Best $100 I've spent on audio gear

Built the Wild Burro Audio Betsys in one hour flat. These 8 inch full range drivers in the open baffle design sound better than speakers costing ten times their price. These things are so easy to build a ten year old could put them together. If you don't have an unused sheet of plywood sitting around buy one from HD and they'll make all the cuts for free.

If you've never heard a good single driver in open baffle you're in for a shock. The Betsys are so efficient they match well with a T-amp or 2.5 watt SET.

I actually built something very similar when I was a kid with a pair of 6x9 car speakers. We used to crank music in the parking lot at the muni pool with it. It sounded pretty darn good and could deploy from a trunk in seconds. (or pack up fast when the cops kicked us out!)

I've been considering Tekton open-baffle. These things apparently kill...

http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....ull&1263053796

http://pic8.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1251857340.jpg

I've spent many hours listening to the wide baffle Tekton 4.5's with the Fostex FE126E drivers and they are outstanding. The Wild Burro Betsys are equally impressive but for significantly less money.

I'll have to check them out!

$100??? Gee that's way above my price point for gear........ :D

Seriously though that sounds like an interesting project.
Any pics you could share?

I downloaded a picture of my DIY "Betsy" open baffle speakers in the member photo gallery under Poultrygeist.

She's huge!

I'll link the pic. My god man! My wife is a reasonable woman but No Way!!

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/...m/HPIM3958.JPG

front baffle 9 inches and wings are 10 inches and 18 inches. It stands 4 ft tall. This is my first experience with OB speakers and I'm hooked big time. For the first time I'm hearing music that doesn't sound like it's coming from a box!:22:

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Originally Posted by Poultrygeist

front baffle 9 inches and wings are 10 inches and 18 inches. It stands 4 ft tall. This is my first experience with OB speakers and I'm hooked big time. For the first time I'm hearing music that doesn't sound like it's coming from a box!:22:

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Oh I don't doubt it. Frugal horns are the same deal, quite large looking...

paceral500 here, hello to all.

my interest is finding external mic system for camcorder

My latest speaker beliefs

1. the best crossover is no crossover

2. the best box is no box

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Originally Posted by Poultrygeist

My latest speaker beliefs

1. the best crossover is no crossover

2. the best box is no box

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Electrostatic speakers:

1. No crossover
2. No box

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoeE SP9

Electrostatic speakers:

1. No crossover
2. No box

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Electrostatic speaker: $$$

Electrostatic = expensive

OB = inexpensive

Why don't more companies manufacture OB's? there's no profit in them

Poultry, once I have the Golden Tube finished, I will be picking your brain. I hope to find more there than what your name suggests...lol.

I've lost interest in everything but single drivers and OB's. Banished my Aerials to a back bedroom and sold my Classe amp on ebay.

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Originally Posted by Poultrygeist

sold my Classe amp on ebay.

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Dayuum! That was a drastic move! What are you going to power the OBs with? The Classe just doesn't mate well eh?

I just don't care for the sterile sound of solid state so the Classe had to go. My MiniWatt 2.5 wpc tube amp makes beautiful music with the OBs.

Check out these full range drivers;

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc....1370198&1&3&1&

That's a little step up in price geoff :)

At the other extreme is the Pioneer 8 inch full ranger from Parts Express which goes for $30 and has achieved cult like status among the DIY crowd. It sounds great in OB.

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Originally Posted by Poultrygeist

At the other extreme is the Pioneer 8 inch full ranger from Parts Express which goes for $30 and has achieved cult like status among the DIY crowd. It sounds great in OB.

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Cult status? Like the "Heavens Gate" cult?

Cult as in "a small circle of persons united by devotion or allegiance to an artistic or intellectual movement".

OB may be best for those who think outside of the box.

OK I get it now, you guys are like the "Branch Davidians" of the DIY crowd.

Wow, OB's are going large on Audiogon!

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/auc....1447316&1&3&1&

Bet this puppy can post some big bass.

I'm hardly a DIY'er as Home Depot did most of the work on my Betsys. I'm a novice but hope to try a smaller version of the folding wing baffle with the CSS FR125s driver which I understand reduced one DIY'er to tears after hearing it. I haven't shed a tear yet with the Betsys but I was close a couple of times :)

There's some interesting threads if you google "DarkStar B200 speakers" regarding the folding baffles. 6moons did a nice write up on this design prototype by Omega powered by a Redwine amp.

I'm afraid I've crossed over to the Dark (Star) side.

A much cheaper option for OB with 15 inch bass speakers/augmentors would be the $299 Boomers + the $100 Betsy drivers. The $299 Boomer Package includes a separate amp from PE worth $150.

Here's some great links guys...

http://www.fostexinternational.com/d...erview_1.shtml

http://www.linkwitzlab.com/

The 4.5 inch Fostex is the most revealing driver on the planet. With my Tektons I can hear the spit in Miles Davis' trumpet.

Linkwitz is the king of OB.

My one regret is that I wasted so many years and so much money on high end gear before discovering the magic of full range single drivers.

Dude, I've been reading heavy. It seems that this is the way to go. I can't decide if I should buy or go DIY.

If you go DIY, and you're starting out, do something cheap (like I'm doing at the moment). If it goes well you can try something more expensive. That's my opinion. If you're lazy, then you won't go DIY but you'll spend more.

AA, your box is full. I'm online for another 20 minutes or so.

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Originally Posted by audio amateur

If you go DIY, and you're starting out, do something cheap (like I'm doing at the moment). If it goes well you can try something more expensive. That's my opinion. If you're lazy, then you won't go DIY but you'll spend more.

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Seems I missed you this morning. Love the lazy bit lol. I'm certainly not lazy, but my time is limited which can extend a project.

Have a look here AA, the simplicity of these builds are really luring me in. I am partial to the Metronome for ease and size/style. My wife also approves, which helps.

http://www.frugal-horn.com/index.html

It sounds like you're going with a traditional box. Is this correct? Please do some reading, there's a couple of great links I posted in this thread. The funny thing is, the open baffle or horn concept is supposed to sound better, and is also easier to build than a box I would say. It may be more work, but with the plans, easier.

I have never been attracted to planar/stats but I'm now starting to understand the allure and dedication these guys feel. And all of this without even owning a pair yet! Technically, it makes so much sense.

Hopefully we can chat online soon about this.

Chubbily, Chubbs

Horns are the most difficult to build of all DIY cabinets. Some OB purists dismiss them as they believe the sound escapes back through the drivers. I do know that I've spent many hours listening to HSHorns and they are truly remarkable.

I wouldn't attempt to build a set as I would never be able to get all those internal pieces to square up with the cabinet sides.

Yeah them horns look pretty complex to build right.

Chubbs, the speakers I'm buliding are for the home theater (so it doesn't matter too much how they sound if you consider the rest of my HT equipment). Currently I just use my parents 2ch system (in my profile) when I'm in Geneva and I run my B&W in England. I'll definitely try some more DIYing from next summer onwards (including perhaps OB). I can't at uni because I don''t have the room or tools to do any DIY, but I graduate this year:)

I guess with my background, I see the frugal's as an easy proposition. The plans are very detailed and outline everything quite nicely. the only question mark I had with some of the plans was for the cable port and how to run the wires internally.

Chubbs,

You should check out Bob Brines DIY stuff. It's considered top of the heap.

Here is an interesting link on the folding wing baffle as used in my OB.



http://fullrangedriver.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=239