The Flu is a productive place to be.

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Well, I have had the flu for the last few days and have been holed up in the house (except for my foray to class which was entertaining to say the least. My students all asked me why I was there (so did my department chair)).

That said, it has made me quite productive. (and a little stupid as can be seen in posts over the last few days). Regardless, I have been working on the 168 Sigma enclosure and it looks like it's a winner! Relatively compact and wife friendly, they will easily reproduce 40 Hz and possibly lower in-room response. I am now thinking that this is the set I want to build next. Well, one more from me to all of you. I hope you enjoy! Plans will be drawn up and put up soon.

Tom

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
Alright, I am sick of trying to post inline images. They keep disappearing. Ah well, here are the images
 

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Re: Re: The Flu is a productive place to be.

Ropie said:


Relative to what, a Smeg refrigerator? :) They do look good though.

Hehe, well I was thinking more in terms of like Scott said, his enclosures are large and I would think wife angering. Not to mention, getting real bass out of an enclosure without corners (even with corners for that matter) is difficult at sizes any smaller than this. One may mention the Frugal Horn, but to use that without corners requires some objects that would more likely than not be more objectionable than the Model IV by far. Not to mention, AFIK you probably will never see the depth of bass you can get out of this enclosure.

Tom
 
>>> Well, I have had the flu for the last few days and have been holed up in the house...

Me too. Hope you are feeling better. Last night i did a cable swap for something thicker and feel it smooths out the top end grunge. It can be relaxing sitting behind your stereo swapping wires when feeling a bit sick. Then i sat for about an hour listening to Shelby Lynne and fell in love again (with yet another woman). Listening to BIBs really is a treat. Since building them i realize with clarity why so many music lovers enjoy and swear by back horn speakers. They really provide insight into the music by revealing micro detail (breaths, fingers on strings, a mis-hit of the drum, etc.) with ease. Everything shrinks back down and sounds 'reproduced' when you go back to regular box speakers. Back horns really open up and give the listener a huge soundstage to revel in. Made my tummy feel much better. Neat box btw, I would like to hear a pair. It might be fun to try and determine the best design for the Fostex 168. Without doubt, several back horn designs will contest the top spot.

Godzilla
 
I tend to agree with you. I recently had a similar experience with Casandra Wilson when I set up my new amplifier and went to 0 ohm 0 inductance speaker cables. Definitely smooths things out.
168 Sigma shootout! I would be very interested in a little friendly competition. Who would build though. And with all of us so spread out, we would have to have a get together for a few days somewhere for the shootout. Ah well, I hope you feel better. I am off to bed to be with my cough and my upset stomach.

Tom
 
Be thankful for the flu...I was just Dx with mononucleosis. Couldnt figure out why that bad cold going around lasted as long as it did. (all of February) Or why I suddenly had a gut. (enlarged spleen.) or stiff joints, or blurred vision, or puffy eyes, or the lean weight loss/water gain. Suddenly it dawned on me I had several symptoms of Mono... Got blood work done, sho nuff, Epstein-Barr. don't know why it presented now, instead of years ago.. I fear I may be developing an ear infection now,...what a mess .....but, reading online, and listening to my 168 BIB's keeps me alive. The leukocyte Rx doesnt like UV rad so I even have to stay out of the sun as well.

*****

FWIW, the FE168 BIB has lasted in my living room far longer than ANY speaker, since I was maybe 21. The thing about these Sigma drivers, is, as TC pointed out to me going five years ago, you only get to really hear what they are capable of once they are very well worn in, and they are intended this way, -transducers for a long haul. FE168BIB A++ Jeff, I agree about your assessments and observations. And, they hit faaar lower than just 40Hz in my room. They get all of the Alembic fretless bass and easily pass the FleckTones "Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo" test. And, you can run them with 2 watts. Hoo could ask for more.
 
>>> transducers for a long haul. FE168BIB A++ Jeff, I agree about your assessments and observations.

You are making me feel like upgrading my 165k to the 168s. I actually enjoy knowing i have an upgrade path. It's something to look forward to. Meanwhile, i will continue to enjoy what i have - immensely.

Cassandra Wilson - some of her stuff is magical and some is boring to me. But i like listening for the magic.

My stomach is also bloated. I had a sonogram today (no baby inside me thank goodness) and an endoscopy tomorrow afternoon. I may have an ulcer of some kind. This could be a good excuse to relax and listen to more music.

Feel better everyone.
Godzilla
 
Bad luck guys. I'm still in the recovery phase from bronchitis, & I'm getting more than a little hacked off about it. So I can sympathise.

Top tip for the day. Get thineselves over to www.classicsonline.com and download a copy of the album 'An Eternal Harmony' by [The] Sixteen. Direct link: http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=5943

The Ave Maria Mater Dei will lift you, haunt you, & take you to the realms of hyper-nod. Loves horns too. Better on the disc, but the 192kbs mp3 is the best I've heard from the format to date.
 
Ave Maria? Isnt that for the liturgically inclined, only?

There is one bit of interesting news, which DIY'rs will appreciate, I must admit I am proud and abit surprised,and that is my punk kid got accepted to the Faculty of Engineering at U.C.S.D. Bad news is daddy finally has to grow up and bust out for UC-$tyle tuition$ this fall:eek: He originally said in error, "UofC," means, University of Calgary, but NOOOOO,ooo ...maybe I can talk him into going to State...which is less than 10% the cost

****

I think overall the BIB is about the best compromise of all speaker alignments. Even my dream condo open baffle system would require spendy 15 inch woofers, big horns and tasty compression drivers, and then DSP based crossover and time processing, EQ and the rest, and then two amps on top of it all, whereas the BIB, get some drivers, build it and play. I think a 2 way BIB using one of Zaph's ideas might be highly interesting for bigger rooms.
 
Thanks for the link Scott,

I have been looking for a good sounding copy of that song.

Now if I could just get over this flu I have had for the last two weeks and get back to building my room! I haven't been productive at all! Of course, my wife did finish painting the listening room for me last weekend. Maybe there is something to this being sick thing.

I'd be interested in a 168 shootout too. The funny thing about this forum is that so many of us are in different countries. I guess it isn't realistic to pick a place to plan something like that huh? I am in the southeast US. I would love to build some cabs just for such an event and then sell them off or give them away at the event. I think that would be cool.

Oh well,

See you guys later,
Take care,
Robert
 
dmason said:
Ave Maria? Isnt that for the liturgically inclined, only?

Not really, or at least, not in my mind. I can't speak a word of latin (wish I could), & I generally avoid organised religion. For me, I see it primarily as a magnificently atmospheric Tudor piece by Willaim Cornysh Sr., sung by some superb performers, that trancends boundaries, like all the best music should.
 
I am sorry to hear that guys. This flu season has been a rough one to say the least. My Wife-to-be(9 days and counting!) has had it off and on since mid-January. Even I got a touch of it and I never get sick.:::raps on head for luck::: Be carefull out there and remember, table saws + cold meds = trouble.

Tom,

Have you modeled any other drivers in this one yet? I'm not thinking of any in particular, it's just always interesting seeing how different drivers preform in the same cab.

Also, I think you should put a link to your site in your signature like 'Zilla and Planet 10 have. Just to make things easy on us lazy folk.

As always, nice work.
 
Scottmoose said:


Cheers Martin -glad you're still in one piece anyway. Hope that won't be famous last words... ;)

Not to worry. I will be a healthy 51 years old next week. The biggest threat to my health is my oldest learning to drive. I am getting the gray hairs and his mother is taking him out on the road in her car. How much better can it get then that?
 
Martin, my son learned to drive on a 5 ton, split shift twin axle, in the country, at a young age. Once his feet could reach the pedals, he could drive grain truck at grandpa's farm at harvest. Once you can do big trucks, back up to the auger, and negotiate narrow gateways, do it at night until 4 am., and all the associated skill sets with that kind of driving, cars are pretty straightforward. This is the best way to learn. By the time he was 16, he was a master-driver; a license was a mere formality. I do know of your concerns, however... makes you appreciate your parent's neuroses ...abit... better!!

The flu in North America making the news is one that takes people down for anywhere from one week to one month. Hospital visits in SD County were up 200%, and the flu shots didnt address this little antigen. Seniors with serious edema from longterm histamine responses is causing all kind of havoc, including of course, congestive heart failure. People have reported getting over it, then feeling drained two weeks later. I believe this flu is what *allowed* the E-B to present.

Another musical heads up is the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, doing Mahler's 5th, C, : Rondo Allegro, these are KIDS, and this is extremely advanced and difficult ensemble playing, and they totally nail it. The production is warm and airy, and quite live sounding. I am not a big Mahler fan, but for melody, and plain beauty, liquidity, look up Rondo Allegro from this bunch and download. It is really, very, very sweet stuff indeed. I promise you will not be disappointed.
 
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