Wayne Parham Messages: 18786 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I actually prefer the little one π and two π speakers as surrounds. They're a spectral match with the larger uniform-directivity models, but not a directivity match. Surrounds really shouldn't be a directivity match anyway, because the pattern would be too narrow. What we want is ambiance, and a wider pattern. I'm not sure that it needs to be as uniform off-axis either. So we want power response to match the mains, but not directivity.
The traditional orientation for surrounds is positioned at the sides and slightly behind the listeners, pointed straight inwards, towards the listeners. But I've found another setup that works well is to put them a little further behind the listeners and point them at the sidewalls, with angle of incidence that brings the reflected sound back at the listeners from the sides. This gives the same impression of sound coming from the sides, but it gives a better sense of spaciousness.
Wayne Parham Messages: 18786 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
I've recessed the drivers in some speakers and I've built others with the drivers mounted on the surface of the baffle. You can do it either way, as long as you do both drivers the same way. In other words, if your route a groove for the tweeter to mount it flush, do the woofer also.
Wayne Parham Messages: 18786 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
All R13 is the same thickness, which is about 3" uncompressed. Remove the vapor barrier and attach it with white glue. Just run a bead back and forth on the inside panel, with the glue bead lines about 2" apart and lay the sheet of insulation on that. Push it in place and let it dry.
Wayne Parham Messages: 18786 Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)
Use a water soluble wood/paper glue like those from Titebond, Elmers, etc. It can be white glue (like used for paper) or carpeneter's wood glue, which is usually yellow. Either kind of glue is fine.
I built mine fully except left the baffle off. Once I got my speakers I marked the spots for holes and used a drill press for the "T"nuts for the woofers. I had my inulation in at that point also. I then fine tuned if you would the cut out for the port and installed the port from the back side of the baffle making sure it was flush with the outside edge of the baffle. When I made my baffles I slightly oversized them in case my boxes were a bit out of square. I then installed the baffles and flush cut them with a router.