NQB Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) My quest for the perfect Home Theatre continues. Wanted to share the build of my new front speakers.I placed an order for a HE2 kit from Paul Spencer (Red Spade Audio) a few months ago. The kit arrived last week and miraculously I had a weekend free to start construction.Straight out of the box the panels were expertly cut. Only minor sanding was needed for a perfect fit.Luckilly I had enough clamps to build two at a time. I say luck, but really it was more like adding another pair to the trolley whenever they're on sale.Paul recommended adding rubber sheet to make the speakers more inert. Hopefully 3 sheets will do it. Doesn't entirely cover all interior panels, but it's close.These beauties are going to be painted to a high gloss black. Piano black is the goal, but we'll see how much of my OCD I can contol after the 6th round of sanding. Has anyone had good success with HVLP on MDF? I'll be using automotive primer and paint...Next step is to flush sand and afix the front baffle. Afyer that, ill be routing the edges and on to high fill primer.The spray booth is coming along. I finished the extractor fan box last week. Not much to look at, but it will do the job. Now I just need to clean and hang plastic in the downstairs dungeon (no idea what it was originally, probably something to do with 50 shades of grey). By the end it will. Look like something out of dexter. Good thing I'm not painting them red or I'd have some explaining to do when the mrs gets back from her holiday.Anyhoo, pics on the way.J Edited February 22, 2015 by NQB 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Panels laid out After sand and clean Half built Clamps galore Front panels Spray dungeon 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjc Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Following this with interest. I don't suppose you could PM me the price of each kit delivered? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Hey bjc, I'll try to keep the updates coming. Hoping to get the boxes built by the weekend so I can take my time on prep and paint for the next two weeks. There was a delay on some of the parts, but fingers crossed they will get here before the last coat goes on. As for pricing, they weren't cheap, but a bargain for what they are. Final price may depend on what you want. Paul is pretty active on the forum, so I'd just reach out to him and ask. Cheers, J 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Very nice project . You won't be disappointed with the sound ,my son's rapped with his HE2's . Cheers Edited February 22, 2015 by Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony ray Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 (edited) Great work, love speaker build threads. I was so close to building a set of these Edited February 22, 2015 by Tony ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Very nice project . You won't be disappointed with the sound ,my son's rapped with his HE2's . Cheers Great to know from someone with first hand experience. I bought them without a listen first,but lots of positive feedback and science behind them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Great to know from someone with first hand experience. I bought them without a listen first,but lots of positive feedback and science behind them Controlled dispersion (coverage pattern) is the single biggest thing (after removing errors from the frequency response), to get good sound ... especially in a (small) room. The design idea here.... use as large a horn as practical (for a domestically friendly speaker) .... keep efficiency high, and amplifier load pleasant .... is really the embodiment of good speaker design principles. I'd be surprised if you were even close to disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Considering how big an upgrade this will be, I'll be surprised if I'm not completely blown away I've been dreaming of sound quality for about 15 years. Finances, time and knowledge just never lined up. Now in the space of a few months, I've replaced everything in the audio chain one step at a time. Each step so far has been a massive improvement. Really hoping this is the leap that will keep me happy for the next 15yrs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Speakers are the only thing most people need to replace .... so if you've already had a massive improvement, then... wheeeee!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry218 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Considering how big an upgrade this will be, I'll be surprised if I'm not completely blown away I've been dreaming of sound quality for about 15 years. Finances, time and knowledge just never lined up. Now in the space of a few months, I've replaced everything in the audio chain one step at a time. Each step so far has been a massive improvement. Really hoping this is the leap that will keep me happy for the next 15yrs. you will experience a great improvement over usual speakers in terms of dynamics, scale and transparency.. but get ready for it, i know some people aren't.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Wheee indeed Changing the amp was a revelation. Huge improvement in image and detail. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davewantsmoore Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Wheee indeed Changing the amp was a revelation. Huge improvement in image and detail. With a speaker that is a much easier load (the HE2), hopefully your "new" amp is the right one. (hides) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 With a speaker that is a much easier load (the HE2), hopefully your "new" amp is the right one. (hides) Heh. I can tell you that the old one certainly wasn't the right one. If I'm not happy, I can always add an outboard amp from the processor preouts. Old reciever did not have this option and made me very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 24, 2015 Author Share Posted February 24, 2015 Going to try and get something done each night until the weekend, FIngers crossed I can get them ready for paint by Sunday. Today's efforts : Compression Driver waveguide mod. Rather than leaving the waveguide untreated plastic, I'm following the upgrade option to add sound deadening. 1. Scratch up the outer surface with sandpaper 2. Mix some bitumen 1:1 with water for the first coat (thinner works better as a primer). 3.Mask and paint. Got a little over excited and messy for the first coat. Only had a few minutes left before a call to the mrs. When it's dry tomorrow I'll switch to a pure mix and keep going until it feels right. Might add some mix in deadener flakes if I can be bothered. Next on the list tomorrow, a sheet load of dacron. Question: Rubber feet or spikes (with casters)? Right now I'm leaning towards rubber because it's easier, not permanent and should suit the wood floor.. Thoughts? J 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 Dacron fill complete. 3 layers in all sections and a heavier fill for the mid driver compartment. First of the speaker baffles glued. I thought about routing a groove around the baffle, but in the end I think I'll roll the dice on getting it perfect and working with bondo and spray putty to blend the edges. Starting to get excited 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony ray Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) Looking good John. Looking at the pictures and cannot see a port and was wondering if it a sealed box design. Silly me just saw the rear panels in post 2 Edited February 26, 2015 by Tony ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Spencer Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I see no time wasting going on here! Progressing nicely John! Tony - yes, it's a ported design to achieve a good balance of bass extension and high efficiency. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hochopeper Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 I see no time wasting going on here! Progressing nicely John! I might need to go ask John for some tips on getting stuff built quick. It's unnatural how quickly this DIY project is progressing 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 26, 2015 Author Share Posted February 26, 2015 (edited) I might need to go ask John for some tips on getting stuff built quick. It's unnatural how quickly this DIY project is progressing Heh I'm usually a procrastinator. In school I was the one that left study till the weekend before and then smashed myself until it all made sense. It's sort of the same reason now, I leave for Thailand in 2 weeks and when I return, I'll be busy with construction with my wife on the latest business venture (espresso bar). Who doesn't like coffee right? Great thing is now that construction is nearing completion, if time starts to get away, I can postpone paint and still get some audio bliss Just need the last of the parts to arrive and I'm golden. Still haven't decided on rubber feet vs spikes and castors. Thoughts? J Edited March 9, 2015 by NQB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hochopeper Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Still haven't decided on rubber feet vs spikes and castors. Thoughts? Carpet or polished timber flooring? If carpet I'd probably go for spikes. They're heavy so rubber feet on a polished timber floor will still 'couple' the speaker to the floor. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 Polished wood floor now, but it's a rental. No idea for the future... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hochopeper Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 Polished wood floor now, but it's a rental. No idea for the future... Yeah just put rubber feet on it I reckon. How heavy are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Spencer Posted February 27, 2015 Share Posted February 27, 2015 They will be around 30 kg when complete. It's a good idea to have rubber feet even just for practical reasons - like when you pick them up and move from workshop to your room. Picking up and setting down is easier and the feet protect the edges and corners. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NQB Posted February 27, 2015 Author Share Posted February 27, 2015 (edited) Not sure on weight yet... I'd say with the crazy big components, stack of rubber, sealant and bracing. Maybe 25-30kg ea? I might weigh them when they're finished. Rubber feet will be the easiest. Sold. Might add spikes if Im not happy later on. Edit:paul beat me to it! Edited February 27, 2015 by NQB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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