BaffleBoy
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Hi everyone, I recently had some Betsy/Zen Master-style baffles made with the Lii F-18s, using 2" walnut. I have a friend who is a gifted furniture maker. We played around with Steve's plans for both the M and L ZM15 versions, thinking a little about aesthetics and the space, and here's what we came up with: They are 44.5" tall including subwoofer feet (I live in an apartment building, so not coupling to the hardwood floors to spare my downstairs neighbors) by 29.5" at their widest. The driver is above center by 2". I have it also tilted back a bit using Gingko arches. Walls behind are treated with acoustic panels to absorb reflected sound from the back. I posted about them a few weeks ago in the Decware Fans FB, but I can't link yet. I am brand new to this Forum, so I haven't figured out how to upload pics yet. The date of the post in January 29th, my name is Sean Kirkpatrick, if you want a peek.
I am also experimenting with the REL T/zero sub which is designed to extend bass for full-range drivers without compromising coherence, and I like it so far, crossed at around 75 hz I am using a 1961 Fisher X-101-B, have a SE84UFO on order. The REL adds just enough that you can't tell it's on until you turn it off, just enough umami in the mix.
All this to say it sounds amazing. So much is about placement, room-specific things, sound treatment. The imaging is unreal. I don't find any need for tweeter extension, probably couldn't hear it anyway. The amp is mostly set dead center for treble, any more trebly and I would have birds at my windows.
I can attest to the conversation in the Big Baffle thread about mass + stiffness being the thing. I am also going to try putting some acoustic foam over the back top of the base to see what that does. And the handle is genius for holding the stiffness at the top together - I originally thought it was mostly practical for moving them around, and cosmetic, but the more I think about it and listen, of course it plays an important sonic function.
Anyway, I am totally sold on this path of low watts + high efficiency full-range drivers with paper cones thing. I have never been more satisfied with my Frankensystem, and I have never been more enthusiastic and enraptured with the experience of music than I am now. I also have the TV playing via pre-out from a receiver into the aux of the Fisher, and it is going to be an immersive movie machine it seems like.
Am I at the journey's end? No more sound chasing?
~Sean
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