Bookshelf Recommendations
- Thread starter High_Noon
- Start date
JoeESP9
ESL's & tubes since 83
As for the stability of towers, a number of towers have outriggers for stability. Check out the NHT 3.3's. One of the few box speakers that I've ever liked. They have bass to die for. No sub(s) needed.
My Maggie 1.7's have stands that are also stabilizers. They are oriented front to back.
My Maggie 1.7's have stands that are also stabilizers. They are oriented front to back.
High_Noon
Active Member
UPDATE: Bud and I picked up a pair of Klipsch KG2 speakers locally today for $150.00. They sound great and it's all he needs. They are in good condition, but need a bit of cleaning and oiling and he'll be in business. Certainly better than the Polks he used to have. We also ordered RCA patch cords, 14 AWG speaker wire and speaker stands from Monoprice today, as well as, Blu-Tack from Amazon for the speakers/speaker stands.
Thanks to everyone for their input.
Thanks to everyone for their input.
tubelectron
Super Member
I wondered what was the KG-2 model : it's a two way plus back passive radiator...
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High_Noon
Active Member
@tubelectron: Yep u got it. I think they sound very good - especially for the price. Not sure he could have done better at that price
tubelectron
Super Member
Certainly, yes ! I never heard any Klipsch KG-models - 1 or 2 - too bad. They are unfortunately nearly nonexistent here in France...
My sole venture in the Klipsch Bookshelf Department was a paire of R14-M :
Nice, compact, but awfull-lousy-muddy mid-bass boost intentional design ! After a vent correction diameter and a full cotton wool filling, it was indeed better sounding, but they finally did not stay.
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High_Noon
Active Member
@tubelectron: Interesting. Are those R14-Ms MIC?
tubelectron
Super Member
Here's a picture of the back label that I took when I inspected my R14-M :
And some construction detail pics :
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tubelectron
Super Member
To sum up...
Here's the work I did on my R14-M to make them more "decent sounding", if I can say so :
Before selling htem, I returned them to thieir strict original condition, and yes, the changes proved beneficial in comparison.
But the seller is supposed to buy a factory condition item, right ? So I removed the changes I experimented.
That said, the horn tweeter was very good sounding and the X-over well determinated. Only the BR load was designed to "exagerate a boomy bass level" by a FB at 88Hz, that I could lower to 45Hz, suitably loosing that unpleasant "mask effect" in the high-bass region, while gaining depht in bass extension.
Oh, I could kept them for the price I bought and sell them, but... Too much is too much !
A+!
Here's the work I did on my R14-M to make them more "decent sounding", if I can say so :
Before selling htem, I returned them to thieir strict original condition, and yes, the changes proved beneficial in comparison.
But the seller is supposed to buy a factory condition item, right ? So I removed the changes I experimented.
That said, the horn tweeter was very good sounding and the X-over well determinated. Only the BR load was designed to "exagerate a boomy bass level" by a FB at 88Hz, that I could lower to 45Hz, suitably loosing that unpleasant "mask effect" in the high-bass region, while gaining depht in bass extension.
Oh, I could kept them for the price I bought and sell them, but... Too much is too much !
A+!
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High_Noon
Active Member
@tubelectron: Thanks for posting that. Did you just stuff that batting in there? I've decided to build my own bookshelf speakers using Morel CAW-638 6" Woofers, ScanSpeak Discovery D2608/9130 Tweeters & custom crossovers. The biggest challenge for me will be constructing the speaker cabinets and I was wondering exactly where & how much batting to install. From my research so far, about 50% batting coverage seems to be the maximum I should use. I will probably use veneer covered MDF for the build due to the low resonance of that material.
tubelectron
Super Member
Well, I don't know what you mean by "batting" ?
The fact is that I reduced the port section to lower the tuning frequency from 88Hz to 45Hz, and I complemented the light DACRON internal stuffing by cotton wool (called métisse here in France). This made the little R14-M much better sounding - at least to my ears, for sure !
Some people will disagree, I know, but I am rather in favor of an almost complete, even complete filling of the cabinet, the enclosure being of the sealed type or bass-reflex type, no matter. I use for that purpose the métisse with success, that cotton wool used for home isolation :
Below, on a wide-band bookshelf speaker :
Here, on a large 3-ways studio-monitor-like speaker :
And on a super-compact "cube" bookshelf enclosure :
But of course, filling type, mix, quantity and disposition is a matter of case by case basis, cut and try, etc...
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High_Noon
Active Member
@tubelectron: Thanks very much for taking the time to post that. It should be very helpful regarding my speaker build. I may PM you a few questions regarding cabinet builds, when I'm ready, if you don't mind.
Also, batting = damping material
Also, batting = damping material
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tubelectron
Super Member
High_Noon
Active Member
@graymatter: which Paradigm 7 speakers are you referring to, specifically which model? Thanks.
I have a set of Paradigms from the '90s, I believe - not sure what model. I just pulled them out of storage and the Label on the back shows that they are the Paradigm Monitor Series, Compact Monitor with high freq driver HF 26 & low freq driver LF210. I probably haven't listened to these speakers in 25+ years.
I have a set of Paradigms from the '90s, I believe - not sure what model. I just pulled them out of storage and the Label on the back shows that they are the Paradigm Monitor Series, Compact Monitor with high freq driver HF 26 & low freq driver LF210. I probably haven't listened to these speakers in 25+ years.
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tubelectron
Super Member
For the occasion of the discussion, here's my last bookshelf models under construction :
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High_Noon
Active Member
@tubelectron: Those are lookin' real nice. What drivers will you be using?
Also, what is your reasoning behind packing the entire cabinet with damping material? I've read that can compromise the bass and make the speaker sound terrible.
The drivers I am using on my speaker build are the Morel CAW 639 and the ScanSpeak D2608/9130. I have the Morels, but I'm looking for a better price on the ScanSpeaks.
Also, what is your reasoning behind packing the entire cabinet with damping material? I've read that can compromise the bass and make the speaker sound terrible.
The drivers I am using on my speaker build are the Morel CAW 639 and the ScanSpeak D2608/9130. I have the Morels, but I'm looking for a better price on the ScanSpeaks.
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tubelectron
Super Member
Thanks @High_Noon !
About the damping material, I rather go for a full filling, or quasily - I mean : not to choke/stifle the speakers, right ?
Beside having done conclusive comparative tests at different rate of filling and different materials (time consuming !), I follow the suggestions from Vance Dickason "Loudspeaker Cookbook", Martin Colloms "High Performance Loudspeakers" and Joseph d'Appolito "Testing Loudspeakers" :
- Any proportion in the relative dimensions to spread the resonances of a cabinet becomes fully secondary compared to the efficiency provided by a filling with adequate material. (V. Dickason)
- With a correctly designed cabined, the best neutrality will be achieved with a full filling of adequate material density, no matter Bass-Reflex or Sealed is the enclosure, without choking the speakers, of course. (M. Colloms)
- The full filling of an enclosure with a suitable damping material can theorically increase up to +41% the acoustic volume of the cabinet by modifying the compliance of the enclosed air. In practice, increases of acoustic volume of 15 to 20%, even 30% on low loss enclosures are easily obtained. (J. D'Appolito)
That said, in some cases, favoring or pushing some low-midrange or midrange tones can be interesting if the bass-midrange speaker is rather moderate in this band, in a 2-way enclosure : as usual, it's a case-by-case basis... La carte n'est pas le terrain !
Oh, the speakers that I plan to use for this project (I already have them in stock) are less ambitious than yours : Monacor DT-280 Tweeter, Monacor SPH-170 Woofer :
I should expect 45Hz-22KHz and 90dB/W/m, if I rely on my simulations...
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