Tangband W3-871S - TABAQ or Cyburg's Needle?

[pkozul]

HI there,

I’ve got a pair of Tangband W3-871S drivers that have been sitting around for a while, waiting for me to get off my butt and build an enclosure for them.

I’ve come across the TABAQ and Cyburg’s Needle designs. Has anyone tried them both, and able to compare the two? Both look good to me, which leaves me with the dilemma of choosing which one will be my first speaker build.

Thanks!
Pete

[Bjohannesen]

Hi Pete, i designed TABAQ after i did some simulations with the Needle. i wanted to make a simple design getting the best out of the nice 3 inch Tang Band Drivers.

I spent several hours and days with Marin J King´s simulations software to do this.

However, I have never built a Needle and do not know how they sound in real life. The knowledge i have is from simulation, which motivated me to design the TABAQ.

The draw-back of TABAQ is that the position of the driver is a little low, and depending on your personal taste and listening position you could wall mount them or use a floor stand. Please note by lifting up the cabinet, you will loose some bass - which is rather impressing in this design.

I do not know if this answer is helpfull in any way. There are DIYers out there that has tried both designs.

[kristleifur]

I've tried the Needle and it was amazing I think you can't go wrong with either of these designs.

[RockysDad]

I also built the Needles and found it pretty amazing! Any speaker that disappears is my idea of awesome. Can't beat it for the cost.

PS. I'm bias because I have the Needles. I might have said the same thing if I built the TABAQ...

Both could be good. Build both and report back!

[type]

I built the needles with the 871s and they made a great driver even better.

[kristleifur]

To paraphrase BJohannesen, the TABAQ is designed more methodically I believe. (Although I don't know exactly how the Needle came about.) I don't remember the exact numbers, but roughly the Needle goes to 50Hz and the TABAQ to 55Hz; The TABAQ is designed to go a littttttle less lower, but to play more 'cleanly'. However, Needle bass is still very clean, beautiful and engaging, so it's all good ...

I guess it comes down to which philosophy you like, which costs less in materials, which look you prefer, and how and where you'd like your speaker to be mounted. You can't lose.

Most important of all is perhaps to "build it wrong, but build it".

Also note that these speakers really start shining in smallish rooms. At least that's true of the Needle, and most probably also the TABAQ.

[type]

Originally Posted by kristleifur

To paraphrase BJohannesen, the TABAQ is designed more methodically I believe. (Although I don't know exactly how the Needle came about.) I don't remember the exact numbers, but roughly the Needle goes to 50Hz and the TABAQ to 55Hz; The TABAQ is designed to go a littttttle less lower, but to play more 'cleanly'. However, Needle bass is still very clean, beautiful and engaging, so it's all good ...

I guess it comes down to which philosophy you like, which costs less in materials, which look you prefer, and how and where you'd like your speaker to be mounted. You can't lose.

Most important of all is perhaps to "build it wrong, but build it".

Also note that these speakers really start shining in smallish rooms. At least that's true of the Needle, and most probably also the TABAQ.

Chances are they compare pretty well. Personally I prefer the look of the needles and the driver placement is better.

[pkozul]

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies. It's hard to choose, but for my tastes, the Needle has the slight edge aesthetically, so I think I'll go for that design. Really look forward to my first build.

I like that: Build it wrong, but build it... I've got nothing to lose. Paid $20 for the drivers (they were taken out of the Logitech Z550 satellites). Just gotta get some MDF and start working on it...

Thanks again.
Pete

[kristleifur]

Originally Posted by pkozul

I like that: Build it wrong, but build it... I've got nothing to lose. Paid $20 for the drivers (they were taken out of the Logitech Z550 satellites). Just gotta get some MDF and start working on it...

That's such a great quote, and it has had sustained inspiring effect in my life. I wish I could source it. I do remember it's from a respected engineering text!

Keep us posted.

[cogitech]

Originally Posted by kristleifur

That's such a great quote, and it has had sustained inspiring effect in my life. I wish I could source it. I do remember it's from a respected engineering text!

Keep us posted.

I used the same "build it wrong (perhaps), but just build it" principle when I couldn't decide between the Needle and the TABAQ. The TABAQ really interested me, but even the driver placement of the Needle was too low for my specific needs, so this really ruled out the TABAQ. Instead, I decided to model and build my own "bass reflex w/ accidental TL" (which I loosely refer to as the "nanoTower"). I used the W3-881SI ($10 each) and $17 worth of wood. It was a roll of the dice building something that had never been built. As luck would have it, they suit my needs perfectly and they dig very low; lower than Needle or TABAQ it seems (but perhaps without the finesse, which was not necessary for this application).

See here for more details/videos, etc. "nanoTower" - Tang Band W3-881SI

The second video, posted on page 4 of the thread, showcases the performance really well, I think (as long as your computer sound system can reproduce it).

[obvious]
P.S. This "just f#^*$ing built it!" approach is much less risky when you can keep costs low
[/obvious]