I thought you were going to make it through the vid without mentioning "the doop doup" and I was going to cheer. I really enjoy your build videos. Keep sending out your inspiration!
I love all those "lets test this" things you are doing lately! I'm curious to hear about the results of the stronger materials!! Great vid, thanks Kirby!
I would also like more tests. How do you optimize size? What about trianglar shapes? What are the effects of ported vs not ported? What is the effects of different shapes of the port? What is the effect of different wattages of the amp on the same speaker? Wich wood sounds the best, what other materials can you use? Screws vs glue?... It's these little tings that optimizes your speaker where I cant find any info about.
Robbe Demey this is the wrong channel for optimization. He sacrifices function for form in 90%+ of his videos. Typically lumber is going to be frowned upon. Wood grain is not consistent and as such any two constructed speakers would resonate differently. For example he made speakers where the right speaker had a knot in the wood and the left one didn't. Those two speakers are guaranteed to sound/perform differently. Cabinet shapes don't matter so much as long as you meet the volume minimums. Your questions are a google search away.
I run a pair of C-Notes as my computer speakers although I modified the crossover slightly to help even more with that aluminum cone breakup stuff. They sound better and have more bass than my $400/pair Infinity speakers I had prior. I can definitely recommend this kit as well. For getting vinyl wrap to stick to MDF, you can prime it. Basically, wrap needs a super smooth, super clean surface to stick to. Since MDF is all dusty, it's difficult to stick to.
Kirby, use a 7/8 inch Forstner bit (a set can be found cheap on harbor freight) in a drill press to create the recess for the plastic lens of the remote receiver. Forstner bits bore very smooth holes, and likely will not mess up the finish you've already applied. Then bore a 5/8 inch hole the rest of the way through. Hot glue the lens on the front and the IR receiver on the inside. Worked perfect on the c-notes I built last month.
@@dalesmth1 the sound was okay. not great though. Could definitely hear that it was a chip amp. My amplifier ended up developing a lot of issues and eventually bit the dust entirely before even reaching the 1 year mark. I’d probably buy something external like smsl q5 pro instead. It sounds much better and has nice input options. This is my favorite amp for budget builds and can be had from tomtop for $91.99 if ordering the US plug, US dispatch options.
I ordered a pair of these, my daughter (13) and I are going to build them for her room. I chose these based on your first video. I do wish I knew about your coupon code haha.
Great video Kirby. As a beginner on the speaker building journey, I liked the explanations in more basic terms for people like me. Keep up the great work
I'm really interested in knowing whether there's a sound difference just between doing the 1/2" MDF vs 3/4" hardwood. I have a CNC machine and would love to re-make the enclosure of these speakers using something pretty. It's still a great deal since the drivers alone add up to more than the cost of the complete kit.
Of course there's a difference dude! (that's like asking if there be any safety difference in a car accident whether I was in a Chevrolet hatchback?! or a Humvee?! ; )
Only experimenting will bring out new results. Thanks for doing that. I really enjoy watching you experiment around with new things and combining them with things you know. P.S.: Bummer that the audio was not as good as we are used to, but your knowledge mages up ;}
I'm also very curious to see the tested sound progression: kit build, thicker / harder material build, and extra woofer build w/in the thicker cabinet. For twitch, I'm not too interested in a kit build. I think that a brainstorming session about speaker/crossover design would be cool.
Think I'll pick up a set of these. Is the volume that the wifi/bluetooth thing taking up inside the enclosure detrimental to the sound quality at all? Thinking maybe a 3rd box for the receiver/amp might be more ideal.
Hi Kirby! I think you should mention the finishing issues of MDF, Vinyl is good, relatively easy and looks nice but the poor guy who tries to paint these things will have a really hard time. Painting MDF is possible, but it is damn difficult if you want it to become perfect. And hey have a nice day Kirby! or night or evening anyway good informative video thanks.
Hi Kirby. Thanks for the great videos. Quick question. When you did the vinyl, did you wrap all the way around (top, sides, bottom)the speaker when you wrapped, and leave just one seam at the bottom, or did you do each face separately? I ordered the same wrap you used from amazon. I just wasn't sure if the edges would fold crisp if I did it that way.
I'm looking to do my first build and just want a pair of speakers to put in my two car garage. It's roughly 20x20 with a 10ft ceiling. The speakers will be sitting high on the back wall (shelving and tools in the way). Should I go with these or the Samba bookshelf kit they have? Thanks for all the great videos!
Nice video Kirby, but as you described the crossovers used in this kit, it made me think of when you ran a series of videos on choosing drivers, choosing enclosures and such. If you could, and I know it could be WAAAAY too in depth a topic, but a little primer on crossovers would be nice. I'm sure 2nd order and 3rd order means very little to many people without some explanation.
+Dave Kimball I totally agree! I will for sure get to a video on crossover design in the future. It’s a really deep topic, but I think an overview can help people get started. Thanks for watching!
Hey Kirby, just wanted to thank you for your videos. It's allways much fun and excitement to watch and hear them! aaaaand I have a little suggestion. I'm very curious about omnidiractional sound. Maybe you could do something about it, explaining or even a how to tutorial!? greatings from germany (damn was to late for the last giveaway ;-) ) and keep your good work up. sound on
Hey, I'm planning to build C-Notes as well. Question: Does adding a plate amp into a speaker affect it's tuning? (Less air volume inside enclosure, one speaker different from the other, etc?)
Hey Kirby, Do you think a 2.5 way, c-note system would out perform a 6.5" 2 way version. The extra cost of the crossover, cabinet size, extra driver vs. a stock large enclosure that would almost fit a 6.5 inch woofer?
Being a car audio guy who works with MDF regularly, .5" MDF is stronger than you would think, have built multiple enclosures with zero bracing for 12" down to 8" woofers, being fed 500-1000w without any issues with rigidity or structural issues. Granted panel size was planned to not leave anything too big to reduce the change of the issues stated.
Well, at same thickness, MDF is not as strong as birch plywood. And the issue is not that the box will break in half or anything like that, it's just that the box will vibrate (almost microscopic vibrations but vibrations nonetheless...). When the box vibrates, it becomes a speaker itself! So you end up hearing both the sound created by the vibration of the speakers cone AND the sound of the boxes walls vibrating! This means two thing; 1- On a bass driver, you loose output energy as the vibration of the box cancels out the output of the speaker 2- The vibration and sound representation generated by the speaker is very much calculated/calibrated to be an exact reproduction of the signal source/original recording... the box vibration is not! Therefore, the sound emitted by the vibrating panels become a very real source of acoustic distortion! You can very well you half inch MDF to make a sealed box for a 15" 1000w subwoofer and it will work just fine but it would be quite a bit louder and be a more accurate reproduction if you use 1" MDF with braces inside! Have you ever seen the construction of a Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond speaker? The amount of braces inside a 1.5" thick cabinet for two 10" woofers is downright ridiculous!! For a company like that, every little thing they can remove from a speaker would mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue so for them to leave those braces in there, it needs to have a very real impact on the final sound!!! So yeah! Half inch MDF is great for small bookshelf speakers but unless you plan on using a lot of braces, I would go for 3/4" or more when it comes to larger bookshelf, tower speakers or subwoofers!
I always enjoy Your videos andYour friendly attitude. Thank You ^-^ For the recording quality: I guess something like the audio thing can always happen; maybe just switch to fixed focus for the camera next time? I noticed it tried to focus on Your moving hands and then back to Your face all the time, heh. No worries though. Please keep those videos coming ^-^
Real dumb question, but for these kinds of plate amps, do you only need one plate amp per pair? So like my Left speaker will have the amp and my right just hooks up to it somehow? I'm new to this but this looks like a nice starting place!
I've always used a 50/50 mixture of wood glue and water. Brush it on like paint and wait for it to dry. Sand it down I usually start with 150 grit and finish with 220 grit. It provides a nice smooth surface and your vinyl, veneer, primer or whatever you use will have good adhesion. But make sure the surface is clean, clean clean before.
Has anyone compared the c-notes to the c-sharp, overnight sensation, and sambas? I've only build an 18" gsg marty so Im brand new to the DIY bookshelf speakers. I'm looking to build a pair but I'm not sure which generally sound the best. Im going for more clarity than bass since I'm already in way overkill with bass. Id love to hear everyone's opinions!
I was taking apart a computer speaker when the drivers ripped. Their 10 ohm speakers and I was simply going to replace them however I can’t find any 10 ohm speakers online. What could I replace them with? BTW I’m very new in speaker building, this was supposed to be my first one
funny, i just finished building these with my son for his 14th birthday (sans wifi) We finished them with Trunk Bed Liner spray paint (super durable). These really are astonishing sounding speakers (fantastic when you consider the price) Like with all speakers, its better to have more power then not enough. Always go with the biggest amp you can accommodate.(price, size, features, etc...)
The vinyl veneer linked to in this video is horrible. Do not waste your money. Look closely at the edges in this video around 4:24 and you'll see how bad it looks. I bought it anyway to give it a try and it is definitely not an acceptable product to use. Furthermore, there isn't even enough on the role to do both speakers.
KI, please also add metric dimensions as an addition in your videos, cause lots of us live in continental Europe, and 'inches' are a pretty difficult way to do 'on the fly' conversions to our usually stands. Thanks
no - the c-note speaker kit cost $100 US - the wifi/bluetooth amp costs $126 US - unless you seriously need the WIFI option i would go with some much cheaper bluetooth options.
I thought you were going to make it through the vid without mentioning "the doop doup" and I was going to cheer. I really enjoy your build videos. Keep sending out your inspiration!
I love all those "lets test this" things you are doing lately! I'm curious to hear about the results of the stronger materials!! Great vid, thanks Kirby!
+Jules Bilodeau Thanks so much for watching Jules!
I would also like more tests. How do you optimize size? What about trianglar shapes? What are the effects of ported vs not ported? What is the effects of different shapes of the port? What is the effect of different wattages of the amp on the same speaker? Wich wood sounds the best, what other materials can you use? Screws vs glue?... It's these little tings that optimizes your speaker where I cant find any info about.
Robbe Demey this is the wrong channel for optimization. He sacrifices function for form in 90%+ of his videos. Typically lumber is going to be frowned upon. Wood grain is not consistent and as such any two constructed speakers would resonate differently. For example he made speakers where the right speaker had a knot in the wood and the left one didn't. Those two speakers are guaranteed to sound/perform differently. Cabinet shapes don't matter so much as long as you meet the volume minimums. Your questions are a google search away.
I run a pair of C-Notes as my computer speakers although I modified the crossover slightly to help even more with that aluminum cone breakup stuff. They sound better and have more bass than my $400/pair Infinity speakers I had prior. I can definitely recommend this kit as well.
For getting vinyl wrap to stick to MDF, you can prime it. Basically, wrap needs a super smooth, super clean surface to stick to. Since MDF is all dusty, it's difficult to stick to.
Kirby, use a 7/8 inch Forstner bit (a set can be found cheap on harbor freight) in a drill press to create the recess for the plastic lens of the remote receiver. Forstner bits bore very smooth holes, and likely will not mess up the finish you've already applied. Then bore a 5/8 inch hole the rest of the way through. Hot glue the lens on the front and the IR receiver on the inside. Worked perfect on the c-notes I built last month.
I know this is old, but how well do these sound with that plate amp?
I’m thinking of using it on my unused pair of C-Notes.
@@dalesmth1 the sound was okay. not great though. Could definitely hear that it was a chip amp. My amplifier ended up developing a lot of issues and eventually bit the dust entirely before even reaching the 1 year mark. I’d probably buy something external like smsl q5 pro instead. It sounds much better and has nice input options. This is my favorite amp for budget builds and can be had from tomtop for $91.99 if ordering the US plug, US dispatch options.
@@matthewpritchard9777
Thanks for the heads up.
Looks like I'm going with the SMSL SA300.
Thanks mate, I've been eyeing these up for a while now. They'll be my first build and the fact you gave us $10 off.
Top man!
+Michael Ross Awesome! Good luck with your build!
I ordered a pair of these, my daughter (13) and I are going to build them for her room. I chose these based on your first video. I do wish I knew about your coupon code haha.
Great video Kirby. As a beginner on the speaker building journey, I liked the explanations in more basic terms for people like me.
Keep up the great work
Do the 2.5. That is very interesting. Cheers
I'm really interested in knowing whether there's a sound difference just between doing the 1/2" MDF vs 3/4" hardwood. I have a CNC machine and would love to re-make the enclosure of these speakers using something pretty. It's still a great deal since the drivers alone add up to more than the cost of the complete kit.
Of course there's a difference dude!
(that's like asking if there be any safety difference in a car accident whether I was in a Chevrolet hatchback?!
or a Humvee?!
; )
Only experimenting will bring out new results. Thanks for doing that. I really enjoy watching you experiment around with new things and combining them with things you know. P.S.: Bummer that the audio was not as good as we are used to, but your knowledge mages up ;}
+Klonkiller361 Thanks so much for watching!
Just ordered mine. Thanks for the $10 off promo code!!!
The audio is fine. I think having multiple Twitch sessions building the C-Note would be awesome.
I'm also very curious to see the tested sound progression: kit build, thicker / harder material build, and extra woofer build w/in the thicker cabinet. For twitch, I'm not too interested in a kit build. I think that a brainstorming session about speaker/crossover design would be cool.
Great vid, can’t wait for the build
Better audio than I provide on my channel :o Those speakers look like a very high value.
What dampening material did you use in these?
Think I'll pick up a set of these. Is the volume that the wifi/bluetooth thing taking up inside the enclosure detrimental to the sound quality at all? Thinking maybe a 3rd box for the receiver/amp might be more ideal.
Hi Kirby, could you do a build review on the Parts Express TriTrix MTM TL,
I enjoy your channel
Hi Kirby! I think you should mention the finishing issues of MDF, Vinyl is good, relatively easy and looks nice but the poor guy who tries to paint these things will have a really hard time. Painting MDF is possible, but it is damn difficult if you want it to become perfect.
And hey have a nice day Kirby!
or night
or evening
anyway good informative video thanks.
Love build videos. Also, i didn't notice any audio issues.
Hi Kirby. Thanks for the great videos. Quick question. When you did the vinyl, did you wrap all the way around (top, sides, bottom)the speaker when you wrapped, and leave just one seam at the bottom, or did you do each face separately? I ordered the same wrap you used from amazon. I just wasn't sure if the edges would fold crisp if I did it that way.
I'm looking to do my first build and just want a pair of speakers to put in my two car garage. It's roughly 20x20 with a 10ft ceiling. The speakers will be sitting high on the back wall (shelving and tools in the way). Should I go with these or the Samba bookshelf kit they have? Thanks for all the great videos!
what are your thoughts about sealed vs ported enclosures? Coming from car audio, I always rather have the sealed.
Nice job again Kirby! The 2.5 would be good or consider the overnight sensations TMM build by this same designer, Paul Carmody.
Hears mention of custom enclosures, immediately interested.
Nice video Kirby, but as you described the crossovers used in this kit, it made me think of when you ran a series of videos on choosing drivers, choosing enclosures and such. If you could, and I know it could be WAAAAY too in depth a topic, but a little primer on crossovers would be nice. I'm sure 2nd order and 3rd order means very little to many people without some explanation.
+Dave Kimball I totally agree! I will for sure get to a video on crossover design in the future. It’s a really deep topic, but I think an overview can help people get started. Thanks for watching!
Hey Kirby,
just wanted to thank you for your videos. It's allways much fun and excitement to watch and hear them!
aaaaand I have a little suggestion. I'm very curious about omnidiractional sound. Maybe you could do something about it, explaining or even a how to tutorial!?
greatings from germany (damn was to late for the last giveaway ;-) )
and keep your good work up. sound on
Hey, I'm planning to build C-Notes as well. Question: Does adding a plate amp into a speaker affect it's tuning? (Less air volume inside enclosure, one speaker different from the other, etc?)
Hey Kirby, Do you think a 2.5 way, c-note system would out perform a 6.5" 2 way version. The extra cost of the crossover, cabinet size, extra driver vs. a stock large enclosure that would almost fit a 6.5 inch woofer?
Being a car audio guy who works with MDF regularly, .5" MDF is stronger than you would think, have built multiple enclosures with zero bracing for 12" down to 8" woofers, being fed 500-1000w without any issues with rigidity or structural issues. Granted panel size was planned to not leave anything too big to reduce the change of the issues stated.
Well, at same thickness, MDF is not as strong as birch plywood. And the issue is not that the box will break in half or anything like that, it's just that the box will vibrate (almost microscopic vibrations but vibrations nonetheless...). When the box vibrates, it becomes a speaker itself! So you end up hearing both the sound created by the vibration of the speakers cone AND the sound of the boxes walls vibrating! This means two thing;
1- On a bass driver, you loose output energy as the vibration of the box cancels out the output of the speaker
2- The vibration and sound representation generated by the speaker is very much calculated/calibrated to be an exact reproduction of the signal source/original recording... the box vibration is not! Therefore, the sound emitted by the vibrating panels become a very real source of acoustic distortion!
You can very well you half inch MDF to make a sealed box for a 15" 1000w subwoofer and it will work just fine but it would be quite a bit louder and be a more accurate reproduction if you use 1" MDF with braces inside! Have you ever seen the construction of a Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond speaker? The amount of braces inside a 1.5" thick cabinet for two 10" woofers is downright ridiculous!! For a company like that, every little thing they can remove from a speaker would mean thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue so for them to leave those braces in there, it needs to have a very real impact on the final sound!!!
So yeah! Half inch MDF is great for small bookshelf speakers but unless you plan on using a lot of braces, I would go for 3/4" or more when it comes to larger bookshelf, tower speakers or subwoofers!
I already fully understand what you are talking about, I was speaking from purely structural integrity.
hey kirby can you do anything about the shiiping costs to Australia?? the shipping prices are dearer than the kit.
I always enjoy Your videos andYour friendly attitude. Thank You ^-^ For the recording quality: I guess something like the audio thing can always happen; maybe just switch to fixed focus for the camera next time? I noticed it tried to focus on Your moving hands and then back to Your face all the time, heh. No worries though. Please keep those videos coming ^-^
Design the 2.5 interested in seeing it!!!!
The audio was fine for me!
Real dumb question, but for these kinds of plate amps, do you only need one plate amp per pair? So like my Left speaker will have the amp and my right just hooks up to it somehow? I'm new to this but this looks like a nice starting place!
Only one.
The amp drives the other speaker as well.
Realy nice build!! Is it possoble to make a studio monitor kind of speaker?? Would these work for that?? Tks!!
+Rafael Libertini I think these would make pretty good studio monitors. Thanks for watching!
Is there a coating you can put on MDF to make the vinyl wrap stick better?
I've always used a 50/50 mixture of wood glue and water. Brush it on like paint and wait for it to dry. Sand it down I usually start with 150 grit and finish with 220 grit. It provides a nice smooth surface and your vinyl, veneer, primer or whatever you use will have good adhesion. But make sure the surface is clean, clean clean before.
Has anyone compared the c-notes to the c-sharp, overnight sensation, and sambas? I've only build an 18" gsg marty so Im brand new to the DIY bookshelf speakers. I'm looking to build a pair but I'm not sure which generally sound the best. Im going for more clarity than bass since I'm already in way overkill with bass. Id love to hear everyone's opinions!
I was taking apart a computer speaker when the drivers ripped. Their 10 ohm speakers and I was simply going to replace them however I can’t find any 10 ohm speakers online. What could I replace them with? BTW I’m very new in speaker building, this was supposed to be my first one
funny, i just finished building these with my son for his 14th birthday (sans wifi) We finished them with Trunk Bed Liner spray paint (super durable). These really are astonishing sounding speakers (fantastic when you consider the price) Like with all speakers, its better to have more power then not enough. Always go with the biggest amp you can accommodate.(price, size, features, etc...)
Is this kit available in Poland?
I didn't find it anywhere.
I greet you Kirby
brother how am I run a 30 watt 4 ohm speaker by 100watt amplifier.please tell or make a video about this.thank you.
I bought you the planes of the walnut speakers never came to me, says pre-order I paid it about 6 months ago. what happened?
I have an idea 4 a build but don't know where to start
Maybe you could take the speakers for a test drive after a build..
The vinyl veneer linked to in this video is horrible. Do not waste your money. Look closely at the edges in this video around 4:24 and you'll see how bad it looks. I bought it anyway to give it a try and it is definitely not an acceptable product to use. Furthermore, there isn't even enough on the role to do both speakers.
Is this kit available in Germany?
I didn't find it anywhere.
Costs almost as much as the kit itself, and that's before customs.
All I can think of is...are your ear lobes going to always have holes in them?
Hey Kirby, is there a new coupon code?
Can you ship to India?
I know its an old video, but i really feel like the highs are lacking.. kinda bummed after all that work.
Do the potable speaker)
Nah, No thumbs down. For twitch, I would rather see a build than a design video, just my opinion.
+Zach Johnson Thanks Zach! Yeah I think I would have more fun doing a build too. Thanks for watching!
KI, please also add metric dimensions as an addition in your videos, cause lots of us live in continental Europe, and 'inches' are a pretty difficult way to do 'on the fly' conversions to our usually stands. Thanks
Port isn't big enough for that size of sp
Does the kit come with the bluetooth/wifi?
no - the c-note speaker kit cost $100 US - the wifi/bluetooth amp costs $126 US - unless you seriously need the WIFI option i would go with some much cheaper bluetooth options.
Who won the kit????
Check my story on Instagram!
The audio sounds compressed, or bitcrushed sort of. Is it just me?
sadly the 10 dollar code dont work
... ssss...sss... *Soundtest!* ;)
So, this is a sponsored video?
Please build 3-way