[Raylon]

So I sold off my 1099s(which are being enjoyed by @Copperhorse73 as I type this I imagine), and wanted to build something really similar but with Atmos built in, so I decided the Fusion 8s would work perfect for this along with 2 Volt 6's I had already.

I did a bunch of math and figured out all the dimensions I needed and got to cutting. I used 1/2" MDF and 1/2" Baltic Birch with 3/4" MDF for baffles(thank you @eng-399 for making cutting those a cinch). This was really trial and error getting the grills to work out, and one still needs to be redone due to a single thread I accidentally pulled, but I am happy with how they look! Two months of work paid off!

So far the Atmos demos I've listened to sound great and I am really looking forward to breaking them in and tuning them! Should be fun!


First, the finished project!

Now the build!

Getting everything unpacked was a journey in itself!

Crossover assembled and doing a little testing!

Test fitting baffles

Attaching all the binding posts

Getting my board laid out and wiring planned

Tower basic part done, did a little test listening, they sound great!

Test fitting Volt 6s

Test fitting side panels

Construction complete on the towers

Test fitting PE grill kits

More test fitting

Painting the baffles black

Painting the towers

Tower painting done, just need grills!

Finished again!

And from the side!

The finished center!

 

[eng-399]

Great idea on this Ryan putting those volt 6’s on top angled for atmos duty. The cabinets look awesome I think your the first to diy this type of design with the volt 6’s on top!

The designer Jeff B. Even thought it was cool on the avs secret Facebook page

 

[Raylon]

Thanks Mike! Yea I saw Jeff commented on them, pretty happy about that! I updated thread big time with more pictures and better layout!

 

[deewan]

Very cool DIY design. Speakers look great!

 

[EndersShadow]

How easy (re idiot proof) were those grill kits?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (so ignore any typos grammatical errors because my iPhone predictive text stinks)

 

[Raylon]

How easy (re idiot proof) were those grill kits?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (so ignore any typos grammatical errors because my iPhone predictive text stinks)

This was my second attempt and doing grills and they were pretty idiot proof. There is plenty of wiggle room in the construction. The tricky part is getting the rubber supports in the right spots. You take a nail and make a mark once you get the grills finished, and then you drill a giant hole and place the rubber in place. Problem is, if the rubber is off a little bit, the grill goes wherever that rubber mount is. So it's a little tricky you just have to take your time.

And buy plenty of grill cloth, you can see on my left tower I had a little splinter grab the material and pulled when I was putting it in and it messed it up. I will have to redo that one eventually!

 

[ratm]

Those look fantastic. Sorry for the total noob question, but does the Volt's give the impression that the sound is coming from above (as height's)? That would be a great option for me.

Also, would this work on the non tower fusion 8's?

 

[strakele]

How did you decide on the angle to fire the Volt 6's at? They look more angled forward than most up-firing Atmos speakers I've seen. Did you just point them at what you wanted the primary reflection point in your room to be?

Very cool build, they look great.

 

[Raylon]

Those look fantastic. Sorry for the total noob question, but does the Volt's give the impression that the sound is coming from above (as height's)? That would be a great option for me.

Also, would this work on the non tower fusion 8's?

They do! I ran Audyssey and then bumped them up 3db to make it more pronounced. Now don't expect them to blow your mind. They aren't as good as overhead speakers. But to me it's just a project I wanted to try. They do add just a little effect, running the Dolby Amaze Atmos demo with and without them it feels like it's more of a wall of sound I am being hit with, seems to come from everywhere.

How did you decide on the angle to fire the Volt 6's at? They look more angled forward than most up-firing Atmos speakers I've seen. Did you just point them at what you wanted the primary reflection point in your room to be?

Very cool build, they look great.

So, @eng-399 came over with a giant protractor and a laser. We set it up basically to shine a laser exactly from the spot where the Volts were gunna be eventually. Then, while he held that, I placed a mirror on the ceiling and we played with the angle of the protractor/laser combo till it hit exactly where my head sits at my couch. So it was very unscientific but way more than just guessing? Seems to have worked well.

 

[eng-399]

That protractor with the laser pointer works great! You can figure out exactly where it’s going to hit with a mirror on the ceiling. I did that for my Atmos setup and then allowed somewhere around 15-20 degrees off axis from where the laser hit. Best 20$ I’ve spent.
Can’t wait to hear these Ryan they look really nice.

 

[EndersShadow]

How thick are those grill kits? I am looking to mount my subs to the baffle and then put the grill right over the top. The subs have a max of 15mm movement one way, which if I did the math right is about 1/2".

 

[Raylon]

How thick are those grill kits? I am looking to mount my subs to the baffle and then put the grill right over the top. The subs have a max of 15mm movement one way, which if I did the math right is about 1/2".

3/4". They stuck out a bit further than I had hoped, something to do with the way the rubber holders sit so really it's even more than that.

 

[EndersShadow]

3/4". They stuck out a bit further than I had hoped, something to do with the way the rubber holders sit so really it's even more than that.

Gotcha. I'm cool with that personally as I dont plan on having a edge surrounding them. Just want to make sure the drivers have enough room so they dont hit the fabric. Also how sturdy do they feel to you? My sub towers will likely be somewhere around 36" tall so just wondering if I will need more than one brace on them.

 

[Raylon]

Gotcha. I'm cool with that personally as I dont plan on having a edge surrounding them. Just want to make sure the drivers have enough room so they dont hit the fabric. Also how sturdy do they feel to you? My sub towers will likely be somewhere around 36" tall so just wondering if I will need more than one brace on them.

I think one will work. My center is 27" and it bows a little, a brace would have fixed that. My towers are 42" so I double braced those. I think 36 would be good with one. My double brace wasnt a real brace either on my towers, I just cut another length to size and glued it in place, made it a lot simpler than adding it into the line.