all manner of music thus far, clear, ballanced and suprisingly good wide frequency response.
Internal wiring is some thick auto wire I had .... I only have that, some "braided" speaker cable and some cat 5.
Should I leave the auto cable in?
Big Thanks to Jeff for the original plans and Dave for the inspiration.
Thanks to Joe Meek book on the table for added support. and my better half for putting up with a million trips to Bunnings.
This was all done with very limited tools. Very limited.
There are no correction or electrical components added. just as is.
Any comments / suggestions to that are welcome.
All in all, I am V.happy.
Attachments
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gril.
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I find the (F)Onken good for near field monitoring, the ports exit close to the driver so integration of LF output with the output of the driver happens over relatively short distances. In my case I restricted the ports (slots) to being right next to the driver so I used only 2 slots per side instead of 3. (find my thread on Moon Onken for details).
Will, you are to be congratulated on a job well done. Those boxes look very nice indeed. I'm glad they sound good too.
jeff
noticed some recommend a strand of Cat5 wire in fullrange cabinets to connect the drivers to the outside, what would be the result compared to my habit of using 18gauge speaker wire?
I took out the thick cable and replaced it with a twisted pair (2 strands on each blade) of cat 5 last night before reading this.
There is a considerable change in presence, if that's the right word. More clarity, more definition, but not less frequency range. I A-B'd it across the speakers as I did them, so definitely not a placebo effect.
I am hoping to properly seal the back panels on shortly, so I'll give it a few days.
Because of the posts going straight into the back, it will be hard to get a soldering iron in there.
tgril
There is a considerable change in presence, if that's the right word. More clarity, more definition, but not less frequency range. I A-B'd it across the speakers as I did them, so definitely not a placebo effect.
I am hoping to properly seal the back panels on shortly, so I'll give it a few days.
Because of the posts going straight into the back, it will be hard to get a soldering iron in there.
t
gril
I took out the thick cable and replaced it with a twisted pair (2 strands on each blade) of cat 5 last night before reading this.
There is a considerable change in presence, if that's the right word. More clarity, more definition, but not less frequency range. I A-B'd it across the speakers as I did them, so definitely not a placebo effect.
I am hoping to properly seal the back panels on shortly, so I'll give it a few days.
Because of the posts going straight into the back, it will be hard to get a soldering iron in there.
t
I will try it on my next build, started to cut wood...
Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I replaced roughly a meter of interconnect wire and could hear the difference.
Why not try step by step - and let us know your expereince?
First - listen with wire you use normally
2nd - use Cat5 for interconnect and listen to the same stuff
3rd - Cat5 also for internal speaker wiring
4th - If step 2 and 3 were worthwhile replace speaker cables
Why not try step by step - and let us know your expereince?
First - listen with wire you use normally
2nd - use Cat5 for interconnect and listen to the same stuff
3rd - Cat5 also for internal speaker wiring
4th - If step 2 and 3 were worthwhile replace speaker cables
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I only replaced the wire inside the speaker - about 14 inches max - and I heard a difference. I left the other speaker original untill I had heard the result. Which were positive. For me. (I was worried about "imagining a difference" or losing frequency response so I needed an a/b comparison).
I know some people use cat 5 twisted then braided for their main cable (amp to speakers). That's a bigger job that I would be interested to try sometime.
Just to clarify:
I just have the single drive units powered by a little Dayton T100a amplifier.
The difference was there for me - more clrarity, and I heard nuances in more simple audio (Bonnie Prince Billy) that was not present with the other cable......... and I felt somehow "content" about having the thin cat 5 in there! most unscientific!
Dave stated it was system dependant, and I know that it's a bone of contention for many audiophile types, as is all cable, really.
I am 48 - my ears probably have a nasty mid range spike! so I have know Idea about how they sound to anyone younger or older!
For the full blown "carpet python":
DIY Cat5 Speaker Cables
make sure you read the caution bit though.
Zman01's post makes sense.
Will.
I know some people use cat 5 twisted then braided for their main cable (amp to speakers). That's a bigger job that I would be interested to try sometime.
Just to clarify:
I just have the single drive units powered by a little Dayton T100a amplifier.
The difference was there for me - more clrarity, and I heard nuances in more simple audio (Bonnie Prince Billy) that was not present with the other cable......... and I felt somehow "content" about having the thin cat 5 in there! most unscientific!
Dave stated it was system dependant, and I know that it's a bone of contention for many audiophile types, as is all cable, really.
I am 48 - my ears probably have a nasty mid range spike! so I have know Idea about how they sound to anyone younger or older!
For the full blown "carpet python":
DIY Cat5 Speaker Cables
make sure you read the caution bit though.
Zman01's post makes sense.
Will.
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