[planet10]

Danny how close are these to the Fostex 126en?

That they will fit in the box Danny is prototyping, indicates that they are not all that close to the FE126En. There is also the 3" vrs 4.5" thing going on to.

dave

[Oscillate]

"That they will fit in the box ..., indicates that they are not ... close to the FE126En."

Hi Dave ...do you think these 3"s might work well in a Frugal Horn or a BiB enclosure?

[Folsom]

The 126en fit into a small ported box and sound great. That was my thought.

[planet10]

The 126en fit into a small ported box and sound great. That was my thought.

Any decebt alignment for FE126En gets you only to 110-120 Hz.

dave

[baniels]

I like all the bracing that is in the cabinet even though it is small.

A couple of things though:

Can the flatpack be ordered in 1/2" baltic birch plywood?

I was hoping for a more "decorative" cabinet shape, especially one with a sloping front baffle, since this is a "test" cabinet will you come up with different shapes?  A trapezoidal cabinet would look cool or at least different.

A 12" side is probably not going to fit into a large flat rate USPS priority box.  Logistically, an inch or so less and at least 2 cabinets should fit in one box and they are free at the post office.  Just saying.

12mm baltic birch is an option. The cost would be marginally higher and I would prefer to be making at least 4 pairs. There would be a little wait, as I would need to restock that material; I only have one sheet on hand.

Could you provide a sketch of the design you are envisioning, or link to a similar speaker?

As they are now, parts for a pair of these fit great in a 13x10x8 Uline box, with enough room for some padding. It weighs 11 lbs. The boxes cost about $1. I'm in the Midwest so a shipping quote to each coast gives a pretty good idea of what it will cost anywhere.

To Rochester, NY: $14
To San Diego, CA: $16
To Dallas, TX: $13.50

It would be a tight fit in the flat rate box even if the height was reduced. It might fit, but there would be no room for protective foam. I assume the lost volume would need to be recouped in another direction, again pushing the limits of the box.

[Raiderone]

Thanks for the response.

I was thinking something like the metronome:

http://www.frugal-horn.com/metronome.html

Of course it would just be the section towards the top.  Or something very close to what Danny has, but with a sloping front baffle, which might help in some desktop setups.

Or something like this shape, but done with the 12mm BB:

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/5F-8422T01.htm

Also, I don't know if it is possible to design a faceted style cablinet.  A super mini version of this shape:

http://www.troelsgravesen.dk/SP44.htm

I wish I knew more about how to use the appropriate software to "draw" it up, so it can be read by a cnc cutter. 

I do have a lot of wood cutting tools and have built boxes before, but I am unable to do any woodwork due to a 6 and 2 year-old running around and an expectant wife.  That is why it would be great to have a glue and clamp flat-pack plus a bonus of something a bit more than a "box."

Now that I think of it, I do recall seeing a different format large flat rate box at USPS. 

And I think FEDEX has there own version of flat-rate box, but I don't know if it is dimensionally larger and if it ships to all 50 states at a flat rate.

[Raiderone]

Here's another one (needs to be scaled down):

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/248853-voigt-improvements-means-converting-electrical-energy-into-sound.html

[baniels]

Raiderone,

The angles in those designs make it less of a CNC job and more of a table-saw job - or at least a 50/50 split. I could certainly cut the parts out for you - baffle, sides, etc. But you would need to take care of the angles to make it all fit together. Send me an email if you want to discuss this (my username at gmail.com).

For the flatpacks discussed in this thread I will need to stick with 90° angles. There is already a good amount of manual router table work for all the roundovers and the backside rabbets on the baffle.

FedEx does have a one-rate option, but it will be more expensive than the average prices I showed above.

[Raiderone]

The angles in those designs make it less of a CNC job and more of a table-saw job - or at least a 50/50 split. I could certainly cut the parts out for you - baffle, sides, etc. But you would need to take care of the angles to make it all fit together. Send me an email if you want to discuss this (my username at gmail.com).

Now, I do recall something about CNC not being adept at cutting angles.  So, we are back to basic boxes, but could you offer different shapes while keeping the volume the same?  Perhaps, a box that is a bit less narrow and not as tall?

Also, could a 45 degree bit be used so that the boxes have miter joints?  Would this add to the cost/complexity or even be viable?

[Danny Richie]

but could you offer different shapes while keeping the volume the same?  Perhaps, a box that is a bit less narrow and not as tall?

As the designer of the box I have to say that a thin but tall box will give you the best overall imaging. Surface reflections are the enemy. From a performance stand point this is the ideal box.

[oz_audio_todd]

so how do these guys sound in this box, is everything as you hoped? Are the destroying your LS-9's?? 

[Danny Richie]

so how do these guys sound in this box, is everything as you hoped? Are the destroying your LS-9's?? 

Flat packs are here now. I will be gluing them up tomorrow.

I don't think they are going to destroy any LS-9's, but they may just top my list of best sounding full range drivers. They were great in the test boxes that I had. The new test boxes or more of an optimal box though.

[Bob in St. Louis]

They were great in the test boxes that I had. The new test boxes or more of an optimal box though.

Just curious, have you tried them in nearfield OB?

[jcotner]

I ordered a small production run of them to be made last week. They are in production.

Hey Danny I think this translates into another month before they arrive.
I'm unclear if a small production run will fill very many orders though.

[Raiderone]

As the designer of the box I have to say that a thin but tall box will give you the best overall imaging. Surface reflections are the enemy. From a performance stand point this is the ideal box.

Got it.  My intent is not to compromise/discount your design, but for the desktop it might be a bit tall at 12" and easy to knock over or aesthetically not a match for some lower profile setups or a tad too tall to fit in a bookshelf.

One final suggestion, can/will there be an alternate version that keeps the width, lowers the height but increases the depth?  I suppose the driver cutout could be made on the 8" side but then a foot deep might be a bit awkward.

[baniels]

A wider base could be added for more stability.

... at 12" and easy to knock over or aesthetically not a match for some lower profile setups or a tad too tall to fit in a bookshelf.

[Danny Richie]

Hey Danny I think this translates into another month before they arrive.
I'm unclear if a small production run will fill very many orders though.

For companies that want to do runs of 1000 to 2000 units per production run, runs of only 500 units are so are considered small production runs. If it looks like they are moving well I can always order more of them.

[Danny Richie]

Got it.  My intent is not to compromise/discount your design, but for the desktop it might be a bit tall at 12" and easy to knock over or aesthetically not a match for some lower profile setups or a tad too tall to fit in a bookshelf.

A small speaker setting on a desk top is typically far below ear level. So the idea is to get the driver up as high as possible so that it raises the sound stage.

One final suggestion, can/will there be an alternate version that keeps the width, lowers the height but increases the depth?  I suppose the driver cutout could be made on the 8" side but then a foot deep might be a bit awkward.

You can build your cabinets anyway that you want.

[yakman2000]

Did I miss some kind of expected pricing on these? 

[Danny Richie]

Did I miss some kind of expected pricing on these?

I am going to introduce them at $29 a piece.