My DIY Proac Response 2.5 pics

Hello all,

Haven't veneered the plinth yet... but just couldn't wait to show her off.

What I liked most about the original ProAc Response 2.5 were it's modest dimensions, equisite veneers, and D-tapered grills. Of course the sound was surprisingly good for a 2 way, but my own clones would also have to have a furniture fit and finish.

But I'd never built a loudspeaker before. So this turned out to be a 3 month labour of love undertaken over my summer (university) break.

I used page 2 of the 1996 Stereophile review as a reference for my own grill design.

What do think?

PS. More construction pictures can be found at my website. I like to call it the TroelAc 2.95 because it uses Troel's XO design for the D2905/9500 tweeter.

I was shocked that it sounded great without any further modifications. (I was very careful about wall damping and lining and followed the DIY website's directions exactly) I'd agree with Troels description of them-

"Coherence... transparency... but robust midrange...close to getting it all from this modest 2 way...quite amazing"

Certainly the treble is still sweet, but not raspy. Plucked strings are less amazing than the original, but pianos and violins are more realistic.

Woofer were run in (free-air) for about 100 hrs prior to installation. Tweeters however were not.

I'm very lucky to live close to Al. M's place, and will soon be able to compare with his original DIY ProAc. I know how acoustic instruments are supposed to sound, but am not so good at describing it in hi-fi terms. I hope he'll have a few words to wirte about the sound.

Some more pics

Here's some more pictures.

Neutral, laid back. Sometimes you even miss the excitement and crispiness of the original 2.5.
But I haven't found one piece of music that's intolerable or even "average" sounding. This speaker will never be fatigueing, but has enough detail to keep you interested.

I think it was Darryl Nixon that said that Troel turned the ProAc Response 2.5 from a "Wow, listen to that!" to a more of a
"Sit back and have listen to this..."

I had a 3 friends over last night to critique these speakers. They all have different equipment and listening tastes, but all agree that it's a very good speaker.

Someone please stop me... I'm getting addicted to posting pictures- admins- I hope i'm not breaking any rules...

The problem with veneer splitting is not obvious unless during close inspection. However, because adjacent veneer leaves run in opposite direction, some lighting conditons will clearly reveal this.

I tried sanding it, but next time I will make sure my veneer grains run in the same direction.

2nd last pic... I promise!

I flared the port, but did not change it's dimensions.

The difference is probably minimal in terms of port tuning and of no significance in reducing turbulence (it was a non-issue in the first instance)

I did it for 2 reasons- a) much more secure way than just running PVC straight through MDF b) it looks much nicer.

Idea by Wayne Jaeschke

That's it! Off to listen to them. If anyone's interested, I can post a final picture once I've finished the plinth. Actually, even if no-one's interested, I'll still post.

MITMechE,

the veneer is Tasmanian Myrtle, sometimes called Australian Cherry or Myrtle Beech. It starts out pink and I wanted to redden it to become a darkish mahogany colour like this:

http://www.tastimber.tas.gov.au/species/myrtle_01.asp

but it turned out this cherry colour.

I tried staining it but my piece looked stained, if you know what i mean. So I just used Danish oil (Rustin's) and a good quality paste wax (Liberon)

A few people have asked about the veneering and finishing techniques-

I must thank fellow Diyaudio'er Pete Mazz for his idiot-proof veneering guide. It is an excellent method. I haven't tried other techniques, but I have heard horror stories about DIY veneering.

My speakers are not as good as fine furniture, but given this is my first attempt I am very pleased. Use of thicker and wider veneer leaves will most likely alleviate the slight problems of splitting or bubbling. (Friends and family don't notice unless I point them out)

For finishing the timber I use a good danish oil, such as Rustin's, followed by a good quality fine paste wax to bring out the depth and shine. I used Liberon.

Here is the picture of the original veneered baffle, alongside a typical sample of Tasmanian Myrtle. It's good for showing the slight gap that developed during the veneering process.

As you can see, the Danish oil and wax worked well to hide the split.

DaHos- veneer before holes. much easier.

Don't be worried about the router scratching the veneer, because you will need to lightly sand it before finishing.

Grills

[originally from Madisound, reposted here for convenience]
To do this I started off with a 2 solid pieces planks of 12mm MDF (thinner may work too but I wouldn't go less than 9mm) and screw/nail them together at several key points near the midline to hold them together (allows you to work with both at the same time, and ensure identical L/R or mirror matched L/R) Next jigsaw or route out the (external) shape you want, then follow this shape on inside the using a the router straight edge guide. You'll have to go freehand or use a jigsaw as you take to the curves; extra care required to ensure a consistent width of the grills.

As you finish this the 2 pieces of MDF should separate (your screws were on the internal surface). A bit of wastage but makes any-shaped grills identical.

You may want to use roundover bits for the grills; I went over-board and rounded all 4 edges.

End result

My grill has a midline brace. If you're going to take grill on/off regularly I'd recommend it.

Do yourself a favour and beg/borrow/steal a staplegun. Putting on the grill cloth couldn't be easier.