Any Interest in Cheap "Flat Pack" Enclosures?

Last week I met a guy in Northern Kentucky that offered to make up a bunch of flat pack (aka "knock down") speaker cabinets. His prices seem pretty good. I'd like to get some ideas on what you guys might be interested in. Sort of like a group buy kind of deal......without the need to buy first. Because the guy lives close enough, I could simply buy 10 of each design and store them myself. Once/if they sell, I'd just go pick up more when you guys needed them.

I was talking to Lilmike about his Anarchy 25hz tapped horn and he thinks it's a great idea to make a knock down kit for it. The pricing to use Baltic birch, cut all driver holes, cut grooves to line up inner panels, dado edges to fit panels together, pilot holes drilled where needed, holes for terminal plates, and of course all panels is coming in around $70, maybe a bit less.

(Update): Kevin H has agreed to sell his Anarchy woofer for only $65 if you purchase this flat pack.




I've asked the CNC guy about other projects and he said he'll do anything. So if you've got any ideas for different cabinets or baffles, please let me know and I'll get some prices.



Baltic plywood layered baffles?

Econowave cabinets cut for specific waveguides?

Subwoofer enclosures?



I thought the layered baffles might be a neat idea. He could cut the design with large roundovers and simply drill 2-3 pilot holes in each layer that could be lined up with wooden dowels. Stack to the height you needed for whatever subwoofer size you had.


Any other ideas? As long as there's some interest, I'll do it. I just need to know what you want.



Beginnings of the DIY Group website:

http://www.diysoundgroup.com/

I know the site is not completed yet.

I'd have to charge for shipping.

But for that Anarchy cabinet, it's pretty light and could fit in a really slim shipping box.

Also, his quote was for real Baltic birch cut from the 5'x5' panels. He told me that the "real" stuff only comes in 5'x5' panels. Not sure how true that is, maybe he was talking about a certain size. I've seen it Home Depot in 4'x8' sheets, but I think that was just birch plywood.

Didn't even know that was you over at PE when I was selling some of my gear. You should have said something!



I'm trying to set up a website to list all these future "group buys" on so it's easier to track and link to. Not sure what else to call it though. It's not really a group buy, because no one has to promise to buy the stuff. More like: if the group wants it, and the design is good, I'll try to get it done. Sort of like the waveguide thread going on right now.

As mentioned, as long as there's interest from the DIY guys, I don't mind picking the stuff up and shipping it out. I've got the storage space, so that's no problem. I was looking up some shipping boxes rated at 200lbs, and they're under $2, so that's not a deal breaker.



If you guys have other ideas for flat packs or baffles, let me know.

I need to ask the designer of the 'Overnight Sensations" at PE to see if he'd mind those being done as a flat pack. They get really good reviews from the people that built them. And their size would make for REALLY cheap flat packs I bet.

Okay guys, it's settled, I'll definitely have him make up a bunch of the 6.5" tapped horns that lilmike designed.

I will get a CNC "prototyped" kit made up next week to put together myself. If there's any changes to be made, he'll do it. Maybe I can get these started next week. He did say he would stack all the parts flat on a skid so no worry about warping panels. I'd just package them up as needed and send them out.


I contacted Paul about his Overnight Sensation speakers. Hopefully that will be okay with him because everyone that builds them gives high praise.

Thanks LTD02, if you think the 4pi's should be done, let me know who to contact, because I'm not sure. Once Zilch joins the online crowd again, I'll talk to him about some flat pack kits that have the recess cut for whichever waveguide/driver the person wants. I haven't seen Zilch post for quite some time, I hope he's doing alright.


I don't know if Bill F would mind flat packs offered with his design or not. I guess there's got to be a way to work that out though.


Also, if you guys can come up with some subwoofer designs that could do really well with multiple driver brands, I'm in for that too.

I was going to ask about a dual 12" vertical design. Maybe the baffle being layered birch with large round overs.

Let the ideas fly, I will get this done.

Yeh, I certainly realize that. Just wondering how that would work out. I don't mind the honor system for how many were shipped, but not everyone believes in such things these days. Not sure how much it would cost to ship the larger panels in that design, but I could find out as long as Bill likes the idea.


I'll try to get this website set up correctly to track all the DIY designs, maybe we could have step by step photos from other members as they build. They could be posted with each design to make things easier. Then have a photo gallery section showing the finished projects. Might be pretty neat.

I sent an email to pispeakers.com to see what Wayne thinks.

Wayne contacted me, he seems like a nice guy.

Wayne doesn't think there's a big enough demand to justify the flat packs on his regular speakers. He said he's got access to a cabinet builder for his more elaborate horn designs and can make the knock down kits for those when someone needs them.

What speaker/sub is next to consider?