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Introducing:

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Introducing: Wild Burro Audio Labs: the Betsy and the BetsyK

Wild Burro Audio Labs sells great sounding, affordable, US made fullrange loudspeaker drivers. Both of our drivers feature super-light, stiff and highly damped cones of Kevlar and carbon fiber reinforced natural fiber kraft paper, pleated accordion surrounds, and ceramic motors. The Betsy ($100/pair) is our open-baffle-friendly model. You can get Betsy into a pair of simple open baffles for less than $175 (including the drivers, wood and everything else). They’re so easy to build you could probably do it in your living room! The BetsyK ($110/pair) is designed for resonant enclosures (sealed, vented and TL enclosures). Check out our website for pictures, specs, projects and the story behind our name.

Paul Janda
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 

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Introducing: Wild Burro Audio Labs: the Betsy and the BetsyK

They’re so easy to build you could probably do it in your living room!

Paul Janda
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers

Uhhh Hi Paul - word to the wise - my wife sez that if I try that we are both dead men................ and it will be slooooooow 'n PAINFUL!!!!!! :wchair::eek:

I like your speakers and I'm glad to see ya here at diyAudio!!!
:D:D:D:D:D
 
The folded baffles go together awfully quickly! Send her to a movie, or wait 'till she goes shopping. Be fast, and you'll have 'em up before she returns;)

I have a very, very tolerant wife. She isn't a big fan of the folded baffles though. She liked the BIB's better. She is very happy with the slim TQWT/TL's I have up now. But soon I'll have more OB's and/or a double mouth BVR. Luckily, I do have plenty of room for construction both outdoors and in the basement. MooseBVR's or BIB's in the living room would be more of a challenge.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 
Member
Joined 2006
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I've been wanting to try your speakers for a HT set-up I hope to start working on early next year. In order to keep construction happening outside of the living room (thus extending both of our lives free from SWMBO skillet wounds) I'll need to wait until spring time when the outside yard space is available. Hopefully I'll be able to free up some funds by then.
 
Outdoor is definitely better than the living room for sawing and gluing. The living room is not a bad place to attach hinges to precut panels though. I've thought of trying to build boxes in the living room as an intellectual exercise though. Probably with all hand tools: a pull saw and guides, but maybe an actual drill. Not that you couldn't do it with a brace and bit, but pretty much everyone needs to have a cordless drill around.

If you are thinking of multi-channel HT, you might be a good candidate to try the Betsy's (OB model) in small aperiodic boxes for the rear speakers and maybe the center. I think you could successfully get really small in that application, and you'd have all the advantages of matching efficiency and tonal characteristics.

My wife doesn't mess with the frying pan much, as I do most of the cooking. I think her weapon of choice (if she had any interest in choosing weapons) would be the old Griswold cast iron. I have a big new lodge that probably weighs three times as much, but it would be tough for her to get much velocity with it. Still, that thing could kill me dead.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 
Member
Joined 2006
Paid Member
Outdoor is definitely better than the living room for sawing and gluing. The living room is not a bad place to attach hinges to precut panels though. I've thought of trying to build boxes in the living room as an intellectual exercise though. Probably with all hand tools: a pull saw and guides, but maybe an actual drill. Not that you couldn't do it with a brace and bit, but pretty much everyone needs to have a cordless drill around.

If you are thinking of multi-channel HT, you might be a good candidate to try the Betsy's (OB model) in small aperiodic boxes for the rear speakers and maybe the center. I think you could successfully get really small in that application, and you'd have all the advantages of matching efficiency and tonal characteristics.

My wife doesn't mess with the frying pan much, as I do most of the cooking. I think her weapon of choice (if she had any interest in choosing weapons) would be the old Griswold cast iron. I have a big new lodge that probably weighs three times as much, but it would be tough for her to get much velocity with it. Still, that thing could kill me dead.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers

Once upon a time “Dear ‘ol Dad” wanted to do something “special” and “from the heart” for one of their anniversaries. Understand that “Mom” was a “Texas Gal” that could pan fry anything from apples to zucchini and “Dad” was a “Yankee” from New York that was clueless when it came to cooking something that didn’t come out of a can. He took it upon himself to take the “big skillet” outside and scrub it with Brillo pads until it “shined”. He did a rather fabulous job of it ‘cause he managed (over several hours) to get looking rather shinny. “Mom” laughed and cried for several hours – and no – he never made that mistake again. :rofl::rofl::rofl::wchair:

If you don't mind I'll send you a PM about the HT project. It's double hush-hush "mum's the word" secret until I have it developed and debugged.:shhh:

I have the cordless drill - and extra batteries. My wife thinks that I should use my brilliant and inventive mind to hook the batteries up to my rear end in a Peg Bundy sort of way. :eek:
 
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I'm really pleased with my Betsy's in Folding Baffles but am curious about the size of the panels. Would increasing the width of the center baffle by an inch or so and shortening the two wings proportionately effect the sound? There's very little plywood on the sides of the center baffle after the cut out is made for the Betsy's.

I installed a small shelf high on the center baffle and mounted binding posts on the shelf support. I don't know how sound effective it is but I did it to have a place for binding posts. I read that this can function as a bass trap(?) Have you tried this? As much as I move the Betsy's around and change amps the binding posts are a necessity.

Right now I'm using 12 gauge Monoprice speaker wire throughout. Is solid core hook up wire preferable to run from the binding posts to the Betsy's or does it matter?
 
I'm glad you are happy. I don't think an inch here or there will make a big difference. If you like a particular look better, go for it. Just don't get too much smaller overall, or end up with the speaker much closer to an edge.

I assume that shelf is similar to the JE Labs design? It may get you a little more bass, but with the wings folded back, it may also create an undesirable reflection. I wouldn't make it very deep, or at least don't glue it on until you've tried it both ways. (A bass trap is a whole different thing, generally a really large structure you put in corners to help cut down room modes).

My favorite speaker wire (cross connected Belden 89259 coax) is stranded. (I do wish I could get solid core copper coax with foamed teflon dielectric and a copper braid). I do believe that speaker cables make a difference (sometimes a substantial one), but I generally do not worry much about the wire from the speaker to the posts. I did build a pair of cross connected wires for my BIB's, but it was nearly four feet from the driver to the posts!

With the OB's, you might think about whether you need binding posts at all. Just crimp quick connects directly to the speaker wire. Especially with stuff that is cheap and easy to re-terminate, you've got little to loose (if you are swapping speakers, you can always cut and strip quickly). Binding posts will add a solder connection, a mechanical connection, and force the signal through (in most cases) a big chunk of brass and whatever layers of plating are on there. If you can avoid all of that, do! It's cheaper than fancy wires. You don't have to worry about a shelf either.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 
Not quite flying, but I sure do appreciate the exposure! I wonder about in-wall applications for the HT crowd, but I can't cut holes in my rented plaster lat walls to try it. I've been meaning to get around to more forums, but it is difficult to know where to begin. This one certainly grabs a high percentage of the DIY crowd, but I'd like to not only sell my speakers, but bring more people to the hobby of DIY.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 
OT? - outdoor ( PVC or OB ) full range speakers?

Last summer we had a big screened porch added to our house. Unlike Nebraska, South Carolina has 7 months of warm weather and sweatshirt winters so a screened porch here is like an extra room. I installed some Insignia outdoor speakers on the porch but they aren't very good.

One guy on ebay sells outdoor PVC pipe speakers but I'd rather go DIY. The drivers would need to be made out of a material that would be weather resistant. I doubt OB's could be a strong consideration or could they? I'm sure they would sound great but the drivers may be exposed to some dampness and temperature changes ( maybe something with a propylene cone? ). Perhaps the baffles could be integrated into the porch railings or hung from the 12 ft cathedral ceiling. Your or others' thoughts?

Paul, how bout some weather resistant Betsy's? I haven't been able to find any detailed DIY info on this subject so any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Maybe this should be a separate thread?
 
Paul, how bout some weather resistant Betsy's? I haven't been able to find any detailed DIY info on this subject so any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

Maybe this should be a separate thread?

Let me see what I can do. This is certainly something I have not considered! My initial thought is a sealed box with a waterproofed driver. I'll get back to you in a few days. Don't be afraid to bug me about it!

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 
I checked with someone who knows, and they said that Scotchguard style treatment would work for awhile. So, my take would be to build a sealed box (it would be harder to coat the rear suspension completely), finished in something more or less waterproof. Take a regular BetsyK, and spray on some waterproofing/water repellent. You could re-apply every year or two. Provided they aren't subjected directly to water (rained on) I suspect you'd get many years out of them. I wouldn't worry much about temperature, especially down there. These adhesives and materials see far worse in auto applications. If speakers can take 30 below in MN, they'll be fine on your porch.

And, I wouldn't worry too much about the sonics of the coating, especially in that application. We're talking about a fairly thin layer, and far heavier and crazier things are often applied in the hopes of improving fullrangers. Who knows, maybe you'd like the Scotchguarded drivers better!

I would think about getting them up and out of the way of any rain that might blow in. You'd also want some sort of grill that keeps any insects out. I don't know what you've got down there, but a wasp nest between the cone and whizzer would certainly make them sound worse.

Paul
Wild Burro Audio Labs - DIY Full Range Speakers
 
I couldn't find any Dayton poly cone fullrangers. PE does carry a couple of Pyle Marine speakers. The 6 1/2"ers are $17 bucks, so I can't compete with that! Of course, they don't publish any specs. I have a hard time imagining a poly cone can get that high. It seems to me that they'd either be awfully heavy, or not stiff enough. It all depends on how good you want it to sound. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if a paper cone coated in urethane varnish (spar?), acrylic or something else waterproof (a thin coat of course) ended up sounding better than the Pyles. But you never know.

Paul
 
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