Thinking outside the Box ???

[joest]

This is a bit off but I got to thinking about something the other day. This may not be practical at all & I have no idea if it could or would work.
But if you were to make a horn that could slip inside a manifold could you effectively produce a horn loading that would work? I know it would probably be rather large if it was possible & would have to extend out of the manifold as well most likely. But if you used thin materials could it be done so you can just drop one in & out at will?
Before anyone beats me up either I'm by no means looking for something to replace my IB I just thought it could be something fun to play around with.
Any thoughts??

[twisterz]

I have been thinking along this line for a friend of mine. I thought of using Sonotube to create a curve horn into the room. If it worked I was thinking to back fill with expanding foam insulation. I was thinking of a line array manifold set back and the sonotube curve from the speakers to a larger opening.

My friend hasn't bought his Speakers yet, no sense building the manifold until he gets the speakers.

[ThomasW]

The outlet of a bass horn needs to be HUGE to reproduce really low bass.

Simply flaring the outlet of a manifold isn't going to do much of anything.

[joest]

admin said:

The outlet of a bass horn needs to be HUGE to reproduce really low bass.

Simply flaring the outlet of a manifold isn't going to do much of anything.

I wasnt thinking so much for the lower octives but up into the 30hz range or so, more for playing around with music.

[ryans]

I know very little about horns. But I thought that the horn had to be fairly sturdy in construction so that it does not deform when operating.

What sort of thin materials could you use that would also provide sufficient stiffness?

[ThomasW]

ryans said:

I know very little about horns. But I thought that the horn had to be fairly sturdy in construction so that it does not deform when operating.

What sort of thin materials could you use that would also provide sufficient stiffness?

Titanium...... ;D

[chrisbee]

Exponential bass horns used to be discussed in the magazines in my youth (and usally built out of concrete for stiffness). To work down to 30Hz (which was considered very low frequency at the time) they needed to be over 12 feet long and have a mouth the size of most living room walls! Horns have a only a very narrow low distortion passband so had to be handed over to a midband horn and then onto tweeter horns all built in concrete to very close tolerances.

A little online homework would give you the correct dimensions but I doubt you'd be impressed with the work involved for so little return in the bass.

Those looking for a different project could build a huge 1/4 wave folded horn in the attic and vent that into the listening room/HT. But folded horns are considered to be rather coloured. I built a 7 foot high x 18" diameter folded horn woofer back in the late 60s. I have never heard violin concertos sound so wonderful than from that big pipe on the end of a tiny Mullard 510 valve (tube) amp! ;D

[joest]

ryans said:

I know very little about horns. But I thought that the horn had to be fairly sturdy in construction so that it does not deform when operating.

What sort of thin materials could you use that would also provide sufficient stiffness?

From some things I have read about horns it said 1/4" Baltic birch could be used for some applications, mainly for the bends in the horn itself.
I'm by trade a body man so I also thought about fiberglass which can be made extremely rigid & still be lightweight with a few little tricks.
But anyway it was all just a what if, but judging by the responses it looks to be something that would be much more extensive than I thought
At the same time I've always found a way to do something that everyone else says cant be done, so who knows what I may get myself into ;D

[ThomasW]

joest said:

At the same time I've always found a way to do something that everyone else says cant be done, so who knows what I may get myself into

No one says it can't be done. The question would be why would anyone want to do this?

The only possible benefit is the output advantage horn loading offers.

The disadvantages are cost, size, and horn induced coloration...

[joest]

[/quote]

The only possible benefit is the output advantage horn loading offers.[/quote]

That was the intent. But like I said in previous post its nothing I was intending to leave in, but just something to play around with just for the heck of it.