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Gary, It's good to see that someone else enjoys Syd Barrett's efforts. I bought "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" (the one with the insects on the cover) on LP in the very early '70s and still play and enjoy them tremendously. They are truly unusual albums that, after 30+ years, continue to...

Kyle, Take a look at http://www.pispeakers.com . The designs are quite sensitive -- mid 90s or greater -- while at the same time capable of tremendous power handling. I've built the Studio 2 towers and the Theater 4s. I use the latter in my music-only system with a pair of 8W 300B amps. With...

Some starter suggestions: India -- "Anthology of World Music: North Indian Classical Music" (4 CDs, Rounder); anything by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Pakistan -- Anything by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Vietnam -- "The Music of Vietnam" (3 separate CDs, Celestial Harmonies) Cambodia -- "The Music...

Dave, I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the CX2310 and the CX3400 were analog crossovers, while the DCX2496 was a digital crossover.

Mitch, I've never heard the Behringer, but it seems to get decent marks. If you're going to get a pro item, I'd suggest looking at zzounds.com . I ordered a pro amp -- a Behringer EP1500 -- from there last Monday and it arrived on Wednesday with free shipping. Let us know what you do and...

I've been using a Marchand XM-9 crossover for different purposes for a number of years. It does its job and gets out of the way. Recommended without reservation. Music-only system with Marchand XM-9: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...view_photo.php

James, I've been following your progress both here and on the Pi Speakers forum. Congratulations, you've done a beautiful job. I've had a pair of Pi Theater 4s in a music-only system for a little over a year and am not surprised that you're very happy with your Stage 4s. With the right...

Jeff, I strongly second Graham's suggestion that you start off with a kit, or at least a design from the internet or otherwise that others have heard and that gets good reviews. Graham has mentioned some reliable ones. To throw one more name into the mix, I recently built a pair of Pi...

Another vote here for threaded inserts, which I typically get from McFeelys or McMaster. I've never had a problem. Tempest Construction Pix: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...view_album.php

Wes, To get my boxes as close to square as possible, when I assemble the box frame (i.e., sides and top/bottom), I clamp squares (from Rockler) to the corners. You can see them in the second picture at http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...bum.php&page=1 . I then measure, using the...

Seth and Dana, I've been catching up with you posts with great interest -- you guys are prolific! I haven't heard the Gielen but you've whetted my appetite. The Sixth has been running neck-and-neck with the Ninth as my favorite Mahler for years. The only thing I can add is -- hear it live. An...

Dana, One of the nice things about home listening is that you don't have to choose (within reason). I tend to agree that Bernstein's Mahler is over-the-top, but sometimes that's what I feel like, so on it goes. Same with sound quality. Sometimes I'm in the mood to hear something in great...

Dome, I'll second Dennis' recommendation of The Penguin Guide. It's not perfect, but it's extremely good and very difficult to begin navigating through the oceans of available classical recordings without it. I bought some real clunkers, with famous names, before I found the Guide. Don't...

Seth, To give credit where credit is due, it was the Penguin Guide that (for example) led me to purchase the 1955 EMI Rosenkavalier (Karajan, Schwarzkopf, Philharmonia Orch., et al.). Back then, I was very suspicious - why on Earth would one buy a recording from the 1950s? One of the most...

I too have never had a problem with biscuits splitting MDF. For whatever reason, I also have had no problem with biscuit depressions. Tempest and Pi Construction Pix: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...view_album.php

Andrew, I'm not agreeing, I mentioned the point just because I was anticipating that someone would raise the typical objection. I believe all three of the editors/contributors are UK-based and contribute or contributed to Gramophone, but they appreciate composers of all countries and...

Nick, I join Mike and Doug: biscuit are GREAT for MDF. They strengthen the joint (although that's unnecessary, since yellow glue applied to a butt join alone is stronger than the MDF). More important, they make alignment perfect every time. Like Doug, I use No. 20s on 3/4" MDF, although it...

As an aside, for Classical, the Penguin Guide to Compact Discs and DVDs includes designations as to which CDs are moderately priced and bargain. The Guide is criticized from time to time for UK bias and other foibles. (If you think home electronics is a contentious hobby [not here!], you...

Dean, It's Rosewood flexible (paperbacked) veneer from Constantine's, http://www.constantines.com , finished with about 5-6 coats of Lee Valley polymerized Tung oil, Link Removed . Both are well-respected merchants that I heartily recommend. Tempest and Pi Construction Pix...

Bill, Excellent! Watch out you don't cause an earthquake! Tempest and Pi Construction Pix: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...view_album.php

Looks great! You obviously did a ton of work to get the sides cut correctly to create the octagonal shape. The Dayton is supposed to be a fine driver and it sounds from your description like the effort was well worth it. Congratulations on a fine job! Tempest and Pi Construction Pix...

Shane, Don't mean to hijack Wendy's thread, but what 104 dB speakers are you using, and with what amps? I'm jealous!

Daniel, Have a good time with it! Particularly when you first get a sub, it IS lots of fun to shock friends and family. I've found that, as the months pass, I have gradually turned mine down, but hey, you only live once. It's your sub and you should enjoy it. Pi Studio 2 Construction Pix...

Daniel, Standard speakerbuilding texts state, I believe, that the interior end of a port tube should be at least 3" from an interior speaker wall. This suggests that the exterior of the port tube should have similar clearance. That said, if you like the way it sounds, that's the ultimate...

Matt, I don't think it's a problem. From what I've seen, people seem to make braces out of just about anything, including hardwood dowels. I routinely use MDF for bracing and plywood should be fine as well. Bob Tempest Construction Pix: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...view_album.php

Bill, It sounds like you're making excellent progress! By going to the trouble of making dados for the braces (which I didn't do), you're going to have one heck of a well-braced cabinet. No harm that you had you had to whack the brace in -- you know it'll be tight! I've had to whack joints...

Bill, I see the problem. I assume the collar is supposed to go "out", but assuming machine screw threads it should work either way -- you'll just have to screw backwards. Alternatively, take a scrap of MDF, drill a hole and see if you can whack in the insert until the collar is flush without...

Mike, I can't compare it with anything else, but I've been using an Outlaw 950 for over a year with various amps (Classe, a Samson pro amp and a diy AKSA) and am completely happy with it. Happy hunting! Tempest Sub Construction Pix: http://www.audiocircle.com/circles/m...view_album.php

Anthony, I built a Tempest sub and certainly agree that it was "worth it" sonically, but I wanted to mention something else: the sense of accomplishment and pride you feel from creating a truly nice piece of equipment. I love the stunned look on people who hear my sub for the first time (as...

I will second the suggestion that you take a look at Aspen Amplifiers. I have built both a 55W and a 100W version and they're both excellent. Some pictures of mine are at http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ele..com/elektratig Tempest Construction Pix...