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The Sphericles

The Sphericles
Design Goals
Driver Selection
Enclosure Design
Enclosure Assembly
Crossover Design
Conclusion
Parts List
About the Designer
- Conclusion -

To answer the first question people are likely to ask-"how do they sound?" The answer is: pretty good. For what amounts to a very small home theater system, the speakers pack an adequate punch and are free from distortion and harshness. They are limited in low end extension and overall loudness, of course, but when mated with a subwoofer, can get to moderate home theater levels without any trouble. For the casual home theater user, these speakers' sound quality will be more than satisactory.

To address the second question people might ask-"were they difficult to build?" I would say: yes and no. There was nothing inherently difficult about any one part of the project; nothing required unusual preciseness or attention-to-detail. However, as a whole, the project seemed difficult, because it involved some unusual DIY disciplines including metalworking, welding, and plaster casting, and required an extreme amount of problem solving, experimentation, and process refinement. I probably spent more time figuring out how to build the speakers than I actually spent building them.

Perhaps most importantly, the speakers do not sound at all like what they look like. I don't think a blindfolded observer would be able to deduce either the configuration of the drivers or the enclosure material. The enclosure shape and material is suitably "dead" to prevent any ringing or odd resonances.

When you are dealing with new designs and materials, it is always somewhat of a gamble, and I consider it a success that the speakers don't impart any of their own characteristics to the sound. Overall, it was an interesting and fun project, and I hope it inspires people to get more creative with their design and construction techniques!

 

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