mike@asgb.UUCP (10/12/84)
<chomp> I have been considering building a pair of speakers. Does anybody out there have any thoughts or suggestions? My main questions are: 1) Am I out of my mind for even considering this. I don't have access to test equipment for testing drivers, crossovers, etc.. 2) Any experiences (good/bad) with vendors for parts. (Particularly in the Denver-Boulder (Colorado) area) 3) Any journals, textbooks, etc. which would help me design cabinets and/or crossover networks. Please mail responses. I'll summarize in a couple weeks. Thanks in advance, Mike Rosenlof ...hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!bmcg!asgb!mike
sjc@angband.UUCP (Steve Correll) (11/03/84)
(Sorry if this duplicates a previous posting.) I'm skeptical about the likelihood that even a gifted amateur can beat commercial speaker manufacturers, given the latter's advantage in test equipment and facilities, but you might investigate a magazine called "Speaker Builder", PO Box 494, Peterborough, NH 03458. Also, the address of Speakerlab, Inc. (a speaker-kit vendor) is 735 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, Washington 98103. -- --Steve Correll sjc@s1-c.ARPA, ...!decvax!decwrl!mordor!sjc, or ...!ucbvax!dual!mordor!sjc
rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (11/07/84)
> All the books I ever read advised against plywood and recommended particle > board. There is nothing wrong with plywood as such, but with age it > can internally delaminate and cause buzzes and rattles. Particle > board may be harder to work with, but it will stay dead. I've got two references which say that plywood is preferred, for these reasons: Plywood is much stiffer (and somewhat stronger) than particle board of corresponding thickness. This matters in larger and/or sealed enclosures, as particle board will tend to vibrate more and color the sound. This can be fixed somewhat by adding bracing, but that alters the inside shape and volume of the enclosure... It's almost impossible to make particle board hold a screw well. It DOES matter that a speaker enclosure be strong and sturdy; the time-honored technique of gluing and screwing is the best way to get there. BUT...the parent article is partly right--there ARE some problems with plywood. Some plywood is poorly glued. Don't buy shop plywood and you'll have a better chance of avoiding this one. A more likely problem is that the plywood may have voids (from knotholes, etc) in the interior laminations--which gives you funny little air pockets covered by thin sheets of wood. There may also be loose bits of wood in these voids. The solution is simple: Use good plywood--A/B at least, and marine grade if there's any concern over moisture. Ask someone who understands plywood grading and such to explain what you're getting. -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity.