I've had a pair of W3-871C (not a typo, I know they don't seem to exist anywhere online!) since 2011 & finally got around to building a pair of TABAQ cabinets for them to be used with my new TV. I have to say I am astounded at the full bodied sound & how low they play! I listen to a lot of chill hiphop, beat tapes, etc. & I can happily cast that sort of YouTube video to my TV & listen with no desire for a sub whatsoever.
I live in an apartment without a yard/garage/etc. & I don't own a car, so I couldn't cut the wood myself or drive to a local timber yard to get it cut, so I ordered it online & the wood that arrived was rather shoddily cut - so they're definitely not my best cabinet making!
I would quite like to cover them with some sort of textile, maybe a grey colour with quite a coarse weave/texture. I saw a pair of Needles with a textile cover years ago & knew that I would want to try something similar. What advice can anybody give me for this? What sort of adhesive will work? I have plenty of 3M Spray Mount left over from a different project, but maybe that would be too thin?
Not the prettiest pictures for the TABAQ thread that I've been following for 7 years, but I'm so happy that I finally have my own pair to contribute
Don't be put off. Most Tabaq in MDF look like that before any sort of finishing is attempted. Simplest is sand flat. seal lots, especially the end MDF, then paint. Whatever you do, the joints and seams should be smooth before you start.
If you're covering them, maybe try vinyl (like car wrap). Treat the 4 long sides and hide the seam on a rear corner? Would need a footplate and end-cap to tidy it up.
Tbh I'll probably end up never finishing them & just leaving them as they are... It's taken me 7 years to build them to this stage after all :3
Lots of outdoor photography & drone work here in Scotland, decent cases are a very good investment
Working outdoors much? with all those waterproof boxes laying around.
Lots of outdoor photography & drone work here in Scotland, decent cases are a very good investment
I know that feeling so well... I have some projects that sound pretty good but never went all the way to buffed and finished!
Lots of outdoor photography & drone work here in Scotland, decent cases are a very good investment
Hmm... Scotland, that's a place I've always wanted to visit. Someday, perhaps.
Ah! You'd get along very well with one of my good buddy, Patrice Halley.
He's been all over the place, and now trying to branch into video because the photo industry is pretty much dying.
Places | Patrice Halley
The paint is currently drying on the second box, so I have yet to test these out properly. These drivers were recommended for TABAQ, I think they scored awesomely in XRK's blind tests (might have been the 22's though), plus they are dirt cheap. I want to make it absolutely clear that I am no hifi enthusiast or anything, so my opinions on these drivers probably means f*ck all anyway. I will however let you guys know what I think of them when they're finished.
Hi,
I have built my TABAQs with Monacor SPX-30M and I like them pretty much. Recently I added a BSC (R 3.9 ohm and L 1mH) and the sound got even better (less shouty). Despite how much I like the speakers I have the constant feeling that I am missing something in sound quality because of the drivers. Now I'm considering to replace them with something of better quality but the choices are so many and I'll need I little help from you guys. First of all my enclosures are from the beginning of this thread (not the updated build) with a speaker 26 cm from top and a longer port. Somewhere in this thread I found that to work best it is better to find a speaker with Fs < 100Hz and Qts around 0.5 or lower. In a search of a speaker that fits these parameters I found these:
1. Tangband W3-2141
Fs: 75Hz
Qts: 0.39
Xmax: 1.6mm
2. Tangband W3-881SJF
Fs: 100Hz
Qts: 0.39
Xmax: 0.5mm (this does not sound very well)
3. Omnes Audio BB 3.01 FULLRANGE 4 OHM
Fs: 97Hz
Qts: 0.46
Xmax: no info
4. Fountek FR89EX
Fs: 97Hz
Qts: 0.47
Xmax: 5mm (wow!?)
5. Tangband W3-1231SN
Fs: 100Hz
Qts: 0.34
Xmax: 1.25mm
6. Markaudio Alpair 5 Gen2
Fs: 101Hz
Qts: 0.5
Xmax: 3mm
7. Tangband W3-315D
Fs: 105Hz
Qts: 0.52
Xmax: 1mm
My idea is to directly replace the drivers without modifications to the enclosures. Maybe the only modification possible will be to make the mounting cut larger for 4" drivers but first I'll try to find a direct replacement (3") because I think that it'll become a mess if I try to cut a larger opening with the stuffing still inside the box
If I decide to use 4" The options that I know of are Dayton RS100 and Markaudio 6P or 6M. Any other suggestions are welcome.
Finally the result I am trying to achieve is full bodied sound from low to high with as much detail as possible (tough task I know). What will you suggest?
I have built my TABAQs with Monacor SPX-30M and I like them pretty much. Recently I added a BSC (R 3.9 ohm and L 1mH) and the sound got even better (less shouty). Despite how much I like the speakers I have the constant feeling that I am missing something in sound quality because of the drivers. Now I'm considering to replace them with something of better quality but the choices are so many and I'll need I little help from you guys. First of all my enclosures are from the beginning of this thread (not the updated build) with a speaker 26 cm from top and a longer port. Somewhere in this thread I found that to work best it is better to find a speaker with Fs < 100Hz and Qts around 0.5 or lower. In a search of a speaker that fits these parameters I found these:
1. Tangband W3-2141
Fs: 75Hz
Qts: 0.39
Xmax: 1.6mm
2. Tangband W3-881SJF
Fs: 100Hz
Qts: 0.39
Xmax: 0.5mm (this does not sound very well)
3. Omnes Audio BB 3.01 FULLRANGE 4 OHM
Fs: 97Hz
Qts: 0.46
Xmax: no info
4. Fountek FR89EX
Fs: 97Hz
Qts: 0.47
Xmax: 5mm (wow!?)
5. Tangband W3-1231SN
Fs: 100Hz
Qts: 0.34
Xmax: 1.25mm
6. Markaudio Alpair 5 Gen2
Fs: 101Hz
Qts: 0.5
Xmax: 3mm
7. Tangband W3-315D
Fs: 105Hz
Qts: 0.52
Xmax: 1mm
My idea is to directly replace the drivers without modifications to the enclosures. Maybe the only modification possible will be to make the mounting cut larger for 4" drivers but first I'll try to find a direct replacement (3") because I think that it'll become a mess if I try to cut a larger opening with the stuffing still inside the box
If I decide to use 4" The options that I know of are Dayton RS100 and Markaudio 6P or 6M. Any other suggestions are welcome.
Finally the result I am trying to achieve is full bodied sound from low to high with as much detail as possible (tough task I know). What will you suggest?
Exchanging one full range driver for another, you will just change the shortcomings inherent to full rangers up and down the frequency range.
Some drivers are better at bass, but lack clarity up high. Some have the clarity, but are a little bass shy. Others have nasty breaking peaks.
If you are looking for the ultimate TABAQ, this is what I am going to do shortly... I just have too many things going on right now ... I will definitively do it in a few weeks.
Find a good 4" woofer that will fit in the TABAQs. That will give you the bass extension. Now, finding one will be tricky as the best would be to find one that has a gentle down slope after something like 5-8kHz. Try to find one that doesn't go wild up on top.
Then, get a nice tweeter, or even ribbon tweeter, and cross it high enough, around that 5-8kHz, with a simple cap. Cut a hole above the woofer to install the tweeter, use a plastic cone glued behind the baffle to isolate it from the TABAQ's woofer.
You will have the best of both worlds... extended lows, and clear wide spread highs.
Some drivers are better at bass, but lack clarity up high. Some have the clarity, but are a little bass shy. Others have nasty breaking peaks.
If you are looking for the ultimate TABAQ, this is what I am going to do shortly... I just have too many things going on right now ... I will definitively do it in a few weeks.
Find a good 4" woofer that will fit in the TABAQs. That will give you the bass extension. Now, finding one will be tricky as the best would be to find one that has a gentle down slope after something like 5-8kHz. Try to find one that doesn't go wild up on top.
Then, get a nice tweeter, or even ribbon tweeter, and cross it high enough, around that 5-8kHz, with a simple cap. Cut a hole above the woofer to install the tweeter, use a plastic cone glued behind the baffle to isolate it from the TABAQ's woofer.
You will have the best of both worlds... extended lows, and clear wide spread highs.
I agree with you and maybe that's the way I'll go for a future build. I am considering the large TABAQs with 5 inch drivers for my main floor standers and I can make them two way speakers. But at the moment I just want to improve the ones I have. I will see if I can fit a tweeter but the boxes are already glued and it will be difficult I guess.
I have been away for a bit... swamped with work. Within the month I hope to build another set with the 4fe32, there sitting waiting for me. My TB 315e with my sub and DAC will be hard to beat IMO if the Faital Pro with the sub are better (hoping) I will never be able to wipe my smile off. I will start showing the build once I get going.
What about the Dayton RS100-4. I know that it is discussed in previous posts and in theory the should work great but did someone really built the TABAQs with them and what are the results. I found out that despite being 4" the mounting diameter is very close to my current and I think it will be pretty easy to fit them in my boxes.
The Faitals have two problems for me - the way they must be mounted needs an exact round cut and mine is not that way. That's why I am searching for a speaker that has that ring around the moving part to fill any gaps (I don't know if you understand what I mean. I am talking about the chassis I guess). The other problem is the Fs of 110Hz.
The Faitals have two problems for me - the way they must be mounted needs an exact round cut and mine is not that way. That's why I am searching for a speaker that has that ring around the moving part to fill any gaps (I don't know if you understand what I mean. I am talking about the chassis I guess). The other problem is the Fs of 110Hz.
