I'm in an art metal & glass class in school, and the instructor mentioned a way to take sheet glass, make it semi-flexible, and mould it into the desired shape.
So, why not a sphere or a horn?
Glass has some unusual resonant tendencies, but it would seem that this might be an effective way to make a spherical enclosure. (And spherical baffles are supposed to be ideal, right?)
So, why not a sphere or a horn?
Glass has some unusual resonant tendencies, but it would seem that this might be an effective way to make a spherical enclosure. (And spherical baffles are supposed to be ideal, right?)
For a long time I want to make a glass frontal horn.
I believe that plastic horns are ugly and made in wood they seem very voluminous.
The Ferguson Hill acrylic horns are diaphanous. But I think glass is better.
http://www.fergusonhill.co.uk/
Best regards Jaime
I believe that plastic horns are ugly and made in wood they seem very voluminous.
The Ferguson Hill acrylic horns are diaphanous. But I think glass is better.
http://www.fergusonhill.co.uk/
Best regards Jaime
Hmm... a glass horn.
You would probably have to temper it for the strength and I think that would make it brittle. Hard to mount without stressing the flange and if you happen to turn it up and hit the glass' resonant frequency...
...Is it live or is it now a bunch of little pieces? 🙂
You would probably have to temper it for the strength and I think that would make it brittle. Hard to mount without stressing the flange and if you happen to turn it up and hit the glass' resonant frequency...
...Is it live or is it now a bunch of little pieces? 🙂
There are also glass boxed speakers....
to take full advantage you'd want to build a box with no damping.
A glass or plexi frugel-horn would be quite interesting.
dave
to take full advantage you'd want to build a box with no damping.
A glass or plexi frugel-horn would be quite interesting.
dave
Just run across this thread. Nice idea. French company Waterfall make 2 way floorstanders out of glass, and very nice they are too. Top of the range is the Victoria I believe.
Having removed the minimal damping I'd added to the bottom of the filter chamber of the Harvey double frugelhorns (they really don't need it), I can safely assert that these too, like the regular Frugelhorns, would be an excellent option in glass. Look spectacular too. Maybe some frosted internal panels with transparent outer? Great stuff.
Having removed the minimal damping I'd added to the bottom of the filter chamber of the Harvey double frugelhorns (they really don't need it), I can safely assert that these too, like the regular Frugelhorns, would be an excellent option in glass. Look spectacular too. Maybe some frosted internal panels with transparent outer? Great stuff.
How thick do you reckon the plexiglass would have to be for the frugel horns or any audio application like that? 4mm be enough? Would look cool...
Stroop
Stroop
Scottmoose said:
You're going to have to link me to these.
Can anyone link me to a simple speaker that would work with glass? I'm okay at making things out of it, but I'm new to speaker building.
Natural glass in its basic form is not a good material for horns. It has very little damping properties and will have a resonance signature.
For front horns i still reccomend tar dampened steel as the resonating values are dampened by the tar and the high density of the steel provides the greater efficency due to impedance mismatch of the two mediums.
ron
For front horns i still reccomend tar dampened steel as the resonating values are dampened by the tar and the high density of the steel provides the greater efficency due to impedance mismatch of the two mediums.
ron
That's the fully WAF approved version Ron? 😀 Tar dampened steel? Now we're getting serious. Bet it sounds good.
I'm not sure about the glass -I still reckon (forgive me Ron -I take your points) that it could be made to work, if the type is carefully selected and some adjustments in the design were made to account for it's properties, but it would take someone with a lot more experience than me to figure it out.
I'm not sure about the glass -I still reckon (forgive me Ron -I take your points) that it could be made to work, if the type is carefully selected and some adjustments in the design were made to account for it's properties, but it would take someone with a lot more experience than me to figure it out.
The Waterfall speakers are here and Mark Audio makes a range of enclosures with acrylic.
There was a Wireless World article years ago which said that glass was an ideal material for sealed enclosures - something to do with resonance characteristics. However the author concluded it was too difficult to fabricate and went for ceramic instead.
There was a Wireless World article years ago which said that glass was an ideal material for sealed enclosures - something to do with resonance characteristics. However the author concluded it was too difficult to fabricate and went for ceramic instead.
There was a Wireless World article years ago which said that glass was an ideal material for sealed enclosures
Only if the resonance aided in a required part of the response spectrum. The major factor in calculating a resonance is the odd/even response at a given frequency. I would never say a glass enclosure or horn cant work, its just in calculating what the values would be.
Now glass has a low ductility but a fairly good density but on the other hand has a low attenuation factor due to the grain structure and E modlus.
If it was thick enough these factors could be made to work, but at what expense and what gain in performance.
Now i am going to get off on one of my well known tangents.
One of the good reasons for the application of ply in enclosure applications is the fact is thats its a laminated medium. Any energy has to encounter several interfaces, everytime an energy encounteres an interface of different values it gives up greater energy than a monocramatic singular medium due to the loss at an interface.
Simply put, the more interfaces an energy has to encounter the greater the loss of energy, thus the more damping.
ron
Only if the resonance aided in a required part of the response spectrum. The major factor in calculating a resonance is the odd/even response at a given frequency. I would never say a glass enclosure or horn cant work, its just in calculating what the values would be.
Now glass has a low ductility but a fairly good density but on the other hand has a low attenuation factor due to the grain structure and E modlus.
If it was thick enough these factors could be made to work, but at what expense and what gain in performance.
Now i am going to get off on one of my well known tangents.
One of the good reasons for the application of ply in enclosure applications is the fact is thats its a laminated medium. Any energy has to encounter several interfaces, everytime an energy encounteres an interface of different values it gives up greater energy than a monocramatic singular medium due to the loss at an interface.
Simply put, the more interfaces an energy has to encounter the greater the loss of energy, thus the more damping.
ron
Ron,
So I take that to mean that a glass sided frugel with plywood internal panels may be OK, expecially since the the plywood is the surface forcing all of the folds.
So I take that to mean that a glass sided frugel with plywood internal panels may be OK, expecially since the the plywood is the surface forcing all of the folds.
johninCR said:
Yes, but it would'nt look as good!
Anyone know anything about the Waterfall speakers? A MTM seems like an easy enough thing to make.
The Victoria is used as a reference speaker by one of the reviewers on Hifi World Magazine.
To prevent the necessity of damping, which would kind of negate the point of a glass speaker, they've patented a 'unique' damping arrangement. (Actually, all it is is a thick, black-painted cardboard tube, with light stuffing in it, factened to the rear of the driver ;-) Other than that, and the glass construction, they're pretty much a standard MTM ported enclosure, venting through a machined slot in the plinth, to prevent any nasty extra tubes spoiling aesthetics. A sealed box would be even easier of course. I heard one of their lower end models, and thought it a nice, regular floor-stander that just happened to be made from glass.
To prevent the necessity of damping, which would kind of negate the point of a glass speaker, they've patented a 'unique' damping arrangement. (Actually, all it is is a thick, black-painted cardboard tube, with light stuffing in it, factened to the rear of the driver ;-) Other than that, and the glass construction, they're pretty much a standard MTM ported enclosure, venting through a machined slot in the plinth, to prevent any nasty extra tubes spoiling aesthetics. A sealed box would be even easier of course. I heard one of their lower end models, and thought it a nice, regular floor-stander that just happened to be made from glass.
They are also clever with the wiring, running it as thin metal strips up the baffle to form part of the look of the enclosure. A tall, MLTL would look good in glass.
Indeed, if you can get the damping right. The top would need considerable strengthening of course, as the greatest pressure will be placed upon this panel, so a triple thickness might be a good idea.
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