Now you see why I insisted on 1” plywood! Can’t be making substitutions from the masters recipe!
DIY Onken Cabinet Build
- Thread starter marantzfan
- Start date
Do It Yourself
1 inch plywood? No need to go to the gym.
Right? I normally don’t like the idea of casters on speakers...but the idea is starting to grow on me.
Or a dolly permanently under each?Right? I normally don’t like the idea of casters on speakers...but the idea is starting to grow on me.
Made a little progress today. A lot of measuring, marking and drilling.
I started gluing and screwing the vent sections together.
Believe it it not, this was a full day of work. Lol
I started gluing and screwing the vent sections together.
Believe it it not, this was a full day of work. Lol
My Iconics are set up that way. It does reduce bass transmission via floor coupling by a good amount if one is listening on a stick frame floor.
It also keeps the vacuum cleaner from tearing them up.
I understand 100%Right? I normally don’t like the idea of casters on speakers...but the idea is starting to grow on me.
My 825 cabinets have sand filled horn flares, it took 125 lbs per cabinet... not a joy to move.
I am remodeling and moved them out of my music room a few weeks ago, they are rough to move about.
Ball casters plate mount. Plate or Socket Mount Ball Casters 80 lbs per caster rated. A base outside of the rotation of the casters would hide them from view. Speaker spikes threaded into base for coupling once in place. Red is spikes in picture.
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Great idea with the base to hide the casters and threaded spikes. I’d add another option; these rubber wheel casters as they won’t mark your carpets/floors and move very smoothly. I believe I bought mine at Lowe’s and they have them in different size/weight capacity.
I just made some quick and dirty dollies. The boxes above the dollies are sand-filled.
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Pinging @ICTWoody. I'm looking at the other elements of this build beyond the lumber. I am having a hell of a time finding felt as spec'd by Hiraga. Also, some advocate installing the curtain and other don't. I notice that this curtain isn't in the original Hiraga plans... my guess is it was borrowed from older WE box design?
What did you end up using and do you have any pics inside of your cabinets when you had them open?
What did you end up using and do you have any pics inside of your cabinets when you had them open?
Did not find the exact felt. Bought some 3/8" thick F7 wool felt sheets from here: Home - The Felt Company
The correct felt was never easy to find. 30 years ago when I built my Hiraga style 825 cabs, the guy I bought the kit from (he was the Swedish importer of the French ”Maison de Láudiophile” stuff) had great trouble finding the correct 10mm felt. Eventually he had to persuade some company or other to yank felt with the right specifications out from the middle of an industrial process.
The French article you are referring to is probably ”Journées de la Haute-Fidelité 86” which appeared in "Audiophile no38, Printemps 1986”. As the title suggests, It isn´t specifically about the Altec A5, which could explain why you didn´t find it. It´s available on the net.
I saved this at some point along the way
Sutherland Felt Home - Sutherland Felt Company
Looks like they are making masks!
Sutherland Felt Home - Sutherland Felt Company
Looks like they are making masks!
I have always been interested in the Onken cabinet, but having never heard one I am curious as to what is special about the sound. How would you characterize it compared to the Altec 825? (Please let me know if this should be a different thread)
ICTWoody
No longer a junior member
Sorry, busy weekend.
I did line mine with 1/2” felt from one of those two links. I think the felt company. I also DID add the curtain behind the 416.
When I bought my Onks, they were using a non Altec driver and had that weird ruffled crate paper stuff in them. Seemed underdamped to me so when I put in my 416-8A’s I lined them per the original plans. Can’t really compare, but I like them now.
I think I have pics, but I’m gonna have to go digging.
- Woody
Time for an update. Spent some time this weekend, clamping, gluing and screwing then together. I have the outer frames together now. Waiting on some screws to attach casters as these are WAY to heavy to pickup and move around.
Progress pics. One with the front baffle set just inside. All in all, they are going together well. A few minor errors, but as @Audionut says “nothing that isnt fixable.”
Time to start thinking about internal damping, crossover design, wood veneer and finish.
Progress pics. One with the front baffle set just inside. All in all, they are going together well. A few minor errors, but as @Audionut says “nothing that isnt fixable.”
Time to start thinking about internal damping, crossover design, wood veneer and finish.
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Oh, and the casters!
Hitting the home stretch @marantzfan ! Can’t wait to see the finished product.
