Hi Folks,
I am new to this site and wanted to air my views on my foray into open baffle speakers. Hope some of this is of interest!
I have two pairs - one pair for Home theatre: Hawthorn Silver Iris 10'' co-axials with compression drivers and one pair for stereo listening - Audio Nirvana Super 12'' cast frame full range.
They were both built in my garage with the following minimal equipment;
- A two speed drill
- 2 clamps
- a hacksaw
- a small electric jigsaw
- a small tool kit - hammer, pliers, spirit level, screwdriver, set square, ruler, etc
- a small folding picnic table
- assorted nuts and bolts, rubber grommets and washers and plastic grills
The materials are from various sources:
- IKEA - Assorted coloured kitchen door cupboards and handles ($30 per door)
- 2 black aluminium fence posts from the hardware store ($30 each)
- 2 black angle brackets ($15 a pair)
- 4 pieces of high density foam, cut with the jigsaw ($17 a piece)
- 2 plastic gutter leaf traps ($15 a pair)
- 10'' OB speakers from Hawthorne Audio - $258 a pair - including high compression drivers and minimal
crossovers
- 12'' OB speakers from Audio Nirvana (Common sense Audio) $250 off E Bay (normally $328 a pair)
- assorted nuts, bolts, spikes, cupboard bolts, washers and rubber grommets - $100
Each speaker takes about 5 hours to assemble from scratch and you can be listening to them that evening.
The sound..............let's talk about how good they sound!
1. The bass ! OB bass is way better than box bass. It sounds more real and is full sounding like a real
instrument. It goes deep enough with a 10'' speaker driver for jazz, female vocals, small ensembles etc but
likes support for heavy tracks like dub, and reggae. Here I supplement the 10'' with a 12'' passive non vented
sub. This fills in the bottom end and the bass is then awesome - with great impact.
2. The midrange! This is where the OB's are really excellent. They produce the most realistic voices and
diction. They are non fatiguing and I can listen to mine for hours. They are particularly good with jazz and
and piano and bass instruments. The sound scape is tangible, if using them as point source monitors.
3. The top end is sweet, clear and non brittle with both sets of speakers and is integrated into the mix very
well. I would say the are an overall excellent way to listen to music. They do not get louder when you turn up
the volume........the sound just gets bigger!
You may feel that I an going overboard about these speakers but I must say in 30 years of buying expensive hi fi equipment, These are my best buy ever. Plus, it also feels good to make something that actually lives up to it's expectations.
Open baffle sounds are exactly what people said they should be (the best source of info on the subject without doubt is Darrel Hawthorne - of Hawthorne Audio)
A few words of caution - they need to be tweaked.
- My pairs both sound better on spiked stands, tilted back 7-10 degrees
- the tube stands and are filled with sand and all the fittings are rubber mounted very tightly
- they like to be toed in a little
- they sound great at about 9-10 feet apart, pulled out from the back wall at least 15'' and side walls about a
metre
But apart from those few issues they are fit and forget..............and the more you play them the better they sound.
I wonder why I have not done this DIY thing before!!!!!
Regards Harry Potter
