FX1000 build
Comments
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I scored a pair and the sound is very rich and full. The 1000's were and are worth it. While they may be big to some, after you live with a PB2+ for a while their not that big looking afterall and like the SVS you can quickly forgive the size given the sound that is produced.
Great work, Dave - nice thread. And I agree - size DOES matter. :cool:"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
Nice work Dave, definetly a man's surround speaker
CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint. -
Nice work, they look great. I am glad you like them. What is the next project?Graham
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Originally posted by gatemplin
Nice work, they look great. I am glad you like them. What is the next project?
I didn't mean to take so long answering back I've been trying to get enough free time to do something. I've desided (even though I was told not to because of tweeter damage) to build a simular set using the driver assemblies from the Rti38's and useing the FX1000 crossovers. I started today (Saturday) around 10am after this mornings java and finished around 9:30pm but still need to apply the oak vaneer which wont take very long by comparison. I knew that the FX1000 cabnets were going to be too narrow it accept the 38's mid's and had to be widened at least an 1". I went and put a set together today making the adjustments and changing the height as well, but not by much. I started by using 3/4" MDF (that is the thickness of the 38's & 1000's cabnets). I then traced an outline of the base to get an idea as to how much would have to be changed to get the new drivers to fit without touching each other.
Dave -
In this pic (bad shot I don't know what happened probably some dust on lens) I start cutting the top and bottom of the cabnets using a circular saw and a piece of scrap clamped to the MDF as a guide for the saw to get a good straight cut.
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In this pic you see the shape I have chosen to use it is the same shape design as the FX's I just changed the sizes a little for the new drivers and for the hell of it to see what would happen. I increased the back width from 11 1/8" to 13 7/8", the front from 3" to 3 3/4", the small side from 2" to 2 15/16 and the speaker face is the same width as the 38's 7 3/4" the hieght was changed also from 20" to 18 1/2".
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This gives you an idea of the depth of the cabnet from front to rear.
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This pic is the new cabnet next to the Rti38 for referance to the size it will be when completed. Each side board is cut using either my table saw or power miter and each edge (except the top and bottom edges) is ripped at the correct angle so that there are no overlaping edges and to give it a better gluing surface to one another. The top bottom and rear sides are glued and screwed while the driver faces and front are glued and only screwed at the top and bottom
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Here is a shot of the cabnets after putting the tops and sides together. I left the backs for last to leave room for the cutting out of the driver holes and di/bipole knob hole. There is also a piece of wood to be glued behind the tweeter cutout which will be added at this time also. I will be using the 38's driver face board as referance for the location of the holes and screw locations. because of the 38's grills mounting pegs I will have to keep the grill/ drivers below the top boards edge I will ust the top boards seam edge as referance to where the holes will go. The 1000's grills go to the top of the cabnet and the 38's are 3/4" below the top edge so I will have to do the same for these.
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This is where I have already drawn-out the placement for all holes and screws and have cut them out. I am glueing the last tweeter backing into place holding it with clamps while I get the backs ready to install with the crossover holes already in place.
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Here is a closer look at the cabnet with cut-outs.
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Finnaly I'm back in the house with two new cabnets and installed the drivers and crossover in one cabnet and hook it up. Everything works as it shood the di/bipole switch does what it is suppose to and the sound from this one compared to the FX1000 seems to be a little brighter but not much just alittle and slightly louder, then again I just hooked them up and only have one up also so I really wont know till I get the other one up to have a good feel for the sound. I also put the poly-fill from both 38's in the one cabnet since the 1000's have twice the fill the 38's do and these are bigger then the 38's but shorter then the 1000's so I figure it was close enough in size to the 1000's to use it.
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Here is one with the grills on. All I have to do know is cover those cabnets with vaneer and paint black, but not tonight. I hope you enjoyed seeing what I been up to today I had a good time again building something for the heck of it. Now all I have to do is figure what to do next......
Have a good day!!!
Dave -
Goddamn, Dave. Really nice work; you can build speaks for me anytime!
Doc"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
Ed Mullen (emullen@svsound.com)
Director - Technology and Customer Service
SVS -
Thanks Doc,
I had one of those nagging questions that I had to find an answer to first hand as to the sound. The crossovers and knobs were extra ones that I had ordered for this project and the drivers were from the extra 38's I bought from fellow members. I figure that if I didn't care for how they turned out I could still put the 38's back together and ditch the cabnets I made. All in all it was for fun and something to do, this hobby is and has been really fun and more interesting then what I do as the everyday 8-5.
Hopefully today I can find a nut to hold the other Di/bipole switch (Like the ones found on older car radios behind the knobs on the face plate to adjust the unit in and out) flat 1/2" or 13mm (socket size), I just happened upon this one.
Dave -
VERY NICE work, Dave. What do you plan to laminate the cabinets with, and what color will they be?
Also, what angle did you come up with for the driver faces? The sizes are very similar. How did the final result turn out in regards to sound difference. Are the differences big or nominal??? -
Looks great Dave....
Take a picture of those compared to the f/x1000's........or even all 3 of them on the same table....comment comment comment comment. bitchy. -
DAMN, that is some amazing work!!!! More pics please!
brickie -
Very Nice Work DAVE!!!!!! They look great....
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Thanks guys for the props. The sound has yet to be fully heard because of the nut still I need for the di/bipole switch, hopefully I will find one tomarrow. Be that as it may the one I have up now has a nominal sound differance the tweeter appears to have more detail and the mids play slightly louder but that could change when I get the second one up and play both at the same time to get the full sound image, right now I am going from one side of the room to the other to desifer the differances. The one thing I noticed was the change from dipole to bipole the change is more prominate in my version too the Polks, probably because of the slightly higher detail the tweeter is producing (for those that don't all ready know the tweeter is the only driver effected by the switch, the tweeter is wired directly to the switch and then to the crossover). Here's mor pics for ya comparing the Rti38, FX1000 and mine.
Thanks again for the nice comments
Dave -
Like I said man, awesome..Can't wait to see it black..Makes me want to do this with some Rt55's.
brickie -
This pic shows the differance in the width and depth between them. The depth is not very good for a visual referance because the Polks have their mounting brackets and mine doesn't but I'm sure you can get the idea. I measured the angles and if my measurements are correct the Polks have a 60 degree angle and mine have a 50 degree angle. I used the front space board between the drivers and used an angle finder to get the angle of the drivers.
Dave -
Are they ported at all? I see the 38's are, what about the 1000's and are you going to port yours?
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This pic is the Polk ontop of mine and gives a better referance as to the width differance. I plan on using an oak vaneer and painting them black to match the rest of my speakers. They have two kinds of vaneer one has the adhesive on it and you heat with a hair drier or heat gun and then the glue softens and you put it on and when it cool it sticks if you make a mistake you reheat it and reposition, I don't think this one would be a good choice I would think it would or could become undone on it's own in time. I will use the vaneer that you have to use a seperate contact glue you have to apply seperately that IMO would be the better choice. Either way each layer will have to be trimmed with a vaneer trimmer to get a clean straight edge. I will post the process and finished speakers when I get them done.
Dave -
Originally posted by amulford
Are they ported at all? I see the 38's are, what about the 1000's and are you going to port yours?
Like the 1000's I did not port them the bezels are the same between the 1000's and 38's. Where the port hole is on the 38's. The 1000's and mine have a 1 1/2" countersink hole (not all the way through) to allow for the port neck to recess in the face board. I used my 1 1/2" Forstner bit to make the countersink half way through the face board.
Dave -
The 38's acually have two ports one under the mid driver and one power port in the rear behind the top mount dracket. I really don't know if the power port does much in the 38's but I believe that Polk knows best when it comes to their speakers. I would also like to take the time to thank Polks CS (Ken, Eric and Helen) for the first rate service they provide. Especally Ken for getting me all the parts for the real 1000's. THANK YOU!!! I greatly appreciate it and keep up the good work.
Dave -
The power port is a huge part of the bass reproduction in the RT35i...
and I am guessing it is to in the RTi38....
Tons of air flowing out that port at higher volumes...lol- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit. -
Are they finished yet?
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they look like the have the angle of the new surounds. i am going to be upgradeinf y speakers soon to gr reaserch av2 or the high end with the ribbon tweater. i dont know witch one i want yet the prive is a big differance. but i was tild the quality wasent as much better.
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Originally posted by Mazeroth
Are they finished yet?
Not yet, I haven't had enough spare time to get in the garage to glue on the Oak veneer. I was going to have time this weekend but that has changed due to the Canfield fair and after hour buisness I have. I have all the material to finish them and will be setting aside some time in the next couple days and will post the progress pics and final impressions then. Thanks for the intrest didn't mean to leave anyone hanging with an unfinished project.
Dave
