I am new to full range drivers and I think the Fostex recommended enclosure for the FE126E looks a reasonable place to start. The outlay for the drivers is modest, and the rest is just woodwork. The size will sit nicely on my stands. This enclosure is a hybrid BR/BLH design, supposedly giving a more gradually extended bass. I shall use the newer FE126En driver which some say overcomes the shoutiness of its predecessor.
Question: has anyone out there actually built this design? Have you got any advice or tips on construction that you could give me?
I wonder whether I should use chipboard, MDF or birch ply for the woodwork. Is it best to just glue everything together, or use screws? Is any treatment required for the wood surfaces on the inside? Should the insides be sanded, painted, or left rough? Are any damping materials required? If I use grille cloth (to appease the good lady) can it go over the horn entrance? Are there any other important considerations I should be making?
Any help in this construction project would be greatly appreciated.
Question: has anyone out there actually built this design? Have you got any advice or tips on construction that you could give me?
I wonder whether I should use chipboard, MDF or birch ply for the woodwork. Is it best to just glue everything together, or use screws? Is any treatment required for the wood surfaces on the inside? Should the insides be sanded, painted, or left rough? Are any damping materials required? If I use grille cloth (to appease the good lady) can it go over the horn entrance? Are there any other important considerations I should be making?
Any help in this construction project would be greatly appreciated.
I hate to burst your bubble, but that Fostex recommended box (really a BR/TL hybrid) is not amoungst their best (and their best tend to me mediocre). 1st thing you start thinking about when you start listening to them is how to make the bass better. It doesn't go very low, and is mushy & fat. And if you are going to standmount them, then you'd be way further ahead just starting with a small sealed box & know that you need helper woofers. We ended up burning ours (a waste of nice BB plywood).
The FE126 really wants a horn, and they are best built with good ply. The best boxes for FE126 are Valiant, Frugel-Horn Mk3, Saburo, and RonHorn A126 if you don't want to delve into woofer support.
What amplifier are you planning on using? (amplification can be a big deciding factor on the most suitable speaker)
dave
The FE126 really wants a horn, and they are best built with good ply. The best boxes for FE126 are Valiant, Frugel-Horn Mk3, Saburo, and RonHorn A126 if you don't want to delve into woofer support.
What amplifier are you planning on using? (amplification can be a big deciding factor on the most suitable speaker)
dave
Thank you, planet10. I haven't got the wood yet, so it's not too late to change tack as far as the cabinets are concerned. But I have ordered the FE126Ens.
For amplification I currently use John Linsley Hood's class-A transistor design which provides 5W of surprisingly beefy, articulate and well-controlled sound into a pair of Audio Note Type Ks. These closed box speakers are a bit shy on the bass, and I would like something that goes a bit deeper, without being bass-heavy. My listening tastes are entirely accoustic - vocal, instrumental, choral and orchestral, and my prime concern is naturalness, detail and transparency, especially in vocals. Room size is modest - about 7m x 4m - speakers directed lengthways. The need for stands arises simply from the fact that there is a sofa between my listening position and the speakers. I should probably rearrange the room.
I wasn't sure from your reply whether it was just the last of your suggestions, or all four of them, that would be OK without woofers. I do not want woofers - surely the whole point is that you can do it with a single driver with a bit of care. I look forward to your further advice.
For amplification I currently use John Linsley Hood's class-A transistor design which provides 5W of surprisingly beefy, articulate and well-controlled sound into a pair of Audio Note Type Ks. These closed box speakers are a bit shy on the bass, and I would like something that goes a bit deeper, without being bass-heavy. My listening tastes are entirely accoustic - vocal, instrumental, choral and orchestral, and my prime concern is naturalness, detail and transparency, especially in vocals. Room size is modest - about 7m x 4m - speakers directed lengthways. The need for stands arises simply from the fact that there is a sofa between my listening position and the speakers. I should probably rearrange the room.
I wasn't sure from your reply whether it was just the last of your suggestions, or all four of them, that would be OK without woofers. I do not want woofers - surely the whole point is that you can do it with a single driver with a bit of care. I look forward to your further advice.
John,
The amp should be good as long as the damping factor isn't too high. The power is certainly right.
It is unlikely that even in the largest enclosure the FE126 will go lower than the ANs, but naturalness, detail and transparency it should also be all over the ANs. Imaging & efficiency too.
Most effortless and deepest bass is likely Valiant in corners, but Valiant on a wall, or RonHorn A126 in the corner, likely get close. The other 2 aren't far behind.
Unless you mount the speakers upside down from the ceiling you will need to rearrange the room, there are no decent boxes for the 126 that aren't floorstanders (and that assume the floor as part of the horn load). A126 may have the driver mounted high enuff to fire over the sofa, but anything between you and the speakers should be avoided.
Valiant can be found at the Woden site, the other 3 on the Frugal-horn site.
dave
The amp should be good as long as the damping factor isn't too high. The power is certainly right.
It is unlikely that even in the largest enclosure the FE126 will go lower than the ANs, but naturalness, detail and transparency it should also be all over the ANs. Imaging & efficiency too.
Most effortless and deepest bass is likely Valiant in corners, but Valiant on a wall, or RonHorn A126 in the corner, likely get close. The other 2 aren't far behind.
Unless you mount the speakers upside down from the ceiling you will need to rearrange the room, there are no decent boxes for the 126 that aren't floorstanders (and that assume the floor as part of the horn load). A126 may have the driver mounted high enuff to fire over the sofa, but anything between you and the speakers should be avoided.
Valiant can be found at the Woden site, the other 3 on the Frugal-horn site.
dave
I'll check up on the damping factor.
Of the designs you mention, which would you recommend as a good compromise for being easy to build (no wood bending please) and good bass extension? I'm quite happy to have something 6ft tall.
Of the designs you mention, which would you recommend as a good compromise for being easy to build (no wood bending please) and good bass extension? I'm quite happy to have something 6ft tall.
None of them have wood bending. the A126 is the hardest to build, Valiant & Saburo have lots of bits but almost all 90 degree cuts, FH3 is simple but has some tricky bits.
dave
dave
Saburo looks like the one for me - I'll probably wall-mount it. Just got to find someone who will deliver me three sheets of 19mm plywood. Actually I'm having difficulty finding this in the UK. The nearest standard size is 18mm, which I guess I could use with a bit of care. Veneered MDF is available in 19mm but you say ply is best.
Just out of interest, what's the best way of routing (and securing) the cables from the driver to the terminal posts on the back?
Just out of interest, what's the best way of routing (and securing) the cables from the driver to the terminal posts on the back?
18mm is fine. Scott's plans always start out imperial, despite having grown up metric.
To adjust the channels are kept the same width and (if you want to be anal) the depth is increased 1mm. You end up with a slightly shorter box.
dave
To adjust the channels are kept the same width and (if you want to be anal) the depth is increased 1mm. You end up with a slightly shorter box.
dave
After playing around with hiding input connector in the base plates of floorstanders and horns, which can make things tidy but a royal pain in the butt if you swap out a lot of different speakers in the same system, Ive reverted to keeping the internal wiring as short as possible, and mounting the terminals accordingly.
In the case of Saburo that would mean input terminals at the center of rear panel, with wiring a straight line through the deflector prism that forms the bifurcation. I'd use plywood rather than solid to form this triangle as it allows for easier mounting of your favorite terminals and dressing of wire - drill a small hole in the deflector and seal that as well as adhere the wire to the side panel with silicone.
Faced with similar requirements albeit a smaller room I also opted for Saburos. I don't have the room to move the speakers away from the wall but the bass is still quite good.
I'm using a Tubelab SimpleSE. I started out with EL34 tubes in triode which sounded nice. I changed to KT88s in ultralinear mode which to me was a significant improvement, more dynamic, tighter and deeper bass. I don't know if it's just the KT88s or the increased output in ultralinear -- estimated at 10-15W.
If I remember correctly, this adds up to about half an inch shorter in overall length. The layout measurements on the plans would lead you to start assembling all the pieces starting from the ends. I suggest starting in the middle and working out. This ensures the channels are the correct size.
I agree with Chris that the deflector prism should be made using plywood. The plans don't show the size of the deflector but the space between the deflector and piece A should be about 1.25 to 1.5 inches.
Since I wanted to put my speakers against the wall I used terminal cups. I installed them in the next channel down between pieces E and C. I ran the wire through piece D at the bottom of the speaker chamber, and then siliconed to the side to the back.
This is not a quick speaker to build, but it's not complicated. If you can, cut the width of all the internal pieces and baffles at the same time to ensure you will not end up with gaps between the sides. Take your time to build. You will be rewarded 🙂
Thanks, chrisb and fandersen. Valuable advice.
Yes, I have access to a band saw, with guide, for cutting the internal sections, so they should be identical in width. And for the 6ft lengths, I'll make sure I'm using an outer edge of the 8ftx4ft sheet to be sure it's straight.
I presume that the prism is supposed to have a sharp 90 degree edge where it faces the driver? What is wrong with solid wood? Wouldn't the surfaces be smoother?
Can you tell me what you recommend by way of surface treatment for the interior? Does it matter? Should the wood be left rough, sanded smooth, or varnished?
Also, any advice on glue? Something slow-setting seems a good idea to give me plenty of time for getting the alignment right before clamping.
Yes, I have access to a band saw, with guide, for cutting the internal sections, so they should be identical in width. And for the 6ft lengths, I'll make sure I'm using an outer edge of the 8ftx4ft sheet to be sure it's straight.
I presume that the prism is supposed to have a sharp 90 degree edge where it faces the driver? What is wrong with solid wood? Wouldn't the surfaces be smoother?
Can you tell me what you recommend by way of surface treatment for the interior? Does it matter? Should the wood be left rough, sanded smooth, or varnished?
Also, any advice on glue? Something slow-setting seems a good idea to give me plenty of time for getting the alignment right before clamping.
A few thoughts:
Firstly, after building at least 100 pairs of speaker boxes over the last few years, and working in a commercial cabinet/millwork shop, I've gotten rather lazy (oops, I mean "efficient") about certain aspects of assembly. (i.e. air powered brad nail guns are here for a reason 😛)
Regardless of your skill with a band saw, a table saw will give much more dimensionally accurate ripping of internal panels - which is critical to assembly of a box with as many nested parts as this.
The only problem with solid wood for the deflector is that mounting of input terminals/binding posts etc at that location would be more complicated.
Re "finishing" of interior - (here's a surprise) - there are different thoughts on the sonic merits of that on a manifold design (as opposed to a smoothly contoured horn). I've done both - raw and finished, and frankly can't discern a difference. Prefinishing the panels before assembly is certainly one way, but most widely used wood glues don't form as structural a bond with a prefinished surface as on raw wood - nailing or screwing from the outside of the panel would resolve that, but is a pain on a box like this, and adds work/expense to finishing. For me that's not an issue, as any enclosure that is not a POC prototype will be veneeered.
However, if you want avoid that complication, and would still like to finish the visible internal surface (i.e. the horn mouths), I'd suggest masking off the outline of panels forming the mouth(s) on one side panel and setting it aside before assembly. Once the assembly of parts is ready for attachment of second side, scrape / sand out any remaining glue squeeze out and apply your finishing product to outlined/visible areas before completing assembly.
For glue, I'd recommend yellow carpenter's glue (crosslinked PVAs) - not polyurethanes (they have lots of open time, but can swell/creep and stain like crazy) or white (i.e. Weldbond - not as strong). Brand names may vary - we use Dural and Titebond.
And use lots of spacer blocks cut to the various widths of the internal path sections.
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I finished the inside of the visible part of the horn after assembly. I used Danish Oil which makes it easier and I have long arms 😀
I marked out the location of all the internal pieces on the speaker side I was gluing them onto. This allowed me to verify the channel dimensions and ensure I glued the correct piece in the correct location. I also pre-assembled some of the compound pieces before gluing to the speaker side. Unless you have a lot of clamps you will probably be gluing them up in stages so a visual reminder as to what goes where is helpful.
I would certainly not suggest how to enjoy your music and I wish you great success in your project. Further, Dave at Planet 10 is one of the generous guys to whom I pay close attention.
A slightly different approach to the project might be to start not necerssarily by choosing a driver you wish to use but by considering your room and what *it* would need to achieve your desired result. Some kind of benchmark where you can say "achieved" or not. Your preferences for speaker placement and sound pressure level, the amount of absorption and reflection, furniture placement, ceiling height, flooring type, doorways, windows and drapes etc. all influence how any particular speaker and system will sound. If the only thing that matters in the end is the sound quality in the room's sweet spot (ok, and a bit of aesthetics we sometimes call 'WAF'!) then an auxiliary subwoofer is neither good nor bad, but just another means to fine-tune what hits your eardrums and increase your enjoyment. So I suggest you configure the room in the most comfortable and beneficial way* and optimize the response of an adequate pair of full-range speakers. And only then - when you would prefer to be done - ask whether a bit of "subwoofing" would increase your enjoyment. 😉 It's an easy addition.
* IMHO, if the room is not rather 'live', then 4X7 meters seems a bit large for only 2 FE126's - but it all depends. E.g., where's the intended sweet spot relative to the drivers? Maybe take a look at: http://www.mh-audio.nl/SG.asp
All the best,
Frank
Not to second guess Frank, but if you haven't already started cutting wood, and are still pondering suitability of enclosure / room layout issues, you might want to consider the rear mouth designs such as FH3 and Woden Valiant.
Space permitting (I suggest at least 2 feet clearance to the rear wall/corner), I can assure you that a single FE126 per side in the Valiant would have little problem filling a room the indicated size to more than sane SP levels.
The hardest part of construction is the functional curve on side panels - if cutting by hand, take the time to carefully fabricate an template (MDF is good for some things 😀), then rough cut the panels with band or jig-saw and finish to template with router. Of course if you have access to a CNC machine, things are a lot easier.
Space permitting (I suggest at least 2 feet clearance to the rear wall/corner), I can assure you that a single FE126 per side in the Valiant would have little problem filling a room the indicated size to more than sane SP levels.
The hardest part of construction is the functional curve on side panels - if cutting by hand, take the time to carefully fabricate an template (MDF is good for some things 😀), then rough cut the panels with band or jig-saw and finish to template with router. Of course if you have access to a CNC machine, things are a lot easier.
No problem second guessing me as I only have experience with the FE126 in FH2's, where they will loose clarity if pushed too hard. [I wouldn't deny liking "insane" SP levels! 😀 ...and those are stock cones.] Regardless, room acoustics will enter the process sooner or later...
Enjoy the project! 😉
Frank
I don't have two feet of space available behind where the speakers will go, so Saburo seems to fit the bill as well as anything. My FE126Ens are on order and I expect construction to keep me busy for a couple of months. It's a lot of woodwork for a man in a shed. As with most homemade things, if the first attempt yields some benefits then I'll probably start looking to push things further in a Mk.2 version. Thanks for all your help. I'll report back with my findings when its done, if I don't ask for more help before.
John.
John.
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