It's time to close my commercial interests in speaker building. I have removed my signature for all forums that had a link to my web page. I have redirected Bob@BrinesAcoustics.com to RobertBrines@att.net and will cancel the subscription when it comes up for renewal. I will change my web page to a short goodbye, but leave an email for those who need questions answered. Then the web page goes away in a few months.
After forty years, the fire is gone. My designs are obsolescent, and with the next iteration of Mark Audio and Fostex drivers, they will be obsolete. I have no interest is starting over again chasing new drivers. My interest is now in tweaking my DSP driven multi-way speakers (woofer -- wide-range -- tweeter) plus stereo subs and actually listening to the terabyte or so of music I have.
I will continue to lurk here and at PE, and probably make comments from time to time. I know this forum is in good hands. Consider the baton passed.
Bob
After forty years, the fire is gone. My designs are obsolescent, and with the next iteration of Mark Audio and Fostex drivers, they will be obsolete. I have no interest is starting over again chasing new drivers. My interest is now in tweaking my DSP driven multi-way speakers (woofer -- wide-range -- tweeter) plus stereo subs and actually listening to the terabyte or so of music I have.
I will continue to lurk here and at PE, and probably make comments from time to time. I know this forum is in good hands. Consider the baton passed.
Bob
Thank you for all you have contributed to diyAudio and its members Bob. All the best in your future and please do come for a visit from time to time if not regularly.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Bob, thank you for all you have contributed. I always considered your designs to have all the right compromises in all the right places. I'm certain many still listen to what you have built and designed and believe your designs will be sought after in digital archives for years to come. I for one have a pair of Straight Pipes as well as a pair of new, in box, perfect condition Radio Shack 40-1354s. Within a year I expect to be enjoying music thru them.
Forever appreciative of your time. Good luck on all of your endeavors.
Godzilla
Forever appreciative of your time. Good luck on all of your endeavors.
Godzilla
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Adios amigo - enjoy your retirement, fishing / golfing and grandkids (?) and of course the music - this whole thing was about the music, right? 😀
Bob,
Thanks for your time and contributions. I like your designs - sensible and well-thought-out, and opened my eyes to some different ideas on enclosure design when I was starting out.
All the best,
Chris
Thanks for your time and contributions. I like your designs - sensible and well-thought-out, and opened my eyes to some different ideas on enclosure design when I was starting out.
All the best,
Chris
Bob, while you might be throwing in the towel with your commercial endeavors, you can still fuel your interests in audio by doing fun things in other related areas. I myself am very interested in DSP in software on single board computers (see LADSPA link in my sig) and I have had fun creating some new and interesting functionality and signal processing blocks that are not typically found in hardware based DSPs. I can been able to integrate the computer based DSP cum crossover with local audio streaming, and have written a system to stream PCM audio over my LAN and software to control which system is playing when. I also like to design multi way speakers, and these things are all related to one another.
I guess my point is that your interests can morph into other related ones within the DIY audio arena if you so choose. Since you have years of speaker building experience, your voice on sites like this can lend crucial perspective. So I hope that you are not really leaving, just changing gears a bit.
Hey Bob, best of luck to you in the future. I know I bought plans, but never followed through on building and didn't have the dough at the time to order the flatpacks or the finished product. I liked the stuff, and I liked how you went about your business.
Greetings Bob,
Well I guess I don't know you all that well, but I certainly do remember all your contributions to this forum. I myself, have 44 years into this, but has only ever been on a hobbyist/DIY level. I would in particular, like to applaud your approach: (woofer -- wide-range -- tweeter) plus stereo subs. That's pretty much [also]what I have concluded, in what turns out the most enjoyable system.
For most, if not all of us here the love for music will most likely last us a life time.
Whatever you choose to do I wish you well and hope you can look back on your long career in audio with lots of smiles and satisfaction.
Whatever you choose to do I wish you well and hope you can look back on your long career in audio with lots of smiles and satisfaction.
Sorry to hear this Bob, but hoping it's for the right reasons ('better' / 'now-more-enjoyable' things to be doing). You've been an inspiration for many, myself included, for many years. It was reading some of your, GM's and TC's (bit more esoteric in the latter case!) posts back in the days of the old FR forum that helped foster my interest. So I owe you thanks, as do a large number of others, and you certainly have my friendship whether you're here much or not.
Incidentally, I respectfully disagree that your speakers are obsolescent. They're not. They're pretty much the default compact MLTLs / small TLs / BRs for their drivers that people recommend, myself included.
Incidentally, I respectfully disagree that your speakers are obsolescent. They're not. They're pretty much the default compact MLTLs / small TLs / BRs for their drivers that people recommend, myself included.
I know it's not goodbye, but slowing down and enjoying life is something we forget to do from time to time.
I remember chatting with you and how tired you were to lug around heavy speakers to shows, where the majority of rooms are tweaked with crazy expensive gear all aimed at playing the loudest possible. That may be where show and commercialism has gone, but there will always be a good group of people more interested in sensible setups that deliver honest sound. That's where your designs shined, in my modest opinion.
I have bought and built a plan from you, and those are still playing music and providing enjoyment to all who take the time to listen to them. I am grateful to you, Bob.
So, it's all good. Sometimes, we need to take a step back to enjoy stuff. Being so focused on designing and measuring, it's easy to forget listening to the music.
Enjoy sitting, a good glass of wine in hand, and just listen to beautiful music. Then, go outside and enjoy your surroundings, a sunset, take a trip.... whatever you do, don't forget to smile.
Thanks for all the years, and may you enjoy all the next ones!
I remember chatting with you and how tired you were to lug around heavy speakers to shows, where the majority of rooms are tweaked with crazy expensive gear all aimed at playing the loudest possible. That may be where show and commercialism has gone, but there will always be a good group of people more interested in sensible setups that deliver honest sound. That's where your designs shined, in my modest opinion.
I have bought and built a plan from you, and those are still playing music and providing enjoyment to all who take the time to listen to them. I am grateful to you, Bob.
So, it's all good. Sometimes, we need to take a step back to enjoy stuff. Being so focused on designing and measuring, it's easy to forget listening to the music.
Enjoy sitting, a good glass of wine in hand, and just listen to beautiful music. Then, go outside and enjoy your surroundings, a sunset, take a trip.... whatever you do, don't forget to smile.
Thanks for all the years, and may you enjoy all the next ones!
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Thanks for drawing up the mltl 10.3 boxes that I've been enjoying for the last couple of years. I certainly enjoyed reading your even-keeled posts containing keen insights and vast knowledge as well as your sincere candour.
All the best for your future endeavours!
All the best for your future endeavours!
Thank you for your efforts.
I read every article on your site years back when my quarter wave interest started. I still keep the printed articles!
Good luck!
Bjørn
I read every article on your site years back when my quarter wave interest started. I still keep the printed articles!
Good luck!
Bjørn
Bob,
Thank you for all your contribution. A product is not as important as an inspiration, a passion. And that is the most important thing you provided to us.
Best wishes,
Vix
Thank you for all your contribution. A product is not as important as an inspiration, a passion. And that is the most important thing you provided to us.
Best wishes,
Vix
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