FE108EZ ( sigma ) mFonken build

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Hi Guys,

So I finally busted out the table saw and wood glue and put together some cabinets for my 108EZ drivers that I've had lying around forever.

I decided to go with a mFonken design found here:

http://p10hifi.net/FAL/downloads/Fonken108-0v7-map-311208.pdf

Originally I was going to go for the Metronomes but after wrestling with the decision I decided not to delude myself into thinking that a 4" driver was ever going to be truly "full range" especially being the bass hound that I am. I resigned to the notion of building a 'musical' fast sub crossed fairly high (~150hz)

Why did i buy some dang expensive 4" drivers you ask? Good question but I'm glad I did.

Attached is a picture of the partially completed cab's. Currently they're missing their damping material and driver braces. The tops and the baffles are only screwed in place. I'm planing on finishing them with veneer so I just glued and screwed everything which was probably a wise decision given my lack of clamps and patience..

Impressions:

WOW! once you dissolution yourself of the notion that these things are ever going move enough air to make real bass the joy of these little odd duckling's come out. They're still breaking in and getting substantially less 'shouty' as they do . Also keep in mind that the box is completely undamped so i'm probably getting some nasty resonances.

Even still, the detail that these puppies can produce in the midrange well into tweeter territory is stupendous. Acoustic guitar + vocals is magical, every grazing of the strings, quick breath, and enunciation is shockingly present. It's like you're in the studio beside the musicians.

Jazz is handled with ease until things get busy on the low end, I'm looking forward to eliminating that from their job description and free them up to do what they do best.

They're being powered by a Audiosector / Peter Daniel's LM4780 parallel kit at the moment. I'm planning on building a LM3875 for them and relegating the LM4780 to powering a big woofer, likely this offering from Vifa (Vifa NE315W-08 12"):

Vifa NE315W-08 12" Subwoofer Speaker
 

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music soothes the savage beast
Joined 2004
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nice build vapemaster!

I did something similar because I obtained pair of these amazing little fullranges by accident...not that I needed those, I have way too many speakers, but just like you I am amazed by their musicality

I do have them in closed box, about twice the size of your box...it was the box from IKEA...

recently I stuck the ribbon tweeter on top of those, and attached small sub (which sucks, but I have no other for now, I may build one later)...nice little system, used with computer and JVC receiver for now

that Vifa is way too expensive...

that's plenty of rambling for now...
 
Thanks adason! they now sit atop some mass loaded transmission line speakers employing the M8a's from HiVi. I am powering the MLTL's with the chipamp and have a little T-amp for the Fostex with a MiniDSP doing the Xover. need to tweak some things (the room is terrible...) but they sound great!

the 108EZ's are fantastic. By themselves they fair well on a desk and the forward facing slot port gets a little gain by sitting directly on the desk. They are fairly directional but a healthy toe-in can help drastically. The enclosures are easy to build and most of the pieces can be quickly cut on a table saw.

I elected to stuff them very lightly with some acoutsta-stuff and they sound lovely and musical as ever. If you're thinking about building them I say go for it! you won't be disappointed with the awesome clarity that comes from these bad boys. With a decent little T-amp you'll be rocking out at work in no time Glowbug.
 
Hi Guys,

So I finally busted out the table saw and wood glue and put together some cabinets for my 108EZ drivers that I've had lying around forever.

I decided to go with a mFonken design found here:

http://p10hifi.net/FAL/downloads/Fonken108-0v7-map-311208.pdf

Originally I was going to go for the Metronomes but after wrestling with the decision I decided not to delude myself into thinking that a 4" driver was ever going to be truly "full range" especially being the bass hound that I am. I resigned to the notion of building a 'musical' fast sub crossed fairly high (~150hz)

Why did i buy some dang expensive 4" drivers you ask? Good question but I'm glad I did.

Attached is a picture of the partially completed cab's. Currently they're missing their damping material and driver braces. The tops and the baffles are only screwed in place. I'm planing on finishing them with veneer so I just glued and screwed everything which was probably a wise decision given my lack of clamps and patience..

Impressions:

WOW! once you dissolution yourself of the notion that these things are ever going move enough air to make real bass the joy of these little odd duckling's come out. They're still breaking in and getting substantially less 'shouty' as they do . Also keep in mind that the box is completely undamped so i'm probably getting some nasty resonances.

Even still, the detail that these puppies can produce in the midrange well into tweeter territory is stupendous. Acoustic guitar + vocals is magical, every grazing of the strings, quick breath, and enunciation is shockingly present. It's like you're in the studio beside the musicians.

Jazz is handled with ease until things get busy on the low end, I'm looking forward to eliminating that from their job description and free them up to do what they do best.

They're being powered by a Audiosector / Peter Daniel's LM4780 parallel kit at the moment. I'm planning on building a LM3875 for them and relegating the LM4780 to powering a big woofer, likely this offering from Vifa (Vifa NE315W-08 12"):

Vifa NE315W-08 12" Subwoofer Speaker

Nice work, the 108 is one of my favorite fostex. I have mine in a pair of lowther alerion BLH. I don't use a sub with them, they put out some decent bass in these enclosure.

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.


Tony
 
thanks for chiming in dave. those are indeed the plans I used. very user frienly build for my first speaker construction attempt. I glued and screwed, maybe i'll make another set sans screws if i can get some more clamps in my life.

That surround set up is quite sexy.. I was thinking about hanging my mFonken108's from the ceileing, maybe sideways to try and get a little more space between me and the drivers. I can do the phase correction with the mini dsp if necissary. That center channel looks like it might make a nice addition.. any plans for that guy going up?

cheers,
cam

PS tiverson those RLH's look pretty darn awesome! I'm sure they put out more bass than anything but an Aiko implementation but i will say it's nice to hear that bottom octave or two of a double bass at the recorded level..
 
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This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.