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High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?

71.251.206.57
Posted on June 14, 2024 at 15:52:47
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 I often fantasize designing speakers. My latest thought is a mini monitor about the size of the Wilson Tune Tot. It's meant to be all out except for size, of course, one that if commercial(I have no thoughts of getting involved with that though) that would compete in the Tune Tot price area. That demands a super cabinet. One thought is Panzerholz wood which could be magic given the small dimensions. But Panzerholz wood is expensive and probably would have to be in ported. Plus I'm sure given its density it must be a bear to work with.

I'd at least like something denser than HDF. I recall the original Wilson WATT used Corian although he added lead weights inside to dampen some resonances. A simpler solution would be preferable. Does anyone have thoughts on super cabinet materials available in this country? Thanks for any and all thoughts.

 

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RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 14, 2024 at 16:16:38
Krav Maga
Audiophile

Posts: 2519
Location: Texas
Joined: October 19, 2017
 Google Richlite.

Also read the Speaker Asylum search results regarding this material.

I'm sure John Marks will chime in.



"If people can't control their own emotions, then they have to start trying to control other people's behavior."

- Robin Skynner

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 14, 2024 at 16:56:00
6bq5
Audiophile

Posts: 4692
Location: SF Bay
Joined: August 16, 2001
 or a sandwich of different materials -
Say aluminum, leaded vinyl, baltic plywood...
Happy Listening

 

Thank you!, posted on June 14, 2024 at 20:35:18
John Marks



Richlite makes three products:

Solid Richlite, in thicknesses from 1/8th inch to beyond 1 inch (by extremely expensive custom order);

Richlite Stratum Birch, .5-inch Baltic Birch plywood, clad with front and rear 1/8th inch Richlite skins; Total .75 inch. and

Richlite Stratum Bamboo, .75-inch furniture-grade vertical bamboo fillets, clad with front and rear 1/8th inch Richlite skins. Total 1.0 inch.

Image of a Stratum Bamboo front panel blank above.

You have the option of using a super-deluxe RL product for the front panel, one step down for the shell, and the bargain level for the rear panel.

Keeping in mind that the composite products are less dense/heavy than the equivalent solid RL. But then, the composite products offer Constrained Layer Damping.

My latest prototype is Richlite Stratum Bamboo 1.0-inch front panel; .5 inch solid Richlite carcass or 4-sided cabinet shell; and .5-inch RL rear panel.

Live and learn,

john

 

Aluminium..., posted on June 15, 2024 at 03:41:30
andy evans
Audiophile

Posts: 4481
Joined: October 20, 2000



Bolt some 6" channel together for sides or front and back or whatever. Be creative. It's high end stuff at a low price.


 

Concrete - Like Rauna Speakers of Sweden .............., posted on June 15, 2024 at 07:37:15
Cut-Throat
Audiophile

Posts: 18449
Location: Minneapolis - St.Paul Area
Joined: September 2, 2000
 Concrete -- I had a pair of Rauna Tyr Speakers. They were stand Mounted speakers and the best Stand Mounted speakers I've ever heard. Their Clarity was unmatched.

From their website:

"The most important in loudspeakers are the cabinets. No vibrations or coloration should be added to the listening experience. In good samples the cabinet is generally the most costly part of the construction. In Rauna the cabinet-material "concrete" the cheapest, but on the other hand, it is very hard to build a more solid, stable and better acoustical-shaped "box" even if you had unlimited money to spent. That is one reason why Rauna is superior at the pricepoint, delivering a very natural performance, not "caught" in the cabinet."

They're still in Business at the below link.




 

RE: Concrete - Like Rauna Speakers of Sweden .............., posted on June 15, 2024 at 08:31:16
Gary
Audiophile

Posts: 1347
Location: New York, NY
Joined: April 21, 2000
 I have the Rauna Tyr as well. I bought them in the mid 80's from Sound by Singer when they were on Lexington avenue in NYC. I used them until the early 90's when I moved on to Spica TC-50s. They aren't the most convenient speakers. They're heavy, they only accept banana connectors and the terminals are on the bottoms of the speakers. But the glorious sound made up for all that. These were the first speakers to show me how good home audio could be. These were the speakers that made me understand what the audio reviewers meant when they talked about "imaging".

On mine the foam sleeves have long since rotted away. The MDF tops and bottoms have broken off. I haven't used them in years but I just can't bear to part with them.

 

So is it a fashion material or lack of resonances you seek?, posted on June 15, 2024 at 08:45:08
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 They are not always the same thing.

Take heed of the Corian/lead weights info. Sometimes dense can result in a lower and more pronounced resonance. He made a bell and then had to add dampening.

You would not be the first that labored through an all out effort with exotic material and ended up with a "Damn, didn't figure that would happen"


So these exotic materials Wilson and Estelon use are rare and not off the shelf/Amazon-able

Many a well controlled resonance speaker enclosure have been made out of wide variety of readily available materials with bracing suited for the material chosen.


So do you want resonance control a requirement or is it resonance control only using an exotic material requirement?


If exotic material, be prepared to purchase more or different type of tooling.

New skills may need to be developed ( mold making if exotic is a pour n set ).

Simple processes like " ...- then glue bond the two...- ", become difficult because no glue is available due to toxic handling requirements.

Over many decades I've seen and heard about home constructors headed out on the ultimate enclosure adventure that ultimately was a nightmare in expense and result. A rare few are stunning examples, but usually are the second or third attempt.


If your goal is to try something new okay, just be aware that like Wilson or Rockport, your first attempt may be costly in time plus dollars along with being a dud.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 15, 2024 at 09:02:41
tomservo
Manufacturer

Posts: 9298
Joined: July 4, 2002
 A couple thoughts.
The cabinet does one main thing in a sealed alignment and something in addition in a vented system.
Job one is blocking the anti-phase radiation from the rear of the cone. Here the more ridged the enclosure, the less flexing and greater attenuation of the "inside" sound.

The more ridged something is per mass, the higher it's resonate frequency AND the higher it's Q or sharpness, the more the exciting force can be magnitude.
The cabinet is something like how a loudspeaker driver designer described the cone material, it's the lightest, strongest thing with a low enough Q and cost.
You do not want the walls to resonate so many speakers have bracing internally. By adding appropriate bracing, one is adding stiffness and lowering the Q both. For a vented box, the box has to be especially stiff to get the most out of the port. Looking at the impedance curve for the vented system, leaks and losses like box flexing show up at the dip between the two peaks. Losses raise that dip / reducing the port output.

Up high, above any mechanical box mode, there is the higher frequency sound. Depending how high the woofer goes and how thin the cone material is, some of the radiation reflects off the inside walls and can radiate right through the cone body especially on a large light weight cone.
Here fiberglass or cotton etc can absorb that AND to a degree, to the woofer, appears to have made the cabinet slightly larger.

MDF is cheap, easy to work with and machines well. It is dense, fairly dead but not very strong and subject to humidity and compared to plywood, doesn't hold screws as well.
My favorite material and the close to the only wood i use at work is Baltic Birch. This is very strong plywood made in many layers, it is slower to cut than pine plywood but machines very well with a router or cnc. I usually finish prototypes in spar polyurethane which produces a mild gold / amber hue and is a tough finish.. There is some stuff for boats that works amazingly well, if interested google Gleem2 polyurethane and watch the how to video.





 

Yes, I gave my pair away to a friend of mine when I got into Horns and SET Amps......nt, posted on June 15, 2024 at 16:47:36
Cut-Throat
Audiophile

Posts: 18449
Location: Minneapolis - St.Paul Area
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 nt



 

RE: Aluminium..., posted on June 15, 2024 at 19:01:36
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Aluminum on its own is highly resonant. It requires some form of constrained layer damping like Magico uses. Plus it's harder to hire some one to do two custom enclosures. But thanks for the effort.

 

RE: Concrete - Like Rauna Speakers of Sweden .............., posted on June 15, 2024 at 19:15:24
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Concrete would be too complex for just 2 small LS3/5a size cabinets. Plus, like all materials, it too is resonant. John Crabbe, the great editor of Hi Fi News in the 60s and 70s built large concrete bass horns into his home and when he tried them found he had to further reinforce them because the resonated.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 15, 2024 at 19:17:29
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 I remembered the Richlite discussion after you reminded me here and ordered their sample kit. It should be here in a week or two.

 

RE: So is it a fashion material or lack of resonances you seek?, posted on June 15, 2024 at 19:19:14
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Performance is key but I'm retired so economy is also a factor.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 15, 2024 at 19:20:29
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Thanks, so far, for ALL the suggestions. I do appreciate all of them.

 

"The most important in loudspeakers are the cabinets" - Uh, No, posted on June 15, 2024 at 20:45:55
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Nice pointing out a difference between you and your competitors Rauna, but no.


Important, yes but probably third place.

Bad drivers with basic crossover in worlds best enclosure is little match to a quality drivers with an expert crossover in a basic unbraced enclosure. An octave or two messed up verses all octave's messed up.


I've heard Rauna offers over the years and they definitely are damn near dead. I've also seen the results of home constructors who were inspired by Rauna.

There is more of an art to the actual concrete mortar than Reddi-Mix bag. Right alkaline content, correctly sizes and shaped of aggregate, amount and duration of vibration applied during the pour.

And then there is mold making. Unless you are okay with rectangle, anything else requires a skill set that most don't possess without training and practice. That means you are not making two, but five, cause the first three attempts didn't work.


It almost always requires a final coat to make it visually presentable. Some Raina's were bare in quality top coat finish, but think most were material covered.


It can be done, and the technical advantages are real, but it is far from even close to easy.

 

Phenolic panels, posted on June 15, 2024 at 21:36:30
garymuffley
Dealer

Posts: 454
Location: Maryland
Joined: March 29, 2006
 Alan,

Dick Sequerra used phenolic panels in several of his designs in the early 90s. I used his Near Field Monitor for a couple of years. The cabinet was truly non-resonant. I don't know who manufatured the panels he used, but Sequerra told me the layers were put under tremendous pressure with a special resin. He also told me that he had to machine the panels because they would chew up router bits and he used a glue that cost him $100 a pint to join the panels together.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 15, 2024 at 22:02:27
Bill the K
Audiophile

Posts: 8636
Joined: June 3, 2006
 I feel since there is uncertainty over the effectiveness of high cost materials, why not try to blend the cabinet problems by say utilizing the resonances and such into the reproduced musical timbre and such. I have read about some makes doing it. Harbeth? Is it too wild for very high cost speakers?

Cheers
Bill

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 16, 2024 at 00:02:13
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Much too hard to do without great experience. Plus I have to believe it's a compromise, a good one perhaps but minimizing resonance makes more sense to me. A resonance is a time problem as well as a coloration and while you may have taken care of the coloration it continues on to the next tones, etc.

 

The best speaker material for cabinets is no material , posted on June 16, 2024 at 04:09:53
Story
Audiophile

Posts: 11564
Location: NJ
Joined: December 11, 2000
 yea I know, there are problems with Electrostats and Maggies with room positioning and it takes a bit longer to find a nicely arranged sweet spot, but we owners still LOVE them just the same.

There will always be compromises with everything in life





 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 16, 2024 at 04:42:48
cawson@onetel.com
Audiophile

Posts: 2596
Joined: September 27, 2004
 Go back to basic principles and find a material that with prevent any vibrations of the drivers from influencing the cabinet, The denser the better. My first home-built speaker used concrete but it's not very practical. Aluminium is difficult to work with, as are all metals. For DIY you are really limited to materials that you have the tools to work with, so wood or wood-based products such as MDF have been generally accepted as best for both DIY and pro-built speakers. There are various densities, so best to look around the market for what may be ideal. Good luck.

PS - My next speakers, after the concrete drain-pipe initial attempt, was a huge hexagonal 1960s design by Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale using very hard coated shutter ply with stiffness and vibration resistance reinforced by a sand-filled panel and quarry tiles inside the 4.5 cu ft enclosure.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 16, 2024 at 07:50:51
tomservo
Manufacturer

Posts: 9298
Joined: July 4, 2002
 You are on the right track but resonances come in several basic flavors at this point (cabinet considerations).

There is an equal but opposite force that applied to the cone / radiator and this is against the mass of the magnet system and then the cabinet.

There is the panel resonance that can be excited by the pressure alternations inside the cabinet. IF you make a vented box, it HAS to be stiff, internally braced as any "balloon" motion of the panels is a loss of what could be possible. Once stiff enough for this all the panel resonances go up in frequency and way down in magnitude and "Q".

Then there is the big but mostly not discussed as it is driver dependent.
IF a driver (mid or low etc) is in a chamber and operated where the chamber will support resonant modes internally, then one can find that the reflected sound inside the cabinet can re-radiate through the cone body IF the cone is a light material.
This internally stored and then radiated through the cone energy is delayed. If you use a program like ARTA to measure, you can see this when present when you compare to adding absorption.

For a light weight cone (imagine does sound pass through this cone easily?), having internal acoustic absorption is the answer. This is why some mid designs go to great lengths to absorb the rear radiation.

Having absorption inside a vented box can be good too if it's attached and not pink fiberglass that will eventually chuff out the ports (it does).

So Stiffness, susceptibility to mechanical resonance and acoustic absorption of high frequencies.

It's several things that can be addressed without the use of exotica although you might want to Google "constrained layer damping" to see what that's about and what's available.

(as in look for flat sheet material that can be applied to the inside wall of say a speaker cabinet).


 

RICHLITE is a Phenolic-Resin-Based Product, posted on June 16, 2024 at 08:32:06
John Marks
 Developed during WWII for the Department of Defense (then, I think it was the War Department), to make Drop Boxes to parachute-drop rifles and ammunition to Partizans fighting behind Nazi lines. Waterproof and shockproof were the design criteria.

And yes, Richlite is very tough on cutting tools.

And the epoxy recommended today is... pricey.

So, IMHO, if Sequerra was not using Richlite, he was using a me-too product.

Fern & Roby uses Richlite for the front panel of one of their loudspeakers.

I have used it in four or five prototypes, maybe more.

john

 

GREAT!, posted on June 16, 2024 at 08:42:08
John Marks



I have some leftover Richlite Stratum Birch panels in the Maple Valley colorway. IIRC they are .75-inch thick. I can look up the dims if you are interested. The photo also shows a monster 1-inch thick solid piece, I am keeping that.

If your cabinet will be 12 inches or shorter, with no other dimension shorter, you can buy 12 x 12 inch partial sheets, which are cheaper to buy and ship than 24 x 24 partial sheets, and have less waste.

Best of luck,

john

 

Laminated bamboo is amazingly good, posted on June 16, 2024 at 09:20:50
jonbee
Audiophile

Posts: 1998
Location: Seattle
Joined: June 26, 2001
 lighter, easier to work with, with excellent internal damping which makes inert sounding cabinets way simpler. Ascend uses 1/2 inch panels to great effect in the Sierra. A big part of why they have such clean bass, imo.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 16, 2024 at 12:30:27
bare
Audiophile

Posts: 1883
Joined: April 14, 2009
 IF you must ?? Try a Kitchen Counter business Quartz material is Affordable and easily Cut and Glued. Think of it as the Evolution of the proven Worthless Corian Crap of yesteryear

 

Richlite has a Bamboo Product--Bamboo Stratum, posted on June 16, 2024 at 15:51:25
John Marks








The core is vertical fillets of furniture-grade Bamboo, all glued side-by-side, clad front and back with 0.125 layers of the Richlite Phenolic/Paper Slurry composite. A 12 x 12 inch, 1.0 inch thick Partial Sheet costs $72 plus shipping and perhaps sales tax.

The top photo is of a test piece front panel that I just sent out to an outside contractor that does special piano finishing jobs for Steinway & Sons.

The edge closest to the camera, the short edge, shows the bamboo fillets; and the sides show the long grain.

The photo below that shows what the result is when a Richlite Bamboo Stratum front panel gets sent out to a gold-medal-winning violin maker for seven hand-rubbed coats of real oil-based violin varnish. I call that speaker design the "Roxy Deluxe."

amb,

john

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 16, 2024 at 19:31:40
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 The simplest and probably cheapest I can think of is one Bud Fried told me about when he was still importing the IMF Monitor speaker. Build out of conventional good grade MDF(probably with internal ribbing). Then finish with Formica but using a glue that never quite sets. This produces constrained layer damping relatively simply.

Plus I have a set of large woofers with 18" drivers but only 3/4" walls that are quite good, probably due to a 2 1/4" front baffle. So a really robust front panel may be an important factor.

 

RE: Thank you!, posted on June 17, 2024 at 09:26:12
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 Do the composites offer constrained layer damping? I thought for CDR the glue between 2 panels must be one that never completely gets hard so micro movement between 2 layers occurs with resonance. My first assumption was that Richlite would have used a solid glue between panels since they aren't concerned with damping vibration.

 

Valchromat is an option..., posted on June 17, 2024 at 09:52:11
John Marks



Valchromat is an option. From the parent company's website:

Valchromat® A Forest of Colour

Valchromat stands out as a remarkable innovation in the world of wood fibreboard, rising above conventional MDF through superior properties, especially as MDF.HLS (Medium Density Fiberboard - Hydrophobic). This mass-coloured wood fibreboard is not only visually appealing, but also offers exceptional physical and mechanical performance thanks to a unique manufacturing process.

Unlike traditional MDF, Valchromat features fibres that are individually impregnated with organic dyes and bonded together with a special resin. This unique approach gives Valchromat a distinctive composition, resulting in unique physical and mechanical characteristics. This exclusive formula not only provides a rich palette of colours, but also makes it possible to execute three-dimensional works with ease.

Valchromat, like MDF.HLS, not only offers moisture resistance, but also stands out for its versatility in a variety of applications. Compared to other types of MDF, its superior properties make it ideal for interior design, furniture and construction projects that require exceptional durability and performance.

Valchromat's added value goes beyond its vibrant colour to its distinctive composition and ability to overcome the challenges faced by other similar materials. Whether for environments subject to humidity or for creations requiring a more creative, three-dimensional approach, Valchromat stands out as an unrivalled choice, offering not only aesthetics but also superior performance compared to many MDF applications.

https://www.investwood.pt/en/valchromat/

US Distributor link below.

What I like about Valchromat is that it does not require a California Prop 65 Hang Tag (NB!!! The EPA has Federalized Cali Prop 65!!! It now applies everywhere!). Also, it is not hydrophilic the way MDF is.

I have not used Valchromat, though I may in the future. That said, Deus Ex Machina, a pro audio active monitor company, does use Valchromat and makes a selling point out of it.

So, you might want to consider a solid Richlite .75-in. front panel and a shell of .75 Valchromat and perhaps a rear panel of .5-in. Richlite for structural rigidity.

Best of luck,

john

 

Finally, an MDF product that makes very fine colored dust., posted on June 18, 2024 at 08:45:33
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 I think this week I'd like my router to make my shop Green, next week I think I'll do Red Dust.

Be interesting to see a final product with the different available colors.

Funny with mdf/resin and color, it doesn't need Cal Prop 65 on it. Wonder if it comes in bare mdf color?

 

Its recommended by manufacturerfor use as wall paneling, posted on June 18, 2024 at 09:01:40
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 One wall in a 10 x 12 room would cost $5760 in material alone.

Wonder if De Beers will offer a paneling option.

Recesses for some drivers might require all Richlite to be removed and mount to bamboo, which although okay, might miss out on why to use the product in first place. Think your useage of the full thickness Richlite was wise in that respect.

 

While machining Valchromat is bound to create dust...., posted on June 18, 2024 at 10:57:32
John Marks
 While machining Valchromat is bound to create dust, one of its "Unique Selling Propositions" is that Valchromat is NOT made out of "sawdust and glue."

The raw material is strands of some sort. Also, they have a proprietary binder of their own creation.

My hat is off to Deus Ex Machina for taking a bold step!

john

 

I became aware of Richlite when I was subscribed to DWELL magazine, posted on June 18, 2024 at 11:01:18
John Marks
 which is targeted at hoity-toity Architects, and their wealthy clients.

There was a cover story about a couple who decided "dramatically" to clad the entire exterior of their MCM famous-designer house with sheet Richlite.

Well, the Big Bad Wolf can try to blow THAT house down!

john

 

AFAIK, Richlite uses a glue that hardens, posted on June 18, 2024 at 11:11:56
John Marks
 But I think that there would be some degree of "Mechanical Diode Effect" as vibration tries to pass from a material of one density to a material of a different density.

ALSO! I apply 3M Fireproof Putty Pads (used to seal off electrical outlets and such) under the crossovers. That stuff is GOOPY, and never hardens. So there is a bit of CLD there, as well as one hopes vibration abatement for the (separate boards for WF and TW) crossovers.

Next time, I think I will go for separate crossovers connected by Neutrik Speakon Umbilicals.

john

 

Its odd the way they say it is and isnt MDF, posted on June 18, 2024 at 14:09:16
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 I read their brief description couple times and it's clear they are different but they also still say they are in some MDF exterior class and they use a fibrous base and proprietary binder under pressure, but don't have CA 65 issues. But I also felt that they were upfront with info within proprietary limits. Wonder if you can polish or ultra fine sand a finish to the raw material.

I think for the market, the vendor you listed was wise in shade choice, but with a wide pallet of colors, hard not to be tempted to go bold bright, but stick with subdued shade of blue black grey.
Had not heard much from Ex Machina in last 5 years, interesting to see them in studio world.

 

Still must provide a framework, posted on June 18, 2024 at 14:27:22
E-Stat
Audiophile

Posts: 41278
Joined: May 12, 2000
Contributor
  Since: April 5, 2002
 in order to convert all the sonic energy into music. High reactive mass 3" tubular steel works for me to eliminate resonances. :)

 

As far as regular MDF goes, in terms of finishing..., posted on June 19, 2024 at 06:36:02
John Marks



My go-to-finish for MDF is Zinsser Clear Spray Shellac.

The above photo is of a prototype with a Richlite Stratum Birch front panel, cabinet shell is MDF, and the Edge Protection Strips are ($$$!) Extreme Flame Tiger Maple, at about $100 per Board foot.

The Zinsser Clear Spray Shellac makes for a nice Satin finish on MDF. So I assume it would do the same for Valchromat.

john

 

Shellac and Spar Varathane, posted on June 19, 2024 at 08:57:13
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Zinsser Shellac has been a stable in my house and shop for decades.

Drops can stiffen rejuvenate a MDF screw hole. Finish is quick n easy, plus simpler to coat inside of enclosure, spray like heck to a fog level, then let it settle.


Also great for lath n plaster houses. Always coat any drill holes or cutouts, turns plaster sand back to solid.


SparVarathane that is water based doesn't yellow like the oil based, but have had a couple MDF pucker some, probably put on too thick of the water based.


Different question. See you've been using a number of the small ribbon based tweeters of late. Besides the easy answer of Stage or RAAL, what current marks have you found quality, robustness , available replacement diaphragms/ribbon , and use ability. Not looking for a super tweeter labeled tweeter. Haven't checked in decade and got burned by some not robust and replacements no longer supported. Kitchen refrigerator magnets.

 

Fountek has many offerings, posted on June 19, 2024 at 12:17:44
John Marks
 I think that the "sweet spot" of Fountek's ribbon line is the NeoCE3.0, which Madisound currently $124 each. Tekton uses it--link.

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/ribbon-tweeters/fountek-neocd3.0m-blk-3-ribbon-tweeter-round-flange-black/

They have a 5-inch ribbon at $164:

https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/ribbon-tweeters/fountek-neocd2.0m-blk-5-ribbon-tweeter-rectangular-flange-black/

That ribbon goes down to 1,200Hz, so it might be easier to integrate.

My consultant Jim Tuomy listened to one of my NeoCD3.0 designs, and I have no idea how loud he listened, but he thought that (just like every other ribbon he ever heard) it fell down on dynamics.

I didn't want to mess with Beryllium tweeters, so Jim and I compromised on the Beyma TPL-75 AMT. A wonderful handover to the PurifiPTT525 woofer-mid.

john

 

Had used Fountek and LCY, posted on June 19, 2024 at 14:46:27
Edp
Audiophile

Posts: 4724
Joined: September 23, 1999
 Well over decade ago

Fountek was better but guy I built for pops ribbons about 3 years later and replacements were gone. New and I think better units were offered

LCY. Didn't last and some oddities with the recessed window/lens. Long ago experience and mags are used for outside yard decorations, hold up outdoor project screen on my house metal roof

AMT - like all other type drivers good and poor examples , even among the Names. Seems generally stay away from the bargain and entry level priced units seem to be good guidelines


Thanks for input

 

I think Madisound repairs Fountek ribbons., posted on June 19, 2024 at 15:45:35
John Marks



That said, I love the Beyma TPL-75.

It's ribbon is larger than, and the entire tweeter weighs twice as much as, and it can be crossed over one octave lower than what Mundorf sells you for $200 more, each.

ciao,

john

 

"...Deus Ex Machina, a pro audio active monitor company...", posted on June 19, 2024 at 20:38:18
Krav Maga
Audiophile

Posts: 2519
Location: Texas
Joined: October 19, 2017

Ex Machina does not equal Deus Ex Machina. :-)

Who is Deus Ex Machina? See link below.


"If people can't control their own emotions, then they have to start trying to control other people's behavior."

- Robin Skynner

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 20, 2024 at 00:12:52
Mushroom Soup
Audiophile

Posts: 337
Location: Western New York State
Joined: November 1, 2003
 I don't know anything about high end anything, but let me share some experience with you:

People say to just use MDF. MDF has relatively little sound but the sound that it has is pretty ugly.

You can go to the thrift stores -- they're a big business nowadays -- and get a desk or table the top of which is 1-1/4" good old fashioned chipboard. There are different grades of chipboard, but the older you get the more likely that it'll be quality stuff. Use that for the baffle and the back. Use MDF for two of the other sides and use fir plywood not birch plywood fir plywood for the other two sides. Which sides is up to you.

Thusly, you won't have one material dominating the sound, you'll have generally good-sounding (except the MDF) materials, and you'll be doing just about the best that a person can do.

 

I had a throwback to Shakespeare class, I guess, posted on June 20, 2024 at 12:47:49
John Marks
 Thanks,

john

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 20, 2024 at 20:15:23
Leo loves music
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NJ/NY
Joined: October 14, 2021
 Try 3D printer. In US, we even build our house using 3D printer.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 20, 2024 at 20:22:56
Leo loves music
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NJ/NY
Joined: October 14, 2021
 Here, Owner corning duration and GAF HDZ are very popular. I refer Driftwood.

 

RE: "...Deus Ex Machina, a pro audio active monitor company...", posted on June 20, 2024 at 20:42:22
hahax@verizon.net
Audiophile

Posts: 4575
Location: New Jersey
Joined: March 22, 2006
 I'm more a car person but that is one gorgeous looking, sexy bike.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 22, 2024 at 16:13:44
Leo loves music
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NJ/NY
Joined: October 14, 2021
 I bought these little Dynaudios 30 years ago (S$400 new). They still sound wonderful. I think they were made of cheap MDF.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 22, 2024 at 16:14:14
Leo loves music
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NJ/NY
Joined: October 14, 2021
 .

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 22, 2024 at 16:15:18
Leo loves music
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NJ/NY
Joined: October 14, 2021



.

 

RE: High End Mini Monitor Cabinet Material?, posted on June 22, 2024 at 16:55:10
Leo loves music
Audiophile

Posts: 878
Location: NJ/NY
Joined: October 14, 2021



I prefer driftwood or weatherwood.

 

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