But not really for sound quality right?
Speaker Wood
- Thread starter Plitron
- Start date
But not really for sound quality right?
gkimeng
Forum Mod, ClassicSpeakerPages.net
It's all relative. Compared to other console stereos and TVs of the period that had a speaker in front, a piece of perforated masonite on the back and nothing else, the sound was usually quite a bit better.
I was wondering in your opinion if the styrofoam or the paper mache stopped the harmonics?
gkimeng
Forum Mod, ClassicSpeakerPages.net
I think it was probably mostly a cabinet resonance thing.
So they didn't want the resonance to get into the console chassis?
specialidiot
Break Glass, Smoke Lucky
I wish there was an emoticon for "snort". That's funny right there.
That just brings back happy memories. My family thinks I'm nuts because when we go to the local D3 college games, I have us sit right by the locker room entrance for the "ambiance". Growing up as a rink rat, that smells like home.
gkimeng
Forum Mod, ClassicSpeakerPages.net
No, it's not new at all. My dad had a "build your own hifi" book back in the 50's that recommended the use of plywood over solid wood to build an "acoustically dead" speaker cabinet (and at the time, one cabinet was all a system needed).
a_retent
In memory of Trixie woo-woo
Sorry for my stupidity, I promise to be more diligent in my research.
Perhaps I should of been better with my wordsmithing by presenting it in this manner:
Even thought wood which is properly termed as lumber only after it has been processed; is albiet considered growth terminated after it has been harvested, continues to expand and contract at different rates for different species, grain structures and cuts. This action draws in available moisture and expelling it based on external influences such as climatic/barometric conditions. If atmospheric moisture content is too minuscule to maintain the flexability of the wood fiber then separation or 'cracking' of the grain stucture occures. Wood/lumber continues to move or shift for the duration of it's existence which thus presents itself with the illusion of being alive, until which time it is either decomposed or pretrified.
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I have moved a small set of speakers next to me and I am studying what they used for wood. They are from the early 70's, around 3 feet tall, 9 inches square, and they are made out of what looks like one inch particle board with a nice veneer on them. All of the inside walls are covered with fiberglass insulation. Even the ceilings and floors are covered inside. With only 2 "4" inch drivers, this company looks to have been thinking about what you have been saying. :scratch2:
hoaryhag
Active Member
During the really moist months my mom's solid wood front door has to be forced open and closed. It goes from an easy swing to being wedged in place from the changes in weather. It sure looks nice but there is a downside.
BwanaJim
Well-Known Member
"How much of the science of speaker design and the right woods was present in the early 70's speakers? Is this really a new school of thought resonance and all?"
None of this is new, speaker design in the fifty's was booming (I couldn't resist).
By the mid sixties the Thiel-Small parameters had been set and the race was on to design the best speakers mathematically then reproduce them in the real world.
By 1970 the "Golden Age" had already begun........
None of this is new, speaker design in the fifty's was booming (I couldn't resist).
By the mid sixties the Thiel-Small parameters had been set and the race was on to design the best speakers mathematically then reproduce them in the real world.
By 1970 the "Golden Age" had already begun........
marc mc
Super Member
Plitron, make a few pairs and you will learn more in a month than 10 years of talk. You will also discover that just like all things audio, you will have your own preference on materials. And yes in many respects speakers from days gone by are better than today and vice versa. The variables are enormous and in many respects silly to compare. My favorite speakers are from the 80's but thats when I got into audio and heard all those speakers in shops.
marc mc
marc mc
I am starting to wonder if it would be good to make cabinets out of layers?
Fiberglass insulation lining, then styrofoam sheets, next a layer of balsa, finally mdf and plywood. Any thoughts?
Two thoughts...
Overkill, and can I watch you move them
Seriously, there's a ton of great info here, but I'd suggest the novice build something out of a simple 3/4" birch plywood from Lowe's or HD. I've been inside a ton of vintage speakers and plywood was the hands down choice. Like was mentioned above, the time has come to end the talk and start building.
Also, if you are having this much fun with cabinet material selection, what are you going to do when you have to deal with actual speaker design, driver placement and selection, including size, number, and manufacturer, and crossover design, all which should have a greater impact on your final speakers sound that the choice of cabinet materials?
FWIW, I built my Econowaves from scratch using the aforementioned 3/4" birch with mitered corner bracing and 2" of fiberglass insulation as deadening and used 3/4" MDF motorboards and back. I veneered the front motorboard and am quite pleased with the overall results.
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marc mc
Super Member
I like plywood the best and if it was good enough for my Corals well.....
Have you considered "No box?" :thmbsp: But the point is. Get out your table saw and make something. I started out cutting up old office desk's that people were throwing out. As a matter of fact that is what I made that flexy rack that I use in the garage out of. Old office desks! My main system rack is made out head boards. They are the strongest damn things I have ever seen. That rack and gear is about 650lb's
marc mc
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Tiver
Enjoy the music
The next great advancement in speaker wood isn't wood at all. It seems that NASA discovered, quite by accident, that the insulating tiles used on the belly of the space shuttle had incredible resistance to any resonance at all. Since the shuttle program has been slated for abandonment, the tiles from the shuttles and the stockpile of tiles for future repairs were auctioned recently at a less than well publicized event. Apparently the government is doing all it can to reduce the deficit.
Information about the auction winner and the amount of the winning bid is scarce, but it is rumored to be one of the larger names in the audio industry. Keep your eyes open for some news from one of big names in the coming months.
There was a report that someone near Andrews AFB in California found some tiles that had fallen off of a shuttle during the approach to the landing strip. The same tiles were found on Craigslist for $4 each and were picked up by a lucky DIY speaker builder somewhere in California. Can you say "Score!!" :thmbsp:
Talk about 'space age' speaker design.
Information about the auction winner and the amount of the winning bid is scarce, but it is rumored to be one of the larger names in the audio industry. Keep your eyes open for some news from one of big names in the coming months.
There was a report that someone near Andrews AFB in California found some tiles that had fallen off of a shuttle during the approach to the landing strip. The same tiles were found on Craigslist for $4 each and were picked up by a lucky DIY speaker builder somewhere in California. Can you say "Score!!" :thmbsp:
Talk about 'space age' speaker design.
"Maybe it is time to get the saw out and start cutting"?
I actually have built a few speakers with no science involved and this time I want to do it right. I plan on spending as much time on drivers, cabinet design, and crossovers.
"Have you considered no cabinets"?
I spent hours last night reading about cabinet design and learned alot. I learned how open baffle is popular as it lets the driver move both ways without restriction. I read about standing waves in a cabinet and how the rear waves can cancel out the front waves. Makes sense since twisted pair speaker wires are more silent from the signals cancelling each other out. I read about the sealed cabinet designs and how that keeps the rear waves locked up in the cabinet, but then makes the cabinet compress when the driver is on the in stroke, and the cabinet be in a vaccuum when the speaker is on the out stroke. Then there was how to use that to my advantage with what is termed, air suspension. I read about the theory of not having any internal speaker cabinet walls facing each other to control standing waves. Whew !!! :sigh::sigh::sigh:
"Space shuttle tiles will be available".
Makes me wonder if those fiberglass ceiling tiles would be good to line the inside of speaker cabinets with or not?:scratch2:
I actually have built a few speakers with no science involved and this time I want to do it right. I plan on spending as much time on drivers, cabinet design, and crossovers.
"Have you considered no cabinets"?
I spent hours last night reading about cabinet design and learned alot. I learned how open baffle is popular as it lets the driver move both ways without restriction. I read about standing waves in a cabinet and how the rear waves can cancel out the front waves. Makes sense since twisted pair speaker wires are more silent from the signals cancelling each other out. I read about the sealed cabinet designs and how that keeps the rear waves locked up in the cabinet, but then makes the cabinet compress when the driver is on the in stroke, and the cabinet be in a vaccuum when the speaker is on the out stroke. Then there was how to use that to my advantage with what is termed, air suspension. I read about the theory of not having any internal speaker cabinet walls facing each other to control standing waves. Whew !!! :sigh::sigh::sigh:
"Space shuttle tiles will be available".
Makes me wonder if those fiberglass ceiling tiles would be good to line the inside of speaker cabinets with or not?:scratch2:
marc mc
Super Member
Every time I "did it right" all that happened was I learned more for the next pair. I took 3 loads of projects to the dump this spring and as I was tossing them in, I was remembering the lessons learned from all the times I "did it right". I imagine there are more than a few here that know what I am talking about. My buddy has a fire pit in his backyard which saves him trips to the dump.
IMO, DIY is a journey if you want a perfect pair its easier to buy them.
marc mc
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