Blasphemy......or is it Heresy (II) ?

[ScorpsFan]

Ok, I know under normal circumstances placing a speaker inside of a cabinet is not the best idea, however that was the compromise (read, WAF) for getting a custom entertainment center built and putting the finishing(?) touches to both my home theater and 2-Channel systems.

Now that I have gone and done it, I am looking for your experiences or suggestions on properly placing my Heresy II's inside of column cabinets and my KLF C-7 in a cabinet over the projection TV.

Anyone use sorbothane pads or feet under their speakers? Use any sound deadening materials for reflection problems (minimized I hope due to sealed speaker cabinets)or other pitfalls I should be aware of?

I should also say that the cabinets have doors which have been routed out to form integral speaker grills to avoid secondary vibration.

Thanks

[ScorpsFan]

Ok, I can only surmise that:

a- I'm in the wrong part of the Forum for an answer

b- No one has ever placed speakers inside of an entertainment center this way before

or c- I've somehow offended the sensibilities and good taste of the Gods of the Audiophiles

In any event, while I had hoped to learn from others, I will proceed with my own trial and error and if anything I learn is helpful to someone else contemplating this type of set-up, they need only ask.

Thanks

RW

[dodger]

Hi Scorps:

The first thing that I would ask is have you done much listening to notice any problems?

Sorbethane can stain.

A Member, Coytee, found blocks similar to those with cork in the Center at a very low cost.

If you have Heresys, rather than Heresy IIs, with the metal horns, using rope caulk or Dyna-Mat on the Mid and High metal sections will help. Bracing the cabinet by liquid nailing 1x2s all the way around is a help with resonance. A piece on the back-board is good also.

Win

[ScorpsFan]

Dodger-

Thanks for the info, currently still in the set-up stage, I was trying to get a "leg-up" on everything before committing to the final placement and wiring.

As always I appreciate your input.

Bob

[colterphoto1]

I tried this with a built in at my brother's house. Dismal failure. In our situation, we were spanning two steel posts in a basement by building a 2x4 and drywall entertainment system around them. We custom build 3/4" plywood boxes to house the components and speakers. It looked very nice.

However it sounded horrible. I think the problem is the bass vibrations emanating from the sides and back of the speaker cabinet are not allowed to 'breathe' normally into the room. Instead they are trapped in whatever box you have constructed and then resonate. In our case the enclosures were probably 2-3" larger than the speakers in all directions. It sounded boomy, tubby, hollow.

If I did it again, I'd first experiment with a speaker inside a secondary enclosure (before going through all the cabinet-making). Try tighter made-to-fit size, stuff with polyfill, etc. I think the key is to trap those other vibrations somehow. Isolating the feet isn't going to be enough.

Good luck, let us know how it works out. Guys are constantly being asked to accomplish this, it'd be nice to know how to do it so it sounds good.

Michael

[ScorpsFan]

Thanks Michael,

This is a free standing unit of solid oiled walnut, no plywood or MDF, with the option of removing the cabinet rears if necessary. They were made custom by a local company who does this type of set-up around the world (I just got lucky to stumble on to them) but just testing the shelving I can see a vibration problem if I don't isolate the bottoms of the Heresy II cabinets, and I will watch for the boomy bass and seriously consider lining the inside of the cabinetry if I need to.

Appreciate your experience.

Bob

[IndyKlipschFan]

First off, all your speakers are front firing... not to worry, a good thing. So RELAX...

OK, do this... After they are stuffed into the cabinets make sure they are on some kind of absorbing material.. That old blanket from "Aunt Edna" is a great suggestion... stuff anything else blanket wise around, and behind them, as you can.

Also, (very important) bring them to the edge of the door to the skrim/ cloth material as you possibly can, to avoid any interior sound bouncing around the area... Again, anything absorbing underneath, above, behind, and on the sides you can do, the better.

Others may dissagree, but I think you will be MORE than pleased how they "dissapear" in the cabinets and sound wonderful. That has been my experience.

The key is to keep the sound from bouncing back into the cabinet and if it does it will sound boomy. Stuffed with blankets you should be fine. (old HT trick used by installers and not you do not need Aurelex here... Just blankets towels things you do not need, or use anymore will be fine!) Honey will we need these brown stained old ratty towels anymore? hahahahaha

Let us know what your results are!

[colterphoto1]

Nice notes Indy, I forgot that your center vertical Cornwall is in a built-in cabinet- and it sounds beautiful- must be the blankees!

M

[ScorpsFan]

Thanks Indy!

And my momma said I wouldn't need that blankie any more! HA HA HA!

I'll try to post photos as soon as I'm done, both here and in the HT post your Theater forum so everyone can see the fruits of their labor.

Bob

[DrWho]

Another option is to mount the heresy on a stand that is physically not touching the rest of the cabinet...IE, connected perhaps to the wall behind the center or more ideally, a pedestal going up inside the cabinet. This is what all the recording studios do to "flush mount" their speakers and the best part is that you also get some free bass boost as well (which with your heresy II's will be a pleasant change).

The blanket trick indy mentioned is working on the same concept of decoupling the speaker from the rest of the entertainment center (the blanket is helping prevent the cabinet vibrations from travelling through).

[ScorpsFan]

Dr Who-

I'll have to keep that idea in reserve, no sure da' boss wants anything else attached to her walls!

Appreciate the thought, though.

Bob