AudioCircle
Industry Circles => GR Research => Topic started by: speshal on 30 Oct 2020, 06:23 pm
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I forgot to post here originally, but just wanted to let you guys know that I'm chronicling my Nxtreme speaker build on YouTube.
I don't post much online and kept my channel previously private for a small group. However, I recently made it public and will brave the trolls.
I attached a link to the playlist below, since I'm still at an early stage and there will be more videos. I'll try to post links here as I add new videos, but if I forget, you can just click the playlist in this post.
The key word is "chronicling". This is NOT a "how-to video" because I'm a total novice. It may help other novices get over their fear (or entertain experienced builders with my mistakes).
I'm open to any suggestions in what I'm doing. I've actually gained good insight already from reading some of you guys' posts on other threads. Don't hesitate to chime in.
I've already had some challenges that go with the territory, but nothing to thwart the build yet...It's actually been fun.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPt7qoWWa8yilw2iwPPj_Hu3cXcaYbEoF
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glad to see any videos on this, it's a very ambitious diy speaker project..
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Very cool, thanks for sharing this project
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While we're getting your replacement parts ready, I'd recommend you gather lots, lots of clamps. How many ? You can never have enough... Lots of those little 6" quick clamps work well for squeezing the wing into the rebbet on the rear of the baffles.
Don't use too much glue, you don't want it oozing out all over when the cabinets are clamped up. A nice bead down the center of each dado is all you neeed, it will squeeze through the joint . If you get glue all over the edges of the dado's prior to assembly, it will cause the dado to swell and make assembly a nightmare. The one exception is the rabbet on the rear of the baffle..... you want a nice thin coat on the 2 faces of this... use a small brush to spread the glue out ;;.. don't make it super thick... if you put a bit of extra here, do it near the corner where the 2 faces of the rabbet meet, that way when it is assembled the glue will be squeezed into the rest of the rabbet by the wings.
If you want to paint the base a different color, don't glue it on right away, only use the dowels/screws so it acts asa jig when you stnad the cabinet up and clamp it up. You can remove the brace after the glue dries , paint it, and reinstall with glue / screws .
I'd do the very top (wedge with single brace with hole ) brace last. As I mentioned in our emails, these things require a bit of filling/sanding to get really nice
jay
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A way you could try and fix those cracks drill a small hole in from the edge and use a screw to clamp the glue job . Then remove the screw drill out a larger hole and glue a dowel im there. Personally I would want to get a new piece but it is repairable.
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I did a quick update video summarizing pretty much everything related to painting with Duratex. It will mainly be helpful to novices with no previous experience using Duratex and the designated roller brush...like I was. There are a few other tips I learned the hard way.
I'll wait to do any further updates until I get the replacement baffles and start assembling things. Then, I'll probably have a video on the wiring to help those who want a video walkthrough/summary.
https://youtu.be/9yhQbi4S3FE
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Another short video mainly detailing my experience with cutting the No Rez. Ideally, you should use a band saw or table saw, but if you don't have one, I give a few tips on what I did.
https://youtu.be/VlLsn1aPjCA
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Just a quick update on the Nxtreme Speaker build. It's been a couple month hiatus.
I'm still waiting for the drivers, but Jay sent the replacement panels and they arrived fine without any shipping damage this time. I'll get back to painting and construction while still waiting on the drivers.
Going forward...I don't think anybody should be concerned about the same shipping damage I had. Jay may some really good adjustments in the packing. Ironically, the box took a real beating and had even more exterior damage than last time. Plus, it spent over a week in shipping...yet everything survived just fine.
For those that want to see, I did a quick video...
https://youtu.be/LL6vJOn6Tro
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I've been watching all your videos. You obviously have a lot of experience with high-end audio equipment, so I am anxious to see how you will compare your NX-Tremes to the other speakers that you've heard.
By the way, the MBL setup series was great.
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Thanks. Based on my audition at Danny's, I think they will hold their own against many of the mega dollar systems I've heard.
In terms of recent auditions, the Nxtremes were similar in many ways to the YG 2.3 system I video'd. Obviously the open baffle presentation is different, but the clean, detailed and dynamic aspects were similar. If I can get them to that level in my room, I'll be very happy.
As for the MBL Extreme series, I'm glad you liked it. It's one of my favorite video series. Just getting a chance to hear the MBL Extremes is rare, but seeing everything entailed in delivery and set-up was fun. I'm glad I could video it and share the experience.
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Thanks. Based on my audition at Danny's, I think they will hold their own against many of the mega dollar systems I've heard.
Right before COVID, I listened to a system consisting of Magico M3s with Subs and huge McIntosh monos. The system was about $200k. I thought my NX-Oticas with OB subs and PS Audio BHK amps was way better at a fraction of the price.
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Considering an NX Otica build here...
So if you were to take the nxtreme or otica build very slow, gluing panels in multiple phases, what is the minimum number of clamps you can get away with? All the pictures I see, everyone is going for the gusto and assembling it basically in one shot. And by the looks of it using at least eight clamps, many of which appear decent sized 3' or more in length.
If it's the recommendation to it one shot, that's fine. Just curious on different possible approaches here.
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Considering an NX Otica build here...
So if you were to take the nxtreme or otica build very slow, gluing panels in multiple phases, what is the minimum number of clamps you can get away with? All the pictures I see, everyone is going for the gusto and assembling it basically in one shot. And by the looks of it using at least eight clamps, many of which appear decent sized 3' or more in length.
If it's the recommendation to it one shot, that's fine. Just curious on different possible approaches here.
They pretty much have to be assembled in one shot. It’s 2 side panels, the front baffle, and a bunch of ribs that all need to get done at once or else it won’t go together right. I think I used about 10 clamps for the NX-Oticas. That’s probably the minimum. The key is not using too much glue. Captainhemo’s flat packs are really tight in tolerance.
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They pretty much have to be assembled in one shot. It’s 2 side panels, the front baffle, and a bunch of ribs that all need to get done at once or else it won’t go together right. I think I used about 10 clamps for the NX-Oticas. That’s probably the minimum. The key is not using too much glue. Captainhemo’s flat packs are really tight in tolerance.
The nice thing with OB speakers is that you really don't need to go heavy on the glue. Which is different than sealed boxes, where every joint absolutely MUST be air tight.
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Harbor Freight is your friend for clamps!
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Glad they arrived safe & sound, they are a bugger to pack, even with custom 275lb weigh boxes!!
Jay and I have a pretty good method for gluing up the ottica's and extremes on their side, not as stressful doing it that way, I would reach out to the Captain for a better understanding of that procedure before jumping right in, slow and steady is the way to go, and make sure they dry fit well and the dato's are super clean and dust free before thinking about glue(we use a tack rag and vacuum for this), they may require some additional sanding depending on the air where you live and obviously we were not able to complete a second dry fit as you had the original braces, not that we didn't fit them, we did, just not with your braces and things can change with subtle material variances in thickness between runs. Pre-prep is everything!!
Good luck
Don
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I have a new update on the NXtreme Speaker Build for those interested.
The drivers are supposedly on the way to the US, so I started assembling the cabinets after painting everything.
I welcome any suggestions or comments if you see I'm doing anything wrong.
One question I have for anybody with experience is... How much glue do I need? I obviously don't want to start and run out of glue midway through, so I'm thinking of having two 8oz bottles of titebond hide glue... And maybe two 4 oz bottles in case one if the big bottles has congealed glue or any issues.
I'm assuming the hide glue will give me enough time to assemble one speaker before it sets, but if there are any other recommendations, feel free to chime in.
https://youtu.be/HGUvz_EI-uE
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One question I have for anybody with experience is... How much glue do I need?
I used about 8 oz. on mine.
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I have a new update on the NXtreme Speaker Build for those interested.
The drivers are supposedly on the way to the US, so I started assembling the cabinets after painting everything.
I welcome any suggestions or comments if you see I'm doing anything wrong.
One question I have for anybody with experience is... How much glue do I need? I obviously don't want to start and run out of glue midway through, so I'm thinking of having two 8oz bottles of titebond hide glue... And maybe two 4 oz bottles in case one if the big bottles has congealed glue or any issues.
I'm assuming the hide glue will give me enough time to assemble one speaker before it sets, but if there are any other recommendations, feel free to chime in.
https://youtu.be/HGUvz_EI-uE
Titebond Extend, either I or II. This is Titebond I or II with extended working time. I'm not a big fan of hide glue as moisture can cause the joint to fail. If you have high humidity in the summer like I do, I'd stay away from hide glue.
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Titebond Extend, either I or II. This is Titebond I or II with extended working time. I'm not a big fan of hide glue as moisture can cause the joint to fail. If you have high humidity in the summer like I do, I'd stay away from hide glue.
Thanks for that advice. I do have high humidity in Houston. I didn't know hide glue was that sensitive with indoor use.
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I used about 8 oz. on mine.
Thanks.
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Hey Jason
I'd guess 8 oz is going to be plenty but never hurts to have some extra on hand... you don't want the glue gushing out all over the place. When you glue the braces in the dado's, a bead right down the center of the dado is all you need, same with dado's on rear of baffle. In the 10 degree rabbet on rear of baffle, you want a nice even covering, run a decent bead down the inner corner then use a small brush to even it out.
I'd have never have painted these first but that is just me... joints, glue lines etc all need to be dealt with before painting in my opinion.
With regards to the video, we dry fit those on the bench and there was no gaps so you've got some thing "kicked " or too much clamping force. The wings need to be pulled forward into the rabbet slightly, you will not accomplish this using clamps from the rear of brace to front of baffle, it will only pull the brace forward... you need to cut a scrap chunk of wood or something to reach across the back of the wings, then you can gently pull from the scrap wood to the front baffle through a woofer hole, multiple woofer holes is better.
We also like to use small 6" quick clamps from inner woofer cutouts to front edge of wings to squeeze them against the baffle rabbet, but not too tight as it can press the wings out,
jay
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Hey Jason
I'd guess 8 oz is going to be plenty but never hurts to have some extra on hand... you don't want the glue gushing out all over the place. When you glue the braces in the dado's, a bead right down the center of the dado is all you need, same with dado's on rear of baffle. In the 10 degree rabbet on rear of baffle, you want a nice even covering, run a decent bead down the inner corner then use a small brush to even it out.
I'd have never have painted these first but that is just me... joints, glue lines etc all need to be dealt with before painting in my opinion.
With regards to the video, we dry fit those on the bench and there was no gaps so you've got some thing "kicked " or too much clamping force. The wings need to be pulled forward into the rabbet slightly, you will not accomplish this using clamps from the rear of brace to front of baffle, it will only pull the brace forward... you need to cut a scrap chunk of wood or something to reach across the back of the wings, then you can gently pull from the scrap wood to the front baffle through a woofer hole, multiple woofer holes is better.
We also like to use small 6" quick clamps from inner woofer cutouts to front edge of wings to squeeze them against the baffle rabbet, but not too tight as it can press the wings out,
jay
Thanks for the tips. I did a test glue on the shipping damage panels just to get a feel for amount and drying time. Then, I did my first actual glue last night of the left speaker.
I think everything went well with minor challenges from the clamps and glue brush shedding. I'll have videos soon.
I know you guys do the dry fit, but I was referring to the fact that the replacement panels were sent separately from the original braces, so everything still dry fitting with the legacy braces was impressive.
In hindsight, I might have chosen to paint after... especially if I wanted a car quality paint finish, but I gained a few advantages painting first.
1. Putting multiple coats on small pieces and examining quality was much easier than with a 7 foot tall cabinet and limited access to the braces... top and bottom.
2. I had to assemble these in my room because they are so large and riskier to carry upstairs (especially me solo). Thus, I really couldn't paint something that big in a small room after construction.
3. Choosing Duratex was more conducive to painting before construction because there's no way to get that roller and pattern to the edges of things like the braces once it's assembled. I would have had to use something other than Duratex on the braces, but since they are visible from the rear I tried to keep everything consistent.
Definitely a pro woodworker and painter would breeze through this much easier and have more clamps/tools/space. However, I'm proving that even a total noob can do it.
Thanks again for the help.
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Great work Speshal. Welcome to the newb brigade. Sanding, sanding and more sanding help with that car finish. :lol:
Keep up the great work.
SC
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I have two update videos since I last posted.
One was just some practice I did on panels that had shipping damage, but the latest video shows me glueing and assembling everything.
Overall, it came out pretty good, and I'm happy with the results. Thanks for all the tips which definitely paid off.
I did learn a few things (mainly with tools) that may help others novices like myself.
Of course, if there's any other feedback, I welcome the advice before doing the second speaker. Thanks again for the help!
https://youtu.be/djx4HpG6fQ0
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For those interested, I finished glueing and touching up the NXtremes.
I'm finished painting with Duratex, but considering doing something cool with the solid wings (maybe ghost flames).
The wings are huge and angled in a way that I think they lend themselves to creativity much like lines on a car.
The textured white Duratex does give a cool stone obelisk vibe when viewing in-room, but any speaker with "extreme" in the name might need even more.
Thanks again to those who helped me get to this point.
https://youtu.be/nGmpPG56ei0
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Another update where I played with aesthetics while waiting on the drivers and crossover. This update is mainly for LOL'ing at me because it's definitely NOT the right way to add designs to the speaker...especially if it's already coated in Duratex. However, I made the best of it.
On the flip side, I may be the first to use LEDs, but we'll see if I keep them permanently. The problem with waiting so long for the drivers is that it tempts me to tinkering with ideas.
https://youtu.be/jiM4jCYtq00
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On the flip side, I may be the first to use LEDs, but we'll see if I keep them permanently.
That was a creative idea.
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Thanks...I expected it to be a bust and cheapen the look, but they have made these LED strips so thin now that it's practically invisible when off.
When on, it's very customizable, so I think I'm going to go forward and do it on both speakers.
One day I'll get to actually listen to these things...like you've been fortunate to do for awhile. Fingers crossed.
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Love the LED. Strong work.
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Getting close to being finished...video to come soon on my channel
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=226100)
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Looking good! Almost time for the fun.
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I'm finally up and running...not without some more road blocks along the way (bad woofer).
I'm behind on videos, but I had lots of emails asking about showing wiring process, so here's a video on that. It's mainly geared for beginners who are new to soldering, schematics, etc.
This stuff is nothing to experienced people, but it can get quite confusing to newbies. Thus, I try to give tips from that perspective. Others may do things differently.
https://youtu.be/_E5Ao-Gn10o
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Pretty much finished the build and figured I'd wrap up this thread with a pic. The LEDs on the speaker turned out much better than I thought. It adds an ambiance that is 100% controllable... and more interesting than either a white ceiling light or total darkness.
Soon, I'll have more videos on my YT channel in terms of feedback on the performance compared to other mega dollar speakers in familiar with like YG, MBL, Rockport, Wilson, Magnepan, Alsyvox, Wisdom, etc.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=226845)
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Very nice :thumb:
Looking forward to the review and comparisons
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Miflex caps will take about 400 hours to fully burn in, so I'd wait till then if you're doing serious comparisons with other speakers.
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I'll have videos with my personal impressions, commentary and measurements, but here is a video with just music clips.
The cell phone mic does a decent job and the visual on the LEDs I added shows how it adds ambiance.
This video isn't public yet, so the only way to watch is via this link. I figured I give the guys here an early look.
https://youtu.be/n_x28aMHrTM
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The bass response is really impressive in that room without OB servo subs.
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Thanks...I really like Danny's OB sub.
It's not only great for the money, but it's great period.
It also gives lots of versatility in terms of settings/preferences. It would be my go-to recommendation for almost anyone, especially with speakers that need to get crossed over high.
However, when you have bass management capabilities already and a REL25 sub, it's hard to beat for true sub frequencies and integration.
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I did a final wrap-up video to address various questions I received and final thoughts after living with them for awhile now and dialing things in.
Thanks again to those who helped along the way.
https://youtu.be/jlipNXQ8uss
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Your last 2 videos were Xtremely well done, you're verbiage was concise and on point and I agree with your views almost completely. I too am a huge fan of Roon's parametric EQ and i'm glad that you brought attention to that under utilized tool, for those who don't use it, you are really missing out on those fine little tuning points that can really dial your speakers to your room.
Enjoy your work,
Cheers,
Don