Jump to content

Placing RF7s and RC7 and subs in larger cabinet, how does it affect the overall sound?


m00n

Recommended Posts

I have been toying with the idea of builing a stage/cabinet for my theater and putting my front speakers in it. Imagine something along the line of the picture

1202red.1.jpg.

Thus my question, how would building a cabinet something like that affect the sound? I like the clean look of somthing like this, but would not want to risk degrading the sound...

Any thoughts from you guys?

Thanks

Rick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doug, nah I just don't see myself putting THAT much time and enegry into my room. I want to create do a nice looking room, but I suspect I won't be going all out like that.

Anyway, how much room do you suspect the speakers would need to breath? And how about the subs? What would the sound degration be? What exactly is the port on the back of the speaker for anyway?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

mOOn - I'll have to let others with better experience with rear-ported devices advise you on the particulars of placement.

The ports, as everyone with pets and rodents knows, provide ready access to a great place to hide and nest for the little varmints.

Speakers are either sealed or ported, with variations such as passive radiators. When not acting as a doorway to their little homes, the ports provide an "exhaust pipe" if you will for the pressure created in the cabinet by the woofer/subwoofer. Sealed subs, for example, have to be extremely well braced to contain the internal pressure that is created when the driver gets a-thumpin'. That accounts for a lot of the weight in many subwoofer designs. Others, such as the SVS design, are ported and do not build up any internal pressure.

DD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So it seems to me that as long as I build a cabenit that gave the speaker about an inch of room on all sides including the rear, sounds to me that I should be fine. That afterall would not trap the port right?

In reality, there would be more than an inch on the sides because I would need to make the cabenit enclosure wide enought to allow for toeing in the speakers a bit.

I think my biggest concern would be my subs, there would be no way for the rear driver on those RSW's to fire up against a rear wall. It would almost seem as though I would have to not build the cabenit directly up against the wall, but rather leave a about a 2 inch gap or something between the cabenit and the wall for the subs waves to travel up the wall and out towards the seating... yes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moon,

I have put my RC-7 in a cabinent with my television. I notice that there is quite a difference in sound when panning across the front soundstage with this setup. I expected the sound to be more consistent between the RC-7 and RF-7's; hence, I basically attributed the difference to the effect of the cabinent. It is a major pain in the a** to take the RC-7 out of the cabinent just to see if there is an improvement, so it is just going to stay there.

If you mount you speakers in an enclosure, will the motor board be flush, or close to alignment, with the wall? If so, I believe you will alter the sound field somewhat around the speaker (not even considering the effect on the rear ports). I think I remember a discussion of the effect of the motor board on sound somwhere on this board. Maybe somebody with more experience can comment on this.

I don't think I would do it.

-PB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would find out how many cubic inches of air the speakers displace at its loudest, deepest volume and figure to give at least 150% that around the speaker. I have had the experience that when a speaker is properly placed in a cabinet it actually gets a little boost in the lower frequencies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

moon, i'd think you want at least 6" clearance minimum behind the ports. i've heard that 2 ft or more is better yet in most cases, but w/ my 30 towers i can only go as far as 7" w/ my space.

you also need to take into account the integrity of the holding cabinets (rattle prevention) & how well the speakers are anchored to the floor by way of the holding cabinets. just for cosmetics, it would be too much work &/or expense for me besides the fact it could sound worse.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ya, I am not totally sold on the idea, I just like the clean look, but at the same time, I had no plans on hiding the surrounds or rear. Thus negating the idea in the first place.... Maybe I will just build a small 6" stage floor for everything to sit on instead. Will be easier and I don't have to worry about altering my sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moon,

I maybe missing something here.If you want to know the effect of no rear clearance- move you RF-7's against the wall now and listen, then move them out and sit in your sweet spot and listen. Know I like more than 12" space behind mine... better low end in 2-channel.

Why would you even want to hide these beauties?They sure look purty with grills off, their veneer shining,diaphrams pulsing, filing your soul with sweet music- even when your eyes are closed!1.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

sunbeam64

You are correct they are pretty with their grills off. However, I kinda like the idea of hiding them to make the room more elegant. However, considering I really don't have much options for hiding my surrounds, I may not do anything. However, I have toyed with the idea of hiding my surrounds in custom made pillars. What I would do is create a piller that was the exact same shape as the RS7s and my RC7 rear. They would be hollow and wrapped in the same material as the grills are now. My wife works for an Alpaca ranch, I though about stuffing it with Alpaca fleece. I was told that sheeps wool makes a great stuffing for damping material. I have 4 side surrounds and 1 rear, that would give me a total of 5 pillars that would work as bass traps.

Eh... Ideas ideas ideas...

Oh and that was a good idea sticking them directly against the wall to see how they would sound in an enclosure.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK moon. How about this? Instead of a formal "cabinet", why not just let there be a large cavity(s), space for the speakers, underneath and/or to the sides of the screen that are simply covered with acoustically transparent (for all practical purposes) grill(s) (panels) that can easily be removed. I'm thinking something like the way you can pull the grills off the speaker fronts, but instead these cavity grill(s) are sort of like cabinet doors with fabric instead of wood. Just leave the space behind them open as they normally are.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

artto

your actually right on track with what I was thinking. However I can't do this anyway. I am flipping my equipment around as far as placement of everything. I will have a door right by each front speaker and literally I will be having to tip the speaker out of my way to get in and out of the door as it is. *UGH*8.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...