Another Statements HT (Monitors, Statements II, Statements II Center)

[Pknaz]

After many years of browsing many different forums where Curt and Jim frequent, reading almost every "Statements" thread I could get my hands on, and many emails/discussions with Jim and Curt, I've finally taken the plunge into building my HT based around the Statements series. These are truly great guys and their contributions to the DIY community have been amazing.

I'm getting the ball rolling with the Monitors and have completed a good bit of work so far.

Cabinets: I've purchased the knock down kit from Melby Audio and I'm very pleased with the quality of the kit. I emailed him and asked him to cut the port hole for the Meniscus kit including the flared port that comes with that kit (Melby's standard kit uses a wooden flare). I have very limited space and tools, so cutting my own wood isn't possible at this stage.
I'll upload pictures of the cabinets at some later time.

Crossovers: I've decided to build the switched version of the Monitors as they will play the role of mains until my Statements II are completed. After the Statements II are completed I'll place the Monitors near wall in the rear surround position, hence the need for the switchable crossover.

For reference, here is Curt's original schematic

I've attached several images.

The first is a diagram I drew up to verify that all of the components would fit on a single board, and determine my wiring path.


Here are some phone shots from the crossover, please excuse the image quality.

• Green and Black twisted wires will route to a 3 pole switch.
• Yellow and Black wires are for the tweeter
• Blue and Black wires are for the mid
• Red and Black wires are for the woofer

[Jim Holtz]

Hi Nate,

I'm glad to see you are moving forward with your Statements builds. Didn't Curt take a look at this?

Jim

[Pknaz]

Hi Nate,

I'm glad to see you are moving forward with your Statements builds. Didn't Curt take a look at this?

Jim

Hi Jim,

Curt did indeed look over my diagram and a couple initial shots of the crossovers to verify inductor spacing and orientation. I hope to have them completely finished and ready for mounting this weekend. Boxes are mostly complete, need to flush route, sand and cut the foam before gluing on the front baffle.

[JoeAngelicchio]

Just a quick question for Jim or Curt. I've read through many of the statement threads but don't recall if someone had done a Near/Far crossover on the full sized statements? Seriously thinking about building the Statement II's once my theatre/listening room is done.
Joe

[Jim Holtz]

Just a quick question for Jim or Curt. I've read through many of the statement threads but don't recall if someone had done a Near/Far crossover on the full sized statements? Seriously thinking about building the Statement II's once my theatre/listening room is done.
Joe

Hi Joe,

The near/far wall option is designed into the Statements Monitors and Finalists only. It was included for flexibility of placement for smaller rooms. This comes at the expense of the soundstage. 12" - 36" from back of speaker to the wall behind is normal placement for any audiophile quality speaker.

Jim

[Pknaz]

Melby Audio's flat-pack comes pre-cut for a round terminal plate, but I wanted to use the binding posts I got from the Meniscus kit, so I'm cutting the round hole into a square hole, and I'm going to glue a section of MDF behind the new square hole


My new square hole!


A piece of MDF glued in place, with a 1 & 1/2" circle cut for where I'll mount the switch and crude markings for where I'll drill pilot holes for the binding posts.


Back side view of the MDF as well as a backer plate for the switch, made from 3/16" HDF


Getting close!

[Pknaz]

I wanted to mount the crossovers to the bottom of the mid tunnel, but because I used zip ties, I needed some spacers. I cut these from some 3/16" HDF and drilled pilot holes in them.


Here I am gluing them to the bottom of the crossovers, strategically placed near the inductors so the screws are as close to them as possible.


Crossovers mounted, foam glued in place, wires for tweeter and mid also hot glued in place


Testing crossovers before gluing the baffle on


I'll have music very soon! (Gluing baffle on!)

[Pknaz]

They're making music! I still need to flush route the edges and sand everything smooth and decide on how I want to finish them, but they're making music!

I'm really blown away at how well they image. I don't have a lot of speakers to compare them to, but I've been able to compare them to four different speakers in the same room with the same setup:

• KRK Rokit 6's
• Paul Carmody's Classix II
• Paul Carmody's Speedsters
• Paradigm Studio 20's (Circa late '90's)

Since this picture was taken, I've replaced the stands with a pair of 12" subs, as the stands in the picture were way too tall, and the 12" subs put the tweeters only about an inch or so above ear height.

I played around with two diffusion panels directly behind the speakers to see how it impacted imaging. In the sweet spot, it made the center state a bit "fuzzy" and not very defined, but off center in the 2nd and 3rd listening positions they REALLY anchored the center stage very well, quite impressive really. I've since moved these panels to just behind the first reflection point as my wife doesn't appreciate great sound.

First and second reflection points are being controlled by three (each wall) GiK Accoustics bass traps. four GiK Soffet traps in the room, two in each of the front corners (on the floor). I plan on getting four more for the rear of the room, as low bass notes can be heard reflecting from the rear of the room.


Everything I've played through them sounds fantastic, even stuff that isn't well recorded (like 128/160kbps OLD mp3 rips from the 90's)

I think I'll start on the Statement II center next, then on to the full sized Statements II

[kevinm]

Nice room. I be they sound great in there.

Good choice in the in your building sequence. I would recommend finishing your CC and full size statements before you put them in the room. If you don't, good luck getting them back out and finishing

[Pknaz]

Nice room. I be they sound great in there.

Good choice in the in your building sequence. I would recommend finishing your CC and full size statements before you put them in the room. If you don't, good luck getting them back out and finishing

That's the plan! I knew I wanted something to hold me over until I finished the full sized Statements, and that it would take me a long time to finish them, and that I'd never get them back out of the room if I didn't finish them before putting them into the room...

[Jim Holtz]

Excellent! :T

Jim

[jwanck11]

The center goes together in a flash - especially as there is no porting to deal with - I ought to know, I build 2 of them! lol.

Congrats on getting the Monitors up and running!! I agree, your room looks like a fantastic space to listen.

[flamethrower1]

Congrats on your monitors, I AM sure you will be happy with the Statement speakers.
I have built several of Curts/Jims designs, and they have all sounded good.
Just sold a pair of Stentorians to make room for my Anthologys.
And when those are done, onto a set of Ardents.
Get where I am going with this?
The bug has "bitten".

[Harry3]

Cable

Congratulations on the Monitors.

Recently I purchased the recommended Blue Jeans 12-gauge 5000UE cable for internal wiring for the Statement speakers that I am building.
Has any one else found that this cable is a little stiff and inflexible? Should I be concerned that the cable would put stress on the speaker driver connectors?

Surprisingly the thicker Blue Jeans 10 gauge wire has more strands and is more flexible.

[jwanck11]

I am not sure why folks are using 12 wire for interior wiring??? I use KnuKonceptz 14 wire for all of my interior wiring - and even that is overkill. If you look at a crossover board, the wire that the electrical current is traveling over is a lot thinner than that and equally, the runs from the boards to the speakers is so short, there is absolutely no risk of signal loss.

If you can make it work, great, however, you can get away with much smaller gauge wire and be completely OK.

[Jim Holtz]

I think Harry is using 12 gauge Bluejeans because it's what I use. It's one of my "beliefs" that I like to keep the internal wiring of my speakers similar to the wiring I run from the amp to them. Yep. I understand the crossovers are small guage. It's just a personal think. I've built dozens of speakers using this wire and it works well "for me."

Jim

[Pknaz]

I used whatever Meniscus put in their kit for internal hookup wire, felt like 16ga, plenty big enough for the 12-16" runs inside the Monitors, but for the full sized Statements, I'm planning on doing an external crossover, so I will most likely use 12ga internally for those and 10ga between the amp and crossover (XPA-2)

[Pknaz]

If anyone is interested, the monitors are placed roughly where I'll place the full sized statements, which is about 3' from the front wall, and about 4' from the side walls, with about 14 feet between them, and they are about 14' from my listening position. My listening position is 33% of the length of the room from the back wall (forget the exact distance, but it was measured with both REW and a tape measure). Some how the stars aligned to create a perfect setup for the Statement line of speakers and their requirements for room positioning!

[kevinm]

I think Harry is using 12 gauge Bluejeans because it's what I use. It's one of my "beliefs" that I like to keep the internal wiring of my speakers similar to the wiring I run from the amp to them. Yep. I understand the crossovers are small guage. It's just a personal think. I've built dozens of speakers using this wire and it works well "for me."

Jim

When I first built my Statements, I used left over 12 gauge Bluejeans cable for one and for the other speaker I used some other cable I had - typical 14 gauge stuff. I thought it would be a fun A/B testing. My buddy brought the speakers in the house, so I didn't know which was which. I was able to tell right away. For the next year while they were used, I always asked people to compare the two. People regularly chose the one with better cable. Could totally be snake oil, but it seemed consistent enough for me.

Not saying Bluejeans is the best cable (although I am a fan), but I wouldn't ignore the impact of good wire.

[Pknaz]

So completely off topic, Melby Audio is relocating shops and can't do custom CNC work for the next couple of months. Any other recommendations on someone who would be willing to CNC me a slightly modified version of the Statements II?

[Harry3]

I think Harry is using 12 gauge Bluejeans because it's what I use. It's one of my "beliefs" that I like to keep the internal wiring of my speakers similar to the wiring I run from the amp to them. Yep. I understand the crossovers are small guage. It's just a personal think. I've built dozens of speakers using this wire and it works well "for me."

Jim

Thanks Jim. I will give the 12 gauge a try.

[jwanck11]

Even in the full statements with an external crossover and a run of less than 10 feet, the stuff Menuiscus ships would work - it's 18g btw. If you really want, you can bump to 14g and be well over carrying capacity. Also, for the run to your amp, 12g is way more than needed unless you are traveling more than 15'. The one thing I suggest is using the same length of wire for both front mains.

I run from an Outlaw 7700 and will also be running from an GEN3 XP-5 which ships today!

[Renron]

On the subject of wire gauge, 14 is good 12 doesn't hurt anything but the wallet. As a Contractor I know that if a home is wired in 12ga it will eventually offset the cost upgrade differential with money saved by Amps lost in longer runs of 14 gauge wire.
How hard you push your speakers and how much harder do you want your amps to work is a better question.
I've got short runs <20 feet, 14 gauge speaker wire because I'm cheap.
Ron

[Pknaz]

I think Gene over at Audioholics has a pretty good write-up on speaker wire gage and its impacts on audio.

https://www.audioholics.com/audio-video-cables/speaker-cable-gauge

[jwanck11]

Agree - and I like the table that presents awg based on load and distance. 14g is way overkill for any wiring inside the speaker, where the runs are at most 5' from the board to the driver terminals. The other thing left out of the article is the difference in the quality of wire. I use only oxygen free 100% copper wire for internal runs and oxygen free, tinned stranded wire (given resistance to signal hopping between the strands) for my amp to speaker runs.

Wire does make a difference, no doubt, but the likelihood of it being picked up and recognized by the human ear is darn near zero... thus, it comes down to how far you want to open your wallet, how much a hassle you want in soldering to crossover tabs, terminating the wire, and routing stiff versus pliable wire.

[Jim Holtz]

Guys,

Debating wires is as bad as discussing politics and religion. Nate's thread is getting hijacked. Use whatever wire you believe to be the best for you.

Now, lets get back on topic. No, I'm not the thread cop. It's just a suggestion but I think Jon would agree with me.

Jim

[Pknaz]

I've delayed my plans to do a custom set of Statements II (curved) and have ordered the knock down kit for the center and full sized Statements II from Melby Audio - the wood should be delivered tomorrow - looks like I'll be spending my weekend gluing and clamping!

[yongsongcai]

Jim, can I replace the mid woofer tunnel with a 6'' PVC pipe, just like the Finalists?

[Jim Holtz]

Jim, can I replace the mid woofer tunnel with a 6'' PVC pipe, just like the Finalists?

Honest answer, I don't know. :E The crossovers were designed with a specific tunnel size and foam. The ideal size for the smaller driver would be 5" PVC but I couldn't source it locally for less than $100 for a 20 ft length. If you can find 5" PVC, go for it.

Another option I've considered is to use 6" PVC like the Finalists and then use 2" flat foam or two layers of 1" flat foam to restrict the back wave to match the original design. So... this would be the "Y" part of DIY.

Give it a try and see what happens.

Jim

[yongsongcai]

Jim,

The cross section area of 5'' PVC is 19.6, the Statements tunnel is 5x5 so 25 square inch. is this difference significant?

I find a link for 5'' PVC but not sure if the wall thickness is sufficient.

https://www.platt.com/platt-electric-supply/PVC-Straight-Conduit-Schedule-40/Multiple/5P/product.aspx?zpid=69315&reload=yes

[Jim Holtz]

Jim,

The cross section area of 5'' PVC is 19.6, the Statements tunnel is 5x5 so 25 square inch. is this difference significant?

I find a link for 5'' PVC but not sure if the wall thickness is sufficient.

https://www.platt.com/platt-electric...315&reload=yes

I think 5" schedule 40 PVC would be perfect!

Jim

[Pknaz]

Let the gluing begin!

[Jim Holtz]

Sweet! :T

Jim

[Pknaz]

Made lots of progress so far this weekend. I have all of the tunnels glued and the baffle pieces glued together. That is a lot of progress when you consider I could only do one glue joint at a time, as I only have a hand full of clamps....need more clamps!

I do have a question for those of you who have built the Statements. How did you go about lining up the tunnels in order to glue on the side 2" strip braces? Did you glue the tunnels to either the baffle or rear panel and then glue on the bracing, or did you glue the bracing before gluing the tunnels to either the baffle or rear panel? If you glued the braces on first, how did you ensure that the tunnels were perfectly aligned?

[Jim Holtz]

Made lots of progress so far this weekend. I have all of the tunnels glued and the baffle pieces glued together. That is a lot of progress when you consider I could only do one glue joint at a time, as I only have a hand full of clamps....need more clamps!

I do have a question for those of you who have built the Statements. How did you go about lining up the tunnels in order to glue on the side 2" strip braces? Did you glue the tunnels to either the baffle or rear panel and then glue on the bracing, or did you glue the bracing before gluing the tunnels to either the baffle or rear panel? If you glued the braces on first, how did you ensure that the tunnels were perfectly aligned?

Hi Nate,

It's been a while but if I remember correctly, I built them from the side up. In other words, I glued one side, top, bottom and an inner front to start with. I then positioned the tunnels to correspond to the front driver cutouts with the side tunnel braces glued to the tunnels. Then I glued the back on (without mid tunnel holes) and finally after making sure everything fit perfectly, glued the final side on. The outer front baffle was last.

you're correct, you do need more clamps!

HTH!

Jim

[Pknaz]

Thanks, Jim, for the input.

All of my MDF was cut already, so I had to come up with something creative. I used a few of the 2" strips to create a jig to hold the tunnels in place on the front baffle, while I glued one of them to the side of the tunnels. I can repeat this for the other set of tunnels, again, one at a time I need more clamps.

[Pknaz]

Back, one side, top, bottom, and all internal structures glued. Need to do a bit of sanding in a few places. Coming together slowly.


Center also coming along nicely.


I took this week off work to spend some time moving this project forward. I ordered the kits from Meniscus and will be working on the crossovers in the evenings. I'm taking a page from Ben's book and using zip ties on all of the components!

[Jim Holtz]

Looks great! :T

Jim

[Renron]

PKnaz,
You're progressing nicely, it looks really good.
When your zip tying the capacitors slip a piece of thin medium density foam rubber underneath them and don't zip them too tight. The foam will help to stop the internal vibrations somewhat. At least I think it helps. (doesn't hurt) LOL.
What is the final finish going to be?
Ron

[Pknaz]

PKnaz,
You're progressing nicely, it looks really good.
When your zip tying the capacitors slip a piece of thin medium density foam rubber underneath them and don't zip them too tight. The foam will help to stop the internal vibrations somewhat. At least I think it helps. (doesn't hurt) LOL.
What is the final finish going to be?
Ron

Foam would have been a fantastic idea about 12 hours ago!

[Pknaz]

Crossovers coming together. It is raining today, so I'll have to do non-"Dusty" work today (Since I can't work outside). Looks like I'll be finishing up the crossovers and doing the internal wiring inside the cabinets.

[Pknaz]

There was a break in the rain yesterday and I was able to get outside and make some saw dust. I used carpet tape to attach two panels from the Melby Audio knock down kit to two scrap peices of 3/4" MDF I had laying around. I used a pattern bit with my router to copy the two panels (Bottoms and tops of the cabinet). I then used a circular saw to rip the panels into small strips roughly 1.5" wide to be used for additional bracing. I used this method to ensure that the length of each brace was exact, since it was the most important. This is where I've ended up, which I think is a good compromise between silliness (over bracing, if there is such a thing) and what the plans call for.



You may notice, that I goofed on this cabinet, I accidentally glued the top on the bottom, and the bottom on the top! So I'm thinking I'll sandwich the top with some HDF to cover the hole.

I need to run internal wiring and decide on where I want to mount the crossovers next. Then on to cutting the foam and gluing on the side and baffle.

[Renron]

PKnaz, it's not a goof up, it's a feature! You invented a new speaker called "The Dolphin". JK. You're fix sounds like a good idea / save. Nice job on the extra braces.
Thanks for the pictures and updates.

[Pknaz]

Progress so far:

• crossovers are finished and ready to mount.
• Internal wiring has been cut to length and zip tied ready to be secured inside the cabinets.
• Cut the circular holes for the terminal cup into a square hole to recess binding posts instead, very similar to what I did for the Monitors on page 1.
• Cut a circle out of the bottom of the goofed up cabinet for the port tube
• Cut mounting block for woofer circuit, to give more depth for larger screws to hold the boards in place (will add a picture of that later.)

All components are either zip tied or screwed into place (Zister resisters).
I then used hot melt glue to keep the larger components from rattling, and to secure the terminals.
All connections between components were secured before solder was applied.



Here I'm gluing on the second side of one cabinet, will do the other in the morning. Then I need to sand the bracing flush with the side panels in preparation for the baffle glue up.


Once all the sanding is finished, I'll vacuum out the cabinet, glue in a few more pieces, secure internal wiring and crossovers and start fitting the foam.

[kevinm]

Those are some clean crossovers. Very nice!