Hello, I am an Industrial design student, at my final year. I am designing a Hi-Fi system while looking for new and innovative materials for the design.
Currently I am interested in designing with Bamboo and some other materials like Metal, Glass and Plastics.
It would help me a lot having your reflections about the subject.
How would Glass behave as a design element in a speaker ?
How good are the acoustic qualities of Bamboo?
Would you like to have a Bamboo designed Hi-Fi System?
What are the advantages / disadvantages of a tubular speaker cabinet ?
Are partitions as naturally exists in a bamboo can be useful? ( sound speaking) when using a single driver per pole with 3 partitions for example ?
Thank you for your time,
Muli.
Currently I am interested in designing with Bamboo and some other materials like Metal, Glass and Plastics.
It would help me a lot having your reflections about the subject.
How would Glass behave as a design element in a speaker ?
How good are the acoustic qualities of Bamboo?
Would you like to have a Bamboo designed Hi-Fi System?
What are the advantages / disadvantages of a tubular speaker cabinet ?
Are partitions as naturally exists in a bamboo can be useful? ( sound speaking) when using a single driver per pole with 3 partitions for example ?
Thank you for your time,
Muli.
Bamboo plywood makes a very nice enclosure...
dave
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.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
dave
Glass enclosures are commercially available. I don't know how they sound, but they look interesting. They're expensive.
www.perfect8.com
www.perfect8.com
Re: Costco
I may be wrong, but I think Wavebourn is probably referring to bamboo surfaced laminate flooring (available many other building/flooring suppliers as well), wherein the bamboo content is minimal and would be entirely decorative.
Of course with a enclosure fabricated of "steel grill armed concrete", the contribution to the sonic signature of a 1/4" thick layer of wood composite would be minimal in any case.
Speaker enclosures made from the Teragren 3/4" 3 ply bamboo such as shown in Dave's pictures can sound excellent indeed. The material is not really that much harder to work with than a marine grade plywood (certainly a much friendlier material than glass for the average DIY builder) , but at approx $300/sheet, the first few cuts are a bit nerve wracking.
chrismercurio said:
I may be wrong, but I think Wavebourn is probably referring to bamboo surfaced laminate flooring (available many other building/flooring suppliers as well), wherein the bamboo content is minimal and would be entirely decorative.
Of course with a enclosure fabricated of "steel grill armed concrete", the contribution to the sonic signature of a 1/4" thick layer of wood composite would be minimal in any case.
Speaker enclosures made from the Teragren 3/4" 3 ply bamboo such as shown in Dave's pictures can sound excellent indeed. The material is not really that much harder to work with than a marine grade plywood (certainly a much friendlier material than glass for the average DIY builder) , but at approx $300/sheet, the first few cuts are a bit nerve wracking.
Muli said:
Hi,
the partitions can certainly be exploited with a driver per partition.
A tubular cabinet is extremely rigid and has good dispersion properties.
The downside is for its form factor only small drivers can be used
and IMO if your talking floorstanding multiple drivers are required.
You say hifi but an AV system would make things easier because
the mainspeakers are not expected to go below 80Hz or so.
FWIW if you do not know what you are doing the design of hi-fi
speakers is a minefield for the uniformed. It is not simple, contrary
to a lot of introductory text on the subject, which is simplistically
plain wrong / not right enough about how to do it most of the time.
/sreten.
I used some of plyboo's bamboo ply in my daughter's room as moulding. I would say that it is much harder to use than mdf or BB ply. It machines easily enough but has one major drawback that one does not experience with the other two products. SPLINTERS! They are really tiny, plentiful, painful, and hard to remove.
Good luck with your project,
C
Good luck with your project,
C
Re: Re: Bamboo Audio system
even amongst the enlightened, misinformation (intentional and otherwise) and folly abounds
sreten said:
... <snip>
FWIW if you do not know what you are doing the design of hi-fi
speakers is a minefield for the uniformed. It is not simple, contrary
to a lot of introductory text on the subject, which is simplistically
plain wrong / not right enough about how to do it most of the time.
even amongst the enlightened, misinformation (intentional and otherwise) and folly abounds
I love the look of Bamboo. As easy as it is to grow and as quickly as it grows, one would think it would be less expensive. I wonder if use of it becomes more wide spread if it will indeed become cheaper?
From what I have heard, Bamboo is similar to Birch ply as far as sound characteristics. I would have to think it might be stronger and possibly stiffer which in many people's opinions is the best thing for a speaker cabinet.
I have built cabs from Fiberglass many times. I will say that properly done, they seem to add less coloration to the sound than wood, but in my limited experience, that equated to a sterile sounding set up. Not bad, but not good. Just rather plain to listen too, kind of soft you might say.
I have worked with several tubular speakers. I like the sound I have heard. In fact, one of the best sounding speakers I have heard was a tubular cabinet. I don't think this is from the stiffness or strength as much as the interaction of a round driver in a round shaped cabinet. It seems to be less distorting perhaps? Perhaps I have not heard badly done tubular cabinets and can't compare as I am certain that all tubes are not created equal. This would most likely come down to design element as opposed to any rigid physical difference.
As far as glass is concerned.... I have not heard any full range or even mid to high range speakers made with glass. I have heard subs made from glass before. Not a bad sounding sub I must say, but the idea that you can't really support it with stiffening braces or anything scares me. Of course, I am no glass worker. If you were good that might be a non issue. Glass is very heavy and stiff so it might make an excellent enclosure material. I have to wonder how one might incorporate damping into an enclosure without making it look pretty awful though.
OK my 2c is in, lol. YMMV, but I am done typing for today, lol
Take care,
Robert
From what I have heard, Bamboo is similar to Birch ply as far as sound characteristics. I would have to think it might be stronger and possibly stiffer which in many people's opinions is the best thing for a speaker cabinet.
I have built cabs from Fiberglass many times. I will say that properly done, they seem to add less coloration to the sound than wood, but in my limited experience, that equated to a sterile sounding set up. Not bad, but not good. Just rather plain to listen too, kind of soft you might say.
I have worked with several tubular speakers. I like the sound I have heard. In fact, one of the best sounding speakers I have heard was a tubular cabinet. I don't think this is from the stiffness or strength as much as the interaction of a round driver in a round shaped cabinet. It seems to be less distorting perhaps? Perhaps I have not heard badly done tubular cabinets and can't compare as I am certain that all tubes are not created equal. This would most likely come down to design element as opposed to any rigid physical difference.
As far as glass is concerned.... I have not heard any full range or even mid to high range speakers made with glass. I have heard subs made from glass before. Not a bad sounding sub I must say, but the idea that you can't really support it with stiffening braces or anything scares me. Of course, I am no glass worker. If you were good that might be a non issue. Glass is very heavy and stiff so it might make an excellent enclosure material. I have to wonder how one might incorporate damping into an enclosure without making it look pretty awful though.
OK my 2c is in, lol. YMMV, but I am done typing for today, lol
Take care,
Robert
Well, aside from growing incredibly fast, and having many fabulous properties and potential uses, there is a down-side to bamboo:
it requires intensive amounts of precision machining and subsequent production processes to create the type of plywood panels or laminated solid planks we're talking about for cabinet fabrication.
Some of the enclosures included in Dave's earlier photos were built here (the Fonkens are my "daily driver"), and compared to the same design enclosures constructed of BB, there is a "life" to the bamboo that is hard to describe. I'd love to hear what Terry Cain would have to say on the subject.
it requires intensive amounts of precision machining and subsequent production processes to create the type of plywood panels or laminated solid planks we're talking about for cabinet fabrication.
Some of the enclosures included in Dave's earlier photos were built here (the Fonkens are my "daily driver"), and compared to the same design enclosures constructed of BB, there is a "life" to the bamboo that is hard to describe. I'd love to hear what Terry Cain would have to say on the subject.
Bamboo seems to be "out" again. Everything is allowed that gives structure, even rotten cores, especially apple. This is the first speaker in that style, I believe they will become more.
http://www.cd-konzert.de/Produkte/EBLdia.shtml
http://www.cd-konzert.de/Produkte/EBLdia.shtml
My wine bottle diy project http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=104218&highlight=
I found it
I found it
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