Audio Artistry CBT36K

[cobra_kai]

Any thoughts on these speakers? http://www.parts-express.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=301-980&scqty=1

I'm working my way through Don Keele's papers and the original NRL publications and the theory and results are quite interesting and unique IMO, and the kit while not cheap looks like a great bargain for what you are getting. Not to mention it removes the biggest obstacle I have with DIY speakers: cabinet making. I attached the manual (10 MB), which is not only incredibly comprehensive with respect to the building process but also has lots of measurement and design information.

301-980-audio-artistry-inc-cbt36k-manual.pdf

[robm321]

Interested

[diebenkorn]

[diebenkorn]

[swt61]

I wouldn't say it eliminates cabinet making. While it does include the cabinet parts already cut and milled, don't disregard the difficulty of assembling such a long and awkwardly shaped cabinet.

Be very fastidious in aligning your pieces, and a second pair of hands during assembly would be a very good idea.

I don't mean to detour you in this endeavor, as it looks like a fun and doable project, just keep in mind it'll take some planning and patience to get it right.

[Nebby]

IMO, it does remove most of the difficulty of cabinet making since the speaker cabinets come pre-assmbled aside from the base (amb has lots of good pictures of his delivery here). I agree with Steve with his "it'll take some planning and patience to get it right" comment since it's definitely not a simple build, that's for sure.

Edited July 26, 2012 by Nebby

[swt61]

Oh, I missed that the cabinet comes pre-assembled. As usual I went off half cocked before gathering all the info.

NEVER MIND!

[Dusty Chalk]

You're right, at US$2K, that is a bargain compared to getting the equivalent speaker...preassembled, pre-snake-oiled, pre-big-name-branded, etc.

I say, dew et.

[swt61]

I've not heard the speakers, but the names involved instill confidence. my guess is that they will be very good. I'd imagine a sub would be helpful for the low end.

[cobra_kai]

Oh I definitely didn't mean to imply that it will be trivial just because it comes with a pre made cabinet. Having the cabinet just makes it doable for me since my lack of wood working tools and experience would put this out of my league otherwise. Other than painting/veneering the cabinet it is now a wiring and assembly project which I can handle.

And yea it definitely would need a sub (or two) probably crossed somewhere in the 80-120 Hz region but that can come later. I'm leaning towards going for it but I'm going to take a few more days to think it over before I pull the trigger.

[robm321]

I've personally never been a fan of sub integration. Even on better systems, the crossover point has been audible YMMV. Other than that, it sounds like a damn good deal for $2K

Edited July 26, 2012 by robm321

[cobra_kai]

Not sure I agree with that for a speaker that starts rolling off at 50 Hz. Even in music there is a lot of content below that, and for home theater it is a definite must have. And yes I would be using these for both duties

[Dusty Chalk]

I've personally never been a fan of sub integration. Even on better systems, the crossover point has been audible YMMV. Other than that, it sounds like a damn good deal for $2K

I don't think that's the crossover so much as the phase, that's why I won't buy a sub without a continuous phase control (basically, an extremely tiny delay). It's really no different than a crossover in a speaker, except that you now have two different boxes whose positions you can control (and thus get wrong), which is why the tiny delay is so important.

[robm321]

^ good point

...and for home theater it is a definite must have. And yes I would be using these for both duties

Agreed, w/home theater it is a must. What do you plan on using for center and rear channels or are you planning on 2.1?

[cobra_kai]

At the moment I have 5.1 with all 5 Ascend Sierra 1s. I am going to move two of them into the bedroom if I get these, but not sure about the rest. I honestly haven't been that impressed with surround channels even in blu ray and I would have to see how the Sierra center blends. Depending on how well things work together I might end up selling 2 or 3 of the sierras, which would offset a large part of the cost of building the CBT36ks.

[robm321]

Interested in hearing how things work out. Pics would be welcome if you go for the CBT36ks.