Looking for comments on first pair of speakers

[David Crewe]

Just finished my first pair of speakers and I'm looking for comments, criticisms, advice. Used 5.5" Vifa recession busters. I also posted on Madisound, not to sure about etiquette. These are not your daddy's speakers.
[URL="http://chfspeakers.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-first-ever-blog-post-of-my-first.html"]

Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

[deewan]

Very cool design. I'm curious if you calculated the correct internal volume for the cabinets? Either way, cool looking speakers. I'd love to see what you do with a pair of Zaph's.

[the kid]

Pretty slick!

[cuggie]

Boy, when you start a new "hobby", you do not mess around.
They are some fine looking speakers. You woodworking skills certainly shine. I checked your blog and will continue to follow. So you are very pleased with the sound they produce?
I just started this crazy hobby too, but my efforts are a little more simple....LOL
Great Job good luck on the next project.
cuggie

[David Crewe]

I did go through the unibox gyrations and had a vol, of 6l. But, then again I'm not sure the same properties exist. Final factors we're to keep the wall thickness large and asthetics. Calc's out the window. 1" orfice not exactly in keeping either and I think it may need to go a bit smaller. At leat I'm going to try one as they are curently interchangable. My main concern is the crossover effects and how the supplied x-over relates to this design. More study required.
The next pair the wall thickness will go as thin as I can (5/8" to 3/4") to see how it deals with vibration. This will get the vol near to 6l.

[williamrschneider]

Very beautiful! Wish my tablesaw cut curves like those!

[Mgboy]

Just finished my first pair of speakers and I'm looking for comments, criticisms, advice. Used 5.5" Vifa recession busters. I also posted on Madisound, not to sure about etiquette. These are not your daddy's speakers.
[URL="http://chfspeakers.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-first-ever-blog-post-of-my-first.html"]
Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

Tip -

[u.rl][/u.rl] and

[u.rl=]type what you want here[/u.rl] Obviously you wouldn't have periods inbetween the U and R.

So it would be

http://chfspeakers.blogspot.com/2009...-my-first.html

Type what you want

[dwigle]

Just finished my first pair of speakers and I'm looking for comments, criticisms, advice. Used 5.5" Vifa recession busters. I also posted on Madisound, not to sure about etiquette. These are not your daddy's speakers.
[URL="http://chfspeakers.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-first-ever-blog-post-of-my-first.html"]

Please let me know what you think. Thanks.

I give up, how did you build them? Turned on a lathe?

[mzisserson]

I give up, how did you build them? Turned on a lathe?

Has to be turned, its the only way.

They look stunning! Very nice job!

I would be interested in more details such as bass alignement, x-over etc.

[Æ]

Beautiful work, but I would have went with a flange-less tweeter. You might end up with some frequency response problems in the treble region.

How come you had problems with the URL? Just post the URL as normal and it will be taken care of automatically.

[nick29498141]

Painted finish?

NK

[David Crewe]

Thanks for the interest. Sorry for the url problems tried using the little world link thingy.

How was it built? Sum up: lay up an eight sided pyramid, turn body. turn head, glue up head, return body, bore step, bore thru, return head, bore thru, shape interior and inset speaker. Turn orfice chamber. It's a bit more complex but, you get the idea. The speaker is stained with analine dye and finished with spar urethane.

bass alignement: I've been reading alot but, still don't have a great handle on it all. I'm not sure what is meant by bass alignment. I'll kook it up. The x-over is the one that came with the 5.5" Vifa recession buster from Madisound ( http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF...Kit%20Full.pdf )

As for tuning, I'm thinking it's going to have to be trial and error. I hope to get set up to test speakers.

The biggest and most notable problem is the bass. Laymans terms: Fleetwood Mac can hold steady at 10/20 on the volume dial where you have to take it dow to 5-6/20 with Rusted Root. The big bass drum realy beats them up. Certainly could be the price for not paying the price.

thanks all

[Æ]

An "alignment" basically means what is the size and or type of enclosure you have the woofer installed in. The volume and type of the enclosure determines how much bass you can squeeze out of the woofer.

The enclosure can either be sealed or vented. Different results from different enclosures. Some woofers work better with a tuned port - bass reflex enclosure, others prefer sealed and still some even an infinite baffle. It kind of depends on the woofer and your design expectations or goals.

Basically the enclosure volume and type tunes the woofer to a specific quantity and quality of bass. You can get punchy bass or deeper bass or more natural bass. It kind of depends.

A "bass alignment" is analogous to an electronic high pass filter. Specific filters, both electronic and acoustical can be described as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc, orders of cutoff. Filter types also have there own shapes, Butterworth, Bessel, Chebychev, etc.

Thanks for the interest. Sorry for the url problems tried using the little world link thingy.

How was it built? Sum up: lay up an eight sided pyramid, turn body. turn head, glue up head, return body, bore step, bore thru, return head, bore thru, shape interior and inset speaker. Turn orfice chamber. It's a bit more complex but, you get the idea. The speaker is stained with analine dye and finished with spar urethane.

bass alignement: I've been reading alot but, still don't have a great handle on it all. I'm not sure what is meant by bass alignment. I'll kook it up. The x-over is the one that came with the 5.5" Vifa recession buster from Madisound ( http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF...Kit%20Full.pdf )

As for tuning, I'm thinking it's going to have to be trial and error. I hope to get set up to test speakers.

The biggest and most notable problem is the bass. Laymans terms: Fleetwood Mac can hold steady at 10/20 on the volume dial where you have to take it dow to 5-6/20 with Rusted Root. The big bass drum realy beats them up. Certainly could be the price for not paying the price.

thanks all

[arlis_1957@yahoo.com]

my rb's do play nice. the vented go a bit lower. but, they will distort without a sub. would like a small room i think. maybe you could build two small subs as unique as those to go with them. maybe a couple of 8".

[brianpowers27]

The biggest and most notable problem is the bass. Laymans terms: Fleetwood Mac can hold steady at 10/20 on the volume dial where you have to take it dow to 5-6/20 with Rusted Root. The big bass drum realy beats them up. Certainly could be the price for not paying the price.

thanks all

If it really is a problem to you you could consider using a receiver that allows you to mix in a sub. The receiver could potentially roll off the bass from your main speakers, allowing them to play comfortably at a wider range of volumes + music.

[lhwidget]

I like your idea about trying Zaph's woofers for your next pair. As Brian is suggesting for your current design, you'll need a sub to get lower bass response equal to the ZA14's mid bass and midrange performance.

If you can find anyone in your area to measure the systems after they are built and help with the XO design, you're capable of building some seriously classy speakers. Your posted systems are beautiful.

Also, you might want to look at B&W's web site
http://www.bowers-wilkins.com/displa...230&infid=1157
for technical ideas. It looks like you could easily build their style of enclosure.

I have a copy of an in depth description of the 800 series systems they published a while back if you're interested.

[dlneubec]

David,

Beautiful work!

I agree with the others, a sub or pair of subs would make a big difference. Not only does it add low end, but if you can cross a little higher to the woofers, it can really open up the midrange as the woofer is relieved of low end duties.

One thing to note, assuming you have a much smaller tweeter baffle and probably smaller woofer baffle than the original design, chances are your frequency response is significantly different than the original design. With a smaller baffle, each driver will roll off quicker on their low ends, with more energy going off axis and less on axis. You probably have some dips in your on axis response as a result around the crossover area.

[robert]

Those are beautiful!

Cheers / Robert

[robertcottiers]

David: I would like to nominate your speakers for the Nobel Peace prize.

Very Nice.....Bob C.

[fwater]

David: I would like to nominate your speakers for the Nobel Peace prize.

Very Nice.....Bob C.

The new qualifications for the Nobel Peace prize are to have absolutely no qualifications at all. Since there is photographic evidence that these speakers actually do exist, they are disqualified from nomination. Furthermore, it is reasonable to belive that these speakers can transform an electical signal into an accoustical signal, suggesting that they are capable of accomplishing something, making them grossly out of the running. It is no doubt that this DIY's work is worthy of some form of much accolade, but to offer that they are Nobel Peace prize material is, as of very recently, momentously insulting

These are quite outstanding pieces. Worthy of an Oscar? An Emmy? Honorary degree from Berkley?