The "Elsinore Project" Thread

Hi all,

Well it's been somewhat of an epic. I started my Elsinore build in mid 2016.

I'm beginning to wonder how long its going to take me. I have everything, drivers, completed crossovers, cabinet material and day after day of nothing to do because of the lock down. Not sure what's holding me up other than inexperience building cabinets without flat packs or pre-cut panels. Maybe I'll get motivated soon. Yours look great...and they only took 4 years...lol.
 
During my orignal "test" phase, my Elsinores sounded very good and even though I only have one finished - holey crap - these are next level awesome. Totally worth all the cost, OCD triggering, swearing and the distant forlorn look during the build. :D

I don't know if it is the Headamp GSX2 pre-amp prviding an ingredient X, but it seems to have added a good deal of air and lightness, but stlll punchy when called for.
 
Boom! lol, 1 done

Had a shortage of clamps, energy and space. Final assembly 99.9% done on one of my Elsinore's... Sanded baby smooth (after this pic) and should get its parner caught up tomorrow!

Have to apply some stain, a coat of something over and time to toss in the parts...
Getting freaking excited...

X-overs last, planning to have everything 100% so when Im done with them its magic time !
 

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Had a shortage of clamps, energy and space. Final assembly 99.9% done on one of my Elsinore's... Sanded baby smooth (after this pic) and should get its parner caught up tomorrow!

Have to apply some stain, a coat of something over and time to toss in the parts...
Getting freaking excited...

X-overs last, planning to have everything 100% so when Im done with them its magic time !

Looks like you're making progress....will be interested to hear your impression.
 
OK, so have now have finished "the evil twin", just a few minor tasks left.

Stupid lesson #1: Don't put anything on top of your drivers during storage (i.e. other drivers). Sooo... does anyone have any handy repair hints or kits for SB17NRXC35 foam surrounds? One has a significant split and is now farty under heavy loads. I guess I will buy + replace with a spare and try and repair it.

Anyhow, the main "upgrade" on my previous setup has resulted in improved bass repsonse. The bass is very punchy, but by no means sludgy or out of control. Love IT! Maybe the soundstage has improved as well, but hard to tell. It certainly was good in the first place.
 
i have read several cracks happened on stacked plywood build like this one

Duetta yourself – Die Entstehung der Duetta Monti – Lautsprecher selber bauen

36_Riss.jpg


eventhough i will be using thicker lumber and supposedly absorbs less water but i'm still worried. especially when i received new template which my friend used with green mdf. when i google it in fact this is new to me (maybe never saw anyone posted any build yet on this forum).

named as Moisture Resistant MDF, i tried to crack it (18mm thickness with 40mm width) and i couldn't break it. it is stronger than regular mdf with slightly more expensive around 30% only.

i usually avoid mdf, but with my previous subwoofer build eventhough already using bb/cc grade plywood, i still got splintered corner. with this MR MDF i might change my mind and use it for Elsinore build

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Sound of Music!

Completed my build this morning and first impressions are mixed, but overall very good to great!

First song was from an album I haven't unwrapped yet, ELO's greatest hits, than to one of my best sounding albums, the bee gees greatest hits, Amanda Marshal, than Nigel Stanford cymatics…

First, the things I am worrying about. Crisp does not explain clear enough the mids to highs. If other speakers are sharp, these are like double edged razors. Not that anything is painfully sharp, but after burning in things don't smooth out, I'm going with the bolsters mod stage 1.



Second worry, is the sounds stage. While I expect the biggest issue is my listening room. Very far from ideal. Probably very close to what anyone wouldn't want. My point of reference is my last set of speakers, ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2's. when I first got them, they had occasional micro distortion in the high ends. Only once is a blue moon, as soon as I noticed it, issue was gone. Thought it was in the recording. Playing the same section again might reproduce it or not. After burn in, never reappeared. The Elsinore has no such trouble, but the Elacks over time also warmed up and presented such a warm rich sound stage, give me goosebumps. The Elsinore's are lacking that warmth right now. I experienced the same feeling with the Elacks but again they got amazing after 50 or 100 hours. I am hoping that the Elsinores follow suit.

What's the pro's in my mind?
I feel like I can hear each instrument in a way I have never before. While the wife was home, mindful of her dislike of very loud music I barely touched the volume and I felt like I was on a test drive, in a Ferrari, not allowed to leave the parking lot! Even at no nag levels I could clearly see why everyone says no sub required! I expressed my excitement and was given the all clear to get them into 3rd gear. That's where these toasted the Elacks. Nigal Stanford, Cynmatic has some very, very low notes. In 3rd gear, not only did the walls and floor move, it felt like the earth moved. Honestly, the quality was terrifying. Something deep in mankind's psyche there must be something that causes unexplained fear. The Elsinores reproduce what must have been the deepest, lowest thunder (yes, as in a storm) I have ever experienced and for a second I was gripped with fear... Um, the Elacks were left 900 feet back on a 1000 foot track.

Wifey decided to go food shopping. And volume went to 50%. Not a single noise sounded off, all I could do was smile, stair at them, smile more and stare even more.

I'm right now experiencing a shell shocked kind of feeling. Not sure how I am supposed to manage what my ears heard earlier. While most if not all of us have seen things that cause us to wonder immediately after "did I just really see what I did?" I have never heard that happening to our ears, at least for me, this is a first.

Plan of action, enjoy them for at least 100 hours.
Find some music that can really excite the "oh my God I never heard anything sound like that" part of my mind, than at the point where I think any break in point is over bust out the calibrated mic and learn how to use REW or arta. I left my Ports 1/4 to 3/8 longer figuring i can easily make smaller. Maybe add some fabric to the right wall as the speaker has to go there and I can clearly hear the reflection on that right side. As a matter of fact, that might happen straight away. When I am done with that, maybe the stage 1 mod, than I will wipe the dust off the Elacks for a true side by side comparison. That rich warm goosebump sound is honestly the most important thing for me.
 

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