modifying a kit (1 Viewer)

[peter_anderson]

because i live in a high-rise apartment complex, i can't build cabinets (especially work with MDF; the dust would be too much).
my idea is this; to take the speakerpage.com bookshelf kit (which don't come with cabinets) and shove them into one of the pre-cut enclosures from Parts Express. some links:
http://www.speakerpage.com/K05B10plans.htm
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshow...number=300-704
The best part is that the PE cabinet is a little bigger internally than the cabinet which the speakerpage.com kit calls for. Plus, the pre-cut holes in the included baffles in the PE cabinet are a little smaller than the holes called for, which means i can use my Dremel to widen them.
Question is this: what is the best method of shrinking the inside of the PE cabinet to match that of the recommended internal volume for the speakerpage.com kit? Will a difference of 125"^3 make much sonic difference after being stuffed with polyfill?
P.S. yes i know the kit specifies a port for the cabinet; i don't have a problem using a small jigsaw to cut PVC or the whole for the port; but a circular saw and major MDF cutting is out of the question.
Thanks

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

Poyfill actually increases the effective size.

something to consider is that an XO is usually designed with a specific baffle dimension. the PE kit might not match it. How about just gettinthe BR-1 kit at PE?..comes with a completed cabinet!

 

[ThomasW]

Anthony nailed this one
The BR-1 kit from PE is a great deal and an easy w/e project

 

[peter_anderson]

of course, i looked at the BR-1, but somebody i trust told me they liked the sound of the K05B10 better than any Dayton driver they have heard. Another reason is that i would like to "finish" the cabinet myself, with either paint or veneer.

when you say "baffle dimension" do you mean the thickness of the baffle material? i would assume that as long as the internal volume of the cabinet can be matched, the crossover shouldn't need to be modified(?)

Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

In terms of the baffle, i actually mean 3 different baffle relatedthings...all of which can have anywhere from a slight to a drastic change in sonic performance if any of them are modified from the original spec.

1) Height and width

2) driver placement/offset

3) flushmounting

 

[peter_anderson]

i never imagined it would be so complicated. time to pick up some reading material, perhaps!

gosh, i really dislike living in an apartment. anybody want to fund a downpayment for my new house?

i am sure the BR-1 kit sounds fine, but i would at least like to finish the cabinet something other than black, y'know?

everybody i know lives in an apartment. the cost of the tools i don't have is just as much as the BR-1 kit, too.

thanks anyway!

 

[Anthony_Gomez]

Lets try this: What is your budget for a DIY speaker. Meaning $$$ for EVERYTHING except the tools.

Maybe we can come up with a kit that can come in raw MDF that will meet your price range

 

[peter_anderson]

i was shooting for $300 for everything except the tools. I DO have a cordless drill/driver and a dremel and a power sander.

i think i will pick up the famous "loudspeaker cookbook" and start there!

thanks!

 

[Andy Watts]

Question is this: what is the best method of shrinking the inside of the PE cabinet to match that of the recommended internal volume for the speakerpage.com kit? Will a difference of 125"^3 make much sonic difference after being stuffed with polyfill?

You could add extra wood to take up some of the space in the cabinet.

Andy

 

[peter_anderson]

that is what i was originally thinking about doing, but after the feedback this thread got, i am going to wait for them to release some more kits.

thanks anyway!