Need some help re-evaluating this hobby - your stories...

[maynardg]

I guess I've been doing this for 13-14 years. Some of you have been friends for almost as long. - probably 25 pairs so far. So, it is time to re-evaluate the direction I am going with the hobby.

Today, in the main living area of the house, I have Tzu-Jan's, Sonoma's, Malbec's, the recent open-baffle project, and a glued-up 3-way for a friend, waiting on veneer.

Not as much as some of you, but one can listen to only one set at a time. MJ (my lovely bride) sees the sweat in each pair, and helped voice them all, so she is reluctant to either sell or break down any of them.

Truth be told, they actually all (except the open baffle) have a "maynardg house sound".

Bottom line, I need to take a new direction or freshen up the hobby or in some way to make it engaging enough to continue...(manageable long term expense - retirement is not that far away ;-)

----or----

design and build my last all out uber-speakers.

How to keep the hobby going?, or what to do for an all out?.... what shall the choice and direction be?

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

for me, it IS a hobby. its just a matter of how fast i want to turn them out. i have not done anything this winter except measure different waveguides. Being a late-bloomer, ive just recently got to the point where i now have the woodworking tools to do most anything i want. never thought i would be able to design my own speakers but, with the tools avaliable to me, thanks jeff, i dont have to do any math to reach my goals. i find it very rewarding.
pehaps you just need to take a year or so off.

[johnnyrichards]

Maybe switch gears and do an active setup, or get into building amps, or build the biggest, baddest speakers you can and go fishing :)

[robert]

Ola, Maynard! The 4 years or so I was active in speaker building didn't produce anything as nice as you have made. I learned a lot, though and my objectives of learning to use design and measurement software were met :)

My personal issue with the hobby was time. This showed every single time I brought a project to a DIY - I would get it done, and never really have enough time to do the most important part, listening and tweaking. Too many job and family/gf related committments and I stayed up all night trying to get ready for a DIY...not fun.

Given your results, you definitely shouldn't drop it but maybe you need something totally different as another hobby. I like Johnny's idea of a single "work it till it's right" uber-project with no time or due at DIY constraints, as I think it's what everyone really wants to do. Then work on it only when you feel like it!

I back-burnered speaker building except for the occasional sub for family/friends and picked up an old pastime I truly love. See pics.


http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/RHB3III/BMW%20Offroad%20School/P1020910.jpg

BMW Offroad School - poor pupil but I finished and got the certificate!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/RHB3III/Motorcycles/P1030175.jpg

At the racetrack - megafun!!!

[fastbike1]

OT: You run at a track where they don't require removal / taping of headlights, signals etc?




http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/RHB3III/Motorcycles/P1030175.jpg

At the racetrack - megafun!!!

[howard]

i can't speak for anyone else but I wish there was someone close to me that could help me over the bumps in the road that I seem to encounter as I try to learn to use the PCD software to design my own speakers. By helping and teaching others you would stay current, slow down a little on the number of speakers you turn out and would make some beginners very happy. This can be very rewarding and something that can live on well after you are gone. When I first started I got a lot of help from Roman B. and I will always be thankful to him
Howard

[djkest]

I was just thinking about a 3-way design where the bottom end is a 15" RSS390HF-4, ported and powered by a 300 watt BASH amp on each side. I'm not sure how easy it is to integrate a powered amp into a passive speaker. Maybe go crazy and fully amplify the system and use a mini-dsp to sort things out. Ported is a huge box so it would be a challenge to make something that had aesthetic appeal but also like 8 cubic feet internal volume.

For some reason something like a RAAL or B&G Neo3 flanked by 2 Scanspeak Revelators sounds pretty awesome to me. I like bass too much I think.

[johnnyrichards]

i can't speak for anyone else but I wish there was someone close to me that could help me over the bumps in the road that I seem to encounter as I try to learn to use the PCD software to design my own speakers. By helping and teaching others you would stay current, slow down a little on the number of speakers you turn out and would make some beginners very happy. This can be very rewarding and something that can live on well after you are gone. When I first started I got a lot of help from Roman B. and I will always be thankful to him
Howard

Pete Schumaker and Ryan (doubletap) are both in Missouri. A large part of learning the Excel tools can be done via email, as well.

[johnnyrichards]

I like bass too much I think.

Not possible :)

[maynardg]

.... and something that can live on well after you are gone.

Hey Howard - I'm a long way from gone ;)

[dcgold2000]

I've been at this since the seventies. We've come a very long way from the slide rule. For me this hobby is more exciting then it's ever been. The pc has revolutionized speaker building. So many ideas, so little time. I tend to build em, break em down, and build something else.

I plan to retire this summer and am so looking forward having some time to spend. I've had all active stuff for quite some time and I really look forward to learning PCD. I also like to refurb vintage amps. Thanks to eBay, I have central Iowa's largest collection of Hafler amps. I build my own low level XO's and preamp stuff.

Now we have HT. Five, seven, nine, or ??? speakers. Subs! I'm up to 5! Well 7, if you count the music only system. Carol says she'll publish the final schematic after I'm gone.

PE's buyouts, this forum, and eBay should keep me going until I can't do it or don't care anymore.

[Paul K.]

I'm feeling much like you, Maynard. I have 3 extra pairs of speakers, Marcato, Sonatello and Cavatina that are gathering dust right now because I'm back to listening to just the canTiLenas in my main audio setup (I also have 3 other pairs of speakers that are used daily elsewhere). I will start making sawdust next month for a project to take to MWAF. It's not an uber-type system at all; I'm building it mostly because I need to use my PE dollars. My skills are more limited than yours and many others because I don't design crossovers and really don't feel terribly motivated to do so. Thus, my skills, such as they are, are limited to TLs and cabinet design/construction. I do like the wood-working aspects and I do need something to occupy my time in retirement. I suppose if I were able to sell off the first 3 pairs of speakers I listed, I would consider some sort of uber-project, so to speak, to replace the canTiLenas, then call it a day for speaker building.
Paul

[DanP]

I've seen your cabinet work and understand your reluctance to tear down the speakers you've built, but for me the hobby IS the designing/building. I honestly don't even listen to music at home unless I'm voicing a new pair of speakers. As soon as I get a pair sounding as good as I can, I usually move on to a different design, often requiring the drivers of the newly completed speakers. In fairness, I don't spend as much time on the cabinets as you obviously do, so it doesn't break my heart to see the cabinets go unused after I remove the drivers. I also don't mind desoldering a crossover to get some components I need.

I guess what I'm getting at is, I'd hate to see you leave the hobby. Every design I've heard of yours sounds fantastic and your floor-standing version of the Continuum is, aesthetically speaking, my favorite DIY offering to date. Perhaps you could implement a system that would allow you to be ok with some level of tear down and reuse. Removable baffles and/or a large adjustable passive xover box. Or perhaps beginning a build with the intention of selling or gifting them would make them easier to part with at the end.

Whatever you decide, I hope to continue to see you and your creations at the DIY events for years to come.

Dan

[LouC]

I guess I've been doing this for 13-14 years. Some of you have been friends for almost as long. - probably 25 pairs so far. So, it is time to re-evaluate the direction I am going with the hobby.
...
Bottom line, I need to take a new direction or freshen up the hobby or in some way to make it engaging enough to continue...(manageable long term expense - retirement is not that far away ;-)
----or----
design and build my last all out uber-speakers.
How to keep the hobby going?, or what to do for an all out?.... what shall the choice and direction be?

I am retired, have been at this probably as long as you have. I have yet to do my uber-speakers, because I frankly never get to listen to music much except when I'm in the shop. I see them as a "walk away finale", not quite there yet...

I've decided to go "Johnny Richards", doing more buyout/bottom end stuff. (The Silk Purse challenge... ) I'll give them away or sell them for parts cost. Donated a pair to the Science Fair as a prize, gave a pair to the local fire house since the EMT's there know us by name. Heck a round of golf and lunch is $50, I can get a few more hours with speakers. Even did a couple of demo lectures on measuring and design for a frustrated HS science teacher.

I bought a CD of Bill Fitzmaurice's plans, and I'm kinda digging the whole prosound arena. Beer proofing is a challenge though... :p Crude woodworking & finishing take away some of the scut work (like sanding and finishing.) To me it's like hunting, once you drop the animal, all the fun is gone. :)

I've also been thinking about more designs that are incorporated into pieces of furniture.

With all the health issues my wife and I now face, the shop is my ultimate refuge. I don't care about time, or how long it takes to do things. I even have a local newbie who comes by periodically to help & learn.

Everybody thinks retirement is going to be great. When you spend 24/7 with your spouse, you'll figure out you need to have some outside motivator to keep going. If it's not speaker building, no big deal. If you are well enough to travel, great. It would be a shame to let all that experience and expertise fade into the past...:)

[ligs]

I got my indoctrination to audio through big old-fashioned movie theater sound before the dawn of stereo. Movies like “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Gone with the Wind” had memorable sound tracks that really got you into the scenes completely. In high school, I began to build desk size infinity baffle enclosure for my 8-inch Philips full range and 5-watt 6BQ5 single-ended amplifier with Philips (Norelco) output transformer. My first real purchase of commercial speakers was a pair of Goodmans’ shoe sized Maxim 1, followed by AR4x, Advent Loudspeaker, AR 2ax, AR 3a, and Celestion SL6. The final big thicketed purchase was a pair of AR9’s. After that I began to build speaker kits designed by Lynn Olson (Ariel) and Northcreek Music Systems. I consider myself more of a tweaker than a builder. Not being a perfectionist helps me enjoy things more as long as they are new experiences to me. More recently I found a lot of fun in vintage speakers. Through sheer luck I found a pair of vintage AR3’s with working Alnico powered woofers. Coupled with a pair of lean sounding Infinity TSS 750’s satellites, now AR 3’s sound warm and thoroughly modern. BTW, I am constantly surprised by my recent $100 purchase of Pioneer SP C21’s. Used vertically as LR speakers, they sound so smooth that reminds me of Lynn Olson’ Ariel (Vifa P13WH and Scanspeak D2905 series tweeter in MTM). However, the directivity of Pioneer speakers is so much better than Ariel that they do not sound dull even way off axis. I found you don’t need to spend big buck to enjoy sound and that is a big revelation to me.

[maynardg]

Everybody thinks retirement is going to be great. When you spend 24/7 with your spouse, you'll figure out you need to have some outside motivator to keep going. If it's not speaker building, no big deal. If you are well enough to travel, great. It would be a shame to let all that experience and expertise fade into the past...:)

Say Lou. Would like to meet you.

On Sunday the 19th, I'll be in the Tucson area. I have no idea exactly where you are, but I would really enjoy taking you to dinner that night. Unfortunately, not available until about 7:00. I also have about an hour or hour and one-half available early in the afternoon (arriving at the airport at noon) if there is any logistical way.

[DDF]

I guess I've been doing this for 13-14 years. Some of you have been friends for almost as long. - probably 25 pairs so far. So, it is time to re-evaluate the direction I am going with the hobby.

Today, in the main living area of the house, I have Tzu-Jan's, Sonoma's, Malbec's, the recent open-baffle project, and a glued-up 3-way for a friend, waiting on veneer.

Not as much as some of you, but one can listen to only one set at a time. MJ (my lovely bride) sees the sweat in each pair, and helped voice them all, so she is reluctant to either sell or break down any of them.

Truth be told, they actually all (except the open baffle) have a "maynardg house sound".

Bottom line, I need to take a new direction or freshen up the hobby or in some way to make it engaging enough to continue...(manageable long term expense - retirement is not that far away ;-)

----or----

design and build my last all out uber-speakers.

How to keep the hobby going?, or what to do for an all out?.... what shall the choice and direction be?


Maynard,

What interests you? Is it the learning? If it is maybe you're just hitting the wall with standard designs. Have you thought about picking up the SE Ultimate equalizer? Or maybe even more fun, some mini DSPs? It'll keep you learning, busy, excited and maybe help build even better speakers.

I've been doing this the 70s as well and I just flow in and out with what interests me, not the crowd. Dan N may be the best model here for this line of thought!

As a guess, I don't think making an uber design will make you happy. If it was your goal with this hobby, you would have done that many designs ago.

[daver]

I've been building speakers for over 15 years now, and can relate. There are 2 or 3 pairs to swap out in the main room, a 2.1 system in the computer room.

One thing that I am lucky to have is an audio club that meets once a month. Several members enjoy DIY, and we have a speaker contest every even year. I've got a couple guys who I'd like to help out with a project for this year. That might give me a break from additional inventory, and still participate in the process.

Another thing I did this past year or 2 was to hook up with some tube enthusiasts. I found a SET kit and just finished it up over Christmas. The danger with that is now I can see new projects on the horizon that are more suitable for the tubes. :D

[mtmpenn]

I'm am a relative newbie but I will share my story...

I've built three pairs of speakers and a set of 5 speakers for my HT. Currently, the HT speakers are the only ones in service in my home. I gave away two of the other pairs and the third pair (the nicest looking and sounding of my efforts to date) are in my basement, waiting for the right home (I'm trying to find someone to give them to before I sell them).

The first pair that I gave away were WayneJ's PeeCreeks. They sounded great and looked terrible. I gave them to a college kid who bought some furniture from me because I didn't want to move them. The kid was excited to take them and that made me feel good. I hope he enjoyed them and if nothing else hopefully they rocked a few parties. The second set that I gave away were a set of tritrix towers. They went to a friend who recently acquired a turntable and was looking for some speakers. He is a DIY kind of guy so I know he appreciates the work that went into them. More than anything I hate the idea of my creations going unused. I want someone to put them in their home, listen to them, and smile. Now, my creations have been relatively low end so giving them may be a little easier... though I maintain that the major cost of DIY is the time and sweat equity.

It is hard to find the proper person to give speakers too though. Hifi does not really exist as a concept amongst most of my friends and being a city dweller everyone I know is pretty limited with repsect to space. I've actually offered my za5.2s to two people already just to have them decline.

So, with that backdrop, why do I keep making speakers? Because it makes me feel good. I love the process of building them. I am trying to expand my focus and get more into woodworking in general. I've built a few other things and I have plans for other projects. But, I cannot get over the satisfaction of hearing my speakers sing. Its pretty amazing and has produced a sort of compulsion toward more speakers. I also don't need furniture anymore than I need more speakers.

The good news is that I have very little time for hobies, so I move at a slow pace. I also have to give away the last pair before I start building anything else because they are being "stored" on my work bench.

So, I suppose, the question for you Maynard is what are you looking for?

If you just like building speakers and you can afford the time/money I say sell and/or give away a few pairs and keep at it. Given them to someone you know or a church group or something else that will make you feel good. Consider switching to lower end builds if you know you are just building them for the sake of building/designing.

If you are not enjoying the process then you should either change direction altogether or perhaps explore some other corner of the speaker building hobby. There are lots of interesting hobbies that one could choose to pursue.

The idea of a single uber speaker build doesn't make much sense to me. If you have a desire to build speakers than you will want to build another pair after they are done. If you don't have the desire to build speakers than making the uber pair won't be fun.

[Wolf]

'Bout time! :D:D
Wolf


I'm feeling much like you, Maynard. I have 3 extra pairs of speakers, Marcato, Sonatello and Cavatina that are gathering dust right now because I'm back to listening to just the canTiLenas in my main audio setup (I also have 3 other pairs of speakers that are used daily elsewhere). I will start making sawdust next month for a project to take to MWAF. It's not an uber-type system at all; I'm building it mostly because I need to use my PE dollars. My skills are more limited than yours and many others because I don't design crossovers and really don't feel terribly motivated to do so. Thus, my skills, such as they are, are limited to TLs and cabinet design/construction. I do like the wood-working aspects and I do need something to occupy my time in retirement. I suppose if I were able to sell off the first 3 pairs of speakers I listed, I would consider some sort of uber-project, so to speak, to replace the canTiLenas, then call it a day for speaker building.
Paul

[GranteedEV]

design and build my last all out uber-speakers.

Not necessarily using uber drivers, but try tackling a 5-way active/passive hybrid tower :eek: :D

Hi-Vi RT3C + 2" Aura Whisper + 5" mid + 8" B&C midbass + Dual 10" bass - and make them bipolar (or in this case, it'd be close to omnipolar). Maybe even make them cardioid.

Just make it crazy ambitious without spending a world.... Use unusual cabinet materials like.. I dunno... braced cardboard :P

Make them impedance compensated yadda yadda.
make them +/- 1db... passively.
make them capable of 105+db

[donc]

if it was not speaker building , what would it be ? some people hunt (guns ),fish (boats ),gamble ( money ) ,for some it's cars or bikes ,everyone has a hobby and they can all be expensive.i think we all reach the point of where you are right now .the speakers you already built are yours , you don't have to do anything with them . i had reached this point and decided to build my uber and last speaker to find out there is no such thing ( you can always go faster ),something else comes out during or after your build ,for my uber speaker-a 15" 3way, i have the uber woofer and mid but i know the raal tweeter would be better than the one i'll be using unless i win the lottery ,so my uber build is not uber but damn close and it will be uber for me.
donc

[stan]

I like bass too much I think.

Don't forget about trout, bluegills, catfish, etc. You should love them as well :D

Stan

[Deward Hastings]

Mostly, for me, it’s the fun of learning, experimenting, building. I have certainly spent more time building and playing with HT surround speakers than I have watching movies with surround tracks (that add anything to the enjoyment of the film). And I have some $300/pair “box” speakers which, if push came to shove, would let me enjoy my music collection with very little to grouse about. Sure, my ORION sound “better”, but they cost ten times as much, have consumed a whole lot of my time with mods and improvements, and there’s no way I could claim ten times the accuracy of reproduction or, I suppose, ten times the “musical satisfaction”. The “improvements” are incremental, almost marginal, and I often hear the inadequacy of the recordings more than the remaining failings of the loudspeakers. But there are other satisfactions that come with getting “out of the box” and addressing the remaining issues of what we used to call “High Fidelity”.

It’s a great time to be playing with loudspeakers. “Modern” tools have made it easy for relative novices to design a “good” speaker, and the uniformly good measurements of the speakers that are being built point clearly to the challenges involved in moving to the next step . . . figuring out why they still sound different, and dealing with some long known but finally correctable flaws. There are still places for the conventional two-way box . . . surrounds, computer speakers, background music, the “low cost challenge” . . . there are also *lots* of options now for moving beyond, and making speakers that overcome the limits of boxes, and of room interaction, and our own psychoacoustic limitations.

The answer, I think, now that “good enough” is so easy, is to raise the bar. Use the tools more creatively to measure what we haven’t measured very well (if at all) in the past (and for the most part still don’t measure). Use the range of excellent drivers now available in ways that don’t continue to play to their weaknesses but take advantage of their strengths. There’s nothing wrong, of course, with setting out to build the “uber” old-school loudspeaker-in-a-box . . . the final “good enough” . . . and moving on to spend your time on something else. But the option is also now here to step beyond that and actually build *better* loudspeakers unconstrained by old habits and old mistakes. Only you can decide whether it’s worth it . . . to you . . .

[maynardg]

Thanks Folks. Not really closer to a solution that I was before. But lots to think about. The issue really is time. Not enough to go deeper into the hobby. Projects will have to take a long time.

[LouC]

I'm in the foothills west of town. About 20 min from the airport. Be happy to meet with you, or have you over. Email me and we can set something up. Fellow geeks are always welcome!

[Paul K.]

I find that just doing one semi-major project a year works best for me. I might spend literally several months deciding on drivers and modeling a TL for the woofer or midwoofers until I'm completely satisfied. And, I make lots of detailed drawings to work from so I don't make any mistakes, or not many or not bad ones. Of course, I have lots more time than you since I'm retired. Also, since I frequently am modeling TLs on request from others, I'm able to participate in the design/development process without spending a penny; most of the enjoyment without any expenditures!
Paul


Thanks Folks. Not really closer to a solution that I was before. But lots to think about. The issue really is time. Not enough to go deeper into the hobby. Projects will have to take a long time.

[cjd]

Thanks Folks. Not really closer to a solution that I was before. But lots to think about. The issue really is time. Not enough to go deeper into the hobby. Projects will have to take a long time.

If you have the space to let them be till you find the next bit of time, then do so. That's what really makes it into a hobby for me; I work on stuff for a while when I have time, and then find myself pulled elsewhere so stuff sits and waits. Then I get back to it...

I've done only one design "for myself" lately, which was actually a gift so I didn't have to keep them in the house. :) I've done a lot of work for others, with only two of those designs where I built the box and kept a version myself. 3 more have been in the works for some time - 3 and 5 years respectively. :)

Savor the trip. Don't worry about the rest.

[Pete Schumacher ®]

Maynard, I'm one in the "go for the uber design" camp. Like you, been doing this for a long time, but only seriously in the past 10 years or so. For most of that time, it was spent in the budget design category, simply due to funding. But since I've been spending time with DoubleTap in the driver stratosphere, it's opened up a whole new aspect to this hobby.

Pro woofers and mids with AMTs or RAALs up top is a true ear opener. I wish I could afford what we're building, but at least we get to listen to the stuff for a while before it goes out the door.

[fbov]

I guess I've been doing this for 13-14 years....

Maynard,
As I'm approaching retirement age, retrospection shows that my avocations have a "half life" of about 10 years. I get intensely interested, consumed by the passion, feverishly involved for a while, and then the frenzy fades.

I somewhat envy those with long term relationships with their interests, as speaker design came toward the end of a particularly intense involvement in astronomy, and hasn't caught fire in the XO-design sense but rather in the overall understanding of audio, acoustics and hearing, of which speakers are only one aspect of the total system. The downside of broad interest is the lack of those wonderfully motivational hot spots of interest that get me off my duff...

And the only good advice remains to follow your bliss...

HAve fun,
Frank

[maynardg]

Sorry Lou, my plans changed this morning. Darn. Maybe another time.
Maynard


I'm in the foothills west of town. About 20 min from the airport. Be happy to meet with you, or have you over. Email me and we can set something up. Fellow geeks are always welcome!

[LouC]

I understand completely. My life is wedged in among multiple visits to a variety of medical practitioners... You're always welcome if you get down this way.

[Jim Holtz]

Hi Maynard,

I can relate to your conundrum. I got started in DIY in 2001 after I took the mids and tweeters out of a pair of pricey (for me) commercial speakers with a defective preamp I'd bought off Ebay. It became a really expensive preamp after paying $850 to ship and have the speakers repaired at the factory. The worst part of the story is, they never sounded right after the repair. :(

That started me on the DIY path. I suspect I met you that year at Cedar Rapids. Since then, I've built monitor/sub combo's along with stand mounted 3-ways, linearrays, many others designs and then the Statements. I've never had an interest in doing my own crossovers so I've always relied on others expertise for the heart of my designs.

Nearly every speaker I've built since 2001 has had redeeming qualities that I really enjoyed. The linearrays were superb for home theater and that is my 1st recommendation for a dedicated or primary home theater system. However, I'm a 2-channel guy too and I missed the presentation of conventional speakers. I'd also gotten intrigued with di-pole designs but couldn't work around the placement issues with a true di-pole so, along came the Statements that was designed to be the best of all worlds. I'm not sure Curt and I achieved that but they sure work for me.

I bounce back and forth between hobbies. In addition to speaker building, I really enjoy photography and have an equipment addiction. I'm also a computer geek and still build my own PC's when I upgrade rather than save money by buying a pre-built one. My most recent hobby is building bench rest 22LR rifles that I've been shooting in a few small competitions at the local shooting range. I have way more hobbies than I have money unfortunately!

My biggest problem right now is that the Statements still make me go "WOW" when I listen to music or watch a movie. They fit my lifestyle. That makes it really hard to justify the two new speaker projects I have in progress since neither one will replace the Statements. :confused: Not to mention a new dual sub cabinet etc.

I'd build more if I didn't hate building cabinets so much. I'm a very reluctant wood worker but I can't afford to build speakers if I don't build my own cabinets.

I guess my only advice is to get more hobbies... :D Ya, that's it!

I hope to see you this year!

Jim

[johnastockman]

Ola, Maynard! The 4 years or so I was active in speaker building didn't produce anything as nice as you have made. I learned a lot, though and my objectives of learning to use design and measurement software were met :)

My personal issue with the hobby was time. This showed every single time I brought a project to a DIY - I would get it done, and never really have enough time to do the most important part, listening and tweaking. Too many job and family/gf related committments and I stayed up all night trying to get ready for a DIY...not fun.

Given your results, you definitely shouldn't drop it but maybe you need something totally different as another hobby. I like Johnny's idea of a single "work it till it's right" uber-project with no time or due at DIY constraints, as I think it's what everyone really wants to do. Then work on it only when you feel like it!

I back-burnered speaker building except for the occasional sub for family/friends and picked up an old pastime I truly love. See pics.


http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/RHB3III/BMW%20Offroad%20School/P1020910.jpg

BMW Offroad School - poor pupil but I finished and got the certificate!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o289/RHB3III/Motorcycles/P1030175.jpg

At the racetrack - megafun!!!


Robert, this I like to see...a motorcyclist improving their skill set. That BMW off-road school is one of the best. And one of the best ways to keep your skills sharp is a little off-road riding and proper instruction. Handling a GS in an off-road environment isn't easy, but with some training it becomes much more manageable than the size of the bike would lead you to think. As a kid, I started with small dirt bikes. It's an extremely rewarding endevour, motorcycling. Because of my disability and its continuing degeneration, I have had to give up riding. It was my sanity, my therapy. Speaker-building can also be that maynardg, as I have found out since making the tough decision to not ride anymore. There will come a point when I won't be able to do that anymore, physically. So to the rider and speaker-builder, I still get to enjoy my favorite things through all of you very kind folks. Keep up the great work, inspiration and whatever gives you that important feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. I was forced to give up something through no fault of my own, but if you need to take a break or focus on something else, you still have us, your excellent body of work and the musical joy you have generously given to others through your accomplishments & efforts. Thank you.


John A.

[maynardg]

Jim, I'm in to photography too. Enjoy it a great deal. Digital makes it cheap compared to film.

Pete, I am sorely tempted to go for Uber.

Maybe I can talk Dennis Murphy into selling me the design, and allow me to build the cabs for them. Go all out on the cabs. RAAL over BG over Revelator. What's not to like?

[johnastockman]

I've been building speakers for over 15 years now, and can relate. There are 2 or 3 pairs to swap out in the main room, a 2.1 system in the computer room.

One thing that I am lucky to have is an audio club that meets once a month. Several members enjoy DIY, and we have a speaker contest every even year. I've got a couple guys who I'd like to help out with a project for this year. That might give me a break from additional inventory, and still participate in the process.

Another thing I did this past year or 2 was to hook up with some tube enthusiasts. I found a SET kit and just finished it up over Christmas. The danger with that is now I can see new projects on the horizon that are more suitable for the tubes. :D


Dave, if you ever get down near Chehalis, Wa. you're welcome to come by and geek-out for a while.


John A.

[Deward Hastings]

I'm also a computer geek and still build my own PC's when I upgrade rather than save money by buying a pre-built one.LOL :D :D :D

Hit right home with that one . . . :D

[Pete Schumacher ®]

Jim, I'm in to photography too. Enjoy it a great deal. Digital makes it cheap compared to film.

Pete, I am sorely tempted to go for Uber.

Maybe I can talk Dennis Murphy into selling me the design, and allow me to build the cabs for them. Go all out on the cabs. RAAL over BG over Revelator. What's not to like?

RAAL over PHL over AE TD15 . . . Higher sensitivity and improved dynamic range!!

[cjd]

RAAL over PHL over AE TD15 . . . Higher sensitivity and improved dynamic range!!

I was thinking Neo8 instead of PHL but... ;)

If only the AE stuff was obtainable right now.

[Taterworks]

Maynard, if you're looking for a swan song, perhaps what you need to do is go after the 'trophy hi-fi' style of project, where 20Hz-20kHz response is no longer the goal, but the baseline expectation, and where the goal of the project is to bring you as close to the experience of the live event as possible, while rejecting compromise in components, build, and finish, so that your final project is the very best you know how to create. That's what I hope I'll be able to do when I eventually decide to wind down in the hobby (hopefully some decades away).

An example of a 'trophy hi-fi' project for me would be something like these Trenner & Friedl "Duke" (http://www.trenner-friedl.com/index2.php?menu=duke&sprache=en) loudspeakers. Use a pair of large woofers in low-tuned reflex enclosures or a sealed DSP-driven design, a great larger-diameter midrange, and a Raaaaaaaal, and you've got the formula for a great project to read about and experience.

I'm hoping that each project I do will be a step forward in design and execution, and that I can afford to keep the string of wins going. Maynard, you've got quite a string of acclaimed projects already, so above everything else, keep doing what you find enjoyable, and if it's not enjoyable any longer, then it's time to find something else that you do enjoy.

[smithnc]

Maynard,

Run! Get out while you can. This is a crazy, sickening addiction; not unlike the pursuit of the perfect moment.

And one more thing: you'll have to give up music or else you'll get drawn right back in.

-Nate

[brianpowers27]

Maynard,

Run! Get out while you can. This is a crazy, sickening addiction; not unlike the pursuit of the perfect moment.


-Nate

I love this quote. Truly this is the case. I can't see anyway for my self to sustain this hobby without it becoming a genuine charity. The reality for me is that there aren't enough people that really appreciate music to consume all of the speakers that I could build. As it is, every time I do a design it leaves me longing for more. There really doesn't exist a satisfying uber build nor a proper swansong.

When my life gets less hectic I may start a side business of doing pro-sound services for the extra cash and the satiation of my audio related tinkering.

[johnnyrichards]

I love this quote. Truly this is the case. I can't see anyway for my self to sustain this hobby without it becoming a genuine charity. The reality for me is that there aren't enough people that really appreciate music to consume all of the speakers that I could build. As it is, every time I do a design it leaves me longing for more. There really doesn't exist a satisfying uber build nor a proper swansong.

When my life gets less hectic I may start a side business of doing pro-sound services for the extra cash and the satiation of my audio related tinkering.

I am at that point, too - at least WRT the sheer numbers of speakers I could build. Sadly, offer people a pair of speakers and almost always they see them as "too big". Such is the nature of the PC 2.1 and HTiB age, I guess. I built these (http://gonecatfishin.net/Hakumya.pdf) for a young couple because they insisted that is exactly what they wanted. I even did cardboard mockups for them. When we got them set up they were just thought they were too big. They now eat up valuable real estate in my bedroom, real estate that could be eaten up by something better. I put up a post on FB offering them for free, and no takers. So it is hard to even run this hobby as a straight up charity. I guess I could Goodwill them or see if the kids school wants them or something.

[thespeakerguy]

Well, if there's a forum to post to after a few years absence, this is it. I have not built any speakers for about 3 years, but I still have a 2.1 amp, Tang Band Satellites in maple, and a Tang Band 6.5" sub in tubular plexi on my desk. Most of my coworkers know I built these, and one sent a link to PE asking if I'd heard of it. Well, guess I have.

I've kept most of my parts, and actually have a 5 speaker HT project sitting in the garage, unfinished MDF boxes. The glue is still curing, yeah, that's the ticket. I totally forget which woofers n tweeters they were supposed to use!

I've not given up, and I do make other weird things. Attached is a picture of Pearl the Unicorn Bike, she is pal with Charlie the Unicorn Bike.

Hope all is well with all my old friends here.

John

[Wolf]

Heehee....
Yeah- I remember you! AND I remember the thread you posted on how this thing liked to dance on its own....

Later,
Wolf

[LouC]

I am at that point, too - at least WRT the sheer numbers of speakers I could build. ... I put up a post on FB offering them for free, and no takers. So it is hard to even run this hobby as a straight up charity. I guess I could Goodwill them or see if the kids school wants them or something.

Don't know the proximity, but music students are usually appreciative. I've done science fair prizes, got a set going to a fire station. Xavier has placed some of my boxes with symphony musicians (who are always broke). Even a pair to school for "multimedia". Military units deployed overseas?...

[johnnyrichards]

The pair I really want to get rid of are a total of almost six cubic feet, is the problem. Really big for the typical person. I think, however, someone is interested in them.

[carlspeak]

Being retired, I turned a building hobby into a speaker repair & upgrading business which keeps me busy for a few hours a day. I get to work on some interesting speakers. Right now I've got a uber$$ pair of Audio Note (all silver internals) to refoam. When finished, I plan to measure the *rap out of them.

I've built a couple of speaker sets in the past few years; only because I wanted to do some experimenting and try a different twist on an existing design. Hence my Poor Plumber's Plutos were born, and more recently, the Intimates.
I have an R&D bent (Sigma Xi member) and love to experiment. Remember the IBE disc thread? Heck, with the measurement tools we have now, it's possible to try a lot of ideas and measure & listen to the result. All fun stuff. Then, again, if you're into computers and software, PCD is a neat place to spend time trying different things without building anything. Making sawdust is no longer my cup of tea. However, I know some builders here find that part of the hobby fun. Not me. I do admire some of their handiwork though.

[johnnyrichards]

Carl, the only reason I still make sawdust is because I am too cheap to buy cabinets :) Not my cup o' tea, either.

[timk]

Try R/C model airplanes if you have any interest at all in aviation. It's a nice break from the audio stuff, and the mental challenges are very similar. Lots of guys start with the ready to fly sort of thing and progress to building kits and finally designing and scratch building their own designs.

It's an engaging and relatively inexpensive hobby. On the plus side, you'll crash a lot at first so you'll have many excuses to build another. Once the flying part is mastered, there is still no reason at all a guy can't have dozens and dozens of aircraft.

It's an off the wall suggestion, I know, but on the off chance it sounds even remotely interesting I've added a link to the companion site to this one.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/index.php

[thespeakerguy]

Heehee....
Yeah- I remember you! AND I remember the thread you posted on how this thing liked to dance on its own....

Later,
Wolf

Hey Wolf, and I remember you too! That sub is behind ny monitor on my desk this very moment. It had not danced in a while because my current amp is ony about 6W into it, and yet I still seldom get to turn it up, :-(