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Last night I worked up the nerve top crack open my Speakers. I pulled out the woofer and gazed inside. To my amazement, there was only insulation going up one side of the speaker, and across the bottom! I was under the impression that all sides should be covered with insulation. Also, I noticed that there were no reinforcements built inside of the case itself. I don't know how critical this is, but figured now that I have this thing open, what can I tinker with to potentially improve performance. For the record, they are JBL arc 50's. (Not the best speakers by any means, but they are what I can afford, and I enjoy them).
Michael- Typically, ported speakers are lined with about 50% damping material, which translates to an inch or so on all sides except the speaker baffle itself. If you want to tinker, replace the crossover caps with film caps like Solens and the resistors (if any) with non-inductive types. Both caps and resistors are available from Madisound. When I cracked open my first set of speakers (Radio Shack two-ways) I was surprised and a little depressed by how funky they were. It was then I had an epiphany. Build my own! After all, how difficult could it be? If my Rat Shack's were any indication, not too hard. Well, over the years I've found it's also not as easy as I thought but certainly a lot of fun. And I can control the quality of components that go into my designs. Maybe DIY is in your future?
sound deadening material on one panel of a parallel pair will reduce
standing waves that happen between parallel surfaces and will
interfere with cone motion so one side, top or bottom or back needs
to be treated. Stuffing the enclosure is done in some systems.Don't worry about the price of the drivers or system as long as it
sounds good and you determine how good it is. It you are satisfied
10$ worth of drivers than what is the reason to pay more ?? I have
always bought the cheapest drivers that fit my needs and rarely have
been disapointed and the best mids i have had were the cheapest I have
bought and I just picked them up Because they were so cheap and the
were what i was looking for so couldn't resist. the foam surrounds
went and I couldn't see spending more for the surrounds than I paid
for the drivers and have bought new ones for a little more money and
have come close so I should replace the surrounds but need to find
cheaper ones.About people being snobs on a list that will happen but shouldn't
be a bother. If someone feels they have to spend big bucks to get good
sound then they won't be very happy thinking they could have spent
a fraction of the price. Some good things are expensive unless you
know how to get around it which usually takes time and work so many
times that will add up and it just depends on how one wants to reach
a goal. I prefer sweat and hands on type spending because I like
geting into things and seeing what makes them tick and how I can reach
what I am after. Some don't have the time or interest for this which
is fine.VF.
Hi VF,You also have guts. (a good thing) and your words have the ring of truth.
To me, honesty is still a virtue. I have precious little patience for frauds and buffoons.
( Sheeesh, that sounds SO self rightous ;-)))Rant mode OFF Don
You can add or subtract damping material to adjust the subtler characteristics of your speakers as you see fit. JBL was once a prestigious name in HiFi, I don't know if they have maintained that reputation or not. I have some Infinities, both brands are owned by Harmon Kardon (sic) and are roughly equivelant.
If those speakers are ported, then they will not be covered with sound absorbing material inside. I'm not sure why, whether it's cost-cutting or for genuine sonic reasons, but you can still play with them.
By the way, this list is a little snobbish about equipment, or to be more precise, the dollar cost of equipment. Ever notice how, in a "$10,000 system" the most important spec is the price ? If you expect an answer, say you spent a couple grand or some BS. Otherwise, your thoughts are somehow considered less valid than those of others.I just calls'em as I sees'em
Don B
Thanks for the info. I have acutally had pretty good luck with the folks here. I know there are a few that are revolving around price, but not all. I have found some great cheap tweaks that helped out quite a bit. It's good to know that I am not the only one here that cannot afford to spend 10 grand on a par of speaks. I just want to get the most from my equipment. Keep the faith, there are some really good guys (and gals) here. Thanks again for the info.
Thanks for the peptalk, I'll keep an eye out for those rational minds.
There is a guy on list who prefers to remain anonymous, I will respect that. He has som RShack speakers he wants to tweak. Now I ask you, what could be more worthy of tweaking than a lo-cost speaker ? Can he get an answer, even an acknowledgement ? Forget about asking for help, and forgive me for the sour tone of this post ( I'll get over it ) But to see a guy buy a "kit" of brilliantly designed drivers, slap it together and regard himself as a "tweaker" too good to talk to another guy who is really doing what it's all about in the first place.......Webster's calls that "Bigotry"Again, I apologize for the tone of this post, but some people need a slap in the head.
You, my friend, have Guts.
Don B
Thank you for the compliment. I just feel that if I can do something for pennies on the dollar, what is the point of going the expensive route? Guts? No. Common sense? Perhaps. :-)
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