[nodiak]

Will you be able to try the 15" rythmik front firing? Downfiring for me was muddier, but I had suspended wood joist floor resonance in that apartment. Now use mine front firing on 4" stand, out from wall (3' to fr baffle) and corner (4'). Cleaner, fits in with sd's better. It's earlier model before peq so I'm missing out on that.
I remember that enclosure pic, very nice, industrial AND pretty.
When I had 167's I found they became more solid sounding with wall support. Lower mids to bass filled in. Also stuffed the port for aperiodic, better power handling, cleaner mids, and good roll off to sub. I think they'd like a little tl or mltl to 60-80hz.
Don

[jk@home]

Here's the sub flipped over. I could try it on its side, Bazooka style, and then do some cosmetic changes (mounts, etc.) if there is an improvement. Or just later whip together a new enclosure. Luckily, WAF doesn't apply in this room.


Regarding the comment about mltl, before I picked up these speakers, I was going to build some Bob Brines LT-2000s (purchased the plans). Saw these speakers, figure they weren’t much more than the FE207E drivers I was going to have to buy, plus I didn't have to eat mdf dust for a week. Guess I should have gone for the FT-1600 plans instead. Oh well, the LTs may have been too large for this room anyhow.

How did you "stuffed the port for aperiodic", with straws?

[nodiak]

Could rest cylinder sub on cinder blocks or something, spaced apart, blanket over them so doesn't scratch. Helps to get sub off floor. Just an idea. If you like build a stand. 2 3/4 - 3" seems a common spacing from floor for downfiring, could increase that to clean it up too. Have used 2 layers of sonotube with 1/2" of sand between, worked well.
Stuffed the ports with foam, not techy (have used socks, whatever). In 80's mag was a general "formula" for a 10" driver, to drill three 1/2" holes in cab, then glue that grey foam (2" thick) covering them. Eventually bought Scanvents.
Imo you're set up nice with those cabs, we jest like monkeying around 
Don

[bacobits1]

I use a down firing sub a HSU VTF3 MKII and I placed it on a 2" Oak base I made for it. No absorption and a warmer sound with wood than maybe granite or marble harder material.
The huge brass spikes are in cups made for the points. Bass is tight, seamless and does not over power room unless you crank it. NO home theater so it is there for low end reinforcement only.
I also have carpet and on an upper floor so this works very well.


D

[jrebman]

JK,  Back to amps for a bit here... how goes the building of the bottlehead amp?

I'm taking my time on mine.  So far the only thing I had any trouble with was mounting the tube sockets, so I ordered some longer 4-40 screws with socket heads and when done I'll cutoff the excess length.  That's the only way I can manage it myself -- unless I grow another hand.

Hired a great accountant this year and got a nice little bonus check from the feds, so was able to order a set of nickel pinstripe OPTs and the C4S kit and the new headphone jack that can be wired so as to cut out the speakers when the headphones are plugged in. Also have some new ampohm .1 uF tin foil PIO caps and some 2.2 uF ampohm poly film caps.  Still going with the very basic stock kit to start, and then will upgrade in steps.

-- Jim

[jk@home]

Unfortunately I haven't even started it yet 

Long story shortened, after picking up some new furniture for my HT/Living room, I have been working on my other system (HT), equipment changing, re-arranging and re-cabling. I also have a non-audio project deadline coming up (involving city inspectors), so that has to get done first.

I have decided to go with my two 12" front firing non-servo sealed subs, to mate with the Tektons, so I need to finish them. PJ at the Bottlehead forum stated I could drive a Behringer DCX (crossover for the subs) directly off the S.E.X.'s speaker or headphone outputs, which is kinda neat. Plan to use either the Aragon 8002, or one of a couple 8008s I have to drive the subs.

So the S.E.X. will probably end up being a summer project. I have decided to make the mounting box out of poplar, instead of using the supplied wood they sent me. Hopefully finish it to match the fiddleback finish of Tekton. I have a Porter Cable dovetail jig that I bought for a one-time drawer repair, been looking for an excuse to use it again. Then the S.E.X. amp will defiantly have that “mounted in a cigar box” look.   

[jrebman]

Poplar can look really nice -- that should be really cool.

I'm probably going to eventually make a new top plate out of a big sheet of .125" copper I have and then build a box of either black walnut -- from a tree that was in my brother's backyard and has been seasoning for many years now, or a nice piece of birdseye jatoba, or maybe I'll use some of the koa ukulele billets I have.  I really think this amp will be worth the effort, but I have to find somebody local with a mill who can do the big holes in the top plate for me.

-- Jim

[jk@home]

Copper would look great (at first  ) Are you going to coat it with shellac or something? I've seen folks do a hammered copper colored paint job on their plates, no brasso required .

I was going to chrome my plate, talked myself out of it due to the added cost, plus my CI and Squeezebox stuff is already aluminum.

As for upgrades, I might just hold out for one of these:
http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/bottlehead/messages/13/135041.html

[jrebman]

JK,

Yes, there are quite a few of us waiting to hear more about the new amp, and the s.e.x. will get some upgrades more or less at the same time the stereomour comes out, and knowing bottlehead, they won't release an upgraded product unless it is a significant upgrade.

Actually, I'll be going for a tarnish and/or patina look on the copper.  I have some samples of some copper patina veneer that everybody says look great, and I'll either laminate that to the copper plate, or get somebody like my sister-in-law, who is a very accomplished metals artist, to do something creative.  Then a good hard wax or some other coating to stabilize it.  Trying to mainntain a perfectly clean copper finish, especially around heat, can be pretty difficult.

If you're interested, go to:

http://www.veneersupplies.com and look up their copper veneers.  Would probably also look great on some speakers.  Different, anyway.

-- Jim