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Is this stupid?


CAS

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I've sort of got the itch to build as well, but I won't keep the end product. Do you think there would be a market for something like the below if I were to disguise it as a table, but build it as a rear or down firing subwoofer? (please forgive the utterly unforgivable thrown together image. Even the table itself is parts from several) Corner loading would be a must. I could use stronger legs to support the weight and thick rubber stoppers or spikes under the feet to keep it from moving. This is mostly (actually, completely) for the WAF. And should I make it active or passive?

Is this a stupid idea or do you think someone would buy it?

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Would someone buy it?

Take a look around!

There seem to be far too many who care more about appearance then the sound of a system! And you might even consider advertising them in Cosmo!

In fact, you may have a pre-sale already from one recent poster dealing with just such an issue!

BTW, the palm makes it for me.

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"There seem to be far too many who care more about appearance then the sound of a system!"

You would probably like me and the ol' retired EE audio buddy.

We are concerned more about sound than appearance. While it makes for some homely gear, we are not at all worried.

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Get rid of the furniture idea and make or grow plant speakers. If you can determine the "plant" harmonics of each species and figure a way to connect speaker wire, my man, you would have it made. Imagine a garden full of music. And why stop and plants, why not animals? Weber BBQ/s? Please tell me if I'm crazy, but I think I'm on to something here.

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I have seen a picture on the net of a gentleman who built a subwoofer disguised as a tallboy dresser, in the neighbourhood of 16 cubic feet ( gross ). It more than passed the spousal aproval and kicked some serious butt. From looking at the picture, you could not tell that it was a subwoofer.

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On 8/4/2005 11:38:16 PM dragonfyr wrote:

Would someone buy it?

Take a look around!

There seem to be far too many who care more about appearance then the sound of a system! And you might even consider advertising them in Cosmo!

In fact, you may have a pre-sale already from one recent poster dealing with just such an issue!

FONT]

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Which is exactly what gave me the idea. Like it or not, money can be made from that which you do or do not agree with. Like investing in foreign currency. Warren Buffet took a lot of flack for just that...but who cares about flack when your bank account looks like his.

Sieze the opportunity Daniel san.

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Just because you're building something to look good doesn't mean you have to sacrifice any performance with the product. I personally like the idea of a downfiring coffee table subwoofer, but a plant or lamp stand would work too. The biggest trick would be to build something that could be placed in an acoustically good location in the room.

Unless it is a lamp stand, I would think you should make it passive so as to minimize the number of cables running to the speaker...or else come up with a real creative way to hide the cables.

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On 8/5/2005 10:00:03 AM DrWho wrote:

Unless it is a lamp stand, I would think you should make it passive so as to minimize the number of cables running to the speaker...or else come up with a real creative way to hide the cables.

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I've been trying to find a solution to that. The only thing I can come up with is to split one of the legs down the middle, router a gap and run a line to the foot. It would have to be very precise and.....not nearly worth the trouble.

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Those end units tend to be quite small (I believe there are similar cabinets to hold cutlery) so I'd be concerned about the internal volume available for your subwoofer as well as the fact that it would be a little top heavy. Perhaps more drawer faces and shorter legs?

I recall seeing the pics of the dresser Hurd describes at HTF... and it was a nifty idea for hiding a HUGE cabinet, but I don't have a link handy. Darren Thomas also made a nice subwoofer cabinet but had hard time selling it when he decided to upgrade.

Just a couple of thoughts..

Rob

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btw, the side table in your pic doesn't look larger enough to hold much more then a ProMedia woofer...not much of a main HT system sub.

I would recommend something more like this: http://a451.g.akamai.net/7/451/1713/0001/image2.styleinamerica.com/pbecimgs/images/products/200529/0002/img83m.jpg

as it is way more sub.stantial

btw, if used as a lamp table, you may recommend HD "ceiling-fan" light bulbs to better cope with the subs rattlings, LOL

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On 8/5/2005 4:31:21 PM michael hurd wrote:

If you have fairly big legs that you can screw a faceplate for a lathe on, you can drill through the center with a long installers bit in a drill chuck. Most lathes will accept a morse taper chuck, and then you can use the headstock to turn the wood against the drill bit.

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Which I also thought of doing, however the legs would have to be quite sturdy (oak at least) and much shorter. And I'd have to buy a $30 bit that I'd only use once.

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Yikes, you really are going to great extents just to hide a power cable, lol. The reason I mentioned lamp stand is that most people have the power cord from the lamp draping over to the plug, so what's the difference with a sub power cord? Heck, install a little outlet on the back of the cabinet and plug your lamp into the back, then have one single power cable running to the wall.

If you got plants, maybe go with something that grows all crazy vine style and just wrap the power cord down around one of the legs and then wrap the vine around it. Heck, you could even staple the cable to the back of one of the legs and just keep that side towards the wall...you could do the same on the other leg for the signal cable running to the sub.

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I built one that looks like a large end table, it sits in the corner of the room<24'w 34'd>. It is 5cf ported about about 25" square and the trim 1" thick that goes around it also forms legs on the corners,kind of like the old dressers or chest.

But it is about 5" high off of the floor and looks like it is setting on the legs but the the legs or about 1/4" off the floor, it is sitting on 4 casters which you can't see unless you get on the floor and look under it. It is very heavy so this helps to move it around.

The strange thing is when you roll it around with it off or unpluged it makes a deep bass sound. The floor is textured concrete and the vibrations echo and come out of the port and has a strange sound.

Will post pics of it and the room when more pics are taken, digital camera took a walk ?

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