Hey, what if I made my speakers like this?

[keantoken]

Hi.

I was thinking about making my speakers out of, you know, granite.

Like the tabletop granite 1" slabs. Home depot is having a sale.

This is my idea:

1: bookshelf-size speaker, no, I don't need a lot of bass.

2: cover the inside with the foam makeup triangles (see link below) that I discovered at wal-mart one day. On the inside it would look like one of those big sound rooms with those things sticking out of the walls everywhere. This would quiet it down better.

3: The front panel, that the speaker mounts to, will be made of say, 1/2" acrylic transparent plate. So you can see inside.

I think this would look and sound completely awesome. But I still don't have much experience with audio so I am posting here to see what everyone thinks.

- keantoken

[454Casull]

It'd probably sound the same as a braced MDF enclosure, on top of being super heavy and ambiguously attractive.

[keantoken]

Just my thoughts exactly!

Here's the link I forgot to post earlier. No, they don't cost 166$ at walmart.

http://www.qosmedix.com/catalog/part.asp?partno=20122

- keantoken

[gtforme00]

I would be reluctant to use those foam triangles considering that there is no shortage of inexpensive, practical, and well documented absorption materials available. While you are at Home Depot pick up some fiberglass insulation; it is a very good sound absorber and is inexpensive.

-David

[keantoken]

Fiberglass wouldn't look cool.

BTW, drawing on experience, what do you think a granite speaker box bookshelf size would sound like without any kind of dampening?

thank you,
- keantoken

[keantoken]

Like this, except about twice as thick, and the front being transparent so you can see inside.

- keantoken

[valleyman]

I can't speak from experience here but I imagine granite would make a great enclosure. It's going to be stiffer than any wood as well as heavier both of which are good things. I think the triangle stuffing would be more suited to a reflex enclosure than sealed

[keantoken]

I'll try it with the makeup triangles first. My audio system is not great and is full of compromises, so this should be far better even if it's not perfect. Because of this, I'm willing to lose some quality for aesthetic value.

However, question #1:

How would I stick the triangles to the granite? It would probably help to wash it out with alcohol and let dry, so there's nothing between the triangles and the granite. What kind of adhesive should I use that won't dry up?

- keantoken

[Buckapound]

I would use a rubbery adhesive like a polyurethane caulk, or perhaps silicone sealant. There are also two-part flexible urethane adhesives, which have less smell than either of the first two. In my experience the urethane caulk is great for things like this, but it is solvent-based, so you need to be able to leave it in some well-ventilated place for a few days.

--Buckapound

[keantoken]

Thank you.

Question #2 (which probably should have been question #1):

How do mount the granite slabs together? I don't feel good about bolting them together without anything in between. I would probably put something like PVC tape in between them which would serve to make it more airtight and would also make them less likely to chip.

I'm not sure how things like this are done.

thanks,
- keantoken