Want to build Bose like surround system, please help! 1st post!

[MuaDibb]

If you want a tall thin tower and want to use a small fullrange speaker like the TB-871 I would suggest something like this.




The rendering is what I built, 4" wide 6" deep and about 40" tall, however I omitted the "leg" at the back. The other is a commercial offering from Terry Cain with a fostex fullranger, same design. Its a folded quarterwave pipe, very easy to build and the bass these put out is unbelievable, it doesn't matter what size speaker, these have nice bass output. The downside is that the 3'' don't play really loud due to spl limits. They do have to be placed in corners to get the boundary loading thats necessary for the horn to function properly. Zillaspeak.com has dims for lots of different size speakers. Most of the larger speakers load the corner and ceiling and open at the top, the smaller speakers get flipped upside down and load the corner and floor. There's a huge thread at diyaudio.com on these almost 200 pages long. Oh, they're called BIB's by the way.

[Brian Bunge]

Chris,

I was wondering if you had any more thoughts on this mini 2/3-way tower? Did you get a chance to get a sketch put together?

[cjd]

Ugh. Yes, I have sketches. They're on paper, done in pencil. How archaic! I spent the weekend at the in-laws, been wrapping and... well, general hecticness.

COZZA - using the 4" T-B will result in something Microbe sized. If they're too big, the 4" is out.

C

[cjd]

Brian, exactly how ambitious are you?

[Brian Bunge]

Define "ambitious"!

[cjd]

If I remember to grab the files from my laptop tonight I'll post... shouldn't be *too* bad. Nothin you can't solve with a template, some patience, some elbow grease... I stepped up to the RS180 for the extra excursion...

Anyhow, the Chrysler building was a design influence...

C

[Brian Bunge]

Holy crap...

[Brian Bunge]

Are we talking RS180-8 or RS180-4?

[cjd]

-4 for sensitivity still, though I may give up on that dream... we'll see.

If I say "screw sensitivity" the 6.5" T-B sub is really interesting as it can be tuned into the low 20's... in only ~13L or so. Which has me thinking I might be able to use 2 and recover some sensitivity after all.

C

[AJINFLA]

Microbes are even too big.


I'm talking Bose buster size maybe a bit bigger.

Send these people $300 bucks and be done with it.

http://www.accessories4less.com/cgi-bin/item/KEFKHT1005S

cheers,

AJ

[Chris7]

AJinFLA, have you heard those KEFs? The small size coaxials look intriguing for a small desk system at work. It might be interesting to tweak the crossover.

[Hank]

COZZA23, there's a pic of a RED Bozebuster and a Lounge Bozebuster on my crude web site:

http://www.geocities.com/hankbond1/index

[cjd]

An explanation:

Far left is my preferred. 40" tall, 24" height in the bass-module, 8.5" wide. 16" tall 4" wide on the top part. Maybe not really suitable at all for anything anyone has been pondering, but the design exercise was fun.

Middle pair is a "simpler" variant perhaps, and at least a probably starting state for hand-working the curve around the woofer no matter what you do.

Right is a different concept that may also work.

[Brian Bunge]

Chris,

My wife and I absolutely LOVE the design on the left! The big question is, can I build it?! I guess I'll have to try, huh?

The profile doesn't seem to quite match the front view but that's something I/we can work out.

[cjd]

Oh, yes... the profile does match the front view. I know how I would build it as well, so...

Some nice router work to really get it clean (well, machining but by hand, that means router).

And to get the area around the woofer, you route as in the second shot and then hit it with hand tools...

[Brian Bunge]

OK, I'll take your word for it! What is the angle on the front baffle there? And do you have an idea of the depth of the cabinet?

[Brian Bunge]

Nevermind. My wife says I'm retarded. I just realized that the angle is at the back!

[---k---]

Chris,
Looks to me like your missing a few drivers in those designs.

[cjd]

Ahh, I see your mixup Brian. When I learned drafting, I was taught that you should always put the edge of a view next to the view of that edge... so, the front is viewed on the left, so the edge representing the front goes next to the view of the front. :P

Depth is about what it takes to make for ~1cu/ft in the bottom, so maybe, um... uh. Not sure, maybe 14" deep at the largest I think? Could be.

The angles are set to be what looked good to me. Exactly just so, not a bit more or less.

Ryan... a few drivers? maybe. Might get a tweeter if that makes you feel better. We'll have to evaluate the benefits vs. the cost.

[AJINFLA]

AJinFLA, have you heard those KEFs?

Yes, at B&H up in NY IIRC. They sound much better than Bose or any other twiddler, fullrange or whatever you want to call a 3" cone tweeter (including the TB & Peerless models I own) IMHO.

cheers,

AJ

[Brian Bunge]

Chris,

That does make sense. And I think a 14" max depth would work well.

Also, it's a bit hard to tell but do you also have a beveled edge on the sides of the top section? It sort of looks that way. I know the TB driver is 3 11/16" in diameter so it couldn't be much of a bevel unless you stop it right above the driver on both sides and then continue it right below it all the way down.

I do know one thing, if I do decide to build these I'll need some definite ideas from you on exactly how to construct the cabinets.