[Audiophile58]

I have owned many different types of Loudspeakers and currently own a 1.5 , also owned the 8 Hemp Alnicos

Just ordered the Alnico 6 . Fit and finish is excellent as usual. That being said many of my Audiophile friends
Are trying yo tell me a cabinet pretty much is a cabinet as long as it it damped snd braced.
Many manufacturers are buying cabinets fron China saying that their cabinets are just as good save your money. Louis I am not an authority on cabinet making .i have a good ear though when something
Sounds right  Louis please share  Whst makes a good designed cabinet , and how your cabinets differ from the norm. Thank you.

[DBC]

http://omegaloudspeakers.com/cabinets.html

[DaveC113]

That being said many of my Audiophile friends
Are trying yo tell me a cabinet pretty much is a cabinet as long as it it damped snd braced.

This is FAR from the the truth! A good cabinet is crucial to the sound of a speaker. If you look at what the cost-no-object speaker companies go through with their cabinets it's amazing... the use of expensive composite materials and aluminum are very common despite the huge expenses involved, this would not be common if speaker cabinets didn't make a difference. In fact, your speaker cabinet could be seen as the most important component in your entire system. The reason cabinet design is taken to such  lengths is that the cabinet has a LOT of surface area compared to the drivers and so it contributes to the sound you hear. Some designers try to minimize the contribution of the cabinet, this is the approach Louis and a great majority of designers take, but even so it's still audible and so the materials and construction matter and are audible. Others try to make the cabinet into something that contributes in a positive way to the sound, they know the cabinet will be audible and they "tune" it to sound pleasant much like a musical instrument. In any case, the cabinet is still crucial and very audible in the final outcome of a speaker design.

[Rocket]

Hi,

I would have thought that consistency in production would be an issue.  If a person has to work 10 hours a day for very minimal wage and limited breaks they wouldn't operate to the same level of degree as a true master craftsman. 

I live in Australia and the vast majority of the components are made in the USA.  I'm always researching Omega speakers so who know perhaps in the future...

Cheers Rod

[Canada Rob]

Hello all,
Louis is busy building speakers so I'll be glad to share how Louis' cabinets differ hugely from the "norm". 

First I'll share what a good cabinet is not and the standard to which the vast majority of (many big name) speakers are built (some very pricey).
In many cases "Made in England", Made in USA, mean little other than the parts were made in the far east and assembly and packaging done in the UK or USA, etc. if even that.  "Engineered in Germany etc." only means it's designed there but made elsewhere, likely Asia.

I am also a woodworker and wood artist not to mention my audio career goes back to the 1970s so I know quality when I see it, and Louis' cabinets are some of the very best, if not the best I've seen, not just "for the money", but seen, period.

The average production speaker (many expensive ones included) have all the pre veneered (paper thin veneer) MDF or PB panels CNC routered.  The sides top and bottom which are often one long sheet have been routed 45 degrees (or rabbeted) down each side and V-grooved where the corners will be.  The the sheet that makes the sides, top, and bottom is then rolled into a box using hot melt glue to keep it together.  The baffle and back are then hot melt glued in place.  A few minutes to cut, a few seconds to glue.  Depending on baffle and back design, this method can vary, but this is generally how it's done.  About 12 years ago a fellow I knew bought some mass produced speakers and when bringing them home dropped one on the sidewalk which turned it into kit form.  Louis, on the other hand, has taken one of his cabinets onto the roof of his shop and thrown it onto the pavement below - it was totally intact.

First of all Louis uses the best quality MDF, ply, and veneers available. They are CE, UL, and CARB certified.  No materials are sourced out of the far east, but out of Europe.  Louis uses the best (slow dry for good soak) PVA glue available with mitred corners and rabbeted front and rear for the baffle and back.  The thick veneer is glued on wet with the same PVA glue and then goes into a veneer press.  The same materials, construction, and attention to detail goes into a Super 3 Desktop as goes into a Super Alnico XRS.  Baffles and backs on all Omega speakers are 1" thick with sides, top, and bottom 3/4" thick.  This is a very brief description of how Louis does it.  Many secrets I'm compelled to not disclose.

Much of the MDF out of the far east is inconsistent hand laid up poor quality compared to the consistent high quality Louis uses.  Also, do you really think these speakers out of the sweatshops in the far east are made out of healthy materials?  Just google "Chinese drywall".  Why would their MDF, and gorgeous lacquers be any different?  Speakers are made in the far east for one reason - cheap labour and higher profits.  I remember years ago I owned some beautiful English made monitors, then a couple of years later I owned the almost identical MK2 version that were made in China - the price was the same (two years inflation, yes, but still they should be waaay cheaper).  The distributor told me they could be made in England again for the same price if the wood shops there hadn't sold off their tooling. 

[ZLS]

"Louis, on the other hand, has taken one of his cabinets onto the roof of his shop and thrown it onto the pavement below - it was totally intact."

    That sounds like an end to a story; what pray tell was the beginning?

[Canada Rob]

"Louis, on the other hand, has taken one of his cabinets onto the roof of his shop and thrown it onto the pavement below - it was totally intact."

    That sounds like an end to a story; what pray tell was the beginning?

Curiosity as to the outcome.  "Totally" didn't include scratches and dings.

[Audiophile58]

I  wanted to ask I would think the front baffle would need to be the most dense to hold the screws in place and
Eliminate vibrations how thick is the front baffle on the Alnico 6 ? And what kind of wood ? Also are all model thickness the same ?
A cut away picture of a cross section of the speaker would answer a lot of questions and explained on your webpages.Many people say Russian Birch ply is right up their with the best for build and sonics . What type or types of wood are used in Omega speakers and why  In your opinion  makes this better ?
Some speaker makers use Black Hole for vibration absorption  with accustuf or long grain wool .
What made you choose a specific  type of foam  vs the  other products mentioned above ?
Since this is the weekend  this would be  great time if Louis can explain that would be the Only one who would know his reasoning  in the above questions. Louis please explain the best you  can ,Thank You.

[jorgen]

CR or Louis are the only ones who can answer these questions properly, but in my mind I think CR have answered and revealed a lot of tech info and we maybe should let Omega have some company secrets. Of course that isn't up to me to decide, but by now we know a lot in terms of build philosophy, techniqe and materials in use.
I find my Omegas to be very well build, and I have had an accident with one of mine, so I know that the structure is solid.

[seikosha]

One nice touch I've seen with the omega cabinets is that the drivers and spikes don't just screw into the wood.  Louis has inserts built into the cabinet.  It's a nice touch that takes time, costs more money but shows that the person who built the product cares about craftsmanship and his products lasting a long time.