2 Pairs of Open Baffle Speakers from Leftover Parts

[amrutmhatre90]

So what do you do with unused drivers, few parts and materials laying around at home ?
Build Speakers!!!!

Remember the Akai Speakers I redid using completely new drivers
the thread: https://www.hifivision.com/threads/akai-sw-350s-3-way-design.86827/

The drivers which I had removed were laying unused but had torn cone and tweeters. Decided to redo them and use them to build speakers and give it away. Sent the drivers to reconing. In meantime I was in touch with multiple people for making a box for the speakers, originally thought of replicating the same Akai Design with 3 way crossover. Lot of research and thinking about the cost it was way overboard.

The whole point of making these speakers was to utilize the materials laying at home, I had plywood in various shapes and sizes. Decided to make a open baffle speaker, now these speakers are not for measurements not won't be my reference speakers. Rather a learning curve, cutting ply, priming, applying putty, coloring everything.

Just when I was designing these, I had spare speakers which I got with a Pace 2025 MKII amplifier, consisted of 2 satellite speakers and a subwoofer. Thread: https://www.hifivision.com/threads/pace-2025-mkii-with-vu-meters.87766/

All the boxes for these speakers and subwoofer were not in great condition. Decided to check how the crossovers look for these including subwoofer. Guess what, the satellite had only capacitor to limit from playing lowend and the subwoofer was used as full range. As I needed something near my desk decided to make OB speakers for desktop out of these too.

Here is some of the journey:







After lot of priming, putty work, sanding and 2 coats of white satin paint.


Some fitment testing before drilling holes.












To join the panels I had taken help of my carpenter, but unfortunately I wasn't in town when he took the job and ended up joining all side panels on right side. I wanted left and right so one can use it the way they like.

Got a crossover from Dogesound as the one I had was crap. Thinking where should I place the speaker connectors ? earlier was going to place them on the side panels. Any suggestions?

 

[Chulbulee]

Avoid any surface that "will vibrate", preferably bottom.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Avoid any surface that "will vibrate", preferably bottom.

Thanks, I do have feet for them. Will be using gaskets between the driver and the baffle.

 

[grindstone]

So what do you do with unused drivers, few parts and materials laying around at home ?
Build Speakers!!!!

Yes, this!!

Got a crossover from Dogesound as the one I had was crap. Thinking where should I place the speaker connectors ? earlier was going to place them on the side panels. Any suggestions?

I know this is a little too late, but I leave terminals off or put them on a separate board with XO parts until I'm sure what I'm building

Maybe listen some and see if you are done adding wings. Sometimes it's acoustically useful to put a small "tab" on top (and good for carrying). Other people sew/wrap "stockings" to cover them so extra wings function as supports to "shape" the coverings, too.

You can use posterboard for OB experiments. I magnet-mount them and mess with baffles and parts until I know what I want to build (sometimes that's nothing, but it's cheap and fast to find-out). FWIW.

Good to see someone having fun!

 

[amrutmhatre90]

Some update on the speakers, I was able to solder and drill everything in place. Got the crossovers installed too.

I was not expecting much from these speakers, but I was shocked the way these sound! First experience with the OB speakers and now I know the way these kind of speakers sound is very different coming from boxed speakers.

The sound is more open, speakers disappear, sweet mids and highs but OB miss out on deep lows and the bass. Don't get me wrong this has bass, but not something like we are used to from speakers. Maybe the crossovers need some burn in too.

Some pictures:











Since I am new to OB speakers, people who have heard these kind of speakers can help me with a doubt.
I like the way it sounds, everything is perfect except for the center imaging. Is it the case with all OB speakers? The imaging is very wide and not precise like other speakers I tried.

I have played around with the positioning and toe in but nothing seams to be working. Currently I have placed them next to the QA speakers and slightly toed in, this gives right amount of bass and slightly better imaging. One needs to sit in exact centre to get vocals coming from center.

 

[grindstone]

Since I am new to OB speakers, people who have heard these kind of speakers can help me with a doubt.
I like the way it sounds, everything is perfect except for the center imaging. Is it the case with all OB speakers? The imaging is very wide and not precise like other speakers I tried.

I have played around with the positioning and toe in but nothing seams to be working. Currently I have placed them next to the QA speakers and slightly toed in, this gives right amount of bass and slightly better imaging. One needs to sit in exact centre to get vocals coming from center.

Thank you for the update and congratulations. People who have worked harder at OB than I have would say no, but dipole radiation is different. "Imaging" is a dangerous word, too, because expectations vary so widely and I don't know yours. People with panels (planar magnetic etc) would likely argue that superior "imaging" is possible. Polar response and crossover is a (too) big topic by itself, but dipoles add more reverberant cues for your brain to interpret. OB is a lot of work Keep trying things. Try to find simple ways to isolate things. Try another XO. Block some of the rear reflections, etc. (This is where posterboard comes in). If the geometry of your structure is frozen, then it is what it is except for XO and room (or changing geometry), but the investigation and the listening is important. Do (temporary) tests to see what walls are doing by using cushions or other absorbtive materials. Tilt them forward and backward to see how the lobes are combining at your listening position and the shifting acoustic centers move. Much is going on at once. What you are doing is good and IMO important and will serve you going forward with any project (and you get to listen to music!)

 

[adas]

These look fantastic amrut , good work.

Regards
Aniket Das

 

[Vineethkumar01]

This project looks great.
If interested in the theory behind open baffles and the dipole radiation pattern, here is a link:
http://www.dipolplus.de/index.html (in German, but google translate helps)
Above site has all the necessary theory behind open baffle speakers presented in an understandable manner.
Linkwitz lab website also has a lot of info about all this.

All the best.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

This is how i have placed them right now, getting closer was spoiling the center image.
These speakers were very difficult to get proper placement, small tiny placement changes made huge difference in the soundstage and imaging.

This has somewhat satisfied me and love listening few genres on these.

Yet to hear the smaller bookshelf, waiting for a smaller amp on my desktop.

 

[Subbu68]

They look wonderful..must be sounding so good too.

Oh, yes I am at a loss what to do with my Heresy IIIs. Made a 2 x 3 layer cardboard baffle for a pair of Ahuja 12" FR and wow!!!.. now to make a permanent baffle.

 

[amrutmhatre90]

They look wonderful..must be sounding so good too.

Yes, people dig the white look. Some even thought it is expensive compared to other bookshelves

And whenI tell them I have built them almost for free they get shocked. Mostly cause the way it sounds.

It takes a while to get accustomed to the OB sound. People are not used to listen such speakers, but they enjoy them after a while.

These are my goto speakers for retro music.

 

[Dr.Gary]

Good Job…. Keep it up !!! Welcome to the dipole “voodoo” world !!!!

I just happened to stumble across your post and have to say that it gave me quite a chuckle. Why. Yesterday I used the V word in a post and this morning see that it has been deleted by the admins. The amusing part is that the post wasn't deleted.....only the V word. Makes one wonder.

 

[Dr.Gary]

Look at the bright side. Your “Post” still exists !!!!

Beyond that it makes me wonder, all those who practice and advocate strange “tweaks” would care to submit their audiometry test results ?

And how do you actually quantify 10-20 % improvement in sonics. I guess “bad mood” can easy eclipse that !!!!

There is no need for you to wonder any longer because I just happen to have a copy of the audiometry test results for one of the advocates to whom you refer. Now sit down and get ready for what may well be the best chuckle of your life. Relative to the 0dB reference for the normal hearing level of a young adult, the hearing levels for this particular advocate are as follows: 30dB loss at 500Hz, 50dB loss at 1kHz, 70dB loss at 4kHz and 80dB loss at 8kHz. Happy chuckling.

 

[Bloom@83]

But then Beethoven composed music being nearly deaf ……

 

[Dr.Gary]

But then Beethoven composed music being nearly deaf ……

So what? Beethoven wasn't advocating what other composers should do. If a=b and c=d, then p=q......right?

 

[Bloom@83]

My comment was sarcastic , actually.

 

[Sumanta]

@amrutmhatre90 Loved the simplicity in your design.