Anthology Towers Newbie Build

[rick844]

will do, Pink Floyd is a favorite of mine. If I find something stellar that hasn't already been posted I will advise.

My pleasure! Truthfully, I can recommend anything on 2L records, everything I've heard has been well recorded. Maybe not as well as say, Chesky, but the material is more accessible, whereas one often gets the sense that Chesky et al are mainly good as demo material, I rarely find myself listening to the albums outside of critical evaluation situations. This 2L recording is particularly 'easy' in that sense, I find myself returning to it for relaxation and pleasure often.

If you find other well made concert videos please post; I have almost none and am interested in investigating them further to see if I enjoy or not. Last one I saw was Pink Floyd Pulse on VHS if I recall correctly

[rick844]

So, I just completed the second speaker, at least in MDF form. After listening to it with the left tower, i have some feedback. First the bad, there isn't much, but these things are complex. I screwed up the second tower by not taking common sense into consideration and making sure i cut the baffles to the correct size for the tubes. I moved too quickly and screwed up the second tower requiring I start from scratch. So piece of advise, make sure to cut the outer baffles to 6" instead of 6 and 5/8". Nothing says to cut to 6" for the midrange unless you catch yourself, so use caution here.

Now the good, I had one speaker paired with my old Polk as I built the second anthology. I thought the sound was obvious on how much better the anthology sounded...until I added the second one. Holy crap, dont judge these speakers until you have two. The sounds I heard in pair listening to blu rays I've listened to in the past are new. Not just new because of clarity, but because of reproduction. These speakers simply play back what you should hear. It sounds rediculous as of course you should hear what you are supposed to hear, but my beloved polks didnt do it. These speakers play back the way things are to be heard. I was giggly and at times in tears due to what I was hearing.
That said, these speakers are never harsh, but they fill your head with sounds not heard before so at times I found I had to turn the volume down to reduce the strain to listen. I dont think this is an issue with the speakers, but it should be considered.
If you are wondering if the work is worth it, all I can say is...hell yes. Just be prepared to be tired of hearing new things and watching your blu Ray's all over again. Well done Curt and Jim. Strange you guys reversed the polarity on the tweeters, buts it works, so no judging here. I'm guessing it was to quiet then down from being too harsh, and again, it worked.

Well done guys!!!!!!

[Jim Holtz]

Excellent! Enjoy! :T

Actually, the midrange and the tweeter are reverse polarity. The positive terminal on the drivers are connected to the negative biding post. Did you build your own crossovers? If you did double check to make sure they're wired correctly. It makes a BIG difference.

Jim

[rick844]

Thanks Jim, I ordered the crossovers pre assembled from meniscus. You are right, it is wired reverse on both. Why is it done this way. Doesnt that reverse the driver direction? Trying to learn the reasoning. It sure does work, but I'm always curious why things are done.

[Jim Holtz]

Thanks Jim, I ordered the crossovers pre assembled from meniscus. You are right, it is wired reverse on both. Why is it done this way. Doesnt that reverse the driver direction? Trying to learn the reasoning. It sure does work, but I'm always curious why things are done.

Curt and many others here can answer the question better than I but basically, it's a 2nd order crossover on those drivers which requires reverse polarity. Many feel that 2nd order sounds better plus it usually takes less crossover components.

If I've misstated anything I hope one of the guru's will jump in and correct me.

HTH

Jim

[rick844]

Going to prep for the veneer. I've seen people use bondo as a filler. Would you guys concur with that? Also, how forgiving is veneer? Does the surface have to be perfect or can it cover over small inconsistencies?

[JonMarsh]

Hello Rick,

Bondo can be used. Clean and prep before applying, and sand level after it’s set.

Not sure what you mean about small inconsistencies (pictures would help) but in general, my thought (and experience) is
“No”. Ideally veneer should have a perfectly flat leveled smooth clean surface to be bonded to. One technique I’ve used to achieve that, especially for MDF which tends to be porous and absorb stuff in different ways, is to coat the cabinet with a low viscosity epoxy (there’s lot of kinds you can buy in bulk- System West is one I’ve used) and sand that smooth. The resulting surface will work with pretty much any kind of veneer and glue system, including those supplied with adhesive backing. I did a post on a sub built with the big Dayton 15” driver for which I did that exact process- it worked out fine. Particularly for large cabinets this may help in managing the veneer consistency.

Another way to get a flat smooth consistent surface is to get some 1/4” MDF/HDF, like the 2’ x 4’ Sheets they have at Home Depot, and first “veneer” the cabinet with that, then put the veneer on top of it. This is not an uncommon technique for commercial speakers made of MDF, though they often use something a bit fancier than HDF from Home Depot as the pre-veneer layer. I know of a high end brand in Boulder CO that does this, and I know what they use, but for confidentiality reasons I can’t reveal details. (I was a close friend of the original founder, who unfortunately has since passed away).

[rick844]

Thanks John, I like the idea of the pre-veneer veneer process as it could save a ton of sanding Ideally. I might try that one for sure

[rick844]

Hey guys, quick update. Decided to radius the front corners and apply the walnut veneer directly while wrapping over the radii all in one piece. Needless to say it was a pain, but I think it paid off. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

[Jim Holtz]

Very nice! :T

Jim

[Mikerodrig27]

I agree, they look great! Where did you get the walnut veneer from?

[rick844]

Thanks guys. Got it from a local cabinet makers warehouse.

[rick844]

Grills or no grills??

[Mikerodrig27]

I see the child gate in the hall so I would stick with the grills. Looks good either way!

[Jim Holtz]

The grills look great. However, the speaker crossovers were designed without a grill so for best sound, grills off. WAF often dictates grills be in place unless you have a man cave. Grills are easily removable when you want to do some critical listening so its easy to have peace in the house and still enjoy the best sound when you want.

Very nice job!

Jim

[JoeAngelicchio]

Looks good with the grille too. What cabinet is that??

[rick844]

Thanks all. Was curious if sound would be affected so that may very well push me over the edge. The cabinet was hard to find but is exceptional. It is MDF with a walnut veneer just like the speakers. I will dig to find where I bought it and let you know. I would buy it all over again.

[rick844]

Also, baby gate is for dogs not little ones.

[rick844]

Cabinet is made by furnitech. Here is their website. I had the hardest time finding a good looking entertainment center that would fit a large center channel and was deep enough to fit my receiver and amps.

These guys fit the bill. Wasnt cheap, but extremely well made.

https://www.furnitech.com

[Steve Manning]

Cabinet is made by furnitech. Here is their website. I had the hardest time finding a good looking entertainment center that would fit a large center channel and was deep enough to fit my receiver and amps.

These guys fit the bill. Wasnt cheap, but extremely well made.

https://www.furnitech.com

If they are as good as they look in their pictures, the prices seem rather reasonable, especially if their throwing in free shipping.

[rick844]

Let me tell you first hand, they look better than the photos. Also, I just emailed the owner as he and I were conversing when I was making my purchase and he just replied within an hour. Customer service is exceptional as well.

[707kevin]

Awesome to see a more recent Anthology build.
After a few years of saying I want to...I'm going to finally order the kit this weekend. (thanks stimulus check!)

[rick844]

Yes, build them. You will not be disappointed. I still love mine more and more. They are exceptional in sound and build design. Only thing I wish I could do differently is have a dedicated sound room to build a proper center channel. WAF is at its limits already with these towers as they are huge. That said, these towers will be mine forever.