[gab]

Danny,

Is the 3 feet from the front, center or back of the H - frame cabinet?

BP 24,

I would like to see links to the research you mention on the influence of baffle size. I am not sure that citing trends on baffle size in closed box commercial designs translates into optimum baffle size for open baffle designs.

Josh

here is a good place to start: http://www.linkwitzlab.com/LX521/Description.htm

[bdp24]

Danny,

Is the 3 feet from the front, center or back of the H - frame cabinet?

BP 24,

I would like to see links to the research you mention on the influence of baffle size. I am not sure that citing trends on baffle size in closed box commercial designs translates into optimum baffle size for open baffle designs.

Josh

Josh---A large baffle creates the same problems in an OB design as it does in a sealed or ported one. The fact that the back of the driver in an OB loudspeaker is open air is in no way related to the problems created by a large baffle. The first study that published it's findings on the subject was, I believe, The National Institute of Research in Canada (Canadian taxpayer funded---yay Democratic Socialism ). The BBC in England (funded by the British government for the general benefit of its citizens) concurred with the Canadian researchers. British Loudspeaker company KEF, itself heavily into research, started designing their speakers with little modules into which they placed individual drivers, rather than on a baffle proper. Many high end American companies now do the same.

Where Danny Richie is ahead of other OB designers is in using side "wings" to increase the distance between the front and back of the drivers (simulating a large baffle in that regard) in his OB designs. Doing so eliminates the need for a big baffle, preventing the problems caused by such a baffle while maintaining its benefits. A smaller baffle is better than a large one in many ways---maybe Danny would want to list some of them here.

[jzexport]

Bhp24 and gab,

Thanks for the pointers.

Josh

[jzexport]

Still trying to figure out how to make this work for me. I don't think I have room to put a sub on its side between the L and R.

I still wonder if the bottom 3 M165-16 speakers could be replaced with SW-8-16FR servo subs. I am thinking the servo subs would be put into an H arrangement inside of the NX-Otica's cabinet. In other words, straight walls would be built perpendicular from the front baffle towards the rear and the H baffle would be built half way back. The outer wedge shape would remain. Is this possible?

Josh

[mlundy57]

Still trying to figure out how to make this work for me. I don't think I have room to put a sub on its side between the L and R.

I still wonder if the bottom 3 M165-16 speakers could be replaced with SW-8-16FR servo subs. I am thinking the servo subs would be put into an H arrangement inside of the NX-Otica's cabinet. In other words, straight walls would be built perpendicular from the front baffle towards the rear and the H baffle would be built half way back. The outer wedge shape would remain. Is this possible?

Josh

Josh,

You'd have to completely redesign the cabinet. The 8" drivers are wider then the M-165's plus they need double thick walls so the 8" section needs to be 12-1/2" wide. It would be a lot easier to build a 3 x 8" H-Frame then set the MTM section on top of it. Like this:



Just replace the Wedgies with the MTM section of the NX-Otica, there's plenty of room.

Mike

[Danny Richie]

Yeah, you could go with three of the 8's instead of the four M-165's. But the baffle would need to be made wider below the bottom M-165NQ.

You could go with a split baffle design and make a separate wider V shaped baffle for the 8's. They will need to be much beefier.

Tricky, but possible....

[jzexport]

OK, I give. KISS is better. I think the NX-OTICA as designed is the way to. I'll hem and haw about the subs, start with my existing ones or go for a center open baffle sub right away. Waiting now to learn what this will cost.

Josh

[ctviggen]

here is a good place to start: http://www.linkwitzlab.com/LX521/Description.htm

Those are cool speakers, but they have zero wife acceptance factor.  Even I'm having a hard time justifying them.  I do like Linkwitz, though.  He's very scientific.

[jzexport]

Danny:

Any idea when you might have cost estimates?

Josh

[Danny Richie]

Danny:

Any idea when you might have cost estimates?

Josh

The first cabinets that will be offered as flat packs will be here in a few days. I need to test fit the cabinets and build out a pair of them to finalize the crossovers. So we should know something in a few weeks.

[Captainhemo]

Danny:

Any idea when you might have cost estimates?

Josh

Josh
We sent Danny his flat pack  late last week, he should have it  soon.  We also assembled a pair here and although we did find a couple little bugs that  will be corrected in  the packs we ship, the packs went together very nicely (I'll throw a few  pics up below).
We were able to source solid 1.5" MDF for the baffles so no laminating was required (our subs will also use this same 1.5" material). The wings fit into 10 degree rabets on the rear side of the baffle that have been cut into .5"  radius roundovers on the front verticle edges making for an exellent transition between the radius and the angled wings.
All the braces in the rear fit into dados in both the wings and  rear of front baffle. Driver holes all have a .625" radius roundover on the rear side. The tweeter sits in a small  rabet at the rear of the  waveguide.
Wings are positioned on teh base via 3 dowels per side and attached via  2  screws/glue helping  to aid assembly.
All driver and tweeter mouinting screw holes are pre-drilled.
Bases are side specific  and trust me, the pictures do not sdo them justice, they look pretty cool.... the pics actually don't  give you the real feel of the cabinetss , they are very sleek and attractive whenn you are in the room with them

Costs  ARE coming very soon, hopefully Danny will receive his kit either in the next few business days .  The other fellow involved in this (Don) is away on business until Sunday night/Monday am but we hope to have  final tallies and pricing done  very soon. We're waiting on  custom shippping boxes at this point, hoping next week on those as well




















jay

[jzexport]

Jay,

Thanks for the update and good job! Looks like they are coming together nicely.

Josh

[mlundy57]

Jay,

Those look really nice. How does the 1.5" MDF compare pricewise to the 0.75" MDF? Just curious. Around here I can get 1.5" MDF but I have to special order it and it costs $150 for a 4' X 8' sheet whereas 0.75" is in stock and costs $25 for a 4' x 8' sheet. $50 plus glue to get a 4' x 8' x 1.5" sheet of MDF so I have to stick with laminating it up.

Mike

[Captainhemo]

Thanks guys. It has been a process but  we are  almost "there" :beer:I forgot to  post this pic, it shows the rabets on the rear side of he bafle for the wings


Mike, getting our hands on the 1.5"  MDF up here was not easy but we have secured a decnt amount of it.
We got it a bit cheaper than what you mention but it was well worth it.  The CNC shop would not do the laminating so we would have had to laminate 4x8 sheets and then haul it over there, would have been a major PITA

The baffles are not easy to cut and we only get 5 per sheet. We are learning also that backside operations are costly to do and there is a lot of setup involved.   Once the program is all dialed in though, it is pretty cool, just a bit of a chore getting there.

jay

[mlundy57]

Thanks guys. It has been a process but  we are  almost "there" :beer:I forgot to  post this pic, it shows the rabets on the rear side of he bafle for the wings


Mike, getting our hands on the 1.5"  MDF up here was not easy but we have secured a decnt amount of it.
We got it a bit cheaper than what you mention but it was well worth it.  The CNC shop would not do the laminating so we would have had to laminate 4x8 sheets and then haul it over there, would have been a major PITA

The baffles are not easy to cut and we only get 5 per sheet. We are learning also that backside operations are costly to do and there is a lot of setup involved.   Once the program is all dialed in though, it is pretty cool, just a bit of a chore getting there.

jay

Jay,

With all the up front work, doing it by hand would probably be faster but only for a couple of units. Once you get the program dialed in cutting as many as you need should be a breeze. The same program should work for both the NX-Otica and the X-Otica, only the tweeter opening is different isn't it?

Mike

[Captainhemo]

Jay,

With all the up front work, doing it by hand would probably be faster but only for a couple of units. Once you get the program dialed in cutting as many as you need should be a breeze. The same program should work for both the NX-Otica and the X-Otica, only the tweeter opening is different isn't it?

Mike

Mike
Yeah, if there is interest, we'll be doing some X-Otticas as well.
The  C2C is a bit different in the MTM sections between the X and NX-Otticas  due to the tweeter cutout/recess vs waveguide as you mentioned. This would end up taking 1" off the overall height so the baffle and wings will need to be adjusted. We could maybe get away with leaving the C2C distance the same but with the Peerless tweeter, it could be tightened up  by .5" on either side.  The Peerless tweeter isn't going to play as low as the  Neo3 in the deep waveguide so that tighter C2C might be improtant to reduce filtering... Danny would have to confim. Appearence wise, the tighter C2C is better anyway (IMHO)

There are a lot of angles to  make these cabinets work....there is not a lot parallel  so it is tough to cut  by hand.  Then there is the waveguide, the 10 degree rabits  meeting the roundovers at 10 degrres, tweeter rabet etc...

jay

[Captainhemo]

Hey Folks
Late last night I received an email from our painter regarding the NX-Otticas.
I know "we" have discussed a bit about having  speakers painted at an automotive  shop previously, we actually did this with Don's triple  12's  and  while we were  happy about some aspects of the results, there were other   things we weren't so  hapy about.
We went back to the same place and this time had a  sit down with the owner who was very  receptive to what we  were looking for. He is now  working on his own and really seemed to be interested in what we were doing.  Each project is now handled by him and only him, seemed  like we'd  be able to keep a bit more control as compared to when we had the sus painted. When we were there, he showed us some custom motorcycle parts he had been  working on .... the finish on those  is what  we wanted.

In the end, we decided to give  him   a go and decided to go witha solvent based paint and higher quality, slower setting clear coat.  Thecolor is  "Tequila Sunrise Pearl" which  really changes in color depending on the angle/light  etc. It seems to range from  copper/bronze to  a farily  bright orange and with all the angles of the NX-Ottcas?Extremes, I figured it could come out pretty cool.

Here are a couple pics he sent me. going to pick these up this weekend after he  buffs them out




Here's a pic of a Dodge Ram out in the sun


jay

[jseipp]

Those are true beauties -- I don't know what else to say.  Persistence pays .

[brother love]

Jay, Re:  "Tequila Sunrise Pearl" color choice & results ...

Those. Look. Awesome !!!   

[Peter J]

Those automotive urethanes (I'm assuming) are really spendy aren't they Jay? They do look really good though, I'm anxious to see all fitted out.

So who gets this pair?