twin BIB born on thansgiving day

"El cheapo" BIB completed about one month ago, and wanted a smaller BIB for the upstairs and put in the FE107E.

You can read about the "el cheapo" BIB here:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89831&highlight=

I completed the "twin" with higher cost FE107E ($33/each), with the help of experts here. I had only circular saw and flabby muscle but for the twin I had to learn to use router, and had to give in and buy a circular jig and figured out how to use it properly. (still have 10 fingers). Circular speaker baffle, corner treatment, and feet are born. Cutting the molding with hand saw is a pain since takes long time to hide the mistakes...

My wife likes the smaller size better so the living room gets the smaller twin and the el cheapo goes to next to the piano in another room.

Oh?, sound?, both are very good to my non "golden ear". Maybe higer notes are better with the FE107E but purely subjective. My latest molding can be better, this is addicting... If u like more pictures look here.

http://gychang.smugmug.com/gallery/2055074

gychang

Re: Re: twin BIB born on thansgiving day

Spasticteapot said:

How do the FE107's perform?

Click to expand...

I like the looks of the FE107, clean white color, playing classical and jazz guitar music through them sounds fine and detailed. Compared my "el cheapo" speaker with similar loudness with same midfi equipment, perhaps FE107 seem more defined at higher frequency.

Both BIB sounds beyond "wonderful", the BIB cabinet indeed produces maximal base out of the fullrange I am convinced.

gychang

Scottmoose said:

Does that mean you like them then?

Lovely build BTW.

Click to expand...

thanks for all your help. They sound superb... I plan to build another, this time with tang bang, and give it to whoever of my 3 daughters that get married first...

gychang

Godzilla said:

Which does your wife prefer? She seems to be enjoying your work. My wife stays away when I build speakers.

My 168S BIBs are on schedule to be finished before Dec 14th 2006.

Click to expand...

my wife prefers the smaller one, since the big one's are over powering, she says they sound the "same, both are good"... Smaller ones only have about 3 hours of playing time (may have to leave it on for several days...)

Let us know how your BIB turns out.

gychang

Kensai said:

gychang,

Congrats. How do they sound on upright bass or the lower registers of piano?

Zilla,

Its about time

Kensai

Click to expand...

I notice BIB are great reproducing the bass. They don't seem to over power at all, to me very natural. Piano sounds realistic and right on. Am not sure what the deal is with speaker breaking in etc. My FE107E sounds good at only 2 hours of playing time as far as I can tell.

gychang

Kensai said:

These things look tiny. What are the outer dims of the cab? Are they built to spec from Zilla's BiB page?

Kensai

Click to expand...

the dimensions are from Zila's page, used 3/4" plywood. My other BIB is huge so make these pair smaller maybe...

gychang

danielm said:

Very nice!

I am ordering some of the Pioneer 4.5" to try. What was the line length of your BIBs?
I think I read 120" somewhere or, are 6' tall (144" line?).

Thanks.

Click to expand...

I used the dimensions here for FE103E/107E

http://www.zillaspeak.com/bib-lowther.asp

gychang

Re: nice build...

blumenco said:

yeah, really nice look though. build quality really matters I think on all speakers more than people give credit. proper gluing, clamping, destressing, especially horns, as they are such active and tonal devices.

I bet these things BREATHE bass.

well, later

Clark

Click to expand...

These BIBs are excellent for base extension.

I agree the cabinet details are very important, several points if I may suggest (based on my "extensive" experience on building 2 BIBs... hehe.)

1. best to have the side of plywood show up on the sides and not from the front (my wife hates the sides of plywood exposed from the front view).
2. inside of the cabinet should be pained flat black (otherwise it can be mistaken for a tall ashtray...)
3. on the top, molding of some sort improves the appearance in my opinion.
4. bottom should be imaginative... (not like mine, my daugter said "looks like micky mouse").

gychang

danielm said:

Thanks.
I noticed you had Acoustat 1+1s. I have some 1+1s I listen to at home but, I would like to built something cheap for use at a weekend cabin. I hope to get a decent sound without braking the bank. The Pioneer 4.5" drivers look to be in the budget I am working with.
I'm sure I will become addicted to BIBs and build something with better drivers later.

So, how do they compare to the 1+1s you had?

Regards,
Daniel

Click to expand...

Acoustat 1+1s were good when driven with 200WPC, monster I had. In particular highs were excellent, my wife liked the style with our modern decor few years back.

Now I am older, into simpler things in life, with self satisfaction of self build with excellent sound with minimal power. Base I feel is actually better with my BIB with FE107E than what I recall with 1+1s.

It is important to get the dimensions right for the particular speaker (another thread on BIB with NO base!! due to wrong size). If u can get Scottmoose to help u for the particular speaker u will be using (he will need speaker specs - not sure which parameters). He is a valuable source of information and very helpful.

If u can't get Scottmoose's attention, spend $11/speaker and build an el cheapo BIB.

Look here: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=89831&highlight=

gychang