[Bob in St. Louis]

Well, here we go again.....

I've scrounged three dining room table leaves from a local thrift store.
No Charge! 
The wood, is a measurable 1 1/8" thick. As I found out is a veneer over HDF.



I've removed the hardware that makes the leaves fit together, and a few minutes with a belt sander on the back side to remove the glue. My goal was to preserve the nicely finished face as best as possible.



Since I've only got one shot at this (can't go get more leaves); I'll did a rough outline of the cuts I'll be making with masking tape. Just want to make sure I've "got it right", you know. Measure THREE times, cut once.



Eventually, I'll make grill covers for the exposed bottom section.


A horrible fuzzy view of the inerds.
Sorry, the camera wouldn't focus when it's stuck into a dark cavity. 

Not as proud of the build as I intended. The veneer over 1" HDF has some form of clear material applied over the wood. Presumably something to protect the wood from the perils of liquids or heat from hot plates. The edges of the wood chipped in the cutting process. Actually, it wasn't entirely the woods fault, it was this "clear coat" that did most of the chipping.
The cavity is open enough to experiment with stuffing. That'll come later.
Also, the driver is bottom mounted on the 1 1/8" thick top plate. This plate is covered in screen and Velcro keeps it held to the rest of the structure. In some of the photos you can just make out white in the seem under the top plate, but in real life, you can't see it unless you stick your nose against the unit and squint. So it doesn't look as bad as the photo suggests.



A view from below. Me squatting looking up into the cavity.





A top view. The camera held high over my head.




Straight on, normal height.


Bob

[Bob in St. Louis]

No stuffing/fill yet. Still haven't built covers for the lower open cavity.

I've been listening to a few "surround intensive" movies, I'm impressed. The content from the rear channels is much less localized. Much more realistic than the 4" 88Db boxed drivers I had previously.

Content like the "Star Wars Pod race", "Bad Boys II" gun fights/car chase, and "Saving Private Ryan" opening scene are more enveloping than I've had in this room.
The drivers are set to "Large", so they get everything Hollywood can muster without protest.

Bob

[launche]

Interesting idea Bob,

  I've got a ton of similiar things at my disposal for a small fee and I didn't even think about using it for my Si's.  Any thoughts on how such material would do as a complete baffle piece?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Hi Launche,
When you say, "similiar things", I assume you mean odd pieces of wood like table leaf kinda' stuff??
If so, YES.
Not just "YES", but, "HELL YES"
Absolutely. Minimum 3/4" thickness for a "Solo" SI is the least I'd go with.
The stuff I found is 1 1/8", waaaay plenty for a single SI.

Step ONE: Poke a 15" hole
Step TWO: Insert Hawthorne Coaxial
Step THREE: Enjoy
Step FOUR: Repeat step 3

I didn't know you had SI's,........  .......... ...........are you on the Hawthorne forum?
Maybe under a different name?

Bob

[launche]

Yes, Bob I posted on the Hawthorne forum just a few times.
I have these:


While they put a big smile on my face, since I lost my dedicated music room to my baby boy and all his stuff, I can no longer house and enjoy them properly.  So, I will likely have to part with them.  I've been meaning to sell them for a month or two now but somehow always manage to find a reason not too.  But if anyone is interested make me an offer.

Sorry to intrude on your thread Bob but I know you're a Hawthorne man and anything Hawthorne is probably alright by you.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Sorry to intrude on your thread Bob but I know you're a Hawthorne man and anything Hawthorne is probably alright by you.

Yup, am I that transparent?  (nice segway into your baffles, don't you agree) 
Wow, I remember those. I really like those baffles Launche. It's a shame they've got to go but I understand about a child's things coming first.
I can't recall if those where glass or acrylic though? If they're acrylic, how is the 'finish', meaning the amount of scratches? And where did you mount the crossover?
About the intrusion, I don't mind at all man. But the first place you should go is the Hawthorne forum and start a thread in the classified, then here to AC and do the same.

Or....You could make a smaller baffle and keep them in the living area.  aa
I'll help you however I can.

Bob

[launche]

They are made from Lexan, They have some light scratches but that be buffed out if one wants a near perfect finish.  But they are not something very visible from a few feet.  I really like the look but I have too much stuff and not enough space.  I will probably post of the Hawthorne forum just have be reluctant to sell them.

You know when I was reading the Hawthorne forums I kept reading the word "fun" and I have come to understand that.  These are not hi-fi speakers IMO but they are fun music makers, depending on there implementation they can have a special magic.  I have to turn off my audiophile brain when listening to these, not that they don't have that appeal per se but that's just not there calling card.  they do make music though and in a very nice way.  I have probably played music louder than I have in a long time.  Not being as concerned about affecting room modes etc..., with the treble not in your face and the way the sound eases into the room. I've also tuen the lights out and listened to some soft music and it was just cozy and transporting.  If one wishes to listen for characteristics and not music then as with any speaker you'll find things you could live with or want more of but taken as a whole, hard to do better for the money IMO, especially if you want something a little different from the standard offerings in the price class.

I remember my little brother seeing them and saying "cool speakers" but saying you're not going to get any bass without a box (mind you he knows nothing about speakers, damn near nothing)  I sat him down, said gimme a CD, he pulled out an Usher CD with the song "Yeah" I was a little nervous, as it's hip hop.  Turned that sucker up and blow him away, played at mini club levels you should've seen the look on his face.  I said is that enough bass for you? ...ummm yeah. It was not just the bass obviously we're rolling off at about 50hz or so but it was the whole presentation, taking over the room, everything was big and bold and "fun" and the bass that is there is pretty clean, forceful and articulate...much more than I expected.

When I think about stop chasing the hi-fi thing, from the stuff I've owned this one works for me.  This is not a promo for them if I decided to sell, I've kept them as a failsafe.  Knowing the for decent money I could feed most of my audio needs, save for the obsessive compulsive audiophile disorder. So these may not be Hi-fidelity but they are sure fun-fidelity.

Of course this is my experience with my baffles, Hawthorne's finished product may be something totally different.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Well said Launche. In my book, that's helluva testimonial.
You are now the second person I've read that's made the comment "they aren't audiophile", which puzzles be a bit. I've heard some really highdollar stuff that I didn't feel had anything better to offer than the SI's. Now that being said, I may not have the clinically accurate ears that some fellas have.
BUT for the price to performance ratio, and the level of happiness I've achieved.....Ignorance is truly bliss. For three hundred versus thousands, my ears are juuuuust fine. 

I've been checking the Hawthorne classified for your baffles already.
Whatcha' going to ask for them?

Bob

[emac]

Those really are very nice looking, launche. 

Like Bob, I guess I'm not sure about the non-audiophile idea.  I guess it depends on what you define "audiophile quality" as.  Like you said, the SI's are "fun" speakers that have a very open soundstage.  To my ears they sound pretty accurate and true to what the musician intended.  My Onix Ref 1.5's may be a bit more accurate with sound reproduction, but don't present the same type of soundstage.  So, it seems similar to comparing apples and oranges.  They are both good speakers but produce a very different type of sound.  Both are tasty, and appeal to me depending on my mood.  Which is more "audiophile", I don't know. 

I'm really not trying to pick an argument here since I'm a relative newbie to audio.  Any thoughts you have on this would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[launche]

I surely don't mean "not audiophile" as a negative, I meant it more in a positive sense.  I'm sure speaker designers could offer more technical analysis. Most times the "audiophile' criteria has a checklist of specs to meet and so on and your mind starts to work too much. IMO the speakers I've enjoyed the most and feel are the best music producers somehow find a way to get out of the way.  Relatively speaking, the Si's do that to a nice degree.  For me once I stop being concerned with trying to compare them or make reference to some other speaker and just listen, I easily get wrapped up in their presentation and can listen for hours and I mean hours.  These things begin to wear well like and comfy pair of pajamas.  I actually have another set of Si's drivers i'm hiding away just in case.

What I like about them (my baffles) is I can position/turn them in 3 or 4 different configurations on the stands and get different results w/o moving the speakers. Easily on the eyes too. Yeah, bang for the buck is there for sure.

As for as what price to ask for them, I have no definite idea.
So anyone interested feel free to PM me a reasonable offer.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Yea, I wasn't sure how to take that comment the first time I heard it, and again when you said it. I totally wasn't sure if it was a complement, criticism, or just a neutral comment. As I've said before (MANY times), I love mine and have ZERO desire to window shop for driver/speaker alternatives so the comments didn't make me second guess my driver choice. It was simply an "odd" comment, you know. No harm done Launche, it's all good.
I also didn't know you had a spare pair. Sounds like the makings of a multi-channel system.  aa

The capability of your baffles being 'flipped' is awesome. I've thought many times of doing a similar set-up, but haven't.

Good luck selling them Launche (that is, unless you go to the darkside of surround )

Bob

[launche]

I understand what you're saying Bob.  Obviously, I'm using my own definition of "audiophile speakers" and what I percieve the consensus to be, more or less.  But put the Si's in a room with some other thought to be audiophiles speakers and a hand full and audiophiles and you'll see what I mean or maybe already have. BTW, audiophile is a dirty word to me...one might as well call themselves insane.  A recent study showed that 1 out of 3 audiophiles are impotent and that the audiophile hobbiest represents 22% of the manic depressive population.

As for Multichannel, the way I'm losing audio real estate, my next step would be using the Si's as head phones    I wish I was creative with the photoshop type stuff, that would make a great visual.

[Bob in St. Louis]

Well Jeez, Now I REALLY don't want to grow up to be an audiophile. 
So, what you're saying, is that for every three of you guys I chat with, one of you can't get it up.
That may explain some of the recent conversations we've had around here.
I wonder which comes first, the chicken or the egg: Are you an audiophile and gradually become flaccid and depressed? Or, are you 'soft' and alone, then get into this hobby? I don't consider myself an audiophile either. I don't know what the true definition is. I've seen one, but am not one. You know. 

15" coaxials as headphone would be an example of extreme nearfield listening, as yes, you've painted a nice visual as Homer with dual drivers.  aa
Sounds like a basement renovation is in order. "Reclamation" as it's called. There you go!

Bob

[emac]

"Comfy pair of pajamas."  Perfect.
The English language can be very descriptive when used well.