Ok. So what is the most creative speaker enclosure that you have built, bought or seen? I am thinking of things like coffee cans, sewer pipes, etc. The idea is to do some brainstorming for cheap easy enclosures for non critical speakers.
mike
mike
"Power Pots" & "'Bucket of Bass"
Just a quick reply,
The most unusual cabinets I've seen are probably Aaron Gilbert's "Power Pots" using two large flower pots per speaker.
He used some pine rounds from Home Depot and a large plastic flower pot with a smaller pot glued to the back of the first one. Sounded quite good and he started with only stuff he has on hand, didn't buy a thing. The Mk II version included some changes as well as some minor purchases.
Aaron's "Bucket of Bass" subwoofer used a built-in bucket that came with his car and fits on top of his spare tire, yet is still under the deck of the trunk. He used some buyout woofer that he paid $12.00 for and it really is quite good, although not as stunning as the Shiva that was installed in his old Saab.
I suppose that a couple of mine are kinda unusual, but I think Aaron's are perhaps more unique. If I get some time this evening, I'll see if I can find a picture of his "Power Pots", I think they were at Al Wooly's RAW Fest last year or the year before.
Best Regards,
TerryO
Just a quick reply,
The most unusual cabinets I've seen are probably Aaron Gilbert's "Power Pots" using two large flower pots per speaker.
He used some pine rounds from Home Depot and a large plastic flower pot with a smaller pot glued to the back of the first one. Sounded quite good and he started with only stuff he has on hand, didn't buy a thing. The Mk II version included some changes as well as some minor purchases.
Aaron's "Bucket of Bass" subwoofer used a built-in bucket that came with his car and fits on top of his spare tire, yet is still under the deck of the trunk. He used some buyout woofer that he paid $12.00 for and it really is quite good, although not as stunning as the Shiva that was installed in his old Saab.
I suppose that a couple of mine are kinda unusual, but I think Aaron's are perhaps more unique. If I get some time this evening, I'll see if I can find a picture of his "Power Pots", I think they were at Al Wooly's RAW Fest last year or the year before.
Best Regards,
TerryO
I made a 'Quick N Dirty' subwoofer from those big cardboard "bulk food" bins/barrels.
The first one was probably about 3 feet diameter,and 2 feet tall.I stuffed a couple cheap 12"s in it,Isobarik.
It was enough to get the neighbors over here a couple times.
Later I replaced the 12"s with a single 15" woofer I had.
I've also made one for a 12" driver for a friend from a bulk-food bin.
This one was taller,probably about 3.5 feet tall,and 15" across.
Used a Big blue plastic bucket once too (it probably held 25gallons?)
And a super cheap thrift-store 15". Not bad for like $3 it cost to build!
I used cardboard boxes once with a set of 5.25 inch speakers.
Suprisingly,they actually had decent bass response.
Once a friend and I got bored,we ripped the piezo tweeter from an old car speaker,and mounted it in the end of a cardboard tube.
A directional supertweeter! It was so insanely loud that it was painful if it was pointed towards you.
The first one was probably about 3 feet diameter,and 2 feet tall.I stuffed a couple cheap 12"s in it,Isobarik.
It was enough to get the neighbors over here a couple times.
Later I replaced the 12"s with a single 15" woofer I had.
I've also made one for a 12" driver for a friend from a bulk-food bin.
This one was taller,probably about 3.5 feet tall,and 15" across.
Used a Big blue plastic bucket once too (it probably held 25gallons?)
And a super cheap thrift-store 15". Not bad for like $3 it cost to build!
I used cardboard boxes once with a set of 5.25 inch speakers.
Suprisingly,they actually had decent bass response.
Once a friend and I got bored,we ripped the piezo tweeter from an old car speaker,and mounted it in the end of a cardboard tube.
A directional supertweeter! It was so insanely loud that it was painful if it was pointed towards you.
I like the Klipsch corner horns.
I once built a pair.
I've done others I think are better. But I can't call them more creative.
I once built a pair.
I've done others I think are better. But I can't call them more creative.
I also built a pair of K-horns from scratch using Speakerlab plans back in '75-76. Loved them, but what a lot of work!
I'm still looking for the "Power Pot" photos, but I thought that these might be interesting. I designed the enclosure............ well actually, I just designed these around some plastic strapping tape cardboard spools from work. Total cost including shipping for PE drivers and terminals and MDF came out approximately $4.00 a pair. They don't sound too bad either.
Anyway here's a URL:
http://theloniousbonk.smugmug.com/gallery/505390/1
Enjoy,
TerryO
I'm still looking for the "Power Pot" photos, but I thought that these might be interesting. I designed the enclosure............ well actually, I just designed these around some plastic strapping tape cardboard spools from work. Total cost including shipping for PE drivers and terminals and MDF came out approximately $4.00 a pair. They don't sound too bad either.
Anyway here's a URL:
http://theloniousbonk.smugmug.com/gallery/505390/1
Enjoy,
TerryO
I have a half-barrel sitting out in my garage with a 12" cutout in it.... problem is, I havent owned a 12" driver to put in it in years...
Thanks!
Terry, thanks for the kudos! I guess you didn't try checking my web page, eh? Plenty of Power Pot goodness on there. Look at the bottom two rows of pictures, those are the most current, as is the parts list. Go here:
http://www.aaroncgilbert.com/powerpots.html
As for my buckets of bass.... actually it doesn't have a name yet but I don't really like that one, clever though it is. Will get back to you on that. Here are the pictures and description:
http://www.aeriostyle.com/pics/thumbnails.php?album=95
Enjoy! Also I tend to think my Emerald Towers are pretty creative, just a lot more expensive than either of these two. They're on my web site as well. Oh and Terry, my bucket subwoofer cost $18, not $12. 🙂
Aaron Gilbert
Terry, thanks for the kudos! I guess you didn't try checking my web page, eh? Plenty of Power Pot goodness on there. Look at the bottom two rows of pictures, those are the most current, as is the parts list. Go here:
http://www.aaroncgilbert.com/powerpots.html
As for my buckets of bass.... actually it doesn't have a name yet but I don't really like that one, clever though it is. Will get back to you on that. Here are the pictures and description:
http://www.aeriostyle.com/pics/thumbnails.php?album=95
Enjoy! Also I tend to think my Emerald Towers are pretty creative, just a lot more expensive than either of these two. They're on my web site as well. Oh and Terry, my bucket subwoofer cost $18, not $12. 🙂
Aaron Gilbert
Re: Thanks!
Aaron,
I didn't think to look at your web site, seems pretty obvious now:^)
I'm sorry that I named your sub, however it's too late now, as it's been published in Cyber-print and as we all know, if it's in print then it has to be true. Just ask anyone who reads Stereovile magazine!
Aaron, I tried to save you $6.00 on that Subwoofer!
And yes, the Emerald Towers are pretty unusual, and attractive in a Nautical way:^)
Best Regards,
TerryO
aaroncgi said:
Aaron,
I didn't think to look at your web site, seems pretty obvious now:^)
I'm sorry that I named your sub, however it's too late now, as it's been published in Cyber-print and as we all know, if it's in print then it has to be true. Just ask anyone who reads Stereovile magazine!
Aaron, I tried to save you $6.00 on that Subwoofer!
And yes, the Emerald Towers are pretty unusual, and attractive in a Nautical way:^)
Best Regards,
TerryO
I spent one night of building an expanded polystyrene ball that hang up a speaker cable from the roof. The ball was guite big 25cm diameter like ones in "styroxpallo" -link:
http://www.charlotta.fi/index.php?sivu=kuvat&nayta=Styrox/muovi
I made linear motor inside the ball. It consist of 20 small 20x10x5mm ferrite magnets, two 15x15cm metal plates, and a cardboard bar that has winding wire attached to it with cheap masking tape. "Heavy" magnets and metal thing were connected to speaker cable whereas the "light" ball and cardboard a kind of floated. So the ball and megnets move opposite directions.
The ball was supposed to act as a dipole speaker. In a way it did but there was way too long settling time for the sound in polystyrene so the radiation pattern in trebles were more or less omnidirectional and the sound was like extra echo was added.
Close the ball the sound was almost hifi but from further off it sounded like comming from a tunnel.
Anyway... This experiment was fun 🙂
http://www.charlotta.fi/index.php?sivu=kuvat&nayta=Styrox/muovi
I made linear motor inside the ball. It consist of 20 small 20x10x5mm ferrite magnets, two 15x15cm metal plates, and a cardboard bar that has winding wire attached to it with cheap masking tape. "Heavy" magnets and metal thing were connected to speaker cable whereas the "light" ball and cardboard a kind of floated. So the ball and megnets move opposite directions.
The ball was supposed to act as a dipole speaker. In a way it did but there was way too long settling time for the sound in polystyrene so the radiation pattern in trebles were more or less omnidirectional and the sound was like extra echo was added.
Close the ball the sound was almost hifi but from further off it sounded like comming from a tunnel.
Anyway... This experiment was fun 🙂
Although not like some others, I had fun building my periscope speakers. They didn't work out as planned and I have used the drivers elsewhere but it was fun to build a set that had a plate amp built in for the downfiring woofer and the top end which both swivelled and tilted for directionality. IIRC Terry O. liked these. Too bad they sounded lousy.
My fave is still the Nautilus. You can't make anything even remotely close without there being comparisons. A true classic.
My fave is still the Nautilus. You can't make anything even remotely close without there being comparisons. A true classic.
Attachments
There is a guy in Germany who uses contrabasses as enclosures for fullrange drivers. He first tried it with "cheap" ones for 400 Euro per piece and then used real concert contrabasses for the final version.
Great stuff guys. Holy cow... looking at the power pots I bet that with carefully selected pots you could do I nice midrange horn! Hmmmm...
mike
mike
I have a special place in my heart for rectangles, as you know.
Hey, as an aside, did you know that MJK has released his new Mathcad worksheets? I've got a few home improvement projects to take care of, then it's off to neverland for me! Nowuddimean? I've got the bug...
Hey, as an aside, did you know that MJK has released his new Mathcad worksheets? I've got a few home improvement projects to take care of, then it's off to neverland for me! Nowuddimean? I've got the bug...
kneadle said:
Dare I mention here "compound mitres"?
Yes, I'm looking forward once I get a bit of time to model up some terminated TLs for the mids in my new project.
Cal Weldon said:
Is that like my cutting?
They were supposed to 90 degrees
2.5 words: Sliding T-bevel.
Cal Weldon said:
Cal,
I did like your "Periscope" speakers. I thought that you had come up with some very imaginative solutions for a testbed speaker. IIRC, didn't you actually finish building those just hours before the event? The real problem that I noticed, and we were able to mitigate to a certain degree at the meet, was an integration problem with the sub. Once that was done I thought they sounded much better. I have to admit that I like "quirky" designs that show imagination or a fresh approach. Your Periscope design had both, thus elevating you to the exalted status of a "DIY Speaker God". Many are called, but few are chosen :^)
Best Regards,
TerryO
- Status
- Not open for further replies.