Speaker Wood

[dnewma04]

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?

Again, the fiberglass insulation is to reduce standing waves, it has no bearing on the resonance of an enclosure.

Changes in material impedance can make for good soundproofing devices, but we can keep this simpler for speaker building. Adding mass lowers resonant frequency. Adding stiffness increases the resonant frequency. Adding both mass and stiffness, depending on the combo, can either lower or increase resonant frequency but should decrease the amplitude of the resonance, in either case.

 

[elwood127]

I get speakerwood all the time. Oh, spaeker wood. Never mind.

 

[Plitron]

Again, the fiberglass insulation is to reduce standing waves, it has no bearing on the resonance of an enclosure.

Changes in material impedance can make for good soundproofing devices, but we can keep this simpler for speaker building. Adding mass lowers resonant frequency. Adding stiffness increases the resonant frequency. Adding both mass and stiffness, depending on the combo, can either lower or increase resonant frequency but should decrease the amplitude of the resonance, in either case.

Thanks, good stuff.

 

[BradV]

Having worked in the timber industry and in the metal industry I reckon I've got my head around all the positives and all the negatives of both 'substances' more than most have.

As for the ultimate material for a speaker enclosure, it would be 3inch (min) aluminium alloy such as AW-6082.

The comination of properties makes it one of the most versatile of engineering and construction materials. It is light in weight, yet it has strength greater than structural steel. It is corrosion resistant under a variety of conditions and is nontoxic. It can be cast, extruded forged, drawn, hot rolled and cold rolled and it is non - magnetic. It has a specific gravity close to MDF and approximately 1/3 that of steel.

All properly designed speaker cabinets use the principle of harmonic resonance to produce a 'musical' sound. The goal is to not have a sonically invisible 'box' that is a merely a container for a monitor, but to have the right design parameters that are tuned well to re-produce music true to its original source.

I have no doubt that in years to come fibrous materials such as wood, MDF etc will be a relic of the past for speaker enclosures.

 

[Conchord]

As for the ultimate material for a speaker enclosure, it would be 3inch (min) aluminium alloy such as AW-6082.

Now what am I to do with all that T6061 in my basement?

 

[coward]

Now what am I to do with all that T6061 in my basement?

Bottle depot.










cheers

 

[dnewma04]

All properly designed speaker cabinets use the principle of harmonic resonance to produce a 'musical' sound. The goal is to not have a sonically invisible 'box' that is a merely a container for a monitor, but to have the right design parameters that are tuned well to re-produce music true to its original source.

"All"? Budgets will dictate how much effort is put into taming resonances, but there is only a fringe sect of speaker manufacturers who try to promote resonances to make speakers cabs more "musical".

 

[Plitron]

"All"? Budgets will dictate how much effort is put into taming resonances, but there is only a fringe sect of speaker manufacturers who try to promote resonances to make speakers cabs more "musical".

?????????????? Can you help us dumb kids in the back of the class:scratch2:

 

[dnewma04]

I might have misread Brad's intent in his post, but he made it sound like cabinet panel vibrations were promoted to make things more "musical" by "ALL" manufacturers. There are a few companies (I think Audionote is one) that promote cabinets that are intentionally resonant. This is certainly against the norm.

 

[marc mc]

There are a few companies (I think Audionote is one) that promote cabinets that are intentionally resonant. This is certainly against the norm.

But it does work. In fact 2 of my favorite speakers are not dense at all and a light rap on the side produces a rather hollow sound. But they are excellent speakers.

marc mc

 

[dnewma04]

There will always be a small group who will like anything.

 

[TejasRichard]

There will always be a small group who will like anything.

I once tried a recipe, against my better judgement mind you, that combined sauteed chicken, tomato, rice, and peanut butter. I am an open-minded person, and even though this sounded....odd, it did get 5 stars from all 25 people who reviewed it, so I tried it- I mean, not a single negative review! I am now CONVINCED that this is because everyone else who tried it was vomitting too hard to post their thoughts. I often wonder if the 25 people who gave positive reviews did something different than I did...like ingesting it anally or using it as spackle. Cause I simply can't imagine someone putting this in their mouth and wanting to swallow, much less enjoying it. Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who has eaten food from every continent, including such strange delicacies as beef tartar, fried coon, squirel dumplings, tripe, haggis, tongue of various sorts,beef brain, chicken heart, various organs...didn't like all of the above, but I was willing to give them a chance. But that peanutbutter chicken was the most putrid thing I've ever eaten. And 25 people gave it 5-star reviews...

 

[hypertone]

I love peanut sauce with chicken. I've never tried any tomatoes in the mix though.

 

[Plitron]

I once tried a recipe, against my better judgement mind you, that combined sauteed chicken, tomato, rice, and peanut butter. I am an open-minded person, and even though this sounded....odd, it did get 5 stars from all 25 people who reviewed it, so I tried it- I mean, not a single negative review! I am now CONVINCED that this is because everyone else who tried it was vomitting too hard to post their thoughts. I often wonder if the 25 people who gave positive reviews did something different than I did...like ingesting it anally or using it as spackle. Cause I simply can't imagine someone putting this in their mouth and wanting to swallow, much less enjoying it. Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who has eaten food from every continent, including such strange delicacies as beef tartar, fried coon, squirel dumplings, tripe, haggis, tongue of various sorts,beef brain, chicken heart, various organs...didn't like all of the above, but I was willing to give them a chance. But that peanutbutter chicken was the most putrid thing I've ever eaten. And 25 people gave it 5-star reviews...

I was in a small Tai restaurant once and I ordered a dish that they endorsed.
It was quite simply the most delicious thing that I had ever consumed. having the dish several times, I finally asked what was in it.
I was shocked !!! :sigh::sigh::sigh:
I would not have mixed those ingredients in a thousand years, but it worked.
I am not sure that I can remember now as it has been years since I lived in that city. I believe that it had licorice, coconut milk, Peanut sauce, mild curry, and grilled chicken. Boy, now I am drooling again.

 

[BradV]

Guys it is my understanding that all speaker cabinets and all designs of speaker cabinets are involved in the final sound output you hear from a monitor - to varying degrees.

Just compare any monitor to a free air speaker. A free air speaker produces sound not music.

Obviously unwanted harmonics and colourations need to be eliminated, and this is the reason behind proper design, and the pursuit of excellence of the right material, dimensions and construction method of an enclosure.

The enclosures 'job' is to provide the right combination in order to be an overall instrument in conjunction with the speakers that outputs sound waves that are close to or ideally equivalent in every way to the original sound source - be it drums, woodwind instruments, guitars, the human voice, flutes and electronica or whatever.

Imagine a 3inch thick cabinet made from Al, all precision engineered to the ideal dimensions and rap on the side with your knuckles. You'll get what I mean.

Next time you're auditioning speakers compare the overall sound you hear in each monitor with a knuckle rap. Then you will be able to analyse the contribution of the cabinet. Fairly rough way of doing it but it works.

Love Thai food. Best I had came from Phi Phi island. :thmbsp:

 

[marc mc]

Guys it is my understanding that all speaker cabinets and all designs of speaker cabinets are involved in the final sound output you hear from a monitor - to varying degrees.

Just compare any monitor to a free air speaker. A free air speaker produces sound not music.

Obviously unwanted harmonics and colourations need to be eliminated, and this is the reason behind proper design, and the pursuit of excellence of the right material, dimensions and construction method of an enclosure.

The enclosures 'job' is to provide the right combination in order to be an overall instrument in conjunction with the speakers that outputs sound waves that are close to or ideally equivalent in every way to the original sound source - be it drums, woodwind instruments, guitars, the human voice, flutes and electronica or whatever.

Imagine a 3inch thick cabinet made from Al, all precision engineered to the ideal dimensions and rap on the side with your knuckles. You'll get what I mean.

Next time you're auditioning speakers compare the overall sound you hear in each monitor with a knuckle rap. Then you will be able to analyse the contribution of the cabinet. Fairly rough way of doing it but it works.

Not really sure I get what your saying. If your saying that a speakers sound quality is determined by how thick the box is then I would have to disagree. It's not that simple.

Have you ever heard Harbeth speakers?

BTW I have found the quality of the drivers to be by far the major contributor to musical enjoyment.

marc mc

 

[dnewma04]

I find that musical enjoyment is almost 100% design based. I've heard very cheap drivers sound significantly better than very expensive/high quality drivers with the proper crossovers and cabinet design used in the former.

 

[marc mc]

I find that musical enjoyment is almost 100% design based. I've heard very cheap drivers sound significantly better than very expensive/high quality drivers with the proper crossovers and cabinet design used in the former.

Care to share a real example? I have never been able to listen to a speaker that used mediocre drivers never mind own one. IMO no matter how well the design the drivers will let it down.


marc mc

 

[dnewma04]

First, I suppose I should clarify that by cheap, I didn't mean mediocre, there are plenty of inexpensive quality drivers.

For existing speakers using "inexpensive drivers", I would include Indignias, MurphyBlaster MB0W1s, RayWs Bob speakers, GR Research N2X, a few of the Fostex based "full range systems", some of the econowaveguide speakers i've heard, Adire Audio HE10.1s, NHT SuperOnes, and a host of others using drivers like audax soft dome tweeters, peerless CSX/HDS drivers, dayton reference series, Vifa PL series, and more.

Often times, the higher end drivers have very stiff cones that become tough to pull off good crossovers that can tame the resonances.

I have no doubt that the best drivers will ultimately provide more potential, but I don't often go into a project assuming i have to spend big money to end up with superior results.

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

.......I often wonder if the 25 people who gave positive reviews did something different than I did...like ingesting it anally........

That's the funniest thing I've heard/read all day, and I'm not having a beer, either.