Michael R Price
Screenwriter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2001
- Messages
- 1,591
As a newcomer to the Home Theater Forum and to home audio in general I am finishing my first 'real' sound system, as a student in high school. It is centered around the Adire Kit281. I want to just say now, this is really something considering the entire system cost is under $850, which even I (who worked as a tennis assistant pro for my summer job) can afford.
I chose to build the Kit281 vented alignment, modified for a lowered tuning point of 24 Hz with an 11.25" long port. This was chosen based on a simple LspCAD model of my small 11x14 foot bedroom. The speakers are plain MDF at this point but I plan on adding an oak, cherry or mahogany veneer as soon as I find the time. They were constructed at a friend's house (thanks, Elliott) over two long work days. I admit parts of the project were rushed, and the speakers are very ugly, but I haven't noticed any problems with the sound yet.
For the rest of my system I went with cheap, used components, an Audiosource Amp One for $200 and a Denon DCD-1520 CD player (not received yet) for $100. My cables are Cat 5 computer cable, currently using a 15 gauge 9-pair braid (I need banana plugs to use the large, simple woofer cables I also made).
Of course, after initially hooking the system up, my reaction was something along the lines of "wow, that's amazing." I never expected to hear any soundstage, using my computer as an interim source... but it was there. And the sound was pretty "natural", though the bass was a little weak. Also, when playing loud it sounded a bit harsh, though nothing serious.
Of course, both those problems dissappeared, this speaker has major changes due to break-in. The sound became fuller and smoother. Now I can't find anything to complain about. It's just a very natural sound that seems to work well for all the music I've tried playing.
For me this is also the first time I have heard a speaker with good low bass. While I'd assume it doesn't compare to any good subwoofer, using a tone generator I found the sound peaked at about 40 and 70 Hz, and I noticed pretty solid output down to 20 Hz where I heard nothing except my door and windows rattling. (One of my AV8 woofers had its rubber surround detached from the basket causing an air leak and a flapping sound. I temporariliy fixed it with Scotch tape.)
I also want to thank Dan Wiggins and Adire Audio for their fast technical support correspondence. I asked Dan about the prospect of lowering the tuning point to help in my small room, and he replied promptly.
I do have one question though. What differences in sound can I expect to hear if I stuff the cabinets with polyfill? I've heard it will result in slightly leaner, better quality bass, but does it do anything to midrange quality or anything other than bass response? Due to time constraints, I didn't put any polyfill in the cabinets. Should I now take the time to do so?
For $400, these speakers are an incredible value. Though it was a lot of work, I haven't heard anything that really compares with them. I look forward to a lot of enjoyment from this, and hope to contribute a little more to some discussions on this forum now that I am gaining experience in this (new for me at least) hobby.
I chose to build the Kit281 vented alignment, modified for a lowered tuning point of 24 Hz with an 11.25" long port. This was chosen based on a simple LspCAD model of my small 11x14 foot bedroom. The speakers are plain MDF at this point but I plan on adding an oak, cherry or mahogany veneer as soon as I find the time. They were constructed at a friend's house (thanks, Elliott) over two long work days. I admit parts of the project were rushed, and the speakers are very ugly, but I haven't noticed any problems with the sound yet.
For the rest of my system I went with cheap, used components, an Audiosource Amp One for $200 and a Denon DCD-1520 CD player (not received yet) for $100. My cables are Cat 5 computer cable, currently using a 15 gauge 9-pair braid (I need banana plugs to use the large, simple woofer cables I also made).
Of course, after initially hooking the system up, my reaction was something along the lines of "wow, that's amazing." I never expected to hear any soundstage, using my computer as an interim source... but it was there. And the sound was pretty "natural", though the bass was a little weak. Also, when playing loud it sounded a bit harsh, though nothing serious.
Of course, both those problems dissappeared, this speaker has major changes due to break-in. The sound became fuller and smoother. Now I can't find anything to complain about. It's just a very natural sound that seems to work well for all the music I've tried playing.
For me this is also the first time I have heard a speaker with good low bass. While I'd assume it doesn't compare to any good subwoofer, using a tone generator I found the sound peaked at about 40 and 70 Hz, and I noticed pretty solid output down to 20 Hz where I heard nothing except my door and windows rattling. (One of my AV8 woofers had its rubber surround detached from the basket causing an air leak and a flapping sound. I temporariliy fixed it with Scotch tape.)
I also want to thank Dan Wiggins and Adire Audio for their fast technical support correspondence. I asked Dan about the prospect of lowering the tuning point to help in my small room, and he replied promptly.
I do have one question though. What differences in sound can I expect to hear if I stuff the cabinets with polyfill? I've heard it will result in slightly leaner, better quality bass, but does it do anything to midrange quality or anything other than bass response? Due to time constraints, I didn't put any polyfill in the cabinets. Should I now take the time to do so?
For $400, these speakers are an incredible value. Though it was a lot of work, I haven't heard anything that really compares with them. I look forward to a lot of enjoyment from this, and hope to contribute a little more to some discussions on this forum now that I am gaining experience in this (new for me at least) hobby.
