Rebuilding SRS - not the usual ?

dkg999

I have most of 3 pairs of SDA-SRS that were salvaged from previous owners in the cental IA area after the big floods of 1993. One pair was functional with a little work, however the cabinet has been crumbling on the bottom of both speakers and needs rebuilt, the other two pairs the cabinets were trash, however the drivers and cross-overs were OK. This weekend while I was back at my place on the farm, I was looking at how to build my den/office and my electronics tech friend had stopped by when he saw my truck in the driveway. I was working out a wall of shelving that would have space for a large TV, audio/HT equipment, and a pair of SRS's. His suggestion was that since I needed to rebuild the cabinets, why not just make the SRS's built-in's by building new fronts to mount the drivers in and using the exact inner dimensions, possibly having the driver faces about 2" proud of the wall of shelving. I already used one of the old fronts to program my CNC router to cut new fronts to mount the drivers in.

Is it really going to compromise sound quality, performance to make these built-ins with the drivers 2" in front of the wall of shelves and the cabinet enclosures made out of 3" thick MDF?

unc2701

I would think not, but you will lose the ability to adjust the amount of bass by pulling them into the room. So it might take a geting a BFD to retune the bass on them.

madmax

You could build them to "look" built in but still allow them to be moved if that doesn't work out.

jcaut

I don't like the built-in idea, especially on a speaker like that. Just rebuild the cabinets, IMO.

Jason

hoosier21

you had better be happy with the distance between them because your stuck if you don't. Beyond that point, COOL idea. if you keep the front baffle out in the room 2" or so (like you said) more than the rest of the gear and shelves.

unc2701

I''ve been thinking about it and beyond the point that hoosier makes, I can't think of a better speaker to do this with- they take zero toe-in and are meant to be placed right against the wall. Not many speakers meet that criteria.

obxdiver

They would become permanent forever. What would you do if you ever move?
Take the drivers and leave the empty holes? Or leave them?

I would build the shelving around the speakers. Leave an openeing, or pocket, the exact same size as the speaker cabinet, and slide the speaker into it.