I’m not a big fan of foam as damping material… except for blocking holes/vents when working toward an aperiodic box.
The key is natural fibres. The sewing store is a new one, but it would also be a source of poly batting… polyester alreay formed into panels for making coats & duvets. Carpet underlay used to be wool and can probably still be had. Don’t overlook that for cars… one member found his in old GM cars.
We use recycled cotton felt, the preferred stuff in NLA, but you can still get a less dense version. Called Ultratouch.
The fancy stuff: Acoustical Products << Bonded Logic
What we use: HVAC << Bonded Logic (13mm thick)
Look thru all the OEM solutions. Home Depot has the radiant barrier:
Radiant Barrier - Insulation - The Home Depot
You can use the tinfoil side as a glue surface.
Fiddly but you can also get the insulation product (also at Home Depot) and try to slice it into skinner bits (hard to do, but one doesn’t need to be anal about getting it an even thickness).
dave
The key is natural fibres. The sewing store is a new one, but it would also be a source of poly batting… polyester alreay formed into panels for making coats & duvets. Carpet underlay used to be wool and can probably still be had. Don’t overlook that for cars… one member found his in old GM cars.
We use recycled cotton felt, the preferred stuff in NLA, but you can still get a less dense version. Called Ultratouch.
The fancy stuff: Acoustical Products << Bonded Logic
What we use: HVAC << Bonded Logic (13mm thick)
Look thru all the OEM solutions. Home Depot has the radiant barrier:
Radiant Barrier - Insulation - The Home Depot
You can use the tinfoil side as a glue surface.
Fiddly but you can also get the insulation product (also at Home Depot) and try to slice it into skinner bits (hard to do, but one doesn’t need to be anal about getting it an even thickness).
dave
update: I have 2 enclosures assembled for the Ma Pluvia drivers. THe baffle and one side is not glued up yet because I have to install the yet to arrive dampening material.
question on dampening: the drawing states apply to all internal surfaces- does that include the inside of the baffle? Also, do you recommend extending the 45degree back bevel on the driver opening, to the dampening material as well?
what is the recommendation for the dampening material in the vent openning area? cover the vent shelf and blunt with the back, then the dampening material on the inside of back should stop .59 from the top of that vent shelf damp material-maintaining the .59 opening?
the material is due to arrive at home depot on Sunday. the drivers have about 20 hours of break-in so far and i must say that the sound is encouraging. Even just playing in an open cardboard box!
thanks
question on dampening: the drawing states apply to all internal surfaces- does that include the inside of the baffle? Also, do you recommend extending the 45degree back bevel on the driver opening, to the dampening material as well?
what is the recommendation for the dampening material in the vent openning area? cover the vent shelf and blunt with the back, then the dampening material on the inside of back should stop .59 from the top of that vent shelf damp material-maintaining the .59 opening?
the material is due to arrive at home depot on Sunday. the drivers have about 20 hours of break-in so far and i must say that the sound is encouraging. Even just playing in an open cardboard box!
thanks
First of the two last builds
So after about 20-30 hours breakin I finally have the MA Pluvia7 in cabs for a taste. My initial impression is lukewarm. They have decent bass extension that is tight and sounding correct and integrate well with my 8” sub. And could be used without sub if the last little bit of bass is not needed. The sub disappears. My less than stellar demo stems from an exaggeration in the upper frequency. Might call it “ringing” or shout? Upper piano notes, electric guitar in the highest notes just grate on my hearing. Acoustic classical guitar has nylon strings with a mellow tone but these make the strings sound like steel if that describes it any better? Brass horns - forget about it! Trumpet, flute piccolo etc just hurt my ears.
Now keep in mind the driver is surface mounted, not flush mounted, and the front is not beveled or rounded over on the edges yet. They are also in the garage and not in there intended listening position. But I don’t know if that will help much? Or if more breakin will help the problem either?
Hey Mark, is the ringing why you “enable” these drivers? Or does it do something else? Will keep playing them while building cabs for the TB w5 driver and see if it helps?
So after about 20-30 hours breakin I finally have the MA Pluvia7 in cabs for a taste. My initial impression is lukewarm. They have decent bass extension that is tight and sounding correct and integrate well with my 8” sub. And could be used without sub if the last little bit of bass is not needed. The sub disappears. My less than stellar demo stems from an exaggeration in the upper frequency. Might call it “ringing” or shout? Upper piano notes, electric guitar in the highest notes just grate on my hearing. Acoustic classical guitar has nylon strings with a mellow tone but these make the strings sound like steel if that describes it any better? Brass horns - forget about it! Trumpet, flute piccolo etc just hurt my ears.
Now keep in mind the driver is surface mounted, not flush mounted, and the front is not beveled or rounded over on the edges yet. They are also in the garage and not in there intended listening position. But I don’t know if that will help much? Or if more breakin will help the problem either?
Hey Mark, is the ringing why you “enable” these drivers? Or does it do something else? Will keep playing them while building cabs for the TB w5 driver and see if it helps?
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I had a problem once with some MA 10.2 drivers once, had to use a little bit more dampening material in some spots. Problem was internal reflections reverberating through the cone.
Aluminium is not as forgiving as paper, but they sound pretty good if you get it right.
Maybe Dave has some better tips.
They do get better with time, need maybe 2-300 hours on them before serious listening, but they should not "shout" much.
Aluminium is not as forgiving as paper, but they sound pretty good if you get it right.
Maybe Dave has some better tips.
They do get better with time, need maybe 2-300 hours on them before serious listening, but they should not "shout" much.
As Kaffi suggests, 20-30 hrs is not sufficient. Also right wrt the damping — fine tuning can have significant impact.
Also, what amp are you using? And are you listening a bit off-axis? Always a good idea with most FRs.
EnABL does tend to make a driver smoother and less hifi sounding. Some drivers have additional treatments to specifically deal with ringing (none of the metal Alpairs).
dave
Also, what amp are you using? And are you listening a bit off-axis? Always a good idea with most FRs.
EnABL does tend to make a driver smoother and less hifi sounding. Some drivers have additional treatments to specifically deal with ringing (none of the metal Alpairs).
dave
thanks for the advice, as always. I left the pair playing moderate volume and went inside for some lunch/nap. Came back out several hours later and some how the ringing was appreciably less? I don't know if my hearing changed or the drivers did some more break-in while I slept but the sound was much more enjoyable/listenable.
I am driving them with a tpa7498 cheap Chinese am with 24V 10 amp smps without any mods. THis amp is the one I think sounds the best so far of the many Chinese boards I have tried so far. I will add 10000uf capacity bank when I get around to building a case.
There is nothing more to dampen in my estimation. Everything has the radiant shield with wool insulation that you were so kind to provide link to. THe holey brace is covered with the convoluted foam that Kent was so kind to provide a link to. the only thing not covered is the inside of the speaker connects cup. It would be fairly easy to slip some radiant barrier onto the flat portion when I disassemble for the finishing process if you think it will help any? thanks again.
now gluing up the Kent cabs.
I am driving them with a tpa7498 cheap Chinese am with 24V 10 amp smps without any mods. THis amp is the one I think sounds the best so far of the many Chinese boards I have tried so far. I will add 10000uf capacity bank when I get around to building a case.
There is nothing more to dampen in my estimation. Everything has the radiant shield with wool insulation that you were so kind to provide link to. THe holey brace is covered with the convoluted foam that Kent was so kind to provide a link to. the only thing not covered is the inside of the speaker connects cup. It would be fairly easy to slip some radiant barrier onto the flat portion when I disassemble for the finishing process if you think it will help any? thanks again.
now gluing up the Kent cabs.
I'll give my vote to the TPA32xx series EVM boards from TI, if what you want is easy solutions and really good class D topology. There's a few threads about it in the Class D forum, think the one-time 50% discount still works for new customers. Much better than most low cost from ebay stuff.
Other than that there is a big number of good solid-state amp designs here on this forum, something for every need and budget. I have been contemplating getting a new tube amp again, but that's not gonna happen until a few years into the future.
Edit:
Here is the FX502SPRO, I have two of them. Not "The End", but really good value for money. No noise at all.
New arrival Feixiang FX-AUDIO FX502SPRO HIFI Audio Digital High Power Amplifier | eBay
Other than that there is a big number of good solid-state amp designs here on this forum, something for every need and budget. I have been contemplating getting a new tube amp again, but that's not gonna happen until a few years into the future.
Edit:
Here is the FX502SPRO, I have two of them. Not "The End", but really good value for money. No noise at all.
New arrival Feixiang FX-AUDIO FX502SPRO HIFI Audio Digital High Power Amplifier | eBay
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Thanks, just bought that amp as a comparison to cheap Chinese stuff I am building. I have been spread thin these past few weeks. Overtime, helping kids move into there first house, kitchen cabinets, etc,etc. Off today will get more done on cabinets and the Kent enclosures.
Really interested to compare the two
Really interested to compare the two
No I bought the $80 one from china you linked to.
THe P7 sound a little better. Mind you the ringing/beeming sound is with volume turned up to a moderately loud level. At soft listening levels the sound is great. I really like how they reproduce strings like bowed cello and bass!! I will keep playing them while I am putting the Kent cabs together. Taking a while do to other projects getting attention, too.
like kitchen cabs!!!
hey, off topic, is there any recommendation for a little powerful Bluetooth amp that can handle 4 ohm loads< and play loud and sweet? thanks
THe P7 sound a little better. Mind you the ringing/beeming sound is with volume turned up to a moderately loud level. At soft listening levels the sound is great. I really like how they reproduce strings like bowed cello and bass!! I will keep playing them while I am putting the Kent cabs together. Taking a while do to other projects getting attention, too.
like kitchen cabs!!!
hey, off topic, is there any recommendation for a little powerful Bluetooth amp that can handle 4 ohm loads< and play loud and sweet? thanks
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