Site Links
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
In this Discussion
Please review the site Rules, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy at your convenience. Rules, TOS, Privacy
Get familiar with the reaction system: Introducing the Reaction System
Artistic speaker designs. (WAF)
I have been wanting to replace my TriTrix for some time now. My wife requests that they can't be "boxes". She said she wants modern looks. Something that could be an art piece in a gallery. (I have an 8" woofer, 5" mid, and several tweeters to choose from.) I need about 1.5 cf plus port for the woofer.
Looking for ideas. What do you have?
Comments
There are some nice looking - not sure about 'sounding', as some use off the shelf crossovers - designs in the Parts Express Project Gallery. http://projectgallery.parts-express.com/ Some feature curved enclosures, some round, etc.
Depending on your level of woodworking skill and equipment, some of those designs might be viable for you. However, I would think that some of the unusual cabinet designs might require a lot of crossover knowledge etc to get them sounding right with your drivers.
Also check out "MWAF" (Mid-West Audio Fest) on YouTube for some ideas, even if you don't find any, it's entertaining. I did a Google search a while ago and found some interesting things here:
https://weburbanist.com/2009/12/17/amazing-audio-40-sexy-speakers-sweet-system-designs/
One project in that link is a female dress-maker's dummy, with the speakers installed in the bust and the input wire is through the um, lower region of the dummy! NFI how you could design the crossover or calculate the volume but that wouldn't work for you anyway.
I don't want to mention names, as I'm sure to forget someone and p*** them off, but guys on this Forum do great work which would be the envy of some cabinet makers
Geoff
I bet you could get there in a faceted wide-body...
InDIYana Event Website
Look at @jhollander center channel thread
By way of a postscript, most if not all of the designs in my second link are commercial offerings, but might give an idea of what might be possible as an alternative to the traditional box. I'm sure some sound good, others not and that you would pay a premium for such unusual designs.
Noted DIY designers have also made tubular speakers from PVC, semi-spherical speakers from concrete, triangular speakers and cabinets which look like V8 or Harley engines. Perhaps the latter may not cut it for WAF....
There's an art deco version of the Tritrix MTM which looked cool; I don't have the link but they were shaped to resemble a 30s radio with a curved top, cloth grille and shaped wood trim on the baffle.
Without rabbiting on any more, I hope these comments give you some inspiration.
Geoff
The Midwest Audio Club event archive has lots of pictures from over the years. https://midwestaudio.club/event-archive/ There are some interesting things looking at images when Googling "speakers as art".
Ron
I really like the look of your Cherry Pi speakers, Ron!
Geoff
Thanks Geoff.
Here's some non traditional enclosures
in various states of completion.
I like all of those Nick
Thanks John!
I'm just trying to provide some ideas.
Both of these speakers include "boxes"...
Go real nuts and recreate the Beolab 90
I have a nice vintage Barzilay stereo cabinet as a wall unit with empty spaces on the end for speakers. I gutted the internals of the speakers but kept the wood grills. That way, I can swap in any speaker that will fit and it is not visible. It also has sliding doors to hide the electronics when not in use. Works for us!
How about a Linkwitz LXmini enclosure? It is definitely not a box and has kind of a modern look.
Sonus Faber Elipsa Clone
Nick- what's the handled case of pegboard behind pointy-head there?
InDIYana Event Website
Ben, I use the case to store small pieces of peg board and spring terminals for x over prototyping.
hey Nick, do you have a write up or more images of the moon drops? I don't seem to find the thread on TT or wherever i saw it... was there a thread or just an MWAF blurb?
I am also a member of the "oddball" club. Here are three from my collection. My current Dr Diffraction project is also odd looking, but no finished pictures yet.
Linehoppers:
Kowaxials:
Plumbers Delight:
@4thtry How did you cut the odd recess shape for the drivers?
I have a 1/8" scrolling type blade on my band saw, which I use to create custom 1/4" thick masonite templates for the odd shape of my drivers.
I start by placing the driver face down on a piece of 1/4" thick masonite. I then place a small washer next to the driver and then trace the outline of the driver flange onto the masonite. This then gives me a tracing that is a 3/32" offset with respect to the driver flange. I then cut this shape out on the band saw.
I have a craftsman bushing collar set for my router base. So I then install the collar which has a 3/32" offset and allows a 1/4" straight router bit to be mounted in the router. I stick the template onto the baffle surface with double stick carpet tape, set the depth to the flange thickness, and then rout the recess. Works like a charm.
Bill
Very impressed with these interesting and different designs, in particular, how people work out the enclosure volume and how to tweak the crossovers compared with a traditional box.
If the enclosure were a tube (i.e. woofer mounted in one pipe, the tweeter in another) , the volume would be easily calculated; and I assume as there's no baffle, full BSC would be used. But projects above like the coaxials and the peanut shaped speakers would, I imagine, be quite difficult. Or not?
Geoff
Just fill the speaker with water, then pour out into measuring cups to determine the volume
Most shape volumes can be calculated by breaking down into smaller rectangles and triangles, then calculating volume of the smaller pieces. Or depending on how CAD savvy you are, lots of CAD software will calculate the volume of any shape you can draw up.
Ani, I will start a new thread here and post construction pictures for you when I get a chance.
I use packing peanuts to get the volume of really odd shapes, such as if there are compound curves, but for triangular or circular sections I just use calculations.
Thanks Nick, That is one of my most fav speakers... might soon be rivaled by the minions (once you get some denim overall for them...) and maybe some bananas?
Amazingly despicable they will be- BANANA!!
Awesome, just awesome.
InDIYana Event Website