The after is nice looking - what kind of finish is that? How do they sound?
They don't sound too good, as the drivers have not arrived. I ordered Tang Band W3-1364SA for them, but they will start shipping tomorrow. I also ordered TB W3-881SI to try them out. These enclosures were designed by Planet 10 for Fostex FF85WK, but those are will not be available until mid-March; I will order then. I have other projects pending where I can use the drivers that "don't make the cut".
As for the finish, textured stone spray paint did the trick (see attached photo). I would have chosen something else, but I had 1/2 a can unused that I purchased to do some custom electrical switch plates my wife's decorator came up with. My wife and the decorator are experts at coming up with great ideas that no one sells or has, and I have to end up figuring out how to make them and/or install.
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Interesting stuff Ken. Have you ever had a chance to listen to one of the cardboard radios? Predecessor to the hugely successful Bose Wave Radio? A foam core Bose-beater is another project that I have been thinking of using a spiral channel. Easy to beat the sound as they use mediocre 2 in drivers and a crappy amp with 10% THD at something like 5 watts. I would increase driver dia to 2.5 in maybe 3 in and use a TPA3110 amp board or even a TPA3122 to get clean 15 watts.
Yes I heard one once at an old time radio convention in Chicago It had great bass but no highs, as most of those radios cut off a 5000 KHz or less. The Bose systems rely heavily on their proprietary equalization circuits. If you connect one to a regular amp it sounds very thin. I was with a major audio firm in Chicago years ago and we had a sign in engineering that read-BOSE, NO Highs, NO Lows!
It just goes to show that one can become a billionaire selling mid range output speaker systems with good marketing 
Seriously, what does the proprietary equalization circuit do that we can't do with a PC based equalizer? It is not quite advanced as a DSP based system is it? There is stuff like generating artificial phantom bass using harmonics corresponding to lower bass notes but I don't think that was what the Wave radio was doing, was it?
Seriously, what does the proprietary equalization circuit do that we can't do with a PC based equalizer? It is not quite advanced as a DSP based system is it? There is stuff like generating artificial phantom bass using harmonics corresponding to lower bass notes but I don't think that was what the Wave radio was doing, was it?
I actually built one with wood back in the 60s. (Just the bottom). When I plugged it in, it blew the door to my daughters bedroom wide open. Just used a cheap generic driver and never could afford the top end horn (student w/ two little ones). Might try again this summer with foam.
When I brought this one home the WAF said
"No Way" , grabbed the kids and left for her mothers house.
Where did you get this photo? Is that real?
xrk,
I had the same question. Since I had already gone over the edge with my Klisphorn references, I was doing a search for the JBL Paragon as another extreme horn design. That image came up but I couldn't discover any more information. I vaguely remember a reference in a book but can't find it now.
As far as I can see "largest" woofer returns two items:
Worlds Largest Driver
Worlds Largest Woofer
I had the same question. Since I had already gone over the edge with my Klisphorn references,
I was doing a search for the JBL Paragon as another extreme horn design. That image came up but I couldn't discover any more information. I vaguely remember a reference in a book but can't find it now.As far as I can see "largest" woofer returns two items:
Worlds Largest Driver
Worlds Largest Woofer
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Here is my venture into the world of foam enclosures. Its the Admiral 1970s Tunnel Reflex also known as the Bull Horn. I was in engineering at the time and we had to get a license from General Dynamics to use the design. They had bought Stromberg-Carlson and owned the labyrinth patents. The tunnel is lined with 1/2" blanket batting and is not to be stuffed as the tunnel has to be open all the way. I will use a Visaton FR 10 and take some measurements.
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This is scary
But I have been thinking in the same trail (?), but I never though to use foam board so my project come to a halt.
This is what I have in the project box for this one...
Amp I have two so I can use
Active crossover, something like this.. have to recalculate values of cause
And a bass boost circuit
Media player, has some pre set EQ modes, excellent
Bluetooth for iPhone
Speakers, Peerless 2,5" (830985)
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
and Dayton ND20FB
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Only the "box" is missing, but it should be easy to do something with Foam bord... Now I know what to do after midnight the coming weekend..
Bellow is the some pictures I have found on the Wave..
\M
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I have burned and awful lot of real Tunnel Reflex boxes. I'd never think of building one. Thy came lined with 3/8" felt on all the panels, and get better if you add stuffing.
BTW, if you find a real pair used, they cost about the same as the foam core to build a set, and come with FE103A.
Transmission Line Speakers
dave
Reminds me of my much smaller 3-fold MLTL made of cardboard - uses 3.5 in driver. Post #1089 http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/223313-foam-core-board-speaker-enclosures-109.html
This is scary
But I have been thinking in the same trail (?), but I never though to use foam board so my project come to a halt.
This is what I have in the project box for this one...
\M
Is that a TPA3110 amp? Where did you get the active crossover designs? Looks interesting - don't forget that foam core can be curved to make very compact channels.
Admiral had a plant in Shelbyville, IN where all TV and stereo cabinets we made until they shut down in 1978. I was in field engineering at the time and made a visit due to some QC problems with color TV cabinets. They made the Tunnel Reflex there also, as I recall it was 3/8 plywood with a vinyl wood grain covering. The speakers were from a plant in Taiwan, not Japan. I remember seeing pallets of them ready for loading in the cabinets. I only had one set, ditched the cabinets and sold or traded ( cant' recall which) with some guy on line in the 90s.
I cooresponded with the daughter-in-law of the guy (Jack Virva) who got the patent that these were based on.
I also got a pair of the drivers in those pallets. A variation on the ones i have pulled out of the actuall speakers i've gottenmy hands on (25+ pairs). All were versions of the Foster 4" driver known generically as the FE103A (same basket as the Fostex FE103 variants made until circa 2000 when they changed to the current basket. Foster has/had factories in Taiwan & S Korea for the less expensive stuff.
There was also a larger version with a 5" driver (a Coral OEM i believe)
dave
I also got a pair of the drivers in those pallets. A variation on the ones i have pulled out of the actuall speakers i've gottenmy hands on (25+ pairs). All were versions of the Foster 4" driver known generically as the FE103A (same basket as the Fostex FE103 variants made until circa 2000 when they changed to the current basket. Foster has/had factories in Taiwan & S Korea for the less expensive stuff.
There was also a larger version with a 5" driver (a Coral OEM i believe)
dave
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How is the foam tunnel reflex coming along? I never knew there was an FR10, it looks like it is only available in Europe. Interesting 4 in with a whizzer? Looking forward to your first sound impressions.
Thanks for the tip Ken!
There is a 4 ohm variant that looks real good. This driver looks like a real great value.
Have you used it before because the specs look really good for a $12 driver - maybe competition for my favorite Vifa TC9FD. Lower fs, lower Qts, larger Sd, larger xmax of 4 mm! Same price! It certainly appears to compete with Tang Bands in the $30 to $40 price range. PE should have carried this and I would have seen it sooner. Maybe the peaky high end and lack of really high end above 10 kHz is the problem?
FR 10 - 4 Ohm
Visaton 4 Inch 20W 4 Ohm Full Range Dual Cone Speaker | FR10 2020 | Visaton
Below are the specs for others who may not have noticed this gem of a budget driver:
Rated power 30 W
Maximum power 50 W
Nominal impedance Z 4 Ohm
Frequency response 80–20000 Hz
Mean sound pressure level 86 dB (1 W/1 m)
Opening angle (-6 dB) 113°/4000 Hz
Excursion limit +/−4 mm
Resonance frequency fs 92 Hz
Magnetic induction 0,95 T
Magnetic flux 180 µWb
Height of front pole-plate 3 mm
Voice coil diameter 20 mm
Height of winding 6 mm
Cutout diameter 100 mm
Net weight 0,38 kg
D.C. resistance Rdc 3,2 Ohm
Mechanical Q factor Qms 2,29
Electrical Q factor Qes 0,7
Total Q factor Qts 0,54
Equivalent volume Vas 2,3 l
Effective piston area Sd 50 cm²
Dynamically moved mass Mms 5,7 g
Force factor Bxl 4,6 T m
Inductance of the voice coil L 0,2 mH
There is a 4 ohm variant that looks real good. This driver looks like a real great value.
Have you used it before because the specs look really good for a $12 driver - maybe competition for my favorite Vifa TC9FD. Lower fs, lower Qts, larger Sd, larger xmax of 4 mm! Same price! It certainly appears to compete with Tang Bands in the $30 to $40 price range. PE should have carried this and I would have seen it sooner. Maybe the peaky high end and lack of really high end above 10 kHz is the problem?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
FR 10 - 4 Ohm
Visaton 4 Inch 20W 4 Ohm Full Range Dual Cone Speaker | FR10 2020 | Visaton
Below are the specs for others who may not have noticed this gem of a budget driver:
Rated power 30 W
Maximum power 50 W
Nominal impedance Z 4 Ohm
Frequency response 80–20000 Hz
Mean sound pressure level 86 dB (1 W/1 m)
Opening angle (-6 dB) 113°/4000 Hz
Excursion limit +/−4 mm
Resonance frequency fs 92 Hz
Magnetic induction 0,95 T
Magnetic flux 180 µWb
Height of front pole-plate 3 mm
Voice coil diameter 20 mm
Height of winding 6 mm
Cutout diameter 100 mm
Net weight 0,38 kg
D.C. resistance Rdc 3,2 Ohm
Mechanical Q factor Qms 2,29
Electrical Q factor Qes 0,7
Total Q factor Qts 0,54
Equivalent volume Vas 2,3 l
Effective piston area Sd 50 cm²
Dynamically moved mass Mms 5,7 g
Force factor Bxl 4,6 T m
Inductance of the voice coil L 0,2 mH
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
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I have four of them and one in a .4 cu ft box with 1 inch port they sound great. They do need some high end and I have a box full of 3/8th" dome auto tweeters that work well with them with 4.7 uF cap. Like you, my high end is becoming limited each year. I am now at 14K. Have yet to load them in the finished reflexes. We had 8 inches of snow yesterday so my path to the shop has to be dug out before I can get back at them.
I just plugged the FR10 params into the BIB calculator: 37 in tall x 5 in wide x 7 in deep with driver 14.5 in from the top. This could be a fun build in foam core. I would have to join some pieces to get the 37 in length though. Might sound real good for a $12 driver. Has anyone built a BIB with this driver?