View Full Version : Speaker finish?
I have just placed the deposit for my Electric Beach FH3 speakers, but I am struggling to decide on the finish. Rather than go into details as finish is a personal choice, I have a general question.
My house has a lot of exposed wood (floor boards, exposed beams etc.).
With this in mind, would you choose to match the wood finish, or have a contrasting colour so that the speakers stood out more?
Of the two finishes I have short listed, one blends in, and the other is contrasting.
What would you do?
Gordon Steadman
05-05-2015, 07:30
Make them stand out. There is nothing worse than bland. Much as I like wood - obviously - you can have too much of a good thing.
Orange or purple should stand out all right:eyebrows:
Vomit green was offered as an option. :eek:
I think that standing out will be the best choice for more than one reason.
Mrs H chose the "stand out" colour scheme.
Hi Kevin,
Easy one. If the speakers are pretty to look at, which some are, then go for a contrasting finish to show off their prettiness and their existence as 'pieces of furniture' in their own right.
However, if they're what you would class as 'functional', then hide them by blending them in with your existing decor. Simples! :cool:
Marco.
brian2957
05-05-2015, 07:46
These speakers are beautifully finished , whatever colour you choose , and they sound as good as they look :)
Well in that case, go for a contrast :)
The golden rule when decorating is don't highlight anything that's ugly. In that respect, I can never understand why folk paint radiators in bold colours, when the rest of the room is 'Magnolia city'! :mental: :mental:
Marco.
brian2957
05-05-2015, 08:00
I like Magnolia :eek: Just got new radiators throughout so won't be painting them purple for a while yet :lol:
Lol... I hate it, as it's too 'safe'/common a choice, and for me, completely lacks imagination. Sorry! It's also too 'yellowy', and so lacks warmth. That's my view as someone who's involved in interior design as part of his daily business :)
I'm not saying that this applies to you, but in general, folk are afraid of colour and/or making 'bold statements' with decor, which reflect their personality, and so instead take the safe option and create a bastion of beige. YAWN... I'm the complete opposite, and like to be different!
However, that doesn't mean that if a room has a neutral colour palette, I'd be painting the radiators (or skirting boards) purple anytime soon... There's a fine line between making a 'bold statement' and one that shows a crass lack of taste!!
Marco.
brian2957
05-05-2015, 08:17
Hah !! Thankfully the wife has a little bit of imagination . You're right though colours are not my forte . I once painted a bedroom 3 times in a fortnight until I was happy with the colour . :rolleyes: Fortunately the wife brought a little bit of decorative ' sanity ' into my life . :D
I'll get some tips off you next week if you can make it over to Garys place . :)
I like white for walls. you can do the expression with the bits n bobs. in Dull Scotland white aids the brightness factor too.
Gordon Steadman
05-05-2015, 08:19
I used to run an interior design business. We had a large Magnolia tree growing at the front of the house. It had a notice that read "this is the only use for Magnolia we are prepared to discuss"
If you want bland, that's the way to do it, it's an excuse for not making decisions.
orbscure
05-05-2015, 08:21
Its such a personal thing Kevin... but one thing to remember is that you'll possibly/probably have to sell them on at some stage in the future, so if they were mine, I'd try and be a bit more conservative with the choice. The last thing you need is a lary pair of speakers you can't move on. I personally like the dark finish seen here (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?16574-Frugal-3-build&p=350212#post350212) and the beech/black pair seen further down the same thread look good too... a nice contrast between the two colours on both pairs :)
14650
I think they look pretty good.
brian2957
05-05-2015, 08:36
Just saw these and have to agree .
I am torn between the painted Copper/Black and Birch/Black.
They both look stunning.
I used to run an interior design business. We had a large Magnolia tree growing at the front of the house. It had a notice that read "this is the only use for Magnolia we are prepared to discuss"
If you want bland, that's the way to do it, it's an excuse for not making decisions.
Hahahaha - SPOT ON!! :D
One thing I can't stand in business are 'farter-abouters', who piss about and can't make up their minds... :doh:
What you want from customers, when designing their interiors, is assertiveness and the ability to MAKE DECISIONS!! Yes, do take into consideration any 'expert' advice you are given, but ultimately have the gumption to know what it is that YOU want!
Marco.
I'll get some tips off you next week if you can make it over to Garys place . :)
Lol - no worries. I'll defo be there on one of the days when I'm up. We'll be looking at a 'dreech' day when it's too wet to do anything else!
Marco.
I like white for walls. you can do the expression with the bits n bobs. in Dull Scotland white aids the brightness factor too.
Indeed, a nice off-white colour (pure white is too cold looking and 'acid') is MUCH better than Magnolia, and as you say provides a blank canvas on which to 'add interest' later elsewhere :)
Marco.
brian2957
05-05-2015, 09:23
Lol - no worries. I'll defo be there on one of the days when I'm up. We'll be looking at a 'dreech' day when it's too wet to do anything else!
Marco.
OK mate , if I'm off that day I'll be there . Look forward to it . :)
If not, we can do it in an evening. Motherwell isn't exactly far from where I'll be based - certainly not in the Brabby, anyway! :eyebrows:
Marco.
brian2957
05-05-2015, 09:36
Unfortunately I don't finish work until 8.15pm when I'm working mate .
Ah, I see... No worries, we'll try and sort something out during the daytime that's mutually convenient for everyone concerned :)
Marco.
Working on it...
Just one of the lieutenants to report back with availability. :)
Provisionally the Sunday if doable...most folk working during week daytime.
Know that's usually rellie time though Marco.
Can't really blast the sounds the same in the evening. During the week!
Cool. Which Sunday are we talking about, though? Not the one when I'm coming up (the 10th)? If so, that's a no-no, as I've already got other things planned. It would have to be between the Monday after that to the Saturday (16th).
If it's (understandably) better doing it at a weekend, then how about Saturday 16th May? :)
Marco.
14650
I think they look pretty good.
Order has been placed for a pair in this finish. :cool:
Gordon Steadman
06-05-2015, 14:55
Order has been placed for a pair in this finish. :cool:
They look terrific. The finish is superb, I'm sure you will be pleased with them.
Going back a bit, remember chaps, magnolia is actually pink, so if the wife suggests...................:guns:
Order has been placed for a pair in this finish. :cool:
Nice one, Kevin. They'll be lurvely! :thumbsup:
Marco.
cloth-ears
07-05-2015, 07:31
A good friend of mine has a pair in black. They do look very good indeed. Very dynamic sound for such a tiny driver but he did end up putting a standalone tweeter on top to get the full treble.
The Mark audio driver goes to 32KHZ, so I don't think an additional tweeter will be required with these particular drivers.
cloth-ears
07-05-2015, 08:26
Yes? but at -25db. Don't get me started :)
32KHz at over 80dB though.
Surely they have to give some tweeters a serious run for their money with that kind of frequency response.
Gordon Steadman
07-05-2015, 09:40
32KHz at over 80dB though.
Surely they have to give some tweeters a serious run for their money with that kind of frequency response.
I reckon the whole use of tweeters and supertweeters, whilst not a waste of time obviously, is seriously over rated in some applications. They tell my the Quads need them - nonsense!
I have some old Dual loudspeakers that are just an elliptical driver in a box - sound bloody brilliant and musical. maybe its the old boom and tizz brigade that insist they are always necessary.
walpurgis
07-05-2015, 09:51
I agree to an extent Gordon. Most bass/mid drive units can reach fairly high frequencies and reproduce them cleanly. I rather like full range or extended range speakers. A tweeter obviously has its uses though. Years ago, it was mostly more costly speakers that had much more than a simple cap filter to bring the tweeter in. I have to say, I've never owned a three way speaker that I really came to terms with.
Gordon Steadman
07-05-2015, 10:27
Having said that, one of my favourite pairs has a 12" bass unit and then HF1300 and T27 as supertweeter. Sounds great but is really only a two way +. The 12" clearly won't go high enough but then I did say 'in some applications'.
I am not really convinced that the T27s actually add much to the mix but they were lying about doing nothing so.......
This time next week, my Electric Beach FH3s will hopefully be here. :cool:
Steve has already finished them, and has kindly started the "running in" process for me, relieving the frustration of the first 50 hours at really low levels.
I agree to an extent Gordon. Most bass/mid drive units can reach fairly high frequencies and reproduce them cleanly. I rather like full range or extended range speakers. A tweeter obviously has its uses though. Years ago, it was mostly more costly speakers that had much more than a simple cap filter to bring the tweeter in. I have to say, I've never owned a three way speaker that I really came to terms with.
I can't think of many bass drivers which will cleanly reach much over 2KHz nor many midbass drivers which will cleanly reach 6KHz (assuming 8 inch plus sizes for the bass and 6.5 to 8 inch for the mid bass). Very few can do that cleanly. Even for those that can (such as the SEAS midbass units used in the Impulse range of speakers), off axis response would be non-existent and system polar response dreadful. For anyone wondering how high their bass or midbass drivers should ideally be run, a very rough rule of thumb is that a midbass ought not to be run much past a frequency corresponding to speed of sound in air divided by driver piston diameter. That determines the beaming frequency (when a majority of what you hear will be on axis). Crossing over at this point with a tweeter/dedicated mid range improves polar response below this frequency but there would still be a waist in the response unless crossed over lower down.
There aren't too many full range speakers about which will operate that accurately without some form of filter (be that a notch fliter or whatever) and all but a tiny handful of ultra expensive ones can be truly called full range. Most are part range and with quite a lumpy response! Classic would be something like a Fostex. A client wanted to sort out some very objectionable audible distortion with his Fostex equipped horns and measurement identified the problem area as a significant resonance spike caused by the whizzer cone right smack bang in the most sensitive hearing area. That was cured to a certain extent by introducing a notch filter, so the whole precept of external component-less full range drivers is only true of those left to their natural state which in most cases is not ideal in response terms. What would improve the Fostex horns is to use them up to below the whizzer cone problem before crossing to a dedicated tweeter. This is what Tommy Horning does for his Horning speakers (in that case using Lowther drivers).
I like the Frugal horns though...great sounding little things and best of luck to Steve with his venture there!
cloth-ears
30-06-2015, 16:38
I agree with Reffc here (hurrah)
Also to be considered is the Doppler Effect. To produce low frequencies the cone would have to travel about half an inch in either direction in order to move sufficient air. The high frequencies on the other hand only travel in nanometers.
When a single drive unit is trying to produce both simultaneously then the HF part is being modulated by the lowest frequency. Effectively the tweeter is bolted to the bass cone. Low frequency modulations are compressing and decompressing the high frequencies creating Doppler.
Adding midrange frequencies to the mix only complicates things further.
I agree with Reffc here (hurrah)
Also to be considered is the Doppler Effect. To produce low frequencies the cone would have to travel about half an inch in either direction in order to move sufficient air. The high frequencies on the other hand only travel in nanometers.
When a single drive unit is trying to produce both simultaneously then the HF part is being modulated by the lowest frequency. Effectively the tweeter is bolted to the bass cone. Low frequency modulations are compressing and decompressing the high frequencies creating Doppler.
Adding midrange frequencies to the mix only complicates things further.
:D
&
Yes...phase/doppler effects can exist with some full frequency designs
cloth-ears
02-07-2015, 07:42
:D
&
Yes...phase/doppler effects can exist with some full frequency designs
Surely not some but all. All moving coil speakers work the same way. The fundamental scientific principles will always apply without exception. Transmitting high frequencies from the same diaphragm that is already transmitting low frequencies will in every case create the Doppler Effect. It’s unavoidable.
Having said that there are many devotees who like the sound created from a single drive unit and if that’s what they like then clearly it is not a problem for them :scratch:
This time next week, my Electric Beach FH3s will hopefully be here. :cool:
Steve has already finished them, and has kindly started the "running in" process for me, relieving the frustration of the first 50 hours at really low levels.
Looking at your record collection, you could do with a royal blue disc.
They have arrived.
They look absolutely stunning. Even the wife likes them.
Steve pre-drilled them to enable me to mount my Proprius amps on the back. They fit perfectly.
The volume pot is up just below the top of the speaker, so is not visible from the majority of angles.
As for the sound, even though it is early days, they sound superb. Steve tells me that they will open up a bit more when they have a few more hours on them. I have every reason to believe him. He certainly knows what he is doing with these.
In summary, I am well chuffed.
Once I have a couple of hundred hours on these, I will report back with my thoughts.
Gordon Steadman
07-07-2015, 17:25
They have arrived.
They look absolutely stunning. Even the wife likes them.
Steve pre-drilled them to enable me to mount my Proprius amps on the back. They fit perfectly.
The volume pot is up just below the top of the speaker, so is not visible from the majority of angles.
As for the sound, even though it is early days, they sound superb. Steve tells me that they will open up a bit more when they have a few more hours on them. I have every reason to believe him. He certainly knows what he is doing with these.
In summary, I am well chuffed.
Once I have a couple of hundred hours on these, I will report back with my thoughts.
:worthless:
I will try and sort some out tomorrow.
brian2957
08-07-2015, 06:51
Nice one mate. Tonys continued to improve for quite a while so IMO you're in for a treat . I'm sure he'll be on to share his thoughts.
Pieoftheday
08-07-2015, 18:59
How much do These lovely looking speakers cost?
How much do These lovely looking speakers cost?
It depends on the finish. These painted speakers cost £860, but I think the varnished/stained wood finishes are £760.
Steve from Electric Beach is a top bloke to deal with.
Pictures, although not the best I have taken.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/516/18907956154_ecc05392a8_z_d.jpg
Naked drivers
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/495/19530514405_390bae813a_z_d.jpg
Child proof drivers
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/558/19504167296_9a5fbccaed_z_d.jpg
Side on view with the Proprius amp fitted.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/344/19523633922_357bb4f17e_z_d.jpg
Rear view showing Proprius amp mounting.
https://farm1.staticflickr.com/357/19534595861_a99b0acef9_z_d.jpg
Full rear view.
The colour does not show up well with flash photography.
Gordon Steadman
08-07-2015, 19:46
Very nice looking speakers those. Lovely finish on them.
Pieoftheday
08-07-2015, 19:59
It depends on the finish. These painted speakers cost £860, but I think the varnished/stained wood finishes are £760.
Steve from Electric Beach is a top bloke to deal with. blimey I was expecting quite a bit more:)
I have had these running for a few months now, and they just seem to get better the longer I run them.
To be honest, one of my main concerns was how a 4" driver could produce adequate bass, but I need not have worried. The bass is not over powering, but it is there in adequate quantities.The detail and sound stage the speakers produce is quite incredible.
My thanks goes out to all those who recommended these to me, and to Steve at Electric Beach. They are an absolute joy to look at and use.
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