Fast, fun, Inexpensive OB project

Long term projet, start to make my, with some mistakes :)

And I thought it was going to be easy. :D:smash::headbash:
 

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Hello Harrold.... ideally the baffle plate should be MDF, but plywood, or if all you have is solid wood, that will do. Being an open design it is quite forgiving of substrate resonances. MDF is the easiest to machine and is available most everywhere. The wings can be anything from cardboard to granite. Shape and structural integrity are the main things to consider. Best.
 
John, first and foremost, thanks for sharing your designs and all this information with it… it’s appreciated big time!

I’m looking into building a pair of Manzanita’s and have a coupe of questions…

A big factor in choosing this design is portability. These speakers will be used in a number of different rooms - community centres, church halls, function rooms etc. Is it possible to build an adjustable crossover, so they can be tuned to each room as and when, and do you have any essentials/recommendations for this?

For wings, are there any modifications to the shape that would improve performance in the rooms mentioned? (with changing dimensions for each room, this is slightly vague, I know!)

Also, is it okay to cut holes to be used as handles in the wings, or would this have a negative impact on sound/performance?

I’ve only started properly looking into loudspeakers and building them in recent months… trying to give myself a bit of a crash course at the minute!
 
A flexible Manzanita

In a mood... Thanks for you interest in the Manzanita... The Manzanita is primarily intended for small residential spaces... I am a bit concerned how it may perform in large volume rooms and or out doors. In areas with cubic volumes over, say 2,500 cu. ft. it could be a bit difficult to play at a useful level. Some of the areas you list would be 10 times or more the cubic volume. It may take 4 or more to maintain a useful acoustic output.

Tonal balance will be set by the distance from rear walls with 42" to 60" being ideal. With a clean 60 watts or so each, a pair, at one meter can generate about 100 db of output down to about 50 Hz. That 100 db is peak very short term output and assumes an average output of around 90 db.

Small handle(s) in each wing will have a modest negative effect, likely not noticed by most. Hope this info is helpful. John
 
Just laying out my crossovers now. I'm concerned about interference or crosstalk between the relatively large inductors. Can anyone share their experiences or suggestions? If it matters, I expect that my crossovers will extend across the 24" width of the baffle.

I use the pic at the bottom of this link as a guide:

Placement of coils in crossover networks
 
I finished my Manzanita Ultra build yesterday. Right out of the box, they were really enjoyable and have improved with a few hours of playing time. The bass has settled in and listening to a bowed double bass, you can hear that these speakers can produce both quantity and texture. It still may be a bit too much for my liking, but I'll give a few more hours. Relative to the woofers, the tweeters look tiny but they do a surprisingly good job with the mids. Nice integration across the audible spectrum with a lot of spatial cues. Overall, a very nice set of speakers!

Thanks to John and Pano for keeping this thread active and informed. Making these speakers was as much fun as listening to them.
 

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts

Harold.... thanks for sharing your thoughts! Good that you are enjoying your open baffle experience. The Manzanita and Ultra are sleepers and usually surprise people with their natural sounding character. They will improve with time and after you dial in the best location in your listening room. J