[Argoncat]

I'm visually drawn to curved cabinets and have been wondering if an ellipse shaped NX-Studio cabinet would work..  This basic sketch allows me to use the standard flat-pack face frame but build / stack spars or ribs to form the curved enclosure.  Looking past the woodworking complexity at the moment, any thoughts on the suitability of a curved enclosure for the NX-Studio driver set?  The enclosure void volume in its current form is slightly below the prescribed rectangular volume by ~20% which could be adjusted for with depth assuming the height remains fixed.  Need to work out the math on how much deeper the cabinet would need to be to match the rectangular volume..   I still utilize the open backed Neo 3 tweeter with a similar sloped baffle divider.  Bracing would be be integrated into some of the spars.   Anyone take a crack at elliptical cabinet?

[nrenter]

I've been thinking about sometime similar, albeit for different reasons.



My hypothesis is that there's a market for a kit that facilities a much more "professional" finish with far fewer woodworking skills. As soon as you start talking about clamps...I'm out. There's a 0% chance I could obtain a paint finish I'd be proud of as well.

With a stacked approach (particularly with 3/4" baltic birch ply), not only could you offer a glue-n-screw kit, but it would eschew the traditional "box" speaker look. 1" thick all the way around. Dowel holes to ensure alignment. Pilot drill holes to stagger the screws. Side-mount the speaker binding posts. Offer the baffle pre-finished. Sand, stain, poly the baltic birch ply. Plus, a different number of stackers could facilitate different speaker configurations.

The image was modeled 19" front-to-back, with the front a 10" circle, and the rear a 6" circle. It would be easy to augment the design with a bottom-mounted "mini-sub", a side mounted plate-amp and a side mounted 8" mini-sub (or 2) - both as as a stand for the studio monitor. For the monitor, the from of the 10" circle would be notched to allow the inset of the front baffle (simply glued and "clamped" by the weight of the cabinet when laying face-down).

I know Danny offered baltic birch ribs many years ago. More access to partners with CNC machinery make make this approach more doable. No, this approach isn't cheap, but it would produce some cool finished speakers.

[Tyson]

It would probably sound better too.  Which is hard to believe because it's already the best bookshelf speaker I've ever heard.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

Its certainly possible! You would definitely need a deeper cabinet to maintain the overall internal volume. Probably closer to 17-18" deep?

Tho you wouldn't actually need a flat pack tho, just the faceplate that comes with the driver/crossover kit.

That said, I have no idea how curved cabinets work aside from maybe cutting vertical slits into the inside walls and using the space to fold the cabinet around the curve?

[oskar]

I've used snake ply (bendy board, wiggle wood etc.) on a number of projects.
Where I've needed a tight radius I go with 1/4" and can get a 8" curve.
Once I have the initial form set I then glue on another layer.
I little sanding then I apply the veneer.
Works great.
https://www.columbiaforestproducts.com/product/columbia-radius-bending-plywood/

[Argoncat]

My initial thought was to contract with a local CNC shop to cut out the ribs from marine ply, then with aide of the registration holes and long dowels stack the ribs to form the 3D structure using an epoxy adhesive for its long open time.  The studio monitors only need 24 ribs to form the full height so it's a manageable task.  Utilizing multiple rib geometries will integrate any cross-bracing.  Tube connectors, given their small footprint will fit nicely in the rear apex of the cabinet.  Where I am stuck and need to spend some more time modeling the design, is the angular partition between M165 and the NEO 3 drivers forming the rear waveguide. This is easy in the original rectangular form but matching the tapering ellipse AND a ~12 degree vertical rise is a little more complicated but "should" be possible.

 

   

[RolandButcher]

I've always really liked the look of translam cabinets.  Here is the picture of the interior of the MayFly speakers, which is an interesting design.  Looks as solid as a tank.

[nrenter]

This is easy in the original rectangular form but matching the tapering ellipse AND a ~12 degree vertical rise is a little more complicated but "should" be possible.

You could always "cheat" by securing the cabinet at an angle and use an epoxy filler to create the slope.

[Captainhemo]

I've been thinking about sometime similar, albeit for different reasons.



My hypothesis is that there's a market for a kit that facilities a much more "professional" finish with far fewer woodworking skills. As soon as you start talking about clamps...I'm out. There's a 0% chance I could obtain a paint finish I'd be proud of as well.

With a stacked approach (particularly with 3/4" baltic birch ply), not only could you offer a glue-n-screw kit, but it would eschew the traditional "box" speaker look. 1" thick all the way around. Dowel holes to ensure alignment. Pilot drill holes to stagger the screws. Side-mount the speaker binding posts. Offer the baffle pre-finished. Sand, stain, poly the baltic birch ply. Plus, a different number of stackers could facilitate different speaker configurations.

The image was modeled 19" front-to-back, with the front a 10" circle, and the rear a 6" circle. It would be easy to augment the design with a bottom-mounted "mini-sub", a side mounted plate-amp and a side mounted 8" mini-sub (or 2) - both as as a stand for the studio monitor. For the monitor, the from of the 10" circle would be notched to allow the inset of the front baffle (simply glued and "clamped" by the weight of the cabinet when laying face-down).

I know Danny offered baltic birch ribs many years ago. More access to partners with CNC machinery make make this approach more doable. No, this approach isn't cheap, but it would produce some cool finished speakers.

We've done  basically the  same thing with  another  design., even the bafle   was to  be   installed the same way....  it is not nearly as  easy as you  state...  we thought it would be as well.
Not  saying this  could not be done but,  to offer it  a pre-finished kit that  customers can basically   assemble withut  gluing/finishing....   it'll be   spendy

[nrenter]

We've done  basically the  same thing with  another  design., even the bafle   was to  be   installed the same way....  it is not nearly as  easy as you  state...  we thought it would be as well.
Not  saying this  could not be done but,  to offer it  a pre-finished kit that  customers can basically   assemble withut  gluing/finishing....   it'll be   spendy

That's the fun about being an armchair quarterback - I can talk a good game, but never have to execute.

Thanks for indulging our "easy" ideas. Moving to a completely pre-finished kit may be extreme. But if we could get the cabinet construction down to gluing, drilling / screwing, sanding and staining, even a guy like me could participate in the fun.

[mlundy57]

An option I can think of would be to route dados into the ribs at the proper slope than the ramp can be a flat piece with angled ends like it is now. However, I don’t know how difficult the programming would be.  Can envision it but I don't know how to code it.