Why doesn't this sound dreadful?

bigwill · 29th April 2005, 07:50 PM

I was feeling too lazy to hook up my bookshelf speakers, so I hooked up some £10 fullrangers I had lying around. I just wanted to listen to music, I didn't particularly care about the quality at time, I just needed a fix

I put in a CD and was surprised to find that, with the treble almost right up, these things sounded quite nice! Maybe I just have really low standards as to what sounds good, but I'm pretty sure the imaging is better than my £150 bookshelf speakers I have, and although the very top end is missing, you can still make most of the detail. Obviously there's NO bass, but you can feel it through the desk

Anyone else had any pleasant surprises with really cheap speakers?

Netlist · 29th April 2005, 08:11 PM

I'm always amazed how much detail my clock radio outputs.
That 2 inch speaker is very good in what it's supposed to do although it's the best low-fi I have apart from the telephone speaker.

/Hugo

Cal Weldon · 29th April 2005, 08:17 PM

I think it's the galvanized boxes you have them stuck to. No better imaging than that is there?

Cal

Timn8ter · 29th April 2005, 08:41 PM

There may be some psycho-acoustics going on with masking, etc. (not something I know about, just been doing a little reading) but as for the imaging, you're operating a dipole speaker so the wavefront is concentrated a bit more. Sitting right in front of them you're likely to get some good sound, IMHO.

johninCR · 29th April 2005, 09:57 PM

Welcome to the world of open baffle. Tape some cardboard baffles on them and the sound will really fill out. Those metal boxes may also be helping by sucking up some of the magnetic field and raising the Q of the driver.

bigwill · 29th April 2005, 10:21 PM

I'm actually half way through making some wooden baffles for them at the moment

I think I should finish them tommorow

johninCR · 29th April 2005, 10:34 PM

The thing I like about cardboard is the instant gratification. How else will you know what size and shape wooden baffles to use?

bigwill · 29th April 2005, 10:45 PM

I guessed

I suspect that they're not big enough, actually.

johninCR · 29th April 2005, 11:17 PM

For nearfield, my guess is that they are probably bigger than necessary.

planet10 · 30th April 2005, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bigwill
I guessed

I suspect that they're not big enough, actually.

Usually as big as you can live with isn't big enuff

dave

29th April 2005, 07:50 PM	#1
bigwill diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: UK	Why doesn't this sound dreadful? I was feeling too lazy to hook up my bookshelf speakers, so I hooked up some £10 fullrangers I had lying around. I just wanted to listen to music, I didn't particularly care about the quality at time, I just needed a fix I put in a CD and was surprised to find that, with the treble almost right up, these things sounded quite nice! Maybe I just have really low standards as to what sounds good, but I'm pretty sure the imaging is better than my £150 bookshelf speakers I have, and although the very top end is missing, you can still make most of the detail. Obviously there's NO bass, but you can feel it through the desk Anyone else had any pleasant surprises with really cheap speakers?

29th April 2005, 08:17 PM	#3
Cal Weldon Speakerholic diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: British Columbia	I think it's the galvanized boxes you have them stuck to. No better imaging than that is there? Cal __________________ Next stop: Margaritaville Some of Cal's stuff \| Cal Weldon Consulting

29th April 2005, 09:57 PM	#5
johninCR diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Costa Rica	Welcome to the world of open baffle. Tape some cardboard baffles on them and the sound will really fill out. Those metal boxes may also be helping by sucking up some of the magnetic field and raising the Q of the driver. __________________ Everyone has a photographic memory. It's just that most are out of film.

29th April 2005, 10:34 PM	#7
johninCR diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Costa Rica	The thing I like about cardboard is the instant gratification. How else will you know what size and shape wooden baffles to use? __________________ Everyone has a photographic memory. It's just that most are out of film.

29th April 2005, 11:17 PM	#9
johninCR diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Costa Rica	For nearfield, my guess is that they are probably bigger than necessary. __________________ Everyone has a photographic memory. It's just that most are out of film.


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29th April 2005, 08:11 PM	#2
Netlist diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003	I'm always amazed how much detail my clock radio outputs. That 2 inch speaker is very good in what it's supposed to do although it's the best low-fi I have apart from the telephone speaker. /Hugo

29th April 2005, 08:41 PM	#4
Timn8ter diyAudio Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Seattle, WA	There may be some psycho-acoustics going on with masking, etc. (not something I know about, just been doing a little reading) but as for the imaging, you're operating a dipole speaker so the wavefront is concentrated a bit more. Sitting right in front of them you're likely to get some good sound, IMHO.

29th April 2005, 10:21 PM	#6
bigwill diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: UK	I'm actually half way through making some wooden baffles for them at the moment I think I should finish them tommorow

29th April 2005, 10:45 PM	#8
bigwill diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: UK	I guessed I suspect that they're not big enough, actually.

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