MDF is BETTER than hardwood

Is the hype around bigger speakers warranted? Let's Find out! And when we're done, head to squarespace.com/zacbuilds to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code ZACBUILDS
In this video, I build the overnight sensation TMM Tower Speaker set to replace my old Overnight Sensation TMs. For these speakers, I pulled out all the stops for maximum sound quality and even learned how to apply real wood veneer to MDF just for this project!
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[@undefinition1]

Fantastic video! Thank you so much for sharing your talents!

[@ZacBuilds]

No, thank you Paul for taking the time to put together these designs and make them open source for everyone to enjoy! I've built almost every part of the overnight sensation family and have thoroughly enjoyed the process, and I couldn't have done it without you laying the ground work.

[@jungtarcph]

When you hammered those feet into the veneer..... uff.... another option is to make a wide hole for a nut and glue it with epoxy.

[@warpspeed9877]

Now keep the smaller ones for the two back channels of a 5.1 cinema system. You can also make them identical looking by adding a black panel on the fascia that will level the front panel with the sides and remedy the "recess" problem that just adds diffraction.

[@apocalypseap]

That is what he said he's doing at the end of this video, yeah.

[@ModernRemade]

I’m always amazed at how good veneer looks when done well. You nailed it! 🙌🏻

[@Justwantahover]

I built some speakers with a 5" FR driver and a 6" woofer in floor standing cabinets. And I built another pair of speakers with an 8" coaxial driver and a robust 10" woofer in larger cabinets. The smaller speakers are great and have impressive bass, but the bigger speakers have that BIG sound. And they CRANK so much more without sounding strained. Good for parties. And the BASS! Bigger is better!

[@SpencleyDesignCo]

Milk - that outro with the "milk" clip was priceless! Great work on this one, Zac!

[@ZacBuilds]

I thought you might like that little Easter egg 😉 when it comes to your videos, I don't want to miss a single word due to poor quality speakers haha

[@wittworks]

Well now I’m thirsty 🥛

[@michaelkearns8733]

Probably the most accurate review of "better" speakers. Your ending monolog, "What I've learned from making my own speakers..........Yea, I made those and that's always going to be worth more that some small imperceptible sound quality." I think you're absolutely right.

[@mattieice2988]

Bro I've been an Audiophile for 40 Years! You should be so Proud of Yourself, Your Talent is Brilliant and Unparalleled. And I would buy any type of Speaker that you made Hands down all Day Long!!! Thank You for Sharing this Video with us Folks. To Thumbs up!! Respectfully Yours Ice Man

[@ZacBuilds]

Wow, thank you!

[@mattieice2988]

@@ZacBuildsYou Betcha

[@blakebrockhaus347]

I just want to say, I've loved your speaker videos. I work at an audio company and I can tell you those have the build quality of a several thousand dollar pair of speakers. As far as sound quality, diffraction from the lip around the outside will have a very large effect. But imo mdf vs hardwood isn't much of a difference. As long as the cabinet is sufficiently strong it doesn't matter. Mdf is used more often purely because it's cheap and dense. I would bet that the extra clarity is less from the added midbass, and more from removing the lip around the edge.

[@dustingallamy2897]

i just got the C Note speaker kit, haven’t gotten around to building them but can’t wait!

[@ZacBuilds]

Nice I love the look of those C notes. I'd definitely build a set of them at some point

[@AuribusAcoustics]

Beautiful set! Hopefully all the acoustic calculations were done well so the result sounds as good as they look.

[@Tunnelsnakes]

I hope you have a fanned heat distribution system built inside that TV stand for that AV receiver. Heat doesn’t redistribute itself out properly in that orientation and it’s just going to create a hotspot there on the wood, which is a potential fire hazard.

[@dustmaker1000]

Nicely done. As a side note, if you use mdf and you want to paint them to match some other components, use polyester filler such as Bondo to fill imperfections and end grain. Apply a thin coat and sand when dry. You will have a glass smooth surface on which to paint.

[@duroxkilo]

those look sweet. on your next set (and you know you're going to build more speakers, once you start it doesn't end :) ) use more drivers... the less work they have to do, the cleaner, distortion free the sound. for whoever is interested, when working w/ such small drivers nothing makes a difference really as long as the internal volume and port dimensions are adequate for your application. and by that i mean box material, bracing, stuffing density, etc. the greatest sound impact i would say is in matching the crossover points between the chosen drivers.

[@TheTruckDoesntRun]

Solid work Zac! Very nice!

[@donnygrahambuilds]

Nice build m'man! Love that allen key hack - been using it on flat box furniture for years ahah

[@ZacBuilds]

Ya its a life saver when it comes time to assemble Ikea furniture!

[@scoobtoober2975]

I'd suggest pilot hole then jig saw all the window braces. Hole sawing mdf is definitely binding and burning with the glue laden sawdust. Looks good

[@JasonGrissom]

Another awesome build Zac! They are a treat to the ears and eyes!! Wonder how they taste...🤔

[@ZacBuilds]

My guess, with all of that contact cement in them, not great hahaha. Thanks man, glad you could be there for the live chat and thanks for keeping the chat free of spam 😉

[@RobWhittlestone]

Great video! Idea: 3 feet are better than four to level them. All the best, Rob in Switzerland

[@adresc5391]

U got some serious skills. Awesome job

[@djambush360]

9:17 You're doing it 180° wrong: first heat up the wire/copper then put in the soldering tin. If there's enough tin take away the soldering wire but let the tip of the soldering iron stay for one or two seconds. This will give the tin a little time to set and makes a good connection. They are looking pretty nice and they seem to sound really good. Have you tried to change the left with the right speaker if this (tweeter position on the inner side) alignment sounds better/bader?

[@lespaulwylde]

Also those ceramic resistors are going to get hot if he drives the system, they should have been raised at least a 1\4" off the board. And for God's sake man, with all the tools you have, where the hell is your dead blow hammer?!!!!

[@dustmaker1000]

It looks like he did heat the wire and applied solder after it was heated. He already commented that he isn’t experienced in soldering so that perspective he did a good job

[@west.8105]

Great vid again! Nice build!!!!!

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Wes!

[@temperatechicken]

I've been using Rubio Monocoat on my latest projects (a desk and a laundry bench.) Not sure how suitable it would be for cabinetry or display pieces but road testing on my desk has proven it to be pretty durable (cos I'm an absolute mess and spill stuff all the time). I only did the specified single coat on both projects but I have heard that it can be layered on with some inbetween-coat prep for some extra sheen and protection.

[@miket2120]

What's even better looking than the regular hex socket screws are button head hex socket screws. While the regular socket screws look techie, the button heads have that plus look smooth. But these are machine threaded screws, so some kind of T-nut or threaded insert is needed. Oh, and if you're looking for a slightly steam punk look, they also come in brass. The "breathing tube", as it is commonly termed, or more accurately, a tuned port, is used in a bass reflex (as Zac made), to tune the resonant frequency of the box for the "best" bass response (output). The term "Q" of an enclosure is often mentioned. The Q of an enclosure can go from 0.5 to 1.0, with the lower number giving the least output but most accurate and tight bass, while 1.0 gives the most output but sloppiest bass. .707 is considered the best compromise of the range. While a .505 will sound a little thin, couple it with a well tuned subwoofer and you'll have power in the bottom plus tight mid bass. A .707 box with a sub will give a fuller sound with minimal adverse effects, while a 1.0 box+sub will be loud on the bass, but boomy and often one-note sounding. There are formulas (Called the Thiel/Small Parameters) and charts, and now apps for determining box Q and tuned port length let you decide what Q you want to have. Since Zac is using a kit, the port is made to the right diameter and length. Port diameter is also a factor: too small a port and you hear the port "breathing" (huffing) and too big and there isn't enough back pressure so the bass is loose. Port diameter is usually 1/3 of the bass driver diameter. A 8" diameter woofer will use a 2.6" dia port, but for practicality, you'd use a 2.5" PVC pipe. If you have two woofers, calculate out the total speaker cone area, convert that to a single cone area, and go 1/3 of that. Say you have two 6" woofers: each woofer is 29sq inches, so two would be 58sq inches, which is close to an 8" woofer, so your port would be 2.5" dia. The port can literally be anywhere on the enclosure, as long is there is no solid flat surface within 3 port diameters. The back is the most common as it's out of the way, but the front is used too, often on larger bookshelf speakers. A port opening can be sharp edged, like cut off PVC or can be rounded over, sometimes on both sides. The rounded over port edges streamlines the airflow and makes for a smoother sound, but in reality, this is really only a problem if you're a serious audiophile. But, a rounded out port gives a very finished look to the speaker. About the foam gasket on the drivers and often the terminal cups. They're there to create an airtight seal between the components they're on - important if you're making a seal enclosure but also good for all other enclosure types. If your speaker didn't come with any, anything from caulking (rather permanent) to craft foam sheets cut to size work very well. Craft foam also works well to make a speaker look better if you're unable to rout and flush mount the drivers - just use a 1/8" thick foam sheet with the holes cut out for the driver's outer frame over the front baffle. I used to work in home and car audio for many years and made a number of speakers from scratch, using preselected driver kits and cherry picking drivers and crossovers. I probably inhaled more than my fair share of MDF dust, so wear a respirator like Zac does!

[@JeremiahSpoon]

Just a heads up - you're going to burn your receiver out covering all the vent holes on the top like that. It may even cause a fire. There's a reason why the entire top of it is perforated.

[@ZacBuilds]

Are you sure?

[@JeremiahSpoon]

Yes. Seriously. There's a reason why the entire top of that device is perforated. The side holes are to pull air in and the top is where the heat leaves. At minimum you're risking burning the unit out. I'm not trying to come across at patronizing or rude. You didn't know, or you wouldn't have done it. I'm just warning you that you're really setting yourself up for serious problems if you leave that receiver mounted in that fashion. There's a reason why you've probably never seen that done before - and if, somehow, you have? That person didn't know what they were doing. Electronics need to breathe.

[@blakebrockhaus347]

@@JeremiahSpoon it depends. I can't find the specs on those, but assuming that he's not pushing the receiver then it won't generate much heat. As long as it's 8 ohms and closeish to 90 db sensitive, he shouldn't run any risks.

[@russellzauner]

@@blakebrockhaus347 lol don't ever put anything electric where the heat will catchpocket. AIRFLOW is always key in electronic devices unless it's SPECIFICALLY LABELED "fanless thing X". When there is NOT a fan, they will be specific, specifically because it's a specifically big deal. Forget a house fire, your reliability is going to be questionable and your operation is going to constantly be shifting the derating curve depending on where it's operating at which changes the operation of the device itself - except now it's not a controlled parameter which means you can get mystery "just won't work" and race conditions where you constantly trip your thermals (heat based fuses, to keep your stuff from literally catching fire), left scratching your head because every time you pull it open it looks fine and on the bench it works great, amazing even, but you haven't taken that data or run the tests through controlled stimulus that might push or trigger edge cases/boundary conditions, so you can chart and trend, observe, the degradation as it is occurring as well as watch it recover/heal as the input stimulus is backed off.

[@dreci3001]

@@ZacBuilds Yes sure, just dropped an Onkyo and a Yamaha, which had 4" on top and open back for repairs. A/V receivers need to breathe....and I run DIY LCR+S around 160W @ 4ohms. That receiver needs to breathe....I may suggest active cooling + passive heat sinks on several chips.

[@vikassm]

Its not the speakers, Its the music. Like you rightly said, even the best speakers in the world will sound "normal" after a few days or weeks. 'Audiophiles' spend way too much time fussing over equipment and too little time exploring the world of music. It was my first time listening to Iron Maiden's "Fear Of The Dark", recorded on tape, played on a chinese walkman replica, over a pair of really, really crappy earphones, on a smelly, crowded bus, on noisy streets, In India, no less. I was probably 13 or 14 at the time (1997-98?), and the experience was, in a word, Transcendental! I still get goosebumps remembering that experience! Over the next few months, I saved up enough doing odd jobs here and there to buy the cheapest 2.1 'intex' desktop speakers I could afford. Those speakers went into a concrete storage shed adjoining our home, the only place where I could play loud without bothering people. Far-from-ideal environment, least expensive speakers one could find. The thing had a ported 4 inch 'ported' subwoofer which would chuff its lungs outs at higher volume levels & 2" satellites which made the highs sound like a crazy donkey on adrenaline. BUT, the experience! I must have listened to heavy metal music for nearly 8 hours a day, weathering all forms of discomfort. Iron Maiden visited India (twice), It was a near-spiritual experience watching my favourite band play live in my hometown (Bangalore), with the crowd singing along even when Bruce stopped singing! I've attended almost every major rock concert in Bangalore ever since, and have come to appreciate live audio equipment. I have had access to much more expensive gear, lots of broken pro-audio stuff which I managed to repair, and finally DIY speakers including a full length line array (It stands 9ft 6" from floor to ceiling.) I find myself going back and forth between classical pieces & melodic heavy metal, but these days not much sounds all that 'incredible' anymore :) You can play back a piece of music with bit-perfect precision on a pair of speakers costing a million dollars, but your brain needs to construct a convincing alternate reality for that music to really WOW you. And that, my friends, cannot be bought for any price.

[@extrap51]

Nice job they look very nice, for future reference don’t put a screw or anything metal in the middle of the air core inductor.

[@JasonGrissom]

Even better the 2nd time around watching!! 🙌 Didn't realize you had Eric's video up the 1st time!!! 😂

[@ZacBuilds]

You wouldn't believe what I had to pay him in royalties for that clip 😂

[@JasonGrissom]

@@ZacBuilds I bet!!! 😂

[@hondayamaha3]

Simply beautiful

[@DIYAcoustic]

Крутой проект, дизайн как всегда на высоте.

[@bigbenms6]

I did OS tmm towers with os center and there is a dipole os surround speaker as well..... Look this series is NOT top tier quality sound.... But for the price it punches WAY WAY WAY above the price point and the pride in listening to them with friends and seeing their faces is worth the time and effort!

[@GT-Diaries]

Great DIY, look like Dynaudio speakers.

[@wittworks]

Love the broll. Great use of blurry foreground plants. Gimbal or slider? Well done.

[@ZacBuilds]

Would you believe me if I told you they were all handheld shots haha? I film them all at 120fps and then play them back at 24fps which gives it nice smooth motion. Gimbals and sliders require too much setup for me

[@wittworks]

@@ZacBuilds that’s great! Does your camera or lens have IBIS? I do the same. Shoot at 120 and interpret to 24.

[@russellzauner]

With all the talk about "venting", maybe we can use the speaker cone action to work like a heat pump and create the cabinet so it is self cooling when ever it is running. I can feel my legs get puffs of air when the woofer under my desk goes - now I know that those air puffs are not from air that was inside the subwoofer as no air actually moves (please see any of a number of subwoofer vent/diaphragm tests on YT) from point A to B but it's actually disturbance in the air from pressure waves being transmitted like ripples go outward from a stone in the pond. The water in the pond isn't going away from the stone, only the pressure waves. That air always feels cold for some reason, though - like the air that is isolated inside it is transferring its insulated coolness onto my leg. I'd like to do an experiment to see if those pressure waves can also take heat energy with them or if we have to actually literally move air to get the thermals to go the way we want them. An audio based chiller. hm.

[@deckers222]

good video!! the domo better al center of panel to reduce distortion. greetings from Lima Perú

[@austinadams8779]

Dog. I just want you to know you are living my dreams. Just building cool shit.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Austin! Doing my best to live my own dream haha. Cheers dude

[@leroyjiovanni8123]

If you want to archive nice deep sound from a small speaker then u should use passive radiator

[@911jason]

Great video! You are a good teacher and the production quality is really great. How did you attach your AVR to the bottom of your TV stand... and why? Did you do anything to mitigate the increased heat from blocking the main ventilation?

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Jason! To mount it like that I just disassembled it and screwed the top of the case to the underside of the entertainment unit. No additional cooling, I monitored it pretty closely at first, but its been like that for 4 years now and it doesn't even get warm to the touch so I'm not too worried about it

[@stephcint13]

There is one huge glaring issue in your audio setup, and it should be relatively easy to fix. As you probably know, the room is a huge factor. In your case, the issue is the large windows behind. Glass is highly reflective, in a bad way, and your speakers are back-ported. I'd go for heavy curtains and a bit more distance. Also, one of the speakers is a bit close to the corner or the room, you can add more stuff there to increase dispersion of the sound.

[@raymartlegaspi7716]

I like your video bro! keep it up! do more interesting diy speaker baffles/box.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks! Will do!

[@ramirezroyal]

Hey Zac, I do like you new speakers, but I feel like they don’t match you other ones. The center speaker, and Sun woofer. They have that nice lip around them! And white wood band going around them giving that a two tone wood finish. Also you should add the old ones to the back surround! Which I am sure you did! 5.1 sounds amazing! And if you have matching back ones already you can add them to the front again, but as your FHL / FHR, which go on the wall close to the ceiling! Or even turning your set up to 7.1 and add them to the sides.

[@ZacBuilds]

Hey James! Thanks. I hear you, maybe I'll redo the center at some point, but for now they'll have to do slightly unmatched and yes I'm definitely taking those old speakers and making them rear channels. Maybe in the future I'll do some front highs in the future.

[@ramirezroyal]

@@ZacBuilds glad to hear that! Please keep up the great work and I look forward to more videos!

[@science_religion]

​@Zac Builds Man I love the look of the receiver just floating like that! So clean that I had to watch to video a couple times looking for it! But I'll admit, I too am curious about how hot it is probably making that wood shelf. Are you running a little fan back there or something? Or just don't find it is an issue? By the way, those speakers look awesome! I think you nailed the DIY mantra- there's a pride in building something that can't be matched by purchasing some mass-produced item. Can I ask what the total cost of materials would be to build something like this myself?

[@PaperKhaos]

Fantastic build Zac! There was a really clear difference between the old- and new speakers, even over youtube. They just sounded warmer and more lively. Only criticism I would have would be the rear facing ports. If you're going to put them that close to the wall, front facing ports would be better for levels and quality.

[@ZacBuilds]

Appreciate the feedback! You dont think 6"-8" away from the wall is enough space for them to breath easily? Seems like at that point the port itself would constrict the air flow way more than the proximity to the wall would

[@PaperKhaos]

@@ZacBuilds Yeah, that seems like enough space. They're relatively small ports so the effect will be less noticeable. You could try moving them forward(or even backwards) and see if you hear a difference. It's not airflow you're worried about, it's air pressure. Putting ports close to the wall exaggerates the boundary effect, where you'll experience an increase in perceived bass levels at the cost of muddying your midrange. This is basically just distortion, so if you think they sound great then you've made a great set of speakers! If the Kinks taught us anything, it's that distortion can be good.

[@antonychandy5563]

lets goooo zac!!!

[@TerrellWillams]

Nice!

[@jackstraw1756]

You need to build a set of CSS Criton 1TD-X Kit, go with the audio upgrade.

[@dipankarroy1730]

Please share technical details of this project in another video.

[@theladyfingers___]

Very nice. Those black front plates are screaming for Tolex, though.

[@ZacBuilds]

Ha never heard of Tolex before, but after googling it that seems really cool. I like where your heads at

[@xerejuneseve6333]

Man your garage looks like Home Depot shop,nice.

[@altosack]

Good project overall; I have a few tips for anyone wanting to more or less duplicate this: 1. Instead of thick MDF and veneer, an easier build (OK, that might be debatable) without the smell would be to use 1/2" MDF for the interior box, and then build a 1/2" thick hardwood box on the outside. (This is probably overkill for such a small width and depth; 3/8" each is adequate if you want to save weight.) 2a. Install the tweeter in between the two midwoof drivers, placing them all as close as possible. This (called D'Appolito alignment) will improve the imaging by making it a single point source. 2b. If you want to get excessive, since you're already going to the trouble of having a separate driver board, recess the tweeter slightly relative to the mid-woofs so the distance from the source (the cones) to your ear is the same; this will add very slightly to the clarity in the crossover region. 3. Skip the port if you have a subwoofer; this will improve the power handling and lower-mid clarity. 4. Offset the three drivers (which are in a line as per #2) slightly from the centerline of the speaker box; this will spread out the frequency of the diffraction from the speaker face, reducing distortion slightly.

[@altosack]

@@nothinghere1996 - I assume you mean a transmission line speaker. No, I haven’t, but I plan to (probably not soon, though).

[@helo4460]

Hey there, very nice build ! Just discovered your channel. What kind of subwoofer chassi is that in your setup? I'm still looking for a suitable subwoofer for my setup and I love the copper design

[@thomasschafer7268]

Sehr guter Beitrag. In den 80ern hat man auch nicht massiv aus Holz gebaut. Wegen der Eigenresonanzen. Holz arbeitet auch immer. Es sei denn es ist wirklich trocken.

[@lucianodiaz5488]

Awesome stuff. Two quick questions: 1) Do you have a video on how to your SubWoofer, and 2) a video on your entertainment table? Thanks a lot.

[@jamegumb7298]

Concrete really is the ideal material for speakers, that and granite (there is 1 guy in Slovakia that made a pair, he will cut them for you on demand but not cheap plus you gotta find a way to ship em yourself). However, it is kinda heavy. Concrete plywood is a good second though, if not too large.

[@juststuff5216]

I preferred that old speakers!

[@sethh8892]

MDF is not fake wood, it's wood dust that is glued and pressure/ heat treated to be stronger in certain scenarios.

[@jimthvac100]

your speakers look nice; But you go with larger drivers like 12" woofers a midrange and tweeter or a wide angle compression driver with wave guide that does mid and tweeter frequencies you will love it. I am sure these are better than your first set but you still don't know what your missing.

[@JukeboxAlley]

So you don think the bookshelf models about 18 inches or so high and spaced right image better and are more musical all around? Or do the towers image good and have good instrument separation also? They do have the same sound signature is sounds like to me which is good, and they look really great.

[@matsler89]

The Dacron? Is not meant to dampen it is meant to slow the air down in the cabinet and make the internal volume larger than it actually is.

[@ZacBuilds]

No, it's meant to dampen. Look it up.

[@altosack]

In a sense, you're both right. It spreads the pressure waves (not the air per se, but this is pedantic), which effectively slows them down and this is dampening. This effect also makes the internal volume behave as if it's larger to the driver(s).

[@rhkips]

You never mentioned, what did you tune the cabinets to?

[@leroyjiovanni8123]

Bro it's normal those big speakers sounds louder and deeper cz they're using 2 drivers while the small ones are using 1 driver that's why. But great video

[@mohammadwasilliterate8037]

Look nice and slim😍

[@thestone8583]

What did you do for your center channel? Looking to make the same one. Thanks

[@ZacBuilds]

I did a whole video about the center channel, you can check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4faY5l7nJhmj80

[@2likruesco768]

Now send your creation to a channel like Andrew Robinson for a review. That would make a cool collaboration.

[@SchysCraftCo.]

As always very good video. Very nice job explaining everything as always Zac. They turned out very unique and beautiful design. Hopefully you get great use out of them for many years to come my friend Zac. Can't wait to see more videos soon my friend. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friend Zac. Keep Making. God Bless.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thank you so much Jared! I'm already loving how they sound and look in my living room so I have no doubt that I will continue to get years and year of great use out of them. Thank you for watching and the kind words as always my friend :)

[@SchysCraftCo.]

@@ZacBuilds your very welcome my friend. That's great to hear. Enjoy. God bless.

[@PexiTheBuilder]

Totally good allen key ruined, only because cant screw 16 screws by hand?

[@philng4849]

Forget about the speakers, no one even questioning the way he mounted the receiver at the bottom of the tv stand. That receiver is going to die early due to over heat, and or will also burn the house down at the same time. Bad decision.

[@ZacBuilds]

Tell you what, if it burns down my house, I owe you a coke. If not, you owe me a coke.

[@blakebrockhaus347]

It depends on how hard he pushes it. If the speakers are easy to drive, then no worries. And given that these should be easier than the bookshelves, I assume he'll be fine.

[@Luke-qs2cg]

You should have put the tweeters to the inside instead, otherwise, great stuff!

[@Justwantahover]

Is there any acoustic reason to offset the tweeters, or is it just style?

[@altosack]

If you angle the speakers in towards you, there is little difference. However, with speakers parallel to the wall and each other, with the listener off axis, the difference in acoustic distance will cause slight smearing, especially in the crossover region. It's best to place the tweeter inline with the two midwoofers, actually in between them; this (called D'Appolito alignment) will improve the imaging slightly by making it seem like all frequencies are coming from a single point source. All three drivers should be offset slightly from the midline axis of the speaker face to reduce diffraction distortion slightly; for style, it's usually towards the inside.

[@michaelrobinson9643]

Still burning your way through hole cutouts Zac :P

[@niko5514]

Awesome video. The lack of voice clearity in regards to your old speaker could have a lot of reasons. Bad Crossover Point, one woofer, edge diffraction of the old design. Your conclusion bigger speaker is better is therefore wrong.

[@lunchboxjoeb]

nice speakers... but you should have used the router on the windows braces as well

[@Justwantahover]

8:17 I use small drops of hot glue so I can remove components in case I want to swap them over.

[@meperson]

Very nice build and great video going just enough into the details. MDF and veneer is very standard way of building speakers and produces great results. One advice, for pressing veneer during glue up you need max pressure and roller is not the best. Veneer makers recommend using edge of the soft wood plank rounded to 1/8 or you can use plastic carpet tucker.

[@ZacBuilds]

Very cool! Thank you for the tip and the kind words.

[@admoladegz2826]

Hello, am new here... Where do you get your speaker components from?

[@RogerBergqvist]

Nice speakers. The build cost?

[@chakireladraoui9331]

Good

[@Mark_Wood]

what a fantastic build. I want to try this myself!

[@ZacBuilds]

It's a ton of fun Mark! Speaker builds are always some of my favorites to do. Fun to make and you get a functional device you can use for many, many years

[@pietrorudas3290]

All of that is fantastic... But, there is a little problem: the crossover is not designed starting from the measurements of the speaker's frequency response in the box, and this makes the crossover working not in the best way for these particular pair of speakers

[@veeds161]

Protect your eyes from that soldering smoke

[@Robinwidjaya]

May i know ur stand(spike) buy from?

[@garrettparmenter938]

Well done build. May need to finally build a pair myself. Well done finished product. I too dream of a 5.1 settup.

[@ZacBuilds]

Thanks Garrett!

[@outerheaven1000]

them standmounts wouldn't go to waste either. as you can use them as surrounds

[@iNDOmOTO1]

Larger speakers are better depending on what applications you intend to use it for , but they do have better more natural sound compared to smaller ones

[@user-np3bh7id9i]

HIVI Swans very good👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@mazuroo]

Did you take into account the Thiells Small parameters of the drivers for the internal volume? How did you determine the crossover parameters? Is this running 2 and a half way? What does the frequency and phase response look like? How much power are you using to drive the speaker and at what load? If the intent is to just have fun building something at home, awesome! But realize there is a TON of actual physics that needs to be adhered to (no matter what Bose says... hah)

[@daskadse769]

These, much like the standard Overnight Sensation speakers, are proven designs by Paul Carmody, so from a speaker design standpoint I doubt there is much to criticize. You can find all details, including plans, crossover design (yes, it is 2.5 way), and simulated SPL, phase and impedance plots. Also, I'm pretty sure they're aware of the complexity of speaker design, looking at how they pointed out their mistakes from building the original Overnight Sensations.

[@jasomkovac9115]

Ha, nice dig at bose. Have an old set of 901's hanging around, not a bad sound if done correctly. But the rest of the line up is shit. Guess they figured 1 good product and the name is good to sell crap. Just give it bass and ppl think it's great.

[@ZacBuilds]

Exactly right. Also Paul stopped by to say how much he enjoyed this video and the end result which was really nice.

[@seselapaz]

How thick is the MDF?

[@gionjasplaza3743]

Do a Gibson guitar sunburst airbrush next time.

[@jayracz701]

This guy sounds kinda like Kermit the frog at times. I dig it.

[@wesfrance48]

Next build can you do a record player please.

[@ZacBuilds]

Hehehe funny you should say that, just got those parts in the mail 😉 might be a month or two before I get to it though, I've got a good backlog of builds to do

[@wesfrance48]

@@ZacBuilds I'll be looking forward to that. I haven't found a good tutorial on how to build one yet.

[@LegendaryJonesy]

They look fantastic, but I didn't see anything about cabinet volume and displacement for your drivers. I'm sure they work fine, but if you're trying to optimize you really should have the specific amount of space the speaker is designed for in the cabinet.

[@robertszarek6425]

This is a well known speaker design by Paul Carmody. Im sure Zac has kept the dimensions unchanged from original design. The little bit of extra volume added by the external front baffle wouldn make any significant difference.

[@90210sky]

awesome craftmnshi quality, but speakers cabinets MUST have a specific internal air volume, specific dimentions, specific port size and length. A calculated emclosure will sound way way better, is not something "barely percibable". Youll be amazed with the difference.

[@ZacBuilds]

these do have a specific internal air volume

[@colaoliver1587]

I've been a professional woodworker for 30 years in large, high end architectural millwork shops. YOU NEVER USE CONTACT CEMENT FOR VENEER!!! Contact does NOT dry to a hard film line. Thus the veneer is NOT firmly attached to the base work and there will be creep as the two different materials experience expansion and contraction due to moisture changes through out the year. For paper back or 2 ply veneer roll out yellow glue evenly. apply veneer, cover surface with brown paper and plywood clamped down with strong backs. Or for unbacked veneer and the above, use heat activated adhesives that you roll on to both surface, let dry, put together and use and an iron and J roller to heat glue rollout the glue line. Custom veneer companies use heat activate glues that come in sheets. The veneer panel is put into an electrostatic heat press to melt the glue. NOTE: if you use contact with unbacked veneer, and you use a lacquer finish, the lacquer will soften the contact and the veneer will bubble. Zac, do your homework before give out advice.

[@pan_alkoholowy]

I'm preety sure you have connected them wrong if you get dialogue from those new side speakers. When playing at least 5.1 audio that even tv shows have now the dialogues should be heard from the center channel only.

[@antsanpr]

18:26 ready to SEE how these speakers SOUND ?

[@jp1310]

What was the solder station you bought yourself ?

[@ZacBuilds]

It's this guy here: amzn.to/3HGoKYo

[@jp1310]

@@ZacBuilds thanks.

[@K.B.designco.]

Great video! If you were doing it again does the MDF make enough difference sound wise that you'd accept the difference in looks?

[@PaperKhaos]

If you use a veneer to cover up the MDF like he did, there's really no perceptible difference in looks

[@ZacBuilds]

That's a great question and honestly I'm not sure that I would. I thought the MDF would be easier and cheaper too, but it turned out to be more expensive (once you factor in the cost of the glue, veneer and MDF combined) and more time consuming than just using a hardwood. I dont think I have ears tuned accurately enough to hear the difference either.

[@ZacBuilds]

I wouldnt say there's no appreciable difference, I could spot a veneered speaker from across the room, but there's VERY little difference. And most non-woodworking people would never know the difference.

[@ShaggyCorman]

All that high-end woodworking equipment, yet no equipment to design a proper crossover? It's impossible to design a crossover specifically for a diy build without first measuring how the speakers behave with the enclosure you built. Sure a predesigned crossover will sound ok, but it won't sound great. I also suggest putting the crossovers below the ports so the heat and vent out the openings. Those ceramic resistors can get pretty hot and their values will change as they heat up, thus changing the behavior.

[@warriordrum]

Pro tip----contact cement it ridiculously expensive and too hard to work with. Use wood glue allowed to tack up and a fair amount of clamps.

[@dustmaker1000]

In addition, contact cement has a limited shelf life. If you use it, only buy what you need for the project. If you need a quart, buy a quart. Don’t buy a gallon figuring you will have it for the next project. The next time you use it, the old stuff may work but it might not adhere as well, so buy it fresh each time to improve odds of a successful installation

[@mauserkk98]

They look nice ,you built them from a plan .

[@aerball]

If you are measuring high quality components against others in the same bracket, bigger speakers are almost always better.