Only a few ounces. I stuffed it so it holds itself in place, but I didn't pack it in. Your best bet is to try a certain amount and see if you like the sound. I don't see anything to prevent you from stuffing from the bottom. I had one side removable and didn't put a finish on mine until I had them dialed in to my preference. YMMV.
Mike
I usually suggest strating with 20 g (unless you are using FE126 or similar). It is often suggestted that some sort of screen/strings bw installed to stop migration of damping to the bottom of the box -- say halfway between the bottom of the driver and the bottom of the box.
When we 1st installed A7 we did ir with none, bass was big, enoyably fat, tuneful, but just too much for my taste.
dave
When I'm done getting over how good they sound.
Eating a carrot isn't the best thing to be doing when listening to these speakers either, you lose a lot of detail during the chewing process.
I was capable of understanding lyrics before but missed out on the fine details of the voices, now... its like my music collection has taken on a whole new life and each lyric is painting a story to me.
And guitar riffs... Lets just say that they sound tons better...
The Bangles - Hazy shade of winter is a good example of this.
Another good example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47y5bo8wtqMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj47yYIDUh0
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And a highly complex song with multiple instruments still lets the vocals come through crystal clear:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv6tuzHUuuk
But it still lets basic songs sound lively:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5-rdr0qhWk
Then when you breakout the Boards of Canada in FLAC.....
You step into a whole other universe. The music moves you up into space and brings you back down again to an ant sized human being in a microscopic world.
Emotion is back in the music again.
If I were to watch the film Cast Away again I would probably feel like I'm very much there.
With these speakers you can close your eyes and pretend like you're somewhere else and it almost feels like it. I say almost not because they are far away from breaking that level of reality but because they are very much close to breaking past the walls of reality and fooling my brain completely.
Maybe some anti-anxiety pills is in order when listening to these.
And this is just with a delta sigma dac, my onboard soundcard, haven't even got the TDA1541 dac finished yet... playing through a TDA2822M powered from SLA battery.
There was a significant improvement when using my Scott17 KT88 SE amp but I can't use that all of the time due to power consumption costs.
And then there is the bass from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CZzCRSbKEI
Down the hatch it goes... See you guys later
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv6tuzHUuuk
But it still lets basic songs sound lively:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5-rdr0qhWk
Then when you breakout the Boards of Canada in FLAC.....
You step into a whole other universe. The music moves you up into space and brings you back down again to an ant sized human being in a microscopic world.
Emotion is back in the music again.
If I were to watch the film Cast Away again I would probably feel like I'm very much there.
With these speakers you can close your eyes and pretend like you're somewhere else and it almost feels like it. I say almost not because they are far away from breaking that level of reality but because they are very much close to breaking past the walls of reality and fooling my brain completely.
Maybe some anti-anxiety pills is in order when listening to these.
And this is just with a delta sigma dac, my onboard soundcard, haven't even got the TDA1541 dac finished yet... playing through a TDA2822M powered from SLA battery.
There was a significant improvement when using my Scott17 KT88 SE amp but I can't use that all of the time due to power consumption costs.
And then there is the bass from:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CZzCRSbKEI
Down the hatch it goes... See you guys later
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I put my stuffing in loosely from below the speakers to about 1 foot above the bottom.
Here are 2 things to consider if you haven't glued up your boxes yet;
1, You need to keep the stuffing from sliding down in the horn. I mounted two thin dowels inside each box for the loose stuffing to sit on.
2, Ideally, the stuffing will be adjusted in each speaker for the room acoustics. I made my speakers, both FH3 and Pensil 10P, with removable tops. That makes trying different stuffing amounts quick and easy. While testing, I would leave the screws out and just put something heavy on top to hold the lid down. When happy with the sound, I would then screw the top back on.
Finally, your stuffing amount will probably change after the speakers break in.
I have a question about the front baffle. On the build plans, and in most of the pictures, the front baffle is placed between the sides rather than sitting on top. This leaves the plywood edge exposed facing forward. Yes, you could use some edge veneer to hide it, but I see that not everyone does.
Is there any reason to not cut the front baffle so it sits on top of the sides? I would of course compensate to keep internal volume the same. And the reason I ask is that I'm using 5/8" pre-finished wood flooring material for my build. Hiding the edge ply won't be so easy, and it is unattractive on its own. I'd rather have the finished floor across the entire front.
So far I've only cut the bottom edge of the side panels at the 4.8 degree angle to the boards so that the finished flooring strips are parallel to the slope. This cut is my reference for all the other measurements. I've also mocked up a 69" radius circle router. It'll take two people to work that. I'm just going to cut a pattern piece and then use the router with a template bit on the actual panels. No CNC machine here.
Is there any reason to not cut the front baffle so it sits on top of the sides? I would of course compensate to keep internal volume the same. And the reason I ask is that I'm using 5/8" pre-finished wood flooring material for my build. Hiding the edge ply won't be so easy, and it is unattractive on its own. I'd rather have the finished floor across the entire front.
So far I've only cut the bottom edge of the side panels at the 4.8 degree angle to the boards so that the finished flooring strips are parallel to the slope. This cut is my reference for all the other measurements. I've also mocked up a 69" radius circle router. It'll take two people to work that. I'm just going to cut a pattern piece and then use the router with a template bit on the actual panels. No CNC machine here.
zacster,
There are bound to answers from more experience folks, but a few thoughts.
In case you are thinking a front baffle like a "lid" that gets glued to the exposed edges of the side pieces, would it be easy to clamp the front baffle throughout its entire length to the front edge since the FH3 has a curved back side (no pun intended)?
Also the raw sides of the front baffle edges would be visible from both sides...
One possible workaround might be that you place the front baffle within the sides, then later do 45 degree (or similar) chamfers to the exposed plywood edges and then use some veneer of similar look to your finished front baffle on these edges.
There are bound to answers from more experience folks, but a few thoughts.
In case you are thinking a front baffle like a "lid" that gets glued to the exposed edges of the side pieces, would it be easy to clamp the front baffle throughout its entire length to the front edge since the FH3 has a curved back side (no pun intended
)?Also the raw sides of the front baffle edges would be visible from both sides...
One possible workaround might be that you place the front baffle within the sides, then later do 45 degree (or similar) chamfers to the exposed plywood edges and then use some veneer of similar look to your finished front baffle on these edges.
I think the glue up might be an issue, now that you say it, in particular towards the bottom as it would be difficult to get a clamp on the rear. I'm sure I could come up with some jig to do it, maybe out of the waste piece that is the other side of the cut. One thing I do have is a lot of clamps. You can't have too many.
If I have to have an exposed edge I't rather have it at the sides though. I thought about chamfers or roundovers, but that would weaken the joint. All the speakers I've built in the past were veneered so there were no exposed edges anywhere.
If I have to have an exposed edge I't rather have it at the sides though. I thought about chamfers or roundovers, but that would weaken the joint. All the speakers I've built in the past were veneered so there were no exposed edges anywhere.
The FH3 #0 i'm currently listening to have the baffle like that (so we could fir a removable baffle).
dave
I've built a few of these, as well as fabricated several scores of kits, and after experimenting with several different approaches on the first few builds, found it much easier to keep all the lateral panels at 90dg to sides throughout assembly by overlaying the sides.
This is the case on most of the P10 flat packed kits - including the FH3, which are actually CNCed with dadoes on both sides for top/front/bottom, and on one side only for the back and internal fold panel. Those two parts are radiused at the bottom joint to follow the tool diameter on CNC router ( 1/2"), and the combination of 5mm deep dado, scarfe cut on back panel and a small angled gluing block makes for a pretty decent joint. Once both pieces are fully set in the dado, it only takes one F or large spring clamp to secure them while the glue dries.
I've also experimented with butt joints and pocket screws to attach the 140mm wide panels to first side.
Using this method, all clamping is from side to side - a full length caul between the back and internal panel ensures a tight seal.
No, you can't have too many clamps
This is the case on most of the P10 flat packed kits - including the FH3, which are actually CNCed with dadoes on both sides for top/front/bottom, and on one side only for the back and internal fold panel. Those two parts are radiused at the bottom joint to follow the tool diameter on CNC router ( 1/2"), and the combination of 5mm deep dado, scarfe cut on back panel and a small angled gluing block makes for a pretty decent joint. Once both pieces are fully set in the dado, it only takes one F or large spring clamp to secure them while the glue dries.
I've also experimented with butt joints and pocket screws to attach the 140mm wide panels to first side.
Using this method, all clamping is from side to side - a full length caul between the back and internal panel ensures a tight seal.
No, you can't have too many clamps