David Impressions

[wldickin]

Hey guys,
Just got done with a pair of Davids. Not the easiest build in the BF arsenal. They require quite a bit of accurate measurement as nearly all the cuts are determined by what you've already done. About the only pre-defined cuts are the two sides that you start out with. The first enclosure was done with butt joints, and the second with dados. In the plans Bill recommends not using the Dado method anymore as the glue has proven to be plenty strong on its own. I would certainly attest to the strength of the first method. Having said that the second cabinet with the Dados went faster simply because the cuts were easier to line up and more square. I spent some initial time carefully routing out the dados on both of the sides and much less time trying to make all the later pieces fit.

I only differed from his plans in one area and that was the driver access port opening. In the plans Bill calls for 2 portholes to give easier access to the sub. Per T Sharpes suggestion I made one larger porthole on the inside (facing the component stand. It turns out that the cover needed that extra size to mount the large amount of crossover parts called for in Bills plans. It is a little harder to get the speaker mounted, but certainly worth the time of not having to make another hole.

These are some sweet sounding enclosures. Very crisp highs, very accurate mids and deep loud accurate bass. Deep bass from an 8"? Yep! Bills crossover design showcases all the components sensitivity. I know it sounds stupid, but it sounds like the artist is in your living room playing for you. The components all work well together with no overextending. They simply all rise together to levels as yet untested by me.

These things are big, very big. They make my 32" TV sad looking, (NEW TV!!) and generally dominate everything in the room. These might not be the speakers of choice for a small area, depending on how you value your space. In my mind these are pure music speakers. I have them in a dual role for now as Home Theater mains, but as the magnets are not shielded (at least the TB's) and they cause some disturbances in the picture during any bass intensive scenes. Also for movies you will want a dedicated sub as response falls off rapidly below 40 Hz.

They will handle any music you can throw at it. Plenty of bass to go around even for rap. Sounds like a live concert in your living room.

I have these hooked up to a dinky little Yamaha receiver. I'm in the process of sourcing some new equipment, and I'll keep you updated on the performance as the quality level of my equipment aspires to the level of my David’s!