I'm in north California. The Manzanita is a good start I'm working on a pair too. Also waiting to see what John's mkII is all about.
You are in a good area for DIY audio. Several active groups there and the Burning Amp festival as well. Lots of highly qualified people involved to learn from and share experiences.
SoCal is the opposite. The only group here is the Los Angeles and Orange County Audio Society. It's mostly a bunch of rich snobs who have more money than good sense when it comes to audio. They have absolutely no interest in DIY and look down on it as "a bunch of engineers with soldering irons". That's in quotes, because it's the exact statement I was told by the president of the group.
I'd be interested in forming a real DIY audio group in this area, but so far have not gotten very far.
Good day Gentlemen
This is my first built in DIY audio. And it's a Manzanita. Please don't judge harshly...
When I first heard them sing even with my Hitachi 802 amp I cried for 10 minutes. I have never heard anything like it in my life. When I'll get them a few tube amps they will sound even better.
This is my first built in DIY audio. And it's a Manzanita. Please don't judge harshly...
When I first heard them sing even with my Hitachi 802 amp I cried for 10 minutes. I have never heard anything like it in my life. When I'll get them a few tube amps they will sound even better.
Attachments
Thanx, I'm glad you like it. 
The base stand is painted concrete. I used sausage BBQ foil for the form. Then painted with oil paints mixed with boiled linseed oil. The base is about 30 pounds which gives stability. I have adjusted six legs under the base, this way I can move it vertically for a few degrees up or down. Crossover boxes are food containers a few bucks a pair, with a few modifications, but they look good and transparent, you can see inside. The pole is from a fence post - pretty thick. Wood around the baffle is Meranti. The baffle itself is an old table top, so almost no money spent, just time.
I should be thanking you for your GREAT work, that inspired me. I always wanted to have a SOUND in my house and not what I had to deal with (commercially made speakers) all my life. Now it's the time to upgrade my amp and other stuff.
The base stand is painted concrete. I used sausage BBQ foil for the form. Then painted with oil paints mixed with boiled linseed oil. The base is about 30 pounds which gives stability. I have adjusted six legs under the base, this way I can move it vertically for a few degrees up or down. Crossover boxes are food containers a few bucks a pair, with a few modifications, but they look good and transparent, you can see inside. The pole is from a fence post - pretty thick. Wood around the baffle is Meranti. The baffle itself is an old table top, so almost no money spent, just time. I should be thanking you for your GREAT work, that inspired me. I always wanted to have a SOUND in my house and not what I had to deal with (commercially made speakers) all my life. Now it's the time to upgrade my amp and other stuff.
I understand. But since I'm relatively new to all the DIY audio stuff including amps, can you point me in the right direction on where can I source some info on amps that work best on Manzanitas. Maybe some projects on the forum you have knowledge about, that turned out to be working great with these speakers, or maybe commercial amps that can work good.
I need to change my amp that's for sure, but don't know where to start. Too much info everywhere. Thank you for your time.