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AUDIO FORUMS >> D.I.Y. >> First Open Baffle Build Questions
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Message started by bm2352 on 10/27/20 at 03:02:53

Title: First Open Baffle Build Questions
Post by bm2352 on 10/27/20 at 03:02:53

Going to be building my first open baffle speakers and I'm looking to get some opinions. My amp is the SE34I.3 and the idea is to build something small along the design of the Caintuck Betsy. Baffles. They will be made from either red oak or birch ply, both of which I've got in stock in my wood shop.

I've got a couple of questions and am interested in hearing all opinions.

1) Is the shape of the baffle essential? I see that Caintuck offers a barrel and a tombstone shape. Is this purely an aesthetic or does the shape alter the sound? I can't build them any bigger than 30x18 probably because of the room.

2) Drivers I'm looking at are the Alnico Betsy and the Lii F-15 and Lii F-12. They all seem to have pretty stellar reviews but I'm curious to hear more if anyone has a strong opinion.

3) Do they have to go on the floor? Ideally I'd be putting these on top of a cabinet and the base of the speaker would be about 2 1/2 feet from the ground, about the same distance from the wall behind them. The right speaker would end up about a foot from the side wall.

4) Wings or no wings? Obviously the Caintuck speakers are a bare baffle, but looking around at other designs I see plenty with either hinged or fixed wings coming off the back of the baffle. Presumably these affect the bass response and help shape what's coming out of the rear of the speaker?

Thanks!

Title: Re: First Open Baffle Build Questions
Post by Brian on 10/27/20 at 03:57:55

Hello,
The curved sides of the Barrel shape seem to extend the Bass response. I don't know if the curve needs to be of that shape, or if any curve to get away from a straight line would do the same.

Getting them off the floor will probably add clarity. On the floor will certainly add Bass.

A little further out from the wall behind them will improve the sound stage; but if that is the space you have available, the speaker will still make beautiful music.

If you can add an Ultraflex back, you can set them close to the rear wall without the soundstage penalty. You can read on this website comment on the NFX speaker to get the information about that.

That is as much as I know about it.
Best wishes for happy building.
Brian

Title: Re: First Open Baffle Build Questions
Post by Brian on 11/09/20 at 04:05:12

I am sorry you did not get any more replies. The DIY forum is not visited as much as I would like. You might ask this question at Randy's forum page https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?board=randy

One thought I did have is what Randy calls Betsy & Buck where you use the 8" speaker you like best, and add to it on the same open baffle a 12" speaker to play the bass. I believe that is what I would do.
I do not remember how to get to the picture of it on Randy's web site, but the 8 and 12 are mounted diagonally to each other.

I hope this helps, Brian

Title: Re: First Open Baffle Build Questions
Post by bm2352 on 11/10/20 at 02:33:22

Thanks for your responses. I'll post on the Caintuck forum as well. I also posted on a couple of other boards and had not much more response than I got here. Some good general notes but nothing specifically about the drivers in question.

For now, based on what I've been reading, I'm leaning toward the Lii 12 on their own and I'll supplement with some sort of sub to be built later.

The ultraflex design looked interesting. Thanks for pointing me toward it.

Title: Re: First Open Baffle Build Questions
Post by Brian on 11/10/20 at 02:55:38

The WO32 here on the Decware site is a sub I am attracted to, from the splendid reviews it gets.

The NFX is said to be a difficult build, but either you are able, or Bob Zeigler (Zygy here in the forum) can be hired to build them for you. Or you could I think simply put an Ultraflex back onto the melon shaped open baffle.

I would like to see the NFX scaled up to receive a 12 inch speaker to give it's sound a little more weight. However, the Decware bass boost equalizer was invented some years after the NFX was moved from the standard model line to the DIY group. Presumably NFX as it exists now with the 8 inch speaker would have a good bottom if used with the bass booster.

That is me thinking out loud. Brian