We are moving house and I have just made a pile of all my woofers and other drivers, I am a little staggered by how many I have managed to accumulate in just a few years of this hobby.
My mistake was being willing to make a pair of speakers for a “friend”. I had a cheap 3-way design in mind and when this person heard the boxes I’d built for my sons 18th birthday he made a serious inquiry about making him a pair. I said OK and drew up some plans and gave him an estimate.
He was willing and gave me a couple of hundred dollars as a deposit to get started.
As the local supplier gives a discount for buying 10 drivers and my design used 4 woofers per box I buy 10 to save a few dollars per woofer; the next day the “friend” calls to say he has changed his mind and wants his money back.
I tell him I’ve already got the woofers and cannot refund but he can have the drivers.
After a bit of to & fro and heated discussion I agree to refund half his money and keep the woofers.
Add those drivers to all the bargains I’ve picked up in the last 3 years at garage sales and Eb8 and close-outs at Jaycar and I find I need a huge shed just to store my stockpile.
Am I alone??
My mistake was being willing to make a pair of speakers for a “friend”. I had a cheap 3-way design in mind and when this person heard the boxes I’d built for my sons 18th birthday he made a serious inquiry about making him a pair. I said OK and drew up some plans and gave him an estimate.
He was willing and gave me a couple of hundred dollars as a deposit to get started.
As the local supplier gives a discount for buying 10 drivers and my design used 4 woofers per box I buy 10 to save a few dollars per woofer; the next day the “friend” calls to say he has changed his mind and wants his money back.
I tell him I’ve already got the woofers and cannot refund but he can have the drivers.
After a bit of to & fro and heated discussion I agree to refund half his money and keep the woofers.
Add those drivers to all the bargains I’ve picked up in the last 3 years at garage sales and Eb8 and close-outs at Jaycar and I find I need a huge shed just to store my stockpile.
Am I alone??
Not for speakers but for computers.
These days I'll design the item, tell the person where to go and what to buy.
When they bring me the parts, and a build fee, I'll assemble it for them.
Sorts out the genuine from the tyre kickers.
Also stops me from losing money and getting into arguments.
If it's parts that only I can get (trade accounts etc), I'd get the money for the parts, get the parts, and if it goes sour, give them the parts and tell em to bugger off and take it up with the supplier.
I make sure they understand this before any money changes hands.
These days I'll design the item, tell the person where to go and what to buy.
When they bring me the parts, and a build fee, I'll assemble it for them.
Sorts out the genuine from the tyre kickers.
Also stops me from losing money and getting into arguments.
If it's parts that only I can get (trade accounts etc), I'd get the money for the parts, get the parts, and if it goes sour, give them the parts and tell em to bugger off and take it up with the supplier.
I make sure they understand this before any money changes hands.
Wow, some friend!
I've built plenty of speakers for friends, but in my case, I have them buy all of the parts (including the wood, screws, etc). I supply them with the design and help them with tips on building. I can help them cut and assemble them, and build the crossovers. But, it's just not my responsibility once the design has been handed over and I let them know this up front. I just tell them that I will help them build some speakers, not build and hand them over. It's best to be up front about any such arrangement with friends.
I'd say you were extraordinarily generous in offering to purchase the parts with only a deposit. Was your friend going to pay you for labor as well? I don't charge my friends labor because I enjoy designing and building them, and I enjoy the end result.
I've built plenty of speakers for friends, but in my case, I have them buy all of the parts (including the wood, screws, etc). I supply them with the design and help them with tips on building. I can help them cut and assemble them, and build the crossovers. But, it's just not my responsibility once the design has been handed over and I let them know this up front. I just tell them that I will help them build some speakers, not build and hand them over. It's best to be up front about any such arrangement with friends.
I'd say you were extraordinarily generous in offering to purchase the parts with only a deposit. Was your friend going to pay you for labor as well? I don't charge my friends labor because I enjoy designing and building them, and I enjoy the end result.
I got sucked in because he was going to pay me for my labour.
I get a lot of pleasure when helping my mates fix stuff, it is easy enough to replace a blown woofer or add some polyfill to a box.
I'd never charge for helping with that sort of assistance.
This was sort of different, and poor WAF on the new speakers was part of it.
Since buying the cheap woofers my skills have improved a little but I'll use them someday, I won't make the same mistake again.
I get a lot of pleasure when helping my mates fix stuff, it is easy enough to replace a blown woofer or add some polyfill to a box.
I'd never charge for helping with that sort of assistance.
This was sort of different, and poor WAF on the new speakers was part of it.
Since buying the cheap woofers my skills have improved a little but I'll use them someday, I won't make the same mistake again.
Not quite the same mistake, but I've got piles of drivers that I'll probably never use. And yet, I am very reluctant to part with the better ones.
You can take the cheap woofers and use them to build a sub that operates below resonance. It will be the best sub you've ever heard, or your money back!
JJ
You can take the cheap woofers and use them to build a sub that operates below resonance. It will be the best sub you've ever heard, or your money back!
JJ
Unfortunately I've had a couple of similar incidents, but over an amp, not speakers. I take a very similar approach to MadMutt now.
Oh, and I've collected a lot of drivers/speakers over the years, a whole bunch of which I'm going to list here and at SNA later in the month. Need space for the new ones coming.
Oh, and I've collected a lot of drivers/speakers over the years, a whole bunch of which I'm going to list here and at SNA later in the month. Need space for the new ones coming.
JJ. I have the subwoofer controller from ESP, just don't yet trust my soldering skills, also I'd need a 2Ohm stable high current amp to use all of the drivers suitable for that set-up.
Things wouldn't get so out of control if I didn't keep changing my mind, but I do have excess drivers that really have little value other than as "learner drivers" being very suitable for first projects.
Things wouldn't get so out of control if I didn't keep changing my mind, but I do have excess drivers that really have little value other than as "learner drivers" being very suitable for first projects.
Unfortunately I do not have a quad or octet of these cheap drivers, only 6 and no matter how I manipulate combinations I can't get a coupling I like using all of the drivers.
Excursion requirements below 30Hz mean really good drivers or multiples but I was looking to use an existing stereo amp when I gor these and I've been looking for another pair ( at the same low price ) for a while.
Craig you have to remember that drivers are 3 times the US /EU price. Shipping plus customs duty plus GST plus mark-up equals expensive, and in a couple of cases our retailers are not buying sufficient stock from the manufacturers to get the cheapest price to start with.
Excursion requirements below 30Hz mean really good drivers or multiples but I was looking to use an existing stereo amp when I gor these and I've been looking for another pair ( at the same low price ) for a while.
Craig you have to remember that drivers are 3 times the US /EU price. Shipping plus customs duty plus GST plus mark-up equals expensive, and in a couple of cases our retailers are not buying sufficient stock from the manufacturers to get the cheapest price to start with.
LOL
When I owned a shop, I had dozens of speakers, woofers, amps etc. Not because people backed out of deals, but because I had access and liked to experiment. When we closed the store, I sold everything in the building I could and then went home and realized I had enough subs to level a building, but no amps to run them! lol. I did have 4 or 5 amps, but nothing that would really work together. It took me a while to unload all that stuff.
Looking around the house today, I don't really have anything like that. I guess operating from my home, I am a lot more picky about who I do work for. I still enjoy the hobby and do it now more as a favor to friends than for any profit. The bad thing is, I miss having the access and play time. Might have to get back into the business just so I can do it like that again!
Hey 6 12" subs? I can think of lots of things to do with that!
Take care,
Robert
When I owned a shop, I had dozens of speakers, woofers, amps etc. Not because people backed out of deals, but because I had access and liked to experiment. When we closed the store, I sold everything in the building I could and then went home and realized I had enough subs to level a building, but no amps to run them! lol. I did have 4 or 5 amps, but nothing that would really work together. It took me a while to unload all that stuff.
Looking around the house today, I don't really have anything like that. I guess operating from my home, I am a lot more picky about who I do work for. I still enjoy the hobby and do it now more as a favor to friends than for any profit. The bad thing is, I miss having the access and play time. Might have to get back into the business just so I can do it like that again!
Hey 6 12" subs? I can think of lots of things to do with that!
Take care,
Robert
^ 6 of them yes , but they are not really sub drivers, woofers bought with the intention of building an OB, then I realised after a while that a cheaper driver with different parametres sounded much better.
If I can find the parameters I'll post them. i was going to use them in an ELF sub system to complement a tower I had planned but I went and caught the OB bug and the front and back sealed system is on hold for a while.
If I can find the parameters I'll post them. i was going to use them in an ELF sub system to complement a tower I had planned but I went and caught the OB bug and the front and back sealed system is on hold for a while.
12 inchers?!!??!
You have more than enough surface area. I doubt they would move more than a millimeter when producing crushing bass.
I built my boxes to produce an Fcb of 80Hz. The box size came out to be around .35 cu feet per driver. (if I recall correctly) This doesn't really constite a "small box" for a 6.5 inch driver, and so there is little concern of cone flexing like you might get with a 12" sub in a 1 cu ft box or so.
I guess I am wondering how big your boxes would have to be to use them for an ELF sub. But, if you have the room -- you could build a sub that would level the house.
JJ
You have more than enough surface area. I doubt they would move more than a millimeter when producing crushing bass.
I built my boxes to produce an Fcb of 80Hz. The box size came out to be around .35 cu feet per driver. (if I recall correctly) This doesn't really constite a "small box" for a 6.5 inch driver, and so there is little concern of cone flexing like you might get with a 12" sub in a 1 cu ft box or so.
I guess I am wondering how big your boxes would have to be to use them for an ELF sub. But, if you have the room -- you could build a sub that would level the house.
JJ
I knew the specs were in the disk some where.
T/S Specs for the SPW12:
Power: 60w RMS
Frequency response: 25Hz-4kHz
SPL: 92dB/w/m
Resonant frequency: 29Hz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Voice-coil Diam.:32mm
Magnet: 30oz/848g
Mounting hole: 282mm
Depth: 125mm
Frame diam.: 304mm
Holes centre: 292mm
Revc: 6.5 ohms
Fo: 29.5003Hz
Zo: 25.145 ohms
SPLo: 91.3651dB
Qms: 2.1437
Qes: 0.7473
Qts: 0.5541
Vas: 258.9982 litres
Cms: 646.8588uM/N
Xmax 4.5mm
I need 45/60 litres for each driver. I have the 10's to make the sealed boxes but having caught the OB bug I think it will be a while before I make the whole system.
My thinking is that you can never have enough bass, so long as the mids can keep up.
T/S Specs for the SPW12:
Power: 60w RMS
Frequency response: 25Hz-4kHz
SPL: 92dB/w/m
Resonant frequency: 29Hz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Voice-coil Diam.:32mm
Magnet: 30oz/848g
Mounting hole: 282mm
Depth: 125mm
Frame diam.: 304mm
Holes centre: 292mm
Revc: 6.5 ohms
Fo: 29.5003Hz
Zo: 25.145 ohms
SPLo: 91.3651dB
Qms: 2.1437
Qes: 0.7473
Qts: 0.5541
Vas: 258.9982 litres
Cms: 646.8588uM/N
Xmax 4.5mm
I need 45/60 litres for each driver. I have the 10's to make the sealed boxes but having caught the OB bug I think it will be a while before I make the whole system.
My thinking is that you can never have enough bass, so long as the mids can keep up.
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