Kofi Annan said:
Works well. Make sure it is dry. (ie bake in the oven). Bring the river rock over here... i ned it for a wall feature behind the woodstove.
dave
Yeah. My advice would be: use no stuffing at all until the driver is really run-in (about 100hs). I prefer mine without any stuffing (and a smaller CC); maybe, you do, too. If not: the CC is easily reachable through the driver cutout.
Just my 0.02 Euro,
Oliver
I filled the aformentioned voids with the "fine silica sand" used to fill the gaps between interlocking paving stones. Uniform size etc. I filled plastic bags with the stuff. Dunno about the sound difference(?) but the extra weight adds ballast, making the speaker more stable.
I use child's play sand (very fine) in the lower void, and polystyrene in the top void. Keeps the weight down low.
Cool. Good. The sand I have says that its "dried", but I guess I should bake it anyway. About 350 degrees until tender?
Mine already have over 100 hours since they've been in a pair of Swans for a few months now. I'll try with no stuffing to begin with and then work from there.
Also, I was about 3-4mm off in the throat (didn't notice until the glue had set), which caused a reduction in the size of the compression chamber, but I'm thinking that:
a. this isn't off by much, so no need to panic AND
b. it will actually REDUCE the size of the CC, which I am likely to need to accommodate the 108EZs
Is this serendipity or did I funk everything up and will I need to start again? Please say its serendipity.
Good idea about the plastic bags. I'll give that a try!
More good advice! Thanks, Ropie!
I'll post updates as they occur. I still need to get the 225K project rolling. Won't Mrs. Annan be happy about that.
Anyone in the market for some speakers?
Kofi
Phase One Complete
Well, I've completed Phase One of the Buschhorn project with the 108EZs and I have to say that I really like what I'm hearing. They like being in a corner and have responded well to a felted magnet and CAT 5 wiring (see photos).
Next, I'm going to stuf the top triangular void with sand / river rock and see if that tightens things up a bit in the bass department. However, I'd say that they sound great right now. The bass that comes out of these things is just incredible.
OK, you may have noticed that I'm using the PC as a sound source. This is true. I prefer the analog setup, but I just got a Soundblaster Audigy 4 with DTS / DVD-Audio / 24/96 support and I like the sound quite a bit. A little too "clean" and somewhat cold, as digital can be, but the range is nice and the soundstage is wonderful.
So don't mock me, man. Ill cut you.
The felt for the magnet was contributed by Mrs. Annan. She was into "felting" for a while and I got a castaway for use on the 108EZ.
Anyway, I'll be tuning these today and hopefully sealing them up this afternoon. Let me know if you have any further advice on these. Again, thanks so much to everyone, particularly Dave and Ropie for working on this design and making it available to us all.
In another post on this forum, the 108EZs got a bad rap measurement-wise for their wicked 1KHz dip. I gotta tell you that these just sound great. Not that I got the golden ears or anything. Hell, with all the booze swimmin' around.... I digress.
But these drivers sound great in this enclosure. If you're thinking about it, just go and do it. And get me a beer from the fridge while you're up, will ya?
Kofi
Well, I've completed Phase One of the Buschhorn project with the 108EZs and I have to say that I really like what I'm hearing. They like being in a corner and have responded well to a felted magnet and CAT 5 wiring (see photos).
Next, I'm going to stuf the top triangular void with sand / river rock and see if that tightens things up a bit in the bass department. However, I'd say that they sound great right now. The bass that comes out of these things is just incredible.
OK, you may have noticed that I'm using the PC as a sound source. This is true. I prefer the analog setup, but I just got a Soundblaster Audigy 4 with DTS / DVD-Audio / 24/96 support and I like the sound quite a bit. A little too "clean" and somewhat cold, as digital can be, but the range is nice and the soundstage is wonderful.
So don't mock me, man. Ill cut you.
The felt for the magnet was contributed by Mrs. Annan. She was into "felting" for a while and I got a castaway for use on the 108EZ.
Anyway, I'll be tuning these today and hopefully sealing them up this afternoon. Let me know if you have any further advice on these. Again, thanks so much to everyone, particularly Dave and Ropie for working on this design and making it available to us all.
In another post on this forum, the 108EZs got a bad rap measurement-wise for their wicked 1KHz dip. I gotta tell you that these just sound great. Not that I got the golden ears or anything. Hell, with all the booze swimmin' around.... I digress.
But these drivers sound great in this enclosure. If you're thinking about it, just go and do it. And get me a beer from the fridge while you're up, will ya?
Kofi
Attachments
greetings all, well I should be starting my bhorns this weekend but I'll be using the 103 for there superior sound(read; couldn't afford the 108). Theres been a lot of talk about the fe126e since ed shilling crossed the floor and Ive seen two seperate post pleading for info regarding dropping the 126 into the bhorn mkII,, both posts wallflowers wiith no one to dance with. Sooo! who's gonna be the first.C'mon I dare youse.I can feel it, ssomeones going to do it soon. Kofi how do the BHORNS compare to the the swan. by the way how did you go with the styrene ont he back of your 206's
cheers fergs
cheers fergs
fergs1 said:
Been thinking of it ever since someone mentioned that it would be a drop-in replacement (from before Ed decided it was the greatest thing since sliced bread)... was talking with Chris about it just Friday...
dave
fe126
I was corresponding with a gentleman from Australia many years ago named Wally, a member of the Melborne Audio Club who used the 126 in a horn of his own design. He also tried the FE108S which was "the" 4 " driver at the time and said that the 126 was a better performer. Said he got down into the 40's with the 126 with superior powerhandling.I remember the horn being tall and that he did his design based more on his own thoughts and trial and error and not on the usual formulae.
Andrew
I was corresponding with a gentleman from Australia many years ago named Wally, a member of the Melborne Audio Club who used the 126 in a horn of his own design. He also tried the FE108S which was "the" 4 " driver at the time and said that the 126 was a better performer. Said he got down into the 40's with the 126 with superior powerhandling.I remember the horn being tall and that he did his design based more on his own thoughts and trial and error and not on the usual formulae.
Andrew
Here's hoping.
Well, it just might be me. What are they, $35 a piece?!? That's a deal! I just won't get a pedicure this week. Besides, I cut the hole for the 108EZ a bit large. I was able to get the 108 seated with no air gaps, but this may very well be just the hole that would accommodate the 108 and the 126E.
Hail yeah.
Can't speak for the 103s, but with the 108EZ, the Bushhorns win hands down. Its no contest. Most likely, this is because the compression chamber for the Swan was way too small for the 108EZ causing rump-shakin' bass when playing choir music. Of course, this worked great for the Our Lady of the Shakin' Rump Boys Choir CD I have, but otherwise it was an unwelcome accompaniment.
I never 'styrened the 206s, but given the success I had with felting the 108EZs, I think I'll try to felt the 206Es first. Then 'styrene, should it be required.
Drop-in replacement, eh? Let's see.. easy.. instant gratification... mmm... OK maybe I'll do this.
Please send Wally to the UN Building immediately.
Kofi
greetings all, andrewbee Ive had the pleasure of hearing these horns.Wally calls them the full monty and the ones I heard had either 103 or 126 I can;t remember but I do know the souned better than the 108 and iit was the speaker that absoluteely sold me on single driver blh.Itts actually a large cabinet so would have limited waf but who cares as us boys usually get our way in the end. what our wiives have to put up with God bless 'em.
Attachments
Aaahhhhh,
Thats the animals! iirc Wally was selling the finished speakers and I was trying to purchase plans from him and he mentioned he had thought of it and including a video of the build.
I don't remember what happened next.
So how was the sound?
Kofi,
I bet if you offered Wally a ride in one of them there helicopters he would give us some info.
Andrew
Thats the animals! iirc Wally was selling the finished speakers and I was trying to purchase plans from him and he mentioned he had thought of it and including a video of the build.
I don't remember what happened next.
So how was the sound?
Kofi,
I bet if you offered Wally a ride in one of them there helicopters he would give us some info.
Andrew
I got my sheets cut last weekend for a pair of FE103E
B'Horns, and hopefully construction will take place in
the next few weeks when the drivers arrive.
This is my first speaker project, and to reassure
myself that little drivers could actually make some
sound I went and had a listen to a pair of Wallys Full
Montys that happened to be in a hifi shop five minutes
from home. Very impressed.
Anyway, it's time to get down to details on the
construction now...
What is the consensus on stuffing and lining with the
103 in the B'horn? I've used Serges plans for cutting,
but he doesn't give many details about
stuffing/lining.
What are "dedsheet panels" and does anybody know what
the Australian equivalent is?
I'm particularly interested in what you're using Fergs
as you're building the same horns with the same
drivers and you're in Melb too so you're restricted to
the same materials as me. Any brilliant insights?
B'Horns, and hopefully construction will take place in
the next few weeks when the drivers arrive.
This is my first speaker project, and to reassure
myself that little drivers could actually make some
sound I went and had a listen to a pair of Wallys Full
Montys that happened to be in a hifi shop five minutes
from home. Very impressed.
Anyway, it's time to get down to details on the
construction now...
What is the consensus on stuffing and lining with the
103 in the B'horn? I've used Serges plans for cutting,
but he doesn't give many details about
stuffing/lining.
What are "dedsheet panels" and does anybody know what
the Australian equivalent is?
I'm particularly interested in what you're using Fergs
as you're building the same horns with the same
drivers and you're in Melb too so you're restricted to
the same materials as me. Any brilliant insights?
Don't kill the music
g'day, ooty boy
I may not be Oz, nor an expert like Ed Shilling, but I have participated in the construction and tweaking of a full-range speaker or two, and I would suggest that you rethink treating the enclosure with any type of "deadening" material or construction techniques. If the material that you've already cut is MDF, the box'll be dead enough as is
The Buschorns that I built (MKII) has some sand filling added to the void compartment below the last flare the horn mouth (as much for ballast as anything) and the large internal triangular void. After switching from vintage Foster F103alnicos to FE108ESigmas, I also made the upper portion of the front baffle removable- both to aid in fine tuning treatment of compression chamber, as well as swapping different drivers.
As for stuffing the chamber and lining the horn, that's pretty much a system dependant issue. Since it's a bit tricky to get at all the internal folds to play with that once the box is fully glued up, you might want to try temporarily attaching one panel with short, thin gauge screws until you've tuned it to your system. And don't forget that although some users are reporting instant Karma with NIB Fostex FE126E in a certain model of Horn, most full range drivers are likely to require quite a bit of break-in to fully assess the final performance. Don't rush to judgement until after at least 200-300hours of real playing time.
chris
g'day, ooty boy
I may not be Oz, nor an expert like Ed Shilling, but I have participated in the construction and tweaking of a full-range speaker or two, and I would suggest that you rethink treating the enclosure with any type of "deadening" material or construction techniques. If the material that you've already cut is MDF, the box'll be dead enough as is
The Buschorns that I built (MKII) has some sand filling added to the void compartment below the last flare the horn mouth (as much for ballast as anything) and the large internal triangular void. After switching from vintage Foster F103alnicos to FE108ESigmas, I also made the upper portion of the front baffle removable- both to aid in fine tuning treatment of compression chamber, as well as swapping different drivers.
As for stuffing the chamber and lining the horn, that's pretty much a system dependant issue. Since it's a bit tricky to get at all the internal folds to play with that once the box is fully glued up, you might want to try temporarily attaching one panel with short, thin gauge screws until you've tuned it to your system. And don't forget that although some users are reporting instant Karma with NIB Fostex FE126E in a certain model of Horn, most full range drivers are likely to require quite a bit of break-in to fully assess the final performance. Don't rush to judgement until after at least 200-300hours of real playing time.
chris
Kofi Annan said:
I'd expect them to be a bit boomy shoved that far into the corner... are they veneered or is the woodgrain a reflection of the wall off glossy black?
dave
I'll move them around a bit, but I think the bass seems more defined in the corner. It may be the scotch talkin' here.
Neither, daddy-o. I used a combo mahogany stain / poly and I think they look pretty good. The "grain" is really the brushstrokes and variations in color left by the stain.
Kofi
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