AudioCircle
Industry Circles => GR Research => Topic started by: Camtjfreak on 14 Feb 2021, 03:49 am
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Hey y’all, I’m Cameron from Denver Colorado.
I’ve been working on a pair of xls encores. Just got my birch wood cabinets/flat packs from Peter a while back... I’m to the point now where I’m routing and I’ve painted the front baffles with a dark grey color. Needing some sanding and some sort of semi gloss to complete and bam I’ll be ready for gr to send me the kit so I can finish my build. Few questions, what rubber feet is everyone using and I need some speaker wire that will pair well with these speakers and the tube connectors? Just getting into this speaker building but spent a lot of my younger life wood working with my father and at school. I’m sure I’ll have more questions as I go and I wanna say “Thanks!” before hand for what ever help you all might provide. Have pics but can’t post them just yet..
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Hi Cameron,
Welcome to AC.
An alternative to feet is Herbie’s Fat Dots from Herbie’s Audio Lab
As for speaker cables, I like the Cable kits Danny offers. Before putting tube connectors on the amp end, make sure they fit the connections on the amp. Sometimes the tube connector studs are fatter than the amp’s binding posts
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Hi Cameron. If you're looking for something to provide a little grip on a stand or similar it can be as simple as dots like this, many to choose from:
https://multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/175691O/3mtm-bumpontm-protective-products.pdf
I like 3m, as they are what they say...rubber. Some "me too" products are actually vinyl. Rubber tends to be more benign with wood finishes, vinyl often less so. They all can interact over the long haul...too many variables involved to know for certain. They would even offer some bit of isolation, which is a subject of many discussions on this, and other, forums. I'll leave it at that.
Edited to add: I learned something here after my curiosity got the better of me and I ran down a rabbit hole. Bumpons, are in fact, urethane. As noted in this text lifted from product description it's often the plasticizers that interact with wood finish.
3M Bumpon SJ Series Self-Adhesive Bumpers are pressure sensitive adhesive-backed polyurethane products that can be used as feet, stops, spacers and protectors in many applications. The urethane is a durable, resilient elastomer. The aggressive, high tack pressure sensitive adhesive is protected with a release liner making application fast and easy. The plasticizer-free urethane composition of the bumpons exhibit excellent skid resistance, long aging resiliency (will not crack or harden), abrasion resistance and resistance to marring and staining. Use 3M Bumpons almost anywhere slamming, scratching, nicking, scuffing, marring, sliding, vibration, or noise could be a problem for your product.
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Hello Cameron, welcome to AC !
Amazon sells aproduct called Sorbathane, it can be found in varying thickness's and dimensions. Works great between speakers/stands or even stands and electrical components. Nothing will move / slide on it either, it is extremely secure
jay
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Thanks for the reply’s guys.. I’ll look into those options for sure. I was thinking of the feet that had a threaded part that I’d have to drill into the cabinet.. then I could go from rubber to a spike if I needed.. as for the cables I’m wanting some that will take advantage of my up graded xls options. Wasn't sure if there were any pre made options out there?.
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Thanks for the reply’s guys.. I’ll look into those options for sure. I was thinking of the feet that had a threaded part that I’d have to drill into the cabinet.. then I could go from rubber to a spike if I needed.. as for the cables I’m wanting some that will take advantage of my up graded xls options. Wasn't sure if there were any pre made options out there?.
For good premade cables at a reasonable price check out Douglas Connections. Doug is in Austin
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Thank u sir I will!
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Does Douglas connectors offer tube connector with male ends? Or do I need to send mine off to him..
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Does Douglas connectors offer tube connector with male ends? Or do I need to send mine off to him..
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No he doesn’t, you’d need to talk to him rather than just ordering off the website
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Gotcha! I’ll give him a shout
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Not sure why it won’t let me post pics... hmm
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I like the old Vibrapods, Amazon has them in all the models.(supporting weight)
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Is 1/2 or 3/4 round over preferred for sound?
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Is 1/2 or 3/4 round over preferred for sound?
Cam, if you're talking roundovers on vertical edges, theoretically one could go as much as 3/4" radius and maintain wall thickness. Problem is the radius will intersect the frame of woofer...not a good look!
Max of 5/8" probably best. 1/2" is typical and works fine for edge refraction purposes.
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:wave:
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I have the hot rodded XLS and use Blue Tak from Office Depot for feet
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Thank u Peter already at a 1/2 round over guess I’ll leave it there! Howdy fellas nice to meet ya! I’ll look into those blue tak feet for sure. Think my fist song through these speakers will be SRV Riviera Paradise...
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As far as mounts for bookshelf speakers, another vote for Vibrapods.
Sorbathane sucked too much life from the sound, and Blue Tack affected the frequency balance too much.
Vibrapods let the speakers breath freely.
My 2nd favorite are Isol-pads; kind of a cork and rubber sandwich.
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221032)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221033)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221034)
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More sanding, painting the front with another coat and some sort of satin semi gloss finish. I’d like to keep the color of the wood and not darken it (like to keep it light in color) with the semi gloss... any recommendations welcome there too..
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221032)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221033)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221034)
Looking good! :thumb:
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Thank ya sir! They’re gettin there.. wonder how the birch wood will sound?
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221041)
This is what a 1/2" round over will look with regard to woofer edge distance.
And, shoutout to UGGs - best slippers ever.
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I love the look of exposed plywood edges .
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More sanding, painting the front with another coat and some sort of satin semi gloss finish. I’d like to keep the color of the wood and not darken it (like to keep it light in color) with the semi gloss... any recommendations welcome there too..
I recently finished an all Birch kitchen bar with satin clear lacquer and it turned out great (the bar top was done in a food safe waterlox). It has a quick drying time which minimizes dust and bug accumulation, lays down nice, and can be done in semigloss. It did add a slight yellow tint to the birch which may not be what you are after, but that may have been specific to the product I was using. The stuff is toxic as hell as it is contains MEK as the solvent, so take appropriate precautions if you use it.
Otherwise I believe a clear polyurethane would keep the color closer to raw. I'm sure those with more finishing experience would be able to chime in on that.
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Um... no Ugg’s fer me! Haha. I’m dying over here waiting on this kit too! (I’m impatient like everyone else). Picked up some polyurethane from the depot, it’s varathane ultimate poly semi gloss.. anyone have experience with this stuff? Figured I’d try a small spot on the bottom of the cabinet.. go from there..
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221561)
Just got my kit today and I’m excited to start working on these again..
I’ve got more paint coming and a few more ideas.. exposed edges or no? What say u...
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221693)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221694)
What’s the purpose of the black paint on the back of my drivers?
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The back surface of the drivers tends to oxidize, and it causes a white crytaline powder to form on the surface. Painting them helps to hide that. It doesnt affect their performance however.
Its less important for drivers that are hidden inside of a cabinet, but it can be a sore sight for exposed drivers, like those on the Mids of the X-Statik.
The paint looks like Duratex, and it looks like it cracked as it dried, i think the same happened to me when I coated the ones on my XLS in duratex as well, it ideally needs to be primed before the duratex is applied. To ensure better adhesion to the driver.
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Ok, good to know! So I can touch them up with some black paint I have or just leave them alone?.. appreciate the quick response thanks!
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My original X-Statiks came with covers.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221695)
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Covers look way better!
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If they're going into a cabinet, you can leave them as-is.
But if you're inclined, it wont hurt to give them a coat of black paint. :thumb:
My original X-Statiks came with covers.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=221695)
I wish I could have harvested the midwoofers from the cabinet I had to give up. So I'll be painting one pair, and then splitting up the covered pair I do between them. :P
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Knowing what’s inside these boxes and my slight ocd..... yeah I’ll probably painting them haha.. although I know it’s not needed.. that’s what’s nice about building your own, it can be as nice as u want to make it..
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Baltic Birch wood is awesome! Good choice! Solid wood! Used this a ton back in my days of building nicer cab boxes! Even sub boxes for cars. Good solid wood. I like it more then MDF! That’s for sure!
Awesome job man! Keep up the great work!
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What’s the purpose of the black paint on the back of my drivers?
We had a few boxes of them that the Nickle plating on the back plate was flaking off. So we Duratexed them to seal them and protect them from the elements.
It doesn't look like the Durtex faired real well on that pair. They could use another coat.
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Thanks Shives, Appreciate the nice comments!
Danny, I’ll def hit them one more time thanks..
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Thinking of getting the Carnegie center channel and the surrounds/ rear speakers ... to that note what av receivers is everyone recommending these days? I have the Sony str dg 1000 now and it’s been a good receiver but it is like 10 years old. Just looking for opinions thanks!.
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Center channel will be next to the wall and the two sounds will be wall mounted too.. so I may need to rethink the surrounds as I believe the Carnegie rears need to be three feet... Hmmm..
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Just ordered up the Yamaha rx-v6a.
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Sorbathane was the only product that passed my litmus test of putting a pair of bookshelf speakers and a turntable on a single shelf and have the TT work properly. Not sure how they can "suck the life out of the music" as posted earlier. But if you want them to isolate the speakers from the furniture (what at least I buy them to do) they are the best I've found.
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=222331)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=222333)
First option.. painted out the the edges of the front baffle.. second option is to go over the round over and maybe an inch or two back... what say u?
Thanks for the reply Bullitt.. I’ll check them out for sure
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They look great like they are as far as I'm concerned. A lot of people don't like the exposed plywood but I do. But I ALWAYS let the wife decide the aesthetics. First, because she is much better at it and secondly, that gets her involved in the project.
Build looks great!
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I might be inclined to paint the back same as front and then clear the whole shebang. If you have spray capability, you could tint the clear for a tone coat. The color will die back into the black, but remain prominent on the lighter parts.
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I really do like the plys showing as well so I was thinking of rolling over the front edges with the paint (panzer grey). Just so the front looks “finished” as u sit in front of them and the rest of the cabinet can be a clear coated raw look... I could paint the back too, hadn’t really thought about that but I like the idea. This paint color I really like, it’s really a dark blue grey, I love it! How would I tint the sides Peter? I appreciate your ideas!
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=222375)
Just showed up at my door.. :D. I know it’s not the best out there but it did get a lot of good reviews.
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I really do like the plys showing as well so I was thinking of rolling over the front edges with the paint (panzer grey). Just so the front looks “finished” as u sit in front of them and the rest of the cabinet can be a clear coated raw look... I could paint the back too, hadn’t really thought about that but I like the idea. This paint color I really like, it’s really a dark blue grey, I love it! How would I tint the sides Peter? I appreciate your ideas!
Tone coats are essentially lightly tinted clear finish, usually thinned down a quite a bit. Depending on chosen clear, tint can be dye or pigment. Dye is essentially see-thru, pigment will be more opaque. The effect is that of looking through a colored lens.
Here's one I've been messing around with. Done with pigment to kinda homogenize the exposed plys. That's a piece of raw veneer in front for comparison. In time I'll complete a video showing the how to, but I bit off a big chunk video-wise and have some life events taking precedence at this point.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=222381)
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I used tone coats on my NX Studio, tho the veneer was dyed as well, so the tone coats add depth to the colors I used.
Here's some sample strips i made while trying to figure out the color i wanted to use.
Before:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=214068&size=large)
After:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=214079&size=large)
This was done with the dye added to lacquer and brushed onto fhe veneer directly.
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Those look awesome guys! I’m kinda liking the whiter/ lighter side of the wood color, also the paint color brings out this grey (ish) in the grains. Hard to see in the picks but in person to me kinda gives it this modern clean look. That’s why I’m trying not to bring out those reddish hues in it.. when I go to clear coat/ semi gloss it I know it’ll do that tho.. not sure how to proceed but I’m figuring it out with all your help and research. Thanks for you input fellas! Peter I hear ya sir! Take care of yourself and your family for sure!!
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=222775)
Decided to go over the edges.. I like the look!
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Thats a pretty cool look! Very nice!
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Thanks! I was thinking of painting all the other edges but the plys exposed and the grey finish contrast is a cool look to me.
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=222904)
Put this one together tonight.. hoping it’s right.
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Looking at my schematic for the XLS, it looks correct to me! :thumb:
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Yeah my concern was the large sonicap and the blackcap being switched that I had on the woofer circuit..
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Sonicaps are always on the tweeter circuits, but looks like you nailed it! :thumb:
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Thank u for confirming!
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Cam that is a really cool and unique look, I like it! Nice job getting a good sharp cut line in the paint.
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I purchased some of that gorilla tape and it leaves a nice line for sure!. Now it’s semi gloss lacquer time.
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Curious as to why I didn’t get a Sonicap for the woofer leg? Must not of been available when I
ordered..
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I finished these and they sound great! Now I need some stands for them and I’ll be set.
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Glad to hear you're enjoying them!
Ya don't need expensive stands, just something stable that can also easily be filled with sand or kitty litter, and you're golden!
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Yeah was reading up on those types of stands.. any recommendations?
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The Pangea DS400 stand is reasonably priced with legs that can be filled with sand. This is what I am using for a pair of stand-mount speakers and it is rock steady.
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I like those! Good find
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Monoprice Monolith. Looks very similar to Panagea, but cheaper:
https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=31263&gclid=CjwKCAjwkN6EBhBNEiwADVfyay8cNRJrtL8tx3CyUdGmfFQ8VbsGKHzOfqIpYmag48EpIrHDJKyUahoCmuMQAvD_BwE
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That’s a good find thanks!