WTB speaker cabinets

[DonoMan]

Looking to buy some speaker cabinets about 4' high, 2 to 3 cubic foot interior volume. Baffles may be blank, replacable, or have cutouts for a tweeter (going to use Vifa XT25s, so sized for them, or smaller than them with room to enlarge) and anywhere from 1 to 3 7" drivers. Speaker grill and spikes are not required, but are optional. Either sealed or ported to 26-30Hz (or something I can adjust).

Preferrably 3/4" MDF or similar, finish doesn't matter as long as the quality is pretty good. Doesn't have to look like a cabinet worthy of a $10,000 speaker, but it must be clean.

I need them either in the MA area or shipped for fairly cheap. I can provide a business address with a loading dock for shipping if need be.

I've been meaning to build some speakers, but building the actual cabinets (plus other things happening in life) has repeatedly put the project off, and I'd really like to get it done.

Please no "I've got some old KLH speaker cabinets with no drivers that you can use" unless they're in good shape and fit my needs exactly.


Thanks

[Jimmy154]

I sent you an email.

[DonoMan]

I'm pasting the response I gave Jimmy here, in case anyone else wants to undertake this. Please don't critique my driver selection, because I already have all of these around the house and I don't want to buy more stuff right now. Oh, and if anyone has a box that's close to this that'll work, let me know as well, I'm just approximating the outer dimensions and stuff.


Material: Unfinished (unless no choice or free) 3/4" MDF/HDF
OD: H=48", W=9", D=10"
Format: TMW, offset around 4" from the top of the cabinet
Cutouts (exact diameters given from spec sheets, probably need to go
slightly larger, particularly for cutout):
Tweeter (Vifa XT19) - offset horizontally around an inch towards the
outside of each, 60mm cutout, 94mm flange
Mid (CSS WR125s) - centered, 78.2mm cutout, 126mm flange
Woofer (Extremis 6.8) - centered, 147mm cutout, 176mm flange
Port: I've got a couple of Precision Port 2"s around that will have to
do the trick for now, but they are at my mom's house and their site
doesn't have the cutout specs, so if you know, good, otherwise I'll
get back to you. Will be on the rear, maybe 6-12" off the floor, not too worried about it.

I'll take care of drilling the holes for the drivers myself, I think
it's easier to just drill with the driver in place. As for bracing,
just throw 3-4 swiss cheese braces inside, don't worry about their
volume

Is that enough info for a quote? Also, about when can you have them
done if I decide to go ahead with it? I don't need them immediately,
but I've delayed them for at least a year and I'm kind of wanting them
sometime soonish...



Thanks,


Dan

[DonoMan]

What do you guys think something like what I described should cost?

[x. onasis]

What do you guys think something like what I described should cost?

As a cabinet maker with all the necessary tools, and a couple dozen speakers under my belt, I'll tell you what I think.

For unfinished boxes, your cost is mostly time and shipping. One sheet of MDF will do it. The average builder can go to their supplier, pick up the material, cut up the parts, rout out the holes, rebates and assemble the boxes in about 6-8 hours using quick fasteners and adhesive, not just glue alone. The "swiss cheese" braces would take extra time.

Depending on what part of the state you're in, you could go to the local lumberyard and ask at the back counter for the name of someone whose shop would do it for you. This would save any shipping costs. My guess is you'll get an estimate between $300 and 500.

I'm in NYS, know builders in Mass and drive the length of the Pike about once a month. If you want to talk directly we can exchange phone numbers.

[zlast]

Here is my two cents...I would HIGHLY recommend attempting to get cabinets made locally...lets look at a couple reasons why:

1) Shipping - its gonna cost...money you could put into cabinets, crossovers, drivers etc...and its gonna cost MORE than the material for the cabinets...

2) Shipping may cause damage....and whom ever makes the cabinets isnt going to ship COD probably...so you may end up with damaged cabinets and trying to sort out who is responsible (shippee or carrier)...

3) Possible error in construction...lets say a route out for a driver is off by a bit...what are you going to do...ship the cabinet back ?

4) You could probably have homedepot ( or whatever retailer) make the 10 or so cuts neccessary to make your cabinets, and assemble them yourself. A sheet of 3/4 mdf is under $30...if you plan out your design...even paying $1 a cut is pretty economical...
if you use screws or fasteners attached to the inside, you can leave the outside unblemished for finishing...

Another option - www.zalytron.com They will build custom cabinets...and provide quotes...

[eds65gto]

Check www.parts-express.com for speaker cabinets.

[DonoMan]

zlast: Yeah, I was looking for local people.

eds65gto: Thanks, but their largest seems to be 1.0cuft and I need larger.

If it's going to cost me upwards of $500, I'll definitely give it a go myself and just have HD cut for me.

[Jimmy154]

Originally posted by DonoMan
If it's going to cost me upwards of $500, I'll definitely give it a go myself and just have HD cut for me.

Getting it cut at Home Depot will not yield great results. I have tried it at least half a dozen times. They don't cut very accurately or even straight sometimes. Your swiss cheese braces will be the most critical to get correct. You should get some one other then Home Depot to make the cuts, in my opinion. I mean you can get decent cuts at Home Depot. You have to babysit every cut, make sure you know exactly what to say and it's still not guaranteed to be right. I guess you could just leave if they don't make the cuts to your liking. Try to find a place that can make all your cuts on a table saw with a fence.

Also it's very hard to flush mount drivers if you don't have a good router and aren't experienced using it. You might go though a lot of wood. Well it's like that with the whole project, you need experience to produce something decent. No one ever tells you these things though, I don't know why. People in general have a bad habit of leaving out the most simple, overlooked and important information. If you get some one to help you, it might improve your learning curve.

[DonoMan]

I actually do have access to a router, my mom has one. And I have used it to flush mount drivers before. I just can't make a straight cut on a table saw to save my life, so I thought I might give this forum a try.