This thread is 15 years old! So I gave the old boxes a make over
I did not expect the positive feed back, comments and enthusiasm when I started this thread 15 years back.
The feed back is very rewarding!
So I took the very old original boxes and made an upgrade of the finish. I use black glass on the top and black acryl on the front. Alle aligned with wooden lists.
The TB W4 1320 SJ is used as it fits very well on the baffle width. They need som serious baffle step correction, which I have not completed yet.
The driver is now placed higher up, acording to the current "TABAQ standard". (Years back I found out the 1/5 off set was working as good as the 1/3 off set. The driver is more in line with the ears, and it also looks better)
Stuffing is reduced to 63 gram.
/Bjørn
I did not expect the positive feed back, comments and enthusiasm when I started this thread 15 years back.
The feed back is very rewarding!
So I took the very old original boxes and made an upgrade of the finish. I use black glass on the top and black acryl on the front. Alle aligned with wooden lists.
The TB W4 1320 SJ is used as it fits very well on the baffle width. They need som serious baffle step correction, which I have not completed yet.
The driver is now placed higher up, acording to the current "TABAQ standard". (Years back I found out the 1/5 off set was working as good as the 1/3 off set. The driver is more in line with the ears, and it also looks better)
Stuffing is reduced to 63 gram.
/Bjørn
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Thanks Bjorn!
I personally am very appreciative of your willingness to share and your patience with questions. You and others who willingly share such expertise make this hobby possible for those of us who like the sound of good speakers, but don't have the knowledge to design them as well as you. It gives us a starting point for learning as well. I look forward to these posts and have built more than one pair of TABAQs. I'm going to start on a pair for W5-1611s I picked up a while back. I'm going to add a tweeter to help with beaming. I also have a pair of the titanium W4-1320s I'll put in TABAQs and work on the baffle step soon.
Thanks again!
I personally am very appreciative of your willingness to share and your patience with questions. You and others who willingly share such expertise make this hobby possible for those of us who like the sound of good speakers, but don't have the knowledge to design them as well as you. It gives us a starting point for learning as well. I look forward to these posts and have built more than one pair of TABAQs. I'm going to start on a pair for W5-1611s I picked up a while back. I'm going to add a tweeter to help with beaming. I also have a pair of the titanium W4-1320s I'll put in TABAQs and work on the baffle step soon.
Thanks again!
I remember first coming across the TABAQ maybe a little over 10 years ago & being instantly intrigued, but at that time I had no space for them. It wasn't until 3-4 years ago that I moved into a new apartment & finally had the excuse to build my first pair... & I have built two more pairs since!
The TABAQ is deceptively easy for beginners to this hobby to build, yet as Mike points out the expertise that is required to actually design a speaker like this is beyond so many of us.
You definitely deserve all of the positive feedback from all around the world & I imagine there will still be many TABAQ being enjoyed in another 15 years time 🙂
The TABAQ is deceptively easy for beginners to this hobby to build, yet as Mike points out the expertise that is required to actually design a speaker like this is beyond so many of us.
You definitely deserve all of the positive feedback from all around the world & I imagine there will still be many TABAQ being enjoyed in another 15 years time 🙂
Thank you so much Bjorn there is really not possible words for show my appreciation for what you had done on the last 15 years. In my case all come casually, I was looking to build a tall slim speaker box just for space problem, I was enquiry and looking on other thread then "twocents" introduce me to TABAQ, I immediately check and felt in love with it, but the love grow deeper when the built was finish and listen became a wowwww, I was really impress by the result and so I build many other TABAQ, thank you very much again Bjorn and please do not give up on this we still need you for so many years to come 🙂
Bjørn,
your updated finish looks really nice! Very clean. I like it!
The fact that this thread is still around after all these years is all because of you.
Your willingness to share this design with the world, and supporting it over such a long time (and still going!) is very rare. We all appreciate it, and the size of this thread shows how much we love it.
Thank you so much!
Jeff
your updated finish looks really nice! Very clean. I like it!
The fact that this thread is still around after all these years is all because of you.
Your willingness to share this design with the world, and supporting it over such a long time (and still going!) is very rare. We all appreciate it, and the size of this thread shows how much we love it.
Thank you so much!
Jeff
Bjorn, Now you could put a plant up there - and any spills or leaks wouldnt mar the finish. Thank-you for the W5-2143 version I built, along with all your other contributions for all those years!
Yes, thanks Bjorn for this design and all the help you have given many of us, we are indebted!
I'm back to a pair of TABAQs and a sub as my main system, after a period of time with FHLs as my mains. They still sound wonderful...
I'm back to a pair of TABAQs and a sub as my main system, after a period of time with FHLs as my mains. They still sound wonderful...
Hi Bjorn,
Your new speaker looks great with the shiny glass black look! Your Tabaq thread was what got me going to DIYA in the first place. I have you to thank for starting me on my full range speaker journey.
Your new speaker looks great with the shiny glass black look! Your Tabaq thread was what got me going to DIYA in the first place. I have you to thank for starting me on my full range speaker journey.
A big thank you Bjørn for your dedication to all that are enjoying the great vibes that your dedication provides.
I'm myself trying to put together a pair of alpair 10.3 based in the tabaq large following your instructions:
Now that I saw your comment:
I wonder if that rule can also be applied to that design. I'm placing the center of the drive at 1/3 from the top, and at 1/5 it would be more good looking 🙂
I'm myself trying to put together a pair of alpair 10.3 based in the tabaq large following your instructions:
Now that I saw your comment:
I wonder if that rule can also be applied to that design. I'm placing the center of the drive at 1/3 from the top, and at 1/5 it would be more good looking 🙂
The cheap TPA3116 amp I'm using for my new TABAQ BOX doesn't have quite enough range on its treble knob to tame the 4FE35, so I invested in a cheap measurement mic & spent the last few hours getting to grips with the absolute basics of REW & Equalizer APO. I still have a lot to learn, but they already sound much better than just using the amp's bass/treble knobs!
First image is with no EQ, second is the filters that REW calculated, third is once those filters are enabled in Equalizer APO & the final image is the result compared to the target Harman house curve.
First image is with no EQ, second is the filters that REW calculated, third is once those filters are enabled in Equalizer APO & the final image is the result compared to the target Harman house curve.
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Are you using any baffle step compensation? Bass is omnidirectional, so on slim speakers especially, much of the bass "wraps around"the enclosure. Higher frequencies aren't as omnidirectional, do more of the sound energy comes more directly at you while some of the sound energy from the bass goes all directions. Baffle step compensation drops the higher frequencies to the same audible level as the bass coming at you. Kind of a loose explanation of BSC.
No, I don't have a 'physical' BSC filter. With my previous pair of TABAQ (regular 'tall' version with 3" Tang Band drivers) I managed to get away with just using the tone controls on the amplifier. I had hoped to do the same with this new pair, however the 4FE35 get rather messy up around 8k & it's too much for the basic treble knob on the amp to cope with. I figured for the price of a cheap measurement mic (~£30) & considering this new pair will only ever be used with my computer, I would have a go at measuring the appropriate compensation to implement in software EQ. I can always translate the findings into a physical BSC filter in the future, should I need to.
Listening to them now, I am astounded that these are £13 drivers in simple butt-jointed MDF boxes with a £50 amplifier - they sound incredible!
Listening to them now, I am astounded that these are £13 drivers in simple butt-jointed MDF boxes with a £50 amplifier - they sound incredible!
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If you are using your computer, you can download Foobar or something similar and use the equalizer.
foobar2000
Other wise, with the information on your graph, I would think developing a BSC circuit would be simple. There are plenty of calculators online, but I don't know how good they are. I would think someone has a circuit for that driver.
foobar2000
Other wise, with the information on your graph, I would think developing a BSC circuit would be simple. There are plenty of calculators online, but I don't know how good they are. I would think someone has a circuit for that driver.
I just exported the filters from REW & imported them directly into Equalizer APO, which then applies system wide.
I'm surprised to see the knee on the 4FE35 at 65Hz. Most of my 3' and 4" do at least 55Hz, and a couple can have it at 45Hz.
That could well be down to how I'm measuring - it certainly sounds like they roll off a lot lower than 65Hz.
This room is also horrific for room modes. Part of the reason for making a pair of TABAQ BOX for my desk was that I could simply never hear the 8" sub in the previous 2.1 setup when sat at the desk, no matter how I positioned it.
This room is also horrific for room modes. Part of the reason for making a pair of TABAQ BOX for my desk was that I could simply never hear the 8" sub in the previous 2.1 setup when sat at the desk, no matter how I positioned it.
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That's when having more than one sub much better. 2 or 3 small subs are much better than one.
In an ideal world, absolutely! However in the reality of my current apartment where I can't really have too much bass anyway due to my neighbours, I'm enjoying the simplicity of the TABAQ compared to my old setup. I've ditched my old bookshelf speakers, separate sub, the active crossover & the big 3 channel LM3886 amp (crossover & amp were in a 3U 19" rack) & replaced them all with just the TABAQ BOX, a tiny TPA3116 amp & some software EQ.
Hi Everyone, I learnt about TABAQ nearly a decade ago now (last time I tried to build speakers) but I am back and keen to give my first foray back into speaker building a go to make some folded TABAQ as desktop speakers to go with my computer.
I have found Bjorn's 3" tangband folded design pdf's and just want to confirm that the Tangbands I have laying around are reasonable choices for this build. They are Tang Band W3-881SI's. (I actually have about 50 of them from an aborted BFM TLAH build ~ wayyy too many holes).
I've attached a freq response and T/S parameters data sheet that I was supplied with when I purchased them long ago.
Quick summary: Fs: 100hz, Qts: 0.59
My main concern: I was wondering if I should have front facing ports as these will be going fairly close to a wall?
I found this design from a bit of internet sluething and wonder if it'd be a better design for me? Though it is modelled for a 4" driver with an Fs of 75hz.
TABAQ bookshelf enclosure design
Secondary concern: I don't really need these to dig super deep as I have an Wharfedale SW150 sub ($40 2nd hand pickup woo!!!) that I will pair these with. Is it better to just go with the design as listed or should I try and remodel them to not dig as deep?
Super excited to get back in to this world and with such a cheap and fantastic starting point!
Thank you everyone for the amazing amount of history in this thread and Bjorn especially!
I have found Bjorn's 3" tangband folded design pdf's and just want to confirm that the Tangbands I have laying around are reasonable choices for this build. They are Tang Band W3-881SI's. (I actually have about 50 of them from an aborted BFM TLAH build ~ wayyy too many holes).
I've attached a freq response and T/S parameters data sheet that I was supplied with when I purchased them long ago.
Quick summary: Fs: 100hz, Qts: 0.59
My main concern: I was wondering if I should have front facing ports as these will be going fairly close to a wall?
I found this design from a bit of internet sluething and wonder if it'd be a better design for me? Though it is modelled for a 4" driver with an Fs of 75hz.
TABAQ bookshelf enclosure design
Secondary concern: I don't really need these to dig super deep as I have an Wharfedale SW150 sub ($40 2nd hand pickup woo!!!) that I will pair these with. Is it better to just go with the design as listed or should I try and remodel them to not dig as deep?
Super excited to get back in to this world and with such a cheap and fantastic starting point!
Thank you everyone for the amazing amount of history in this thread and Bjorn especially!
