Hello all;
I thought I would post a few pics and a video of a pair of Wild Burro Audio Betsy drivers I installed in 1-3/8" maple baffles.
The baffles took about 3 hours to make because of the amount of routering involved. I recessed the driver so that it would be flush mounted with the baffle as well as chamfering a relief cut on the back of the driver cutout. All edges were chamfered 45° as well.
Speaker cables used are DH Labs and they were soldered directly to the tabs on the driver - Sorry WBT and Cardas, but NO binding post will always beat any binding post when it comes to sound quality.
These drivers/baffles will not do 20 hz search & destroy missions, however, what they do is super tactile "finger tips on the drum skin" palpability. They also won't go to the upper reaches of human hearing which is of little consequence for these ears.
As far as material for the baffle is concerned, I chose 1-3/8" butcher block maple for its mass and damping properties. Initially I cut a hole in a piece of Baltic birch plywood I had sitting around, but quickly scrapped it because it would just sit and vibrate. Maybe if i had braced it things would have been different. I realize there are those that go this route to come in at a price point, but when you're DIY'ing who cares.
After being blown away by the sound of a $175 per pair speakers for 3 hours driven by a high quality tube amp, I decided to try solid state.........YUCK!!! they did not like the higher damping of the Adcom and Parasound amps at all. I did not have a chip amp on hand to listen to so I will reserve comment. Back to the tube amp; It's a first generation Sherwood S-5000 with the big ultra linear transformers, 7189 output tubes, Telefunken smooth plate 12AX7's (5), massively upgraded power supply, Russian Teflon coupling caps - All from the mad scientist known as Michael Samra.
A quick word about baffle size; Everthing you change will have a effect. A large baffle while producing prodigious bass will tend to suffer when it comes to imaging and vice versa. I don't believe there is any right or wrong when it comes to baffle dimensions. Randy at Caintuck Audio uses a 18" W × 22-1/2" H × 3/4" D with rounded corners. Mine are 18-1/2" W × 25" H × 1-3/8" D and they image out of this world while still producing bass into the 50 - 60 hz range.
For now I have left them unfinished until I get some time to apply 7 - 10 coats of laquer. To say that I am impressed with this driver would be a understatement.
https://youtu.be/mhQidURwrlE
I thought I would post a few pics and a video of a pair of Wild Burro Audio Betsy drivers I installed in 1-3/8" maple baffles.
The baffles took about 3 hours to make because of the amount of routering involved. I recessed the driver so that it would be flush mounted with the baffle as well as chamfering a relief cut on the back of the driver cutout. All edges were chamfered 45° as well.
Speaker cables used are DH Labs and they were soldered directly to the tabs on the driver - Sorry WBT and Cardas, but NO binding post will always beat any binding post when it comes to sound quality.
These drivers/baffles will not do 20 hz search & destroy missions, however, what they do is super tactile "finger tips on the drum skin" palpability. They also won't go to the upper reaches of human hearing which is of little consequence for these ears.
As far as material for the baffle is concerned, I chose 1-3/8" butcher block maple for its mass and damping properties. Initially I cut a hole in a piece of Baltic birch plywood I had sitting around, but quickly scrapped it because it would just sit and vibrate. Maybe if i had braced it things would have been different. I realize there are those that go this route to come in at a price point, but when you're DIY'ing who cares.
After being blown away by the sound of a $175 per pair speakers for 3 hours driven by a high quality tube amp, I decided to try solid state.........YUCK!!! they did not like the higher damping of the Adcom and Parasound amps at all. I did not have a chip amp on hand to listen to so I will reserve comment. Back to the tube amp; It's a first generation Sherwood S-5000 with the big ultra linear transformers, 7189 output tubes, Telefunken smooth plate 12AX7's (5), massively upgraded power supply, Russian Teflon coupling caps - All from the mad scientist known as Michael Samra.
A quick word about baffle size; Everthing you change will have a effect. A large baffle while producing prodigious bass will tend to suffer when it comes to imaging and vice versa. I don't believe there is any right or wrong when it comes to baffle dimensions. Randy at Caintuck Audio uses a 18" W × 22-1/2" H × 3/4" D with rounded corners. Mine are 18-1/2" W × 25" H × 1-3/8" D and they image out of this world while still producing bass into the 50 - 60 hz range.
For now I have left them unfinished until I get some time to apply 7 - 10 coats of laquer. To say that I am impressed with this driver would be a understatement.
https://youtu.be/mhQidURwrlE
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They look really elegant. There's something really satisfying about throwing a speaker behind a board and listening to it sound so great isn't there? It's feels like you've beat the audio rules, marketing gimmicks, and perhaps even physics. Haven't heard the Betsy yet, but if I ever go 8" full range it would be hard not to have these on the short list given all the good press and the price.
Just a suggestion.Pano;
I may do just that, but I would have to get my compass (head scratchin & figurin) out because of the rake angle - they lean back slightly.
I may make a pair of 36" H × 18-1/2" W × 1-3/8" T baffles to accommodate these Eminence/Crites 1526 cast basket woofers. I had a extra pair laying around...
S.
I may do just that, but I would have to get my compass (head scratchin & figurin) out because of the rake angle - they lean back slightly.
I may make a pair of 36" H × 18-1/2" W × 1-3/8" T baffles to accommodate these Eminence/Crites 1526 cast basket woofers. I had a extra pair laying around...
S.
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Let's Make a Pair For Steph
Mikey;
I bet Steph would love these things especially since they are so articulate at low levels.
If she lives in a town house or condo it would be a match made in heaven for a 10 - 40 wpc tube amp along with a pre/pre section with a "loudness" contour switch in good working order. Now if we only knew someone that could find her one....
S .
Mikey;
I bet Steph would love these things especially since they are so articulate at low levels.
If she lives in a town house or condo it would be a match made in heaven for a 10 - 40 wpc tube amp along with a pre/pre section with a "loudness" contour switch in good working order. Now if we only knew someone that could find her one....
S .
Yeah, that's no fun. I usually get it wrong on the 1st try. Could you just decide on the angle at the bottom of the wings and let them determine the tilt?
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