Home Theater Speakers. Built, but not yet finished.

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  • BigguyZ
    Veteran Member
    • Jul 2006
    • 1818
    • Minneapolis, MN
    • Craftsman, older type w/ cast iron top

    Home Theater Speakers. Built, but not yet finished.

    I've been working on a set of high quality DIY speakers for several years now. I had a couple of stops and starts trying different methods it order to end up with a curved cabinet. Well I decided to just go with a standard build so I can get these completed and move on to another project.

    So, right now they're completely built and they sound incredible. But they're just the raw MDF/ LBL. Initially, I was planning on using this great waterfall bubinga to veneer the speakers, with the goal of making them a real show piece- high gloss finish and all. BUT, with these flanking my projector screen, I'm realizing that the practical approach would be to try to get them to visually disappear as much as possible.

    So, I can go all the way and go with a matte black paint finish, or maybe do something in between and use a plainer veneer like oak or maple, stain it black, and then use a dead flat lacquer to reduce glare off of them as much as possible.

    I'm pretty sure these will be the last home theater speakers I'll ever need. So I like the idea of making them look great. But if their main purpose is for a theater, that's somewhat counterproductive. I guess a middle ground would be to finish them with the bubinga and use a flat finish, but then wouldn't that reduce some of the chatoyance that the waterfall grain would provide? Or, maybe go with a gloss finish and make covers out of a black fabric I can add/ remove as needed? Or should I just go with a finish that's as hiding as possible and make showpieces out of something else?

    Thanks for the opinions!
    Attached Files
    26
    Use the Buginga Veneer with a high gloss finish
    26.92%
    7
    Use the Bubinga veneer with a low gloss/ dead flat finish
    15.38%
    4
    Use a matte black paint
    23.08%
    6
    Use a neutral wood veneer, stained black with a low gloss finish
    26.92%
    7
    Other
    7.69%
    2
  • trungdok
    Established Member
    • Oct 2012
    • 235
    • MA

    #2
    Originally posted by BigguyZ
    ...try to get them to visually disappear as much as possible.

    Matte black!! Quick, easy, disappear, and usually match whatever decor you have.

    Comment

    • vaking
      Veteran Member
      • Apr 2005
      • 1428
      • Montclair, NJ, USA.
      • Ryobi BT3100-1

      #3
      Save the bubinga, use cheap veneer with ebony stain.

      Speakers are not decorations, the less attention they attract - the better, so try to make them blend with the room, not to be a focal point.
      Also - speakers are electronics and electronics develops/changes quickly. Don't bet that those would be your last speakers.
      Alex V

      Comment

      • sailor55330
        Established Member
        • Jan 2010
        • 494

        #4
        Maybe flat/gloss black on the sides and then veneer the fronts? You could always cover the fronts with removable black acoustical fabric screens to make the disappear when you want. It would give two looks and you could show off the drivers or keep them hidden. Also would help with dust.

        What kind of drivers?

        Comment

        • wardprobst
          Senior Member
          • Jan 2006
          • 681
          • Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
          • Craftsman 22811

          #5
          I would get a plain veneer of a tight grain wood and cover the sides, top and bottom then stain it ebony with India ink. Topcoat with a flat poly or semigloss. Fill the MDF front and back with spackle so it won't soak up paint and for appearance and paint semi flat black. Cover the front with a removable frame wrapped in a good black acoustical cloth. You can use cabinet fasteners to attach the frame or Velcro. Good luck, DP
          Last edited by wardprobst; 03-23-2015, 03:01 PM.
          www.wardprobst.com

          Comment

          • capncarl
            Veteran Member
            • Jan 2007
            • 3564
            • Leesburg Georgia USA
            • SawStop CTS

            #6
            I've still have my ultimate speakers that I built in the 70's! They are covered in green and blue shag carpet with large ceramic frog ash trays glued to the top! Everyone use to thing they were the coolest thing they had ever seen when we pulled up in our van. I'd vote for carpet if it was an option!
            capncarl

            Comment

            • JimD
              Veteran Member
              • Feb 2003
              • 4187
              • Lexington, SC.

              #7
              It seems like you have a lot of time and energy in these speakers. I'd make them look as good as they sound.

              Comment

              • jwd12
                Established Member
                • Jun 2005
                • 106
                • Dyer, In..
                • BT3100

                #8
                I agree with JimD. If they sound incredible , they are more than functional. You don't need to finish them this year or even next. Use your theater and enjoy movies and music for the time being. I suspect that if you do a quickie finish you will regret it. Soon you will know what you want and you will take the time to do it. My preference would be the bubinga, maybe even hand rubbed. You have too much time into this project not to do it right.
                I am praying for patience but extremely upset that it takes so long.

                Comment

                • gerti
                  Veteran Member
                  • Dec 2003
                  • 2233
                  • Minnetonka, MN, USA.
                  • BT3100 "Frankensaw"

                  #9
                  Originally posted by sailor55330
                  What kind of drivers?
                  Yes, some technical specs please!

                  Comment

                  • LinuxRandal
                    Veteran Member
                    • Feb 2005
                    • 4889
                    • Independence, MO, USA.
                    • bt3100

                    #10
                    Married? Whatever the wife says.

                    If not, why not make them the same as the wall, so they blend in.
                    She couldn't tell the difference between the escape pod, and the bathroom. We had to go back for her.........................Twice.

                    Comment

                    • BigguyZ
                      Veteran Member
                      • Jul 2006
                      • 1818
                      • Minneapolis, MN
                      • Craftsman, older type w/ cast iron top

                      #11
                      The speakers are the Clearwave Dynamic 4TSE and 4CC designed by Jed Kunz.

                      The drivers used in the design are the Dayton Reference series RS180, the Tang Band W4-1337SD for mids, and the ScanSpeak D2608 tweeter.

                      I still have 2 Minuet 5's to build for the surrounds, but I haven't gotten to them yet.

                      Then afterwards, I should probably build the Audax HT center channel I've been meaning to build for the last 10 years.... (the Audax kit was what the Dynamics replaced). That way, I'll have a full 5 channel Audax set that I'll have no use for.


                      But yeah, the speakers sound really amazing! I've heard details I've never noticed in songs I've been listening to most of my life. It's amazing. Now that I have all of my CDs backed up to FLAC and on a NAS, I can stream with lossless quality directly to my system. For movies- I've recently played action movies to demo my theater for some friends, and they're shocked that the rumble they're feeling with no help from a subwoofer at all. These are not small speakers, but they're worth the room they take up.

                      I'm still split on what to do. It seems so far that a lot of people are saying to go with a painted finish. I guess I could build a presentation pair of monitors for my living room, but I'm not sure. I do kinda like the idea of the speaker cloth "sock"... I wonder how much it'd cost to get some sown up. Still on the fence though.

                      Thanks for the feedback so far!
                      Attached Files

                      Comment

                      • BigguyZ
                        Veteran Member
                        • Jul 2006
                        • 1818
                        • Minneapolis, MN
                        • Craftsman, older type w/ cast iron top

                        #12
                        Originally posted by LinuxRandal
                        Married? Whatever the wife says.

                        If not, why not make them the same as the wall, so they blend in.
                        Not married.
                        BTW- a tip for anyone building speakers... I didn't think to use them during the assembly for the towers, but I used pocket screws for the center channel, and I have to say it's awesome! It allows things to come together so much more quickly! The only time I needed a TON of clamps during assembly was for the last/ top panel. Even then, I used a right angle driver to get a few pocket screws to tighten the middle of the panel down from the inside.

                        Comment

                        • lrr
                          Established Member
                          • Apr 2006
                          • 380
                          • Fort Collins, Colorado
                          • Ryobi BT-3100

                          #13
                          Originally posted by capncarl
                          I've still have my ultimate speakers that I built in the 70's! They are covered in green and blue shag carpet with large ceramic frog ash trays glued to the top! Everyone use to thing they were the coolest thing they had ever seen when we pulled up in our van. I'd vote for carpet if it was an option!
                          capncarl
                          Capncarl,

                          I think we stayed next to you at a KOA Campground. Was your van the one with the psychedlic murals and the If This Van is Rockin', Don't Bother Knockin' bumper sticker on it?

                          Man, those were good times ...

                          Oh yeah - BigguyZ,

                          Those are incredible speakers. Very fun project. I built several sets when I was in college. Even wound my own inductors for my home-made crossover networks.
                          Last edited by lrr; 03-24-2015, 01:00 AM.
                          Lee

                          Comment

                          • dbhost
                            Slow and steady
                            • Apr 2008
                            • 9209
                            • League City, Texas
                            • Ryobi BT3100

                            #14
                            Matte black. OR you could do something a bit whimsical with it...

                            Black Textured vinyl with chrome corners, and silver screencloth grill covers. Ala Fender, Ampeg, etc... amp cabs...

                            Sorry, No side view shots, but I was thinking something like this. Minus the Fender logo of course...



                            Or maybe the "rat fur" carpeting so commonly found on speaker cabs, black plastic corners and a steel grill?



                            I can't seem to find any photos of it, but another option is roll on truck bed liner. A lot of guys withe Greenboy designs cabs are doing that, looks good but for some reason I can't pull up a pic right now...
                            Please like and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Please check out and subscribe to my Workshop Blog.

                            Comment

                            • Black wallnut
                              cycling to health
                              • Jan 2003
                              • 4715
                              • Ellensburg, Wa, USA.
                              • BT3k 1999

                              #15
                              If the room will be used for other uses besides a home theater then glossy bubinga seems fitting.
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                              marK in WA and Ryobi Fanatic Association State President ©

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