Question
Preparing to build my first Bassilisk
About to build my first bassilisk, 3d printed stuff wish me luck
QuestionSolved
Huge dip at 2 kHz — baffle step or crossover?
Measured response has a deep notch right at 2 kHz, exactly my crossover point. Reversed tweeter polarity and the notch filled in. So... my XO phase is wrong, not baffle step, right?
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Showcase
3D-printed Karlson-style enclosure — it works
Printed (in sections, glued) a small Karlson style coupler enclosure for a 4″ driver, mostly to see if the weird slot loading does anything. Surprisingly, it does — broad midbass lift and a unique sound. Not hi fi. Very fun.
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QuestionSolved
Room mode at 45 Hz — sub placement or EQ?
Big peak at 45 Hz, dip at 60. Single sub in the corner. Do I chase placement first or just EQ the peak down?
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QuestionSolved
Hum when I touch the RCA — ground loop?
Faint hum that gets louder when I touch the RCA connector shell. Single amp, single source, both on the same outlet. Ground loop, or is my chassis ground floating?
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Off-topic
Active vs passive — when is passive still better?
Active is obviously more flexible. But passive still wins on: fewer amp channels, no DSP latency, simpler, and you can sell it as a normal speaker. For a fixed two way you will never tweak, is active overkill?
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Question
Veneer vs paint for MDF cabinets — first timer
First "nice looking" build. Veneer scares me (glue, seams) but paint on MDF means a lot of priming/sanding to kill the fuzz. Which is more forgiving for a beginner?
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QuestionSolved
How low THD do I actually need?
Chasing distortion numbers. Below what THD level does it stop mattering for a home speaker at living room levels?
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QuestionSolved
Sub crawl gave me two good spots — which?
Did the sub crawl. Two positions measure almost equally flat. One is in the front corner, one is mid side wall. Tie breaker?
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ShowcaseSolved
Concrete-filled stands from 3D-printed molds
Wanted heavy stands without paying boutique prices. Printed the molds, poured concrete, demolded, capped with MDF top plates. 14kg each, dead as a brick. The top plate spikes thread into inserts I cast into the concrete.
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Cheap REW calibration: UMIK-1 vs miniDSP EARS
If you are just getting into measurements: the UMIK 1 with its individual cal file is plenty for room and speaker work. EARS is fine for headphones but do not expect speaker grade accuracy. Download your mic's unique cal file from the miniDSP site — the generic one is not the same.
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Build log: 3-way active monitors, miniDSP + Hypex
Starting a proper build log. Plan: Woofer: SB Acoustics SB23NRXS45 8 Mid: SB Satori MR16 Tweeter: SB Satori TW29R Amp: 3× Hypex, DSP on a miniDSP Flex Cabinet is 18mm Baltic birch, heavily braced. Cut list done, glue up this weekend. Will post measurements at each stage.
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Transmission line for Fostex FE126 — day 1
Always wanted to build a proper TL. Going classic with the Fostex FE126En full range. Line is 2m folded, lightly stuffed toward the terminus. Day 1: panels cut. The fold geometry is doing my head in.
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Label your wiring before you close the box
I closed up a 3 way, then realized I had no idea which internal lead went where when a solder joint failed later. Now I label every wire and photograph the inside before the back goes on. Learn from my pain.
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Stop chasing flat — target curves that sound good
New builders measure a flat on axis and wonder why it sounds bright. Rooms and ears want a gentle downward tilt (Harman ish) — ruler flat anechoic usually measures as too hot in room. Aim for 1dB/octave in room above the bass.
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Restoring a pair of 1978 Klipsch Heresy
Picked these up for $200. Plan: new caps in the crossover, refinish the raw birch, replace the crumbling surrounds on the woofers. The horns measure fine — Klipsch built these to last. Caps first.
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Off-topic
Me explaining why I need a fourth subwoofer
"It is for modal smoothing , honey. Four subs flattens the room response. It is science." She is not buying it. Send help (and a fourth sub).
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Off-topic
Is speaker cable gauge a myth?
Not talking about $1000 cables. Talking gauge: for a 4 ohm speaker on a 5m run, does 12 AWG vs 16 AWG actually matter, or is it within noise?
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Print your own port flares — STL + flow notes
Printing flared port ends in PETG instead of buying them saved me a ton. A 35mm roundover basically eliminated my chuffing at high excursion. Keep the inner surface smooth — sand the layer lines or you add turbulence.
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Off-topic
Parts Express sale — Dayton drivers 20% off
PE has Dayton drivers 20% off this week. Good time to grab those UM series subs or RS woofers if a build is on your list.
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Off-topic
Klippel near-field scan of a £30 driver — surprising
Got access to a Klippel NFS and ran a cheap £30 5″ paper driver out of curiosity. Honestly? The on axis is clean and the directivity is better controlled than a famous driver costing 4× as much. Marketing is a hell of a drug. Data inside.
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QuestionSolved
Best damping material for a sealed midrange?
Sealed midrange sub enclosure, 1.5L. Long fiber wool, polyfill, or acoustic foam? Trying to kill the internal reflection without over damping.
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Bracing matters more than wall thickness
Did a knuckle rap + measurement test: 18mm braced panel vs 25mm unbraced. The braced thinner panel was deader . Stop adding mass, add stiffness. A few well placed window braces beat another 6mm of MDF.
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QuestionSolved
Crossover point for SB17 + a fabric dome?
Pairing an SB Acoustics SB17NRX woofer with a 28mm fabric dome. Both can comfortably cross around 2–2.5 kHz on paper. Where would you put it, and LR2 or LR4?
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DIY ribbon tweeter attempt — magnet array done
Ambitious one. Building a true ribbon tweeter from scratch: neodymium bar magnets, aluminium foil ribbon, a step up transformer I wound myself. Magnet array assembled (and nearly took a finger off). Foil tensioning next.
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