Hi Folks,I just finished up a set of 4pi's and wanted to thank ya'll for your help.
I feel like I'm at an AA meeting- 'my name is Jason, and I'm an audioholic'.
Thanks to all who post on here- I've learned a lot about speakers and speaker construction. Very cool stuff. A couple of posts and websites were invaluable in putting these things together:
http://www.audioroundtable.com/PiSpeakers/messages/2873.html
another on compensation networks that I lost...
pics of other's projects helps too:
http://www.geocities.com/super_bq/4Pi.html
http://dsb.8m.com/pipics/pipics.htm (except for the pop-up ads, grr)
When I first bought these kits, my wife, Sonya, was on a trip. When she came back, and there were boxes all over the living room floor, we had a discussion.
'hi babe, I got another project'
'oh.......that's nice'
A couple of comments on construction-
anyone can make a set if you have patience, a steady hand and a minimum of tools. Remember the adage 'measure twice, cut once.' Ask me how I know.
Get your significant other to participate- that way, they also belong to her (or him...or them).
I finished the first speaker (without damping) sometime last week, listened for awhile and sent Wayne an email saying it sounded about as good or better than my current speakers (paradigm ref. 60's). It was a compliment. Really.
Now they're both finished (construction, damping, etc, but not veneered). I plugged them in on sunday and have been listening to them since.
They are BIG. They take up vast tracts of real estate in my living room. I have cattle grazing on one of them. They have their own climate systems. BIG BIG BIG. Big speakers, big sound. They fill the room completely (figuratively and literally). But it's also very articulate, dynamic and neutral sound. Waaay better than the paradigms. I did the pepsi challenge on them, and the paradigms are now television speakers. My room is kind of small (8' X 11') and not well suited for audio (old concrete stucco walls), but good gosh it's a pleasure to listen to music. They get a tad bright at louder listening levels, but that's probably partially due to the room, and partially due to the newness of the speakers. I have them flush against the back wall in the corners, tipped up about 3/4". There's thunderous bass against both walls, but it's considerably weaker toward the center of the room. They don't sound as good if they are out in the middle of the room- too bright. But as they are, they sound marvelous. Symphonic, blues, jazz...it's all good. Heck I even played some Kraftwerk on them, and it was terrific. And Charlie Musselwhite? Oi, that rocks.
These speakers will work with any flea-powered amp; I've got mine hooked up via a Bottlehead Foreplay preamp and Opera Audio/DIYcable 'Billie' amps (also excellent DIY projects- highly recommended). I can only go about a third up in volume before they drive me out of the room. Did I say they sounded good? Sonya likes them as much as I do (so much for the WAF nonsense I read about). I don't know if they'll ever get veneer now...
Thanks again to Wayne and all those who post to this forum.
Cheers,
Jason