Before getting to excited, I checked the WAF rating on this idea last night and it was off the scale!
The search is on.
Off the scale WAF is awesome! Good luck.
This is a nice console w tube amp and class D sub - all hand made from Symbol Audio.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Great to see the progress! Really looking forward to seeing what you do.
I don't have a Clairtone, don't remember ever seeing one, but I do have the big coffee table book. 🙂
I don't have a Clairtone, don't remember ever seeing one, but I do have the big coffee table book. 🙂
Hey, Doug!
How can you be spending time drilling 1000's of holes, when the rest of your neighbours (like myself) are out shovelling snow (mutter/grumble)? OTOH, I can see such trance-like work being a useful distraction to present conditions.
But, more on-topic: I'm curious about the expected sonic effect of your perforated globe in front of the speaker. Since it appears to have significantly less than 100% open area, and - as I understand your design - will enclose a certain volume in front of the speaker, do you expect any frequency-varying attenuation, or possibly some cavity resonance? Did your speaker design consider this, and/or have you done any mock-up or preliminary listening test of the speaker without and with the perforated globe in place?
Similarly, some of the sample consoles pictured in this thread illustrate the varied obstructions manufacturers have placed in front of speakers in the form of bars/latticework, etc. I've always been aware of the importance of acoustically transparent grille cloth, but are these solid obstructions not a bigger problem? My question is not meant to disparage your project in any way. Rather, I too have a modern/retro console on hand that I've gutted and would like to re-fit with decent components. It has the vertical wooden lattice bars over the speaker compartments, and I've been speculating on how big a problem this might be. I hope you don't mind my using your thread to open discussion on this aspect.
- Wilf
How can you be spending time drilling 1000's of holes, when the rest of your neighbours (like myself) are out shovelling snow (mutter/grumble)? OTOH, I can see such trance-like work being a useful distraction to present conditions.
But, more on-topic: I'm curious about the expected sonic effect of your perforated globe in front of the speaker. Since it appears to have significantly less than 100% open area, and - as I understand your design - will enclose a certain volume in front of the speaker, do you expect any frequency-varying attenuation, or possibly some cavity resonance? Did your speaker design consider this, and/or have you done any mock-up or preliminary listening test of the speaker without and with the perforated globe in place?
Similarly, some of the sample consoles pictured in this thread illustrate the varied obstructions manufacturers have placed in front of speakers in the form of bars/latticework, etc. I've always been aware of the importance of acoustically transparent grille cloth, but are these solid obstructions not a bigger problem? My question is not meant to disparage your project in any way. Rather, I too have a modern/retro console on hand that I've gutted and would like to re-fit with decent components. It has the vertical wooden lattice bars over the speaker compartments, and I've been speculating on how big a problem this might be. I hope you don't mind my using your thread to open discussion on this aspect.
- Wilf
Hi Wilf,
Feel free to drop by for a visit and see how the whole thing is coming along. I think that the last time you were here that my "Deathstars" were not up and running yet.
I don't mind the sidetracking of the thread. I enjoy how this thread has moved to embrace the whole idea of a console Hi-Fi, even though that is not strictly "Full range" in the sense that it was intended. I can see that a console is, indeed full range, though! And most of these units had full range drivers...sooo isn't a console just a logical extension of the idea of a full range speaker?
Anyway, yes, snow clearing. As you are just down the road from me you know exactly how much snow there is to clear this year. That is why I have kids. More specifically, my 22 year old son is now finished university and is currently looking for work, so he has the lion's share of snow clearing right now.
I only drill a couple of rows per day when I need a break from my regular work. The drill press is set up in my shop, so every now and then I run it and do 10 minutes of drilling. It all adds up.
Once all of the holes are drilled there will be a significant amount open space. I did/do have the same concerns about acoustic transparency. I did offer up the globe/screen to the speaker a week or two back, when only the pole area was drilled. It was quite transparent acoustically, there was maybe a little loss of bass depth compared to the unscreened speaker, but, in fairness, the bass slots of the cabinet were still covered by the undrilled portion of the globe. If a person was not able to do an A/B test, you'd be hard pressed to notice. I am sufficiently satisfied given my goals for this project is to make the whole unit with as good sound as possible given the restrictions that the design carries with it.
Readers my find it informative that the original speakers of the Clairtone Project G (G for globe) were Warfedale Super 10's, mounted on a "volcano" shaped baffle, sealed except for a gap surrounding the driver itself. The driver was then covered in hessian fabric (similar to burlap) which was then painted black. The driver assembly itself was then covered by the globe screen, which was a double layer of perforated, spun aluminum. The interior globe was natural colour aluminum, the outer was black. The screens were perforated with 2mm holes with a 3mm spacing, and the globes were separated by a gap of several millimeters, and set slightly out of alignment so that the hole patter would create a "moire" effect.
I am not doing that! Drilling these thousands of holes is enough for me. I also want to be able to see my speakers through the holes, unlike the original which tried to hide it.
If I ever make more of these screens then I am going to make up my own spinning lathe. I have a wood turning lathe, but the max size is nowhere large enough.
Feel free to drop by for a visit and see how the whole thing is coming along. I think that the last time you were here that my "Deathstars" were not up and running yet.
I don't mind the sidetracking of the thread. I enjoy how this thread has moved to embrace the whole idea of a console Hi-Fi, even though that is not strictly "Full range" in the sense that it was intended. I can see that a console is, indeed full range, though! And most of these units had full range drivers...sooo isn't a console just a logical extension of the idea of a full range speaker?
Anyway, yes, snow clearing. As you are just down the road from me you know exactly how much snow there is to clear this year. That is why I have kids. More specifically, my 22 year old son is now finished university and is currently looking for work, so he has the lion's share of snow clearing right now.
I only drill a couple of rows per day when I need a break from my regular work. The drill press is set up in my shop, so every now and then I run it and do 10 minutes of drilling. It all adds up.
Once all of the holes are drilled there will be a significant amount open space. I did/do have the same concerns about acoustic transparency. I did offer up the globe/screen to the speaker a week or two back, when only the pole area was drilled. It was quite transparent acoustically, there was maybe a little loss of bass depth compared to the unscreened speaker, but, in fairness, the bass slots of the cabinet were still covered by the undrilled portion of the globe. If a person was not able to do an A/B test, you'd be hard pressed to notice. I am sufficiently satisfied given my goals for this project is to make the whole unit with as good sound as possible given the restrictions that the design carries with it.
Readers my find it informative that the original speakers of the Clairtone Project G (G for globe) were Warfedale Super 10's, mounted on a "volcano" shaped baffle, sealed except for a gap surrounding the driver itself. The driver was then covered in hessian fabric (similar to burlap) which was then painted black. The driver assembly itself was then covered by the globe screen, which was a double layer of perforated, spun aluminum. The interior globe was natural colour aluminum, the outer was black. The screens were perforated with 2mm holes with a 3mm spacing, and the globes were separated by a gap of several millimeters, and set slightly out of alignment so that the hole patter would create a "moire" effect.
I am not doing that! Drilling these thousands of holes is enough for me. I also want to be able to see my speakers through the holes, unlike the original which tried to hide it.
If I ever make more of these screens then I am going to make up my own spinning lathe. I have a wood turning lathe, but the max size is nowhere large enough.
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