There’s people there to help with the tools and offer advice. Of course if you need them to do the actual work, they charge.
Indeed probably makes sense to prioritise the patio either way. Now just to decide which one to build. It came back on the table as my gf likes the “extended” cabinet like you posted, but for the 12" I prefer the classic look. The 15" really is a floorstander to begin with, but it is a beast so have to think about it before letting it dominate the living room. I’ll keep everyone updated.
The floor stander that I posted Is the 12” version. Look at the shape of the midrange driver. It is one of the builders feedbacks. Ah maybe that’s what you were saying. Either way they will both be great and give a huge sound. You probably don’t need to go to the 15” how big is your room?
I do think the drivers and the front baffles of the 12” version look better.
The room in total is about 60 m2, but the layout is a bit particular. Think a U shape with the “leg” they’re in being 5x5m (3.2m ceiling), the other leg being 4.4x5m and a 4x3m connecting “corridor”. See the listening room reality thread for further details.
Looks like the kit prices will be going up. Not sure on when you were planning to start, but as you seem to have figured everything out it might be worth ordering now.
I just built a cardboard mockup of the 3WC-15 to see how it would be in the room. Still need to discuss/decide so likely won’t be able to order pre price hike.
It’s a shame that he had to do the partnership with Jantzen. They do offer a great service and make really great crossover components but years ago, all the kits on the site were open and you could source components from anywhere you like. The problem was that some people started copying his designs and selling them. Someone always spoils it.
Hello, yes I noticed that, but I’m not going to order anything until I’ve done a test cabinet.
I’d have to check the email but I believe the quote I got from Jantzen is valid for a couple of months so it might be ok
How do your mock-ups look in your room? Is your better half ok with them?!
Cheers
Yup, they’ve received the seal of approval. Of course that’s assuming I can get the finish to a decent level. (And do the patio first). As mentioned I’m seriously considering just outsourcing the finishing (spray painting), and using a pre-veneered MDF for the front panels. Leaving me with just making sure all the joints line up correctly.
I’ve been thinking of teaching myself FreeCAD, just so I can get a model to plan all cuts etc. better.
Thanks @n-lot, I’ll go and have a look!
I’m interested in the Ekta Mk2 as well now, but will probably still go for the CNO Grande
I have eventually started building a test cabinet and not to tempt fate it’s going pretty well so far. I might start a thread for it, been taking pics along the way.
Any progress on your side?
@Mark84 how have your speakers settled in? Should be nicely run in now!
That new speaker with the Illuminator drivers would no doubt sound great. Pricey though.
Thanks for asking how mine are going. I am extremely happy with them. The controlled bass section is absolutely brilliant. I don’t think I’d be without it now. The Seas Nextel drivers are really nice. They do take some running in though. They sounded great to start with but they have really improved with time. I honestly don’t know what I would replace these with.
Did you see this write up about the CNO25 speaker?
I have read that previously, but thanks for linking it again. I’m still leaning towards Faital 3WC 15, but might consider these illuminators when the time comes to actually start.
This is of course the real problem with his designs, there’s no where to listen to them first / compare them. And neither will he comment on the sound relative to each other.
In that sense, I’m actually leaning towards the Faital as it’s something completely different than what you would buy in a store. But of course would swap to a slim floorstander in a heartbeat if I knew I would prefer the sound.
I completely understand your worry, I have been in the same situation. What I can tell you is that his speakers are voiced very neutral so the differences are really in the driver quality and materials. Also the quality of the crossover components you choose. Remember that when you choose a speaker from a shop you are stuck with the treble level as it is, so if it is not to your liking you move on and listen to something else. When you build your own you can adjust that and tailor it to your ears and it will sound totally different.
IME you get what you pay for. The more the components cost, the better it sounds, e.g. more transparency, more soundstage, smoother mids. The bigger the speaker, the better the bass. Just remember those 3wc 15 are huge and you might get sick of the size over time. That’s one thing I like about mine, they are still pretty slim and don’t look too imposing. Well, less so that a speaker 45cm wide!
I believe that his speakers work really well with Naim gear, the neutrality seems to let the equipment shine. I’ve heard 4 pairs through my Atom and they all sound good.
The scan Speak drivers seem to add a little extra sparkle, if that’s the right word. They sometimes makes good recordings sound better and poor recording flatter. Whereas the Nextel drivers don’t seem to do that. They sound good with all music genres and you seem to leave nothing from your collection on the shelf.
As long as you spend what you are comfortable spending, choose a design you can live with, and within your building capability, you can’t go far wrong.
It’s easier than you think. Just make the wires long enough so the driver can sit on the floor or a chair placed next to the speaker. The only downside is that if you use MDF then you don’t want to screw and unscrew many times or you strip the thread. Initially only nip up tight. You won’t need to go in to it that much. I’d still put the crossover inside. Just stick the resistors on the board and connect one end of all and then have a wire that you connect to the other end of one. The 15” hole will make it much easier to get an iron in. You’ll find that at first the tweeter will be quite bright and will mellow over time. Use the least resistance option you can handle (brightest in sound) and as time progresses reduce resistance as it breaks in. I’ve changed mine twice. I think it’s stopped changing it now. You can just use the recommended one and see how you go with it but I find I like it a little more mellow. Especially having hard floors.
This is where your test material comes in. I like to use something I know is on the verge of sounding too bright anyway and then make it sound just manageable. Then take something that is dark sounding and really mellow and make sure it is not too mellow that it is unlistenable. If you do that right then everything in between sounds beautiful!
I think we all know what the tracks are in our own collection.
@gthack yes the Ellam flex looks big fora small speakers but I doubt it would be an issue for your room. What do you mean by too much?
My concern with that speaker would be the front baffle complexity.
Just worried the extra LF extension might make matters worse in my room. I measured it the other day with a umik-1 and there are definitely bass issues! A planned sofa should take some of the edge off it X) The other thing is the extra physical depth brings them further into the room. It’s a bit of guesswork that speakers that go lower will not help an already troublesome room acoustic.
I’d got down to the Flex, Ellam 98 mk2, or the CNO MK-III, the psuedoscientific assumptions about bass issues pretty much ruled out the CNO, plus it’s an extra £700 odd. They could well be my last speakers though, so not completely ruled out.
To be honest though I’ve almost decided to do the Flex. The front baffle looks tricky, but looking at some pics on Troels’s site, manageable, albeit with a table saw rather than a track saw. Oh, and careful chisel work!
Another week or so of thinking might see me put the order in!
