OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

[djkest]

Okay, so I thought I'd show off my Overnight Sensation builds. I got the parts from Erich at DIY sound group, getting a great deal on CNC-cut flat pack cabinets and packaging all the parts together. Thanks Erich!
http://www.diysoundgroup.com/

See also Paul Carmody's website. Thank you Paul!
http://sites.google.com/site/undefinition/diy
Well anyway, lets see some pics!
This is an overnight sensation MTM speaker for my dad. He's currently using it for a CC and he's happy with it there. This is the first DIY speaker I've made.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1165986...eat=directlink




Final finish went like this. 2 coats of sanding sealer. Sanded. 2 coats of black spray primer, sanded. 2 coats of black texture paint. Lightly sanded. 2 coats of gloss varnish (should have used semi-gloss or matte!). Lightly rubbed with steel wool. In retrospect, I could have done a better job, but it looks OK.


True story. I listened to the speaker in Raw MDF for a week to break in the woofers. I had it hooked up to my lepai 10W amp and it sounded excellent. Because I only had one, I listened to music in Mono. I tried dubstep, jazz, classical, and rock- everything was agreeable. At one point my wife and I curled up on the bed and listened to "Feels Like Home" from Norah Jones. Just good tunes and good company. I think the Overnight Sensation MTM speaker is an excellent design, and made of 3/4" MDF, is very stiff with a brace in the middle.

[djkest]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

This next pair I built for my 79-year old very sweet grandmother. It's a pair of overnight Sensation MT bookshelf speakers, with cabinets made of 1/2" baltic birch plywood. I decided that I wanted to go with the "naked" look because lately I've enjoyed the natural colors of wood, and I'm scared of using stains. They just might be the best speakers she's ever owned. They are now located in her "den" and powered by a Vintage Pioneer receiver. I told her that I could give her music in her den, and that I wanted to make some speakers for her. She doesn't have much money, but she LOVES music and loves to dance. She's an amazing woman. She used to work in a record store (that her father owned) in San Francisco as a teenager in the early 50s.

Link to Picasa album: https://picasaweb.google.com/1165986...eat=directlink











Hooked up to my Marantz SR5005 receiver for testing. Sitting on Paradigm speakers, connected with $200 Monster Cable speaker cables. :eek:

True story:
So I hooked these up to the "B" speaker jacks of my Grandma's Vintage pioneer receiver. It was reconditioned by some guy locally who specializes in vintage audio. It's got tone controls and a faceplate made of a chunk of brushed aluminum, with wood sides. Apparently driving 2 sets of speakers to moderate volumes requires about 25% of its capacity.


So anyway we would run into her bedroom, play a CD, and then run to the Den to listen. First up was Dianna Krall's greatest hits CD. From the very first second, we knew we had something special going on. The bass sounded surprisingly full for such tiny speakers. The clarity and sweetness was immediately evident. Grandma was thrilled. We listened to several songs, enjoying the simple pleasure of good music and good times.

And then we put on Joshua Bell's "Romance of the Violin". The first track is called O mio babbino caro from Gianni Schicchi . We turned the lights off and just listened to the music. My grandma was so pleased, so excited, and so overwhelmed, that she started to cry. And then, somehow I started to cry, overwhelmed with emotion. I was so pleased with the result and so happy that I delivered with Grandma's hard-earned money. I don't know that music has ever made me do that before. It was just so wonderful and so moving.

Anyway, kudos to Paul Carmody for this excellent design, and providing the plans for everyone. For about $100 in parts, you can make an exceptional speaker, great for small to moderate spaces at reasonable volumes. Oh, and these can get fairly loud. We adjusted the tone controls just slightly to bring down the bass and improve power handling. It still sounded wonderful. I'd like to think we negated that 3 dB bump at 80 Hz... (that is, if my unibox calculations are accurate). These HiVi B4n woofers, which seemingly getting a little long in the tooth, are still a great value.

My grandma's note to Paul:

Spellbinding! From Diana Krall to Benny Goodman 1935-6, to Joshua Bell, to Kiri Te Kawana singing Mozart, to Beethoven's 5th piano concerto, I am amazed by the quality of this great little speaker system you have produced. Many, many thanks! Signed: Jackie B

[Paul Carmody]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Wow. That's an incredible story. I'm so happy I played a part in it. I like bringing enjoyment into people's lives.

[RINNAV]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Awesome, just awesome! Kudos to you and your grandmother! ;)

Now for the Speedster? Get on the train

[djkest]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Awesome, just awesome! Kudos to you and your grandmother! ;)

Now for the Speedster? Get on the train

I'm not sure yet. Consensus w/ wife is 36" tower speakers maximum 8" wide are acceptable. Current candidates include the Speedster, ZX spectrum, Amiga, Continuum, OS-MTM towers tuned to 52 Hz, or the Zaph Audio 5.2 or 5.3. For sure, it's going to be black with a removable walnut baffle. I have ideas...

[Erich H]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

They look great, and I can imagine how they sound on the vintage receivers because I have quite a few different models myself.

You know you don't need to add that internal brace right. ;) Baltic birch is very solid, especially for those little buggers. But I guess it can't hurt either.

Paul really knocked one out of the park with the Overnight Sensations. I'd say it has to be the most built DIY speaker ever designed. I just had a bunch more cut, but did away with the recessed baffle because there really wasn't a need for that in order to line everything up. It was discussed in the other thread, so it made sense to just get rid of it.

Where did you get the connectors used on the crossover? I thought about buying a bunch of those to put in the kit as well. Someone should do a quick write up on how to put that crossover together with some photos. I'm sure it would help out.


I feel a little bad that more speaker kits aren't ready to go by now. I got so busy with the SEOS waveguide stuff, and then my dad had an emergency operation that kept him from walking for 10 weeks. So my time just disappeared. 1.5 weeks ago he got the clean bill of health to walk again, so now it's back to more kits. Anarchy tapped horns hopefully next week (OS were this week). Also the speaker using the 6" Aurasound is ready to be cut. Price on those is very good as well. They're larger than the OS mtm's but the enclosure price will be very similar, so that's good.

[fastbike1]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Typically called European terminal blocks or strips. Radio shack carries them, Lowes, HD, mouser, digikey etc. They're in blocks of 8, 10, 12, etc.

Where did you get the connectors used on the crossover? I thought about buying a bunch of those to put in the kit as well. Someone should do a quick write up on how to put that crossover together with some photos. I'm sure it would help out.

[djkest]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Where did you get the connectors used on the crossover? I thought about buying a bunch of those to put in the kit as well. Someone should do a quick write up on how to put that crossover together with some photos. I'm sure it would help out.

Hey, so those connectors are only sold (to my knowledge) at Radio shack. They sell them for $2.99. One package is 12 terminals, which is perfect for a pair of 2-ways. You just have to cut them apart.

I can do a writeup on the crossover, if you want. If someone could make a diagram for the OS like there is for the OS-MTM that would be really helpful.

[[email protected]]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

jakie b sounds pretty cool. well done.

[ToddO]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Typically called European terminal blocks or strips. Radio shack carries them, Lowes, HD, mouser, digikey etc. They're in blocks of 8, 10, 12, etc.

Yup, they have them at Lowe's if you want to pay $8.67 :eek:

$2.99 at Radio Shack.

[musiqman]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

This thread was very informative.
I see a pair of speakers that I own in the picture (p'digm mini's) with the OS sitting on top. As I am about to order the kit I would like to know how the OS sound in comparison?

Thank you in advance

[Schenker]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

These look great. I just might have to attempt these.

[djkest]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

So I made some speaker stands for my Grandma's Overnight Sensations. I think they turned out pretty decent. Made with some scrap plywood (partially figured ply!), a single piece of 1x4" "select pine", and a 'junk' piece of African Walnut that I snagged out the rejects bin for $2. It was a 1x4 and I ripped it into 4 pieces with my table saw.

First attempt at speaker stands, hope you like.




They are 26" high, bases are 10x10x1.5" and the tops are cut to the exact size of the Overnight Sensations. They received 2 coats of oil-based sanding sealer before getting 2 coats of (dreft?) semi-gloss laquer.

Happy 81st birthday, Grandma! For Christmas I want to make her a matching subwoofer.
Oh yeah, and listened to the OS's again today, and was still impressed. They sound great in her room.

[jonpike]

Re: OS-MTM, Overnight Sensation builds!

Very nice! The contrast between the dark and light woods really sets it off. And, beveling high grade plywood can look pretty cool as well.

Second thing, (well, not sure where they were before) getting the OS's up and out in the room should make them sound just that much better... Grandma's getting a double treat with these!

On subs... if space is a concern, and she's not a bass head, (?!) I can recommend Roman's Cerebus as a good pairing for a speaker that size. If she loves her full range... look for something with a 8-10" driver.