Transmission Line Build | Making the MLTL-6 Speaker | SB Acoustics | DIY plans available.

[@NeilBlanchard]

I want to thank you for doing all this work! To not only build things accurately and beautifully - but also video the whole thing (and edit it, etc) - you have all the *skills* man! I should mention that you used the series crossover in your build, that is a elegant old-school way of doing the crossover. It has better efficiency (because nothing is shunted to ground), and has a more even impedance, so it is easier to drive, and is better for any amp, but especially for tube amps. I do also include a parallel crossover in the build manual, which allows you to use 2 pairs of binding posts for bi-wiring or bi-amping; and it has ever so slightly smoother response in the crossover region. If you have questions about the MLTL-6 design or building it, my email is on my website.

[@sonnoradesign]

Thanks Neil! It was my pleasure!! I’m really happy with the results. I’m glad you are here so the guys have access to the designer!!

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@sonnoradesign I am happy to answer questions!

[@hughblack3456]

Neil, perhaps this is a question better directed to you since you are the designer. I'm a little puzzled at to why you have the terminus of the transfer line pointing to the rear of the speaker when the idea is to change the phase of the rear reflection and redirect it in order to reinforce the front facing woofer. Intuitively I would think it would be directed the other way. Most transmission line designs I've looked at are that way. Thanks!!

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@hughblack3456 The phase is determined by the distance away from the woofer on the outside of the cabinet. Bass is nearly omnidirectional, so outside the cabinet it radiates outward in a "sphere". So in Hornresp, the 3D acoustic model has that path dimension. I located it on the back so it was closer to the back wall as well as the floor, to get a bit more room lift.

[@travishall9398]

BEST DAY EVER!!

[@sonnoradesign]

What’s up Travis?? Thanks for watching my friend!

[@koolmint]

Finally! I've been long waited for this video! I strongly urge you to post once a week.

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Ethan!! Man, I can’t wait to do that. Hope I can make this my job one day! Let’s grow this channel!

[@mokhammadheru4052]

Best day ever greetings from indonesia ,the place where SB Acoustic originates 🤣🤣

[@sonnoradesign]

Yeahhhh! That’s what I’m talking about! Great drivers right?

[@chevyimp5857]

Sweet tunes with this entertaining and informative video... Thanks

[@sonnoradesign]

Thanks Chevy!!

[@chevyimp5857]

Mmmmm. Looking super neat.

[@sonnoradesign]

Thanks my friend!!

[@HomeTheatre101]

Great video! Big fan of Transmission Line speakers, Currently rebuilding a pair of DCM’s! ✅🍿

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey there!! Thanks for watching!! Sounds good!

[@HomeTheatre101]

@@sonnoradesign Thanks for the reply! Hoping to build some TL speakers with SB Acoustic Drivers next but have never made anything custom as far as that goes. Fingers crossed I can find someone to team up with on making it happening lol. Looking forward to your next video! Happy listening 🔊

[@RanTausi]

You are the best ❤ period, I am so in love with your content.

[@sonnoradesign]

Thanks for watching Ran. Good to hear!

[@diogoavellar7127]

Well done Bernardo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@sonnoradesign]

Woohoo!!! Total style!!!

[@bertmacdonald337]

That was the best day EVERRRRRRRR ! Awesome build Bernado, the devil is very much in the detail, thanks again !

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Bert!! Thanks my friend! It really is right?! I wanted to make a longer video with more “Deeetails” ha

[@bertmacdonald337]

@@sonnoradesign I saw Randy`s review and you can`t beat them for less than five hundred bucks! Take it easy mate, summer is a commin! Except down under, we`ve just moved into winter. Brrrrr.😒❄❄❄

[@sonnoradesign]

@@bertmacdonald337 Does it get cold there? Ha. Never been. Yup, it’s a great DIY project. I really recommend! Hi end stuff.

[@Thode-R]

SB drivers are werry good. Good materials alsow. This will play good

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Thode. Thanks for watching. They do sound great!!

[@Thode-R]

@@sonnoradesign i have the SB-34NRX75-6 dual subbwoofers

[@NeilBlanchard]

Both these drivers perform way better than one might imagine. They have *very* smooth and extended response.

[@sonnoradesign]

@@Thode-R I was really happy with SB Acoustics!

[@Thode-R]

@@NeilBlanchard oh yes. Shal we name the phenomena DiFi? The Danes always did good in drivers and sutch

[@ashleysolomon246]

Yes!! Finally!!! Amazing build, as usual.

[@sonnoradesign]

Thank you Ashley!!

[@TomZelickman]

I bet they sound as amazing as they look! Glad to see them finished and looking forward to your next projects.

[@sonnoradesign]

What’s up Tom! Thanks man. They sound good yes. It’s real!! Ha

[@stendari07]

After this I have to desing my own TML's cause I have so much drivers. Thanks for the great vids!

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey there!! Yup. Let’s do more TL’s!! I love it.

[@BostonMike68]

Cool I was wondering if you were coming back. I finally finished my best speaker ever

[@sonnoradesign]

Yeah!!! I'm Back man! Working! How is your speaker?

[@BostonMike68]

@@sonnoradesign it sounds amazing. I'm very happy. I have a 10" rs270p-4a with a rfs 28 silk dome. I made it heavy. .5 MDF and adhered.75 oak on top and looks beautiful and sounds great. I had to cross it over low for beaming and I used a 3 order crossover and the woofer and the tweeter and my frequency tests everything was flat. I did a lot of testing the crossover it took a long time to get it where I wanted but it's a nice speaker . I just got another box of speakers parts for a new one. I have a disease. Nice to see you back my friend.

[@jimr3510]

Will you show testing and crossover design? That’s the part I most look forward to. I used your design with the Rabbet router bit and 2inch round over on the outside and a 1 3/8 for the baffle. I like the look a lot. Keep em coming. Jim

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@jimr3510 My method for designing the crossover, was to use a miniDSP 2x4 HD and a pair of stereo amps - a digital crossover that you can test virtually every slope and crossover frequency. Once I listened this way for a few months, I measured the driver response and the speakers, and then designed an analog crossover that got the same response. And then there were a couple of revisions, after that.

[@sonnoradesign]

@@jimr3510hey Jim. I’m wanna show the crossover install at some point. Trying to make some time to edit.

[@rtacconi]

i love so much your videos

[@sonnoradesign]

Thanks for watching!! I love making them!

[@mikeal369]

I love your videos. Awesome woodworking skills with personality, great work!

[@sonnoradesign]

Thanks Mike!! Good to hear!

[@renevanderbruggen731]

Thanks for making & sharing this video - definitely a source of inspiration. love your channel - pls keep posting !

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Rene!! Thanks for watching my friend! I’ll keep going.

[@mauserkk98]

Love it ,more please !.

[@sonnoradesign]

I’ll keep it coming!!!

[@gerardpastorelli4389]

So cool.....you are so fun during the build that's cool. You must built one pair with French Kartesian speakers, they are absolutely tremendous, i did one biblio with the 4 Inch sub and twt30 with horn.....so amazing. Try it.......with fun !

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Gerard! Thanks for watching. I’ve seen some designs with the kartesian drivers. One day, who knows. They look great!!!

[@gerardpastorelli4389]

@@sonnoradesign Looks great and sound .......OMG.....

[@ferryvandijk3008]

Like your video's. I would like to see you built a floorsrander with the Markaudio CHR-120 Gold single driver. Tl or vented. Somting like the sibelius.

[@sonnoradesign]

I’d love to make that!! I like those CHRs and the “Eames” speaker I made in the channel plays pretty well with those. Stay tuned cause I just got a pair of Alpair 12PW. Let’s see!

[@navinadv]

@@sonnoradesign or a taller speaker like Pearl’s Sibelius? Using the MAOP7?

[@sonnoradesign]

@@navinadv Haha. I’m gonna start saving now! I’d like to try those for sure

[@genobisceglia5629]

Great video!!! Great speakers!!! :)

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Geno! Thanks my friend.

[@NeilBlanchard]

Thanks, Geno!

[@mikerhodes9198]

I swear I was getting withdrawal symptoms waiting for part two. I love this design with the 'small details'. I was going to shout - you forgot the crossover design but then I remembered this is a paid plan so I forgave you. But if you could show us a frequency sweep 20 to 20 just so we can see what it looks like that would be appreciated. This was a great project. Thanks for sharing.

[@sonnoradesign]

Hahaha! Hey Mike!! Man, don’t worry, I’m planing the crossover assemble video and some frequency response curves as some comparison but you are right, I can’t just post this design online cause it’s not mine.

[@desolusi3483]

Very good video sir, thank you

[@sonnoradesign]

Thank you for watching! 😎

[@carsandstuff711]

How do you like the sound of these compaired to the Elegante's reference speakers?

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey there! Thanks for watching! I was working on the elegante and listening to them again. I love those drivers. It sounds pretty good, detailed and the highs are surprisingly clear, crisp and defined. Lows are good but the MLTL-6 bass sound better overall. The Reference woofer moves a lot to play lower bass which is much more controlled on the MLTL-6. The MLTL-6 woofers play effortless and can handle more power. Soundstage works good on both, but MLTL-6 wins for ambience and definition. The Transmission Line makes a good difference for mids and lows.

[@MrPicoli]

Put your face on the thumb nail. I was in a rush today but if I identified you better I would have watched it earlier. Keep the good work, I love what you do...

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Mr Picoli! Thanks for the input. I need different faces on the pics, they all look the same haha!

[@wrongIQ]

Everything is great, no joke. But is it a quarter wave TL?

[@NeilBlanchard]

In this case, I used a 3D audio modeling program called Hornresp to design the mass loaded transmission line cabinet. The cabinet is tuned to use the backwave of the woofer - the fundamental frequency of this speaker is 32Hz.

[@wrongIQ]

@@NeilBlanchard Thanks for the reply! I also love Hornresp! It's an ultimate piece of software! So If I understand you right - by using the filling we slow the soundwave to fit the quarter wave length into shorter path?

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@wrongIQ The polyfil is part of it - another more sophisticated part of what is lowering the tuning, is moving the woofer away from the closed end of the TL. This is allowing the sound wave to reflect into the closed end, and then back out; effectively doubling that length. With the poly fil in this area, its effect is doubled, too. Another key factor is the tapering of the sectional area of the TL - this also adds to the effective mass. So there are as I understand it, these 3 factors that are together making the TL act "longer", and lowering the fundamental frequency of the speaker. The SB Acoustics SB16PFC25R-4 driver has an Fs of 35Hz. The recommended sealed enclosure for it has an F3 of 80Hz, and the lowest tuned ported enclosure has an F3 of 50Hz. My MLTL-6 enclosure has a fundamental frequency of 32Hz.

[@wrongIQ]

@@NeilBlanchard Thanks for your detailed and informative reply! Now it seems clear! I always thought that shifting the speaker towards the exit by e.g. 1/3 is meant to suppress the "third mode" (sorry, english is not my native tongue, I am not sure how to name it correctly). By the way, there is data (and also my experience) that if one use the tube without tapering it will surprisingly lower the Fs of the speaker. And let me also mention than based on my experience and personal tastes I prefer to use as little damping as possible. But it is just my way of doing things

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@wrongIQ I think it does that, as well. The dropout/trough in the bass response was the main breakthrough of this design change, I think. And yes, you can get mass loading without tapering the TL, but depending on the driver, you can possibly get more mass loading with a taper, and you can get even lower fundamental frequencies with more taper. The issue is you get an "exponential" increase in air velocity at the terminus - the rule of thumb that I got from experts, is

[@navinadv]

Just one question: why was the port of the TL saved to the end? Wouldn’t it be easier to make the post before the back was installed?

[@sonnoradesign]

I use the inside walls as a guide for the router. Makes it easier and more precise. Thanks for watching!!

[@SettlersCoveLtd]

In your opinion, what’s the best speaker for hi-fi and home Cinema

[@sonnoradesign]

Man. I have been using my CHR-Towers to watch movies and listen to music as well. If you are looking for a versatile speaker I’d say, B&W, KEF, Focal, I like those so far and I think they are good buyable options.

[@hughblack3456]

Sir, you are an artist, a master craftsman and an eccentric genius! Your videos are informative and your presentation style is unique (to say the least 😉😆). I'm a little puzzled at to why you have the terminus of the transfer line pointing to the rear of the speaker when the idea is to change the phase of the rear reflection and redirect it in order to reinforce the front facing woofer. Is this REALLY and improvement over a tuned port design? You didn't demonstrate them.🙁 Thanks for sharing your hard work and craftsmanship with us mere mortals, Deus!👍

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Hugh. Thanks my friend. I’ve seen you talked with Neil about this design! That’s great!

[@wattspeakers]

Pretty cool videos! Good filming, editing and audio. The upbeat music and comical moments you leave in are fun and kept my attention. Good job on the speakers I can tell you know your craft well. I didn't see them crossovers... Did I miss them? Also, curious: is the stretched steel holding the poly fill in there with just 2 screws or did you firm it up some? I think I would've flipped the channel shape you made, or made it a Z shape and attached it to the back panel. The transmission line looks like a P.I.T.A. to make, and the box is quite large for the size of the driver. What are your thoughts on the design and added time and cost? Is it worth it, or could you have achieved similar results with sealed or ported? Last question... What was the in room response on the stands? Again, excellent job on the video and the build. Thanks in advance for a reply.

[@sonnoradesign]

Hello there! Thanks for watching. The metal grilles hold the polyfil with those 2 screws but the back plate help to keep it in place. I’ve noticed a difference on the way the driver behaves on the transmission line. I don’t think a ported or closed box would give this result. Mids and lows are very detailed and the driver don’t really move that far to provide low bass. It really works.

[@wattspeakers]

@@sonnoradesign Thank you for the reply! I will add a transmission line design to my bucket list. Time to study and research it like you said ;-)

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey there. You should try Neil’s MLTL-6. Connect with him, he’s a nice guy.

[@adamdjd7882]

Hey mate, I just have another question. For my next speaker I’m building I’m going for a vintage 3 way design. I want to make it out of plywood to keep costs down, it at the same time I want rounded edges on the baffle for diffraction purposes. I don’t want exposed pine layers on the edges, how do I go about making ( presumably) dressed pine edges blend with the veneer on the ply?

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Adam. Thanks for watching my friend! If you are using plywood on the sides I’d suggest making a wide “edge band”, at around 1 inch and glue it to the plywood. Try and match the grain then round the edges. Another way would be to use a hardwood front baffle only and glue the front baffle to the box and they will cover the plywood edges.

[@adamdjd7882]

Awesome video mate! Can I ask, is there a standard size router bit one should use while using that circle jig? I have the same one and assume using different size bits will increase/ decrease the size of the cut out

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey Adam! Thanks for watching!! Yup man. To keep it right you need a 1/4 in bit or around 6 mm. If you increase the size it changes the jig measurements. Link for the jig is on the description.

[@NeilBlanchard]

"...arguably the best speaker kit available" - Cheap Audio Man

[@Nightjar726]

Are their any advantages to a ported bass reflex speaker vs a MLTL speaker? Are MLTL weaker in the midbass? Great video

[@sonnoradesign]

Hey there! Actually, the MLTL configuration lowers the cone excursion and still produces a lot of low bass. The mid bass is great as well, very articulated, image is impressive. That’s a great design. I wanna make more MLTL’s.

[@OscarHernandez-ym4hx]

Where do I apply to win these speakers. Is there a sound test video.

[@sonnoradesign]

Haha. Hi Oscar. Those are not on a contest yet. I might do a sound comparison with some of my builds! Great idea!!!

[@ReidDrouin]

How much polyfill did you use??thanks

[@sonnoradesign]

Hmm. I don’t quite remember. It’s in the Manual though. Do you have it?

[@vaf3614]

Much props, your videos are super interesting and you are avery nice person to watch! I have a question to ask: I want to build a 2 way bookshelf speaker, do you prefer the combination of a (midbass) woofer and a tweeter or a (sub)woofer and some broadband drivers? I do not want to spend much more than 200$ on those two drivers together.

[@sonnoradesign]

Hello there. I like the sub and fullrange combination but I have to say that a 6 inch woofer and tweeter might be easier to make the crossovers and tune it right. Wait a little cause I’m working on a new speaker, CHP 70 fullrange and W-5 subwoofer. Video coming soon.

[@danglyreprap4206]

150$ for a sheet of plywood...that broke my heart.

[@sonnoradesign]

Right?! Birch or maple multi plywood. Not easy hehe

[@sonhouse9636]

hi and thanks, no measurements ?

[@word2RG]

3:35 yikes

[@sonnoradesign]

Hahah! Right!!

[@C-man553]

At least you’re not unbearably obnoxious.

[@sonnoradesign]

Hahah. Uff, that’s a relief!! Thanks for watching Dave

[@bent540]

if those speakers are just half as good as these vids..... :)

[@sonnoradesign]

haha! Right?! Thanks Bent!