Speaker Cabinet Size

Gary Dunn · Post by **Gary Dunn** » 13 Aug 2003 6:16 am

What is the optimum cabinet size for 1501-4s
speakers with open back, ported, and closed back configurations? What is the optimun thickness of the baffle and walls? [This message was edited by Gary Dunn on 13 August 2003 at 07:17 AM.]

Bob Storti · Post by **Bob Storti** » 13 Aug 2003 8:44 am

I like open-back construction using 3/4" MDF for the baffle and sides. Size: 20 5/8" Wide, 21" High, 11 1/2" Deep. I like this width because it's the same as a standard 19" rack. With an open-back design, you can use pretty much any sizing that the speaker can fit into and that meets you needs. I'd like to hear other ideas too - this is a good question!

Bob

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 13 Aug 2003 9:36 am

Moved to 'Electronics' section.

Gary Dunn · Post by **Gary Dunn** » 13 Aug 2003 11:34 am

Bob,

Are the measurements you provided inside or outside? Is the MDF a void free material playwood?

Bob Storti · Post by **Bob Storti** » 13 Aug 2003 12:29 pm

Gary -

The sizing I listed are the outside dimensions. MDF (medium density fiberboard)is completely void-free - it's a composite material made up of basically of sawdust and glue. Here are some pro's and con's of MDF:

Pro's:
Very dense-good for speaker cabinets
Dimensionally stable
Easy to cut and machine
Costs about half the price of quality
grade plywood.
Con's:
Heavy material-it will be a heavy box!
Hard on tooling-dulls saw blades faster
then plywood
Needs covering (Tolex, carpet)-not good
surface for staining, but it does
paint up well.

Hope this helps - I've built several enclosures with MDF and I like it: easy to work with, cheap, and easy to find (Lowes or Home Depot). Best of luck!

Bob

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 13 Aug 2003 1:17 pm

The Nashville 1000 or Session 400 seems to be the perfect size cabinet for the 1501. The little Nashville 400 or LTD cabinet is too small and chokes the bass and puts a 300ish Hz honk in the tone. Not a huge issue for E9 but for C6, the bigger cabinet makes all the difference in the world.

------------------
Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis

Bob Storti · Post by **Bob Storti** » 13 Aug 2003 2:50 pm

Brad has a good point. I've had both an LTD and a Session - the Session does have a better bottom end and alittle smoother mid range. For me, I only play a single neck (and barely at that!) so as Brad stated it's not a huge issue with the E9. If you wanted to hold your width dimension of 20 5/8" (19" rack width), just increase the height to say 28 or 29" for an enclosure more like a Session, only in an uprighted position. Also, it's fun to test out different degrees of "open backness". With a larger enclosure, an smaller opening in the back will increase the bottom end, but with some trade offs in stage volume and high end range to some degree. I'd try a couple different things and see what works best for you Gary.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 17 Aug 2003 11:03 pm

Gary, "optimum" means a lot of different things to different people. For most people, the size and weight are optimum considerations. For others, the sound might be the optimum consideraton. A larger enclosure will almost always sound better, and a smaller one will always be lighter/more portable. I'd stick with prevailing amp sizes for several reasons...

It helps resale value
Makes acquiring covers easy
Allows you to "stack" equipment
They are the smallest "practical" size

I'd make it (open back) the same size as the Peavey 1000 (They chose that size for a reason.) I'd use 1/2" MDF material for everything. The 3/4" would be better, but it would weigh a ton! Glue and screw all joints, and use a 3/4" sq. cleat in the corners and all the way around the front for mounting the baffle-board. I don't recommend rabbeting-in the baffle, as it makes changing/recovering it too difficult. Put a 4" apron at the top and bottom in the back for strength, mounting on 3 sides with a 3/4" cleat. Cover or paint to taste.

That's about it, and it will sound pretty good!