Australian Options - Suppliers / Drivers etc

[BassMe]

This list is by no means the end all and be all. Just some quick start options. If you know of something not listed here, please post a reply and I will try and add it.

Drivers:
Home:
THT:
http://www.sbacoustics.com/index.php/do ... /view/266/
http://www.sbacoustics.com/index.php/do ... /view/319/
Both available from Wes Components. Approx $168 for one and $180 for the other. I can't remember which is which. Both are usable in the THT, youfigure out which one is better, they both work.

Also while you might be a bit iffy about using a 12" instead of a 15", you can buy two of these for the price of one recommended 15" + shipping from Parts-Express. This will give you more VD, more placement options and an immediate 3dB gain over the whole passband from doubling drivers. The recommendation is 2 seperate subs (for room mode control) vs one large one. (And two separate will often combined be wider than 1 single sub.) Though given the cost if you were planning two 15"'s maybe you could go 2 dual loaded 12''s :

Parts-Express - http://www.Parts-Express.com

Table Tuba/Auto Tuba:
Tang Band W8-704P - Darcher Audio http://av.darcher.com.au/ E-mail Dan. Approx $129ea New + good shipping rates. Comparable to buying from P-E (inc shipping) but without international shipping hassles or warranties.

SLA/TLAH:
Speaker Hardware - http://www.SpeakerHardware.com Leland is on the forums, is a great guy and will help you in anyway he can including packing things into the tiniest boxes possible.

Parts-Express - Shipping is the killer!

Madi-sound - Shipping is bad too!

This is my point of greatest research and frustration. Shipping 24x 4-5" drivers from the states is EXPENSIVE.

PA:
Please note Eminence Drivers cannot be shipped straight from American Retailers to Aus addresses. See http://www.Shipito.com for ways to "acquire" a US address that will forward your packages to you.

Speaker Hardware - http://www.SpeakerHardware.com Leland predominately does PA stuff! Get your GT-1016 piezo's here! He will even custom build your melded arrays! Has all the necessary Eminence Drivers etc in kits. Just note above message.

Essential Audio - OK prices for some Eminence Drivers such as BP102 and Beta 8 (T39 + DR200). Price is comparable to Parts-Express + International Shipping costs, but much easier as you are buying here in Aus with Aus warranties, no customs etc etc. http://www.essentialaudio.com.au

Thomann http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.html - Have a fixed price of 50 Euro for upto 30kg of shipping to Aus. We haven't established if they will remove the British VAT from their prices, but they have told me they will ship Eminence to Aus directly. IF the VAT is removed this is a simpler option than US sellers at comparable prices.

Electronics:
Home:
200w Stones Studio Subwoofer Plate Amp - Wescomponents ~$200 http://www.wescomponents.com Designed and sold in Aus. Note the 17Hz 24dB/Oct Sub Sonic Filter.

Bash 300w and 500w Sub Plate-Amps: http://oaudio.com/300W_SUBAMP.html These are 240v unlike the Parts-Express ones. Good Price.

Also as of 2012 the Australian importer of Denon has been offering very competitive prices for AV Receivers. For value for $$ the Denon AVR-1912 comes recommended. You should be able to walk into a store and get it for $750 AUD easy. The AUS version has Multi-XT 32, unlike all the other versions, so a very good buy.

PA:
eBay

Thomann http://www.thomann.de/gb/index.html - Have a fixed price of 50 Euro for upto 30kg of shipping to Aus. And 240v Electronics.

German Amazon http://www.amazon.de/

Cab Building Supplies:

Duratex in Aus: http://www.cannonsound.com.au/b/2245388/1/duratex.html

Rockard (Like Duratex, but Local Aussie product) http://www.rockard.com/

Loctite PL Premium http://www.budgetgroup.net/products.php ... t_categ=77
Or Buy Unobond from most building supples.

Ply:

Baltic Birch http://www.dmkforestproducts.com.au/birch.html known as Finnish Birch locally. These guys supply in Brisbane and Sydney. $108 for a sheet of 2400x1200. Good 9 Ply wood though.

Arauco is known as Radiata Pine here, $40/sheet of B/C faced stock. 5 Ply wood.

Sometimes you can get discounts on Marine Ply which is usually 7 ply. I got quoted $49/sheet. But you need to check the layers carefully. Often the outer two will be a touch thinner than the inner 5.

Other Parts:

Jantzen Cross-Over Components. - SpeakerBug http://speakerbug.com.au/shop/ Some Xover components as Parts-Express, Relatively comparable prices. Shipped from Brisbane instead of the US.

Speaker Wire - Jaycar or Bunnings. Both have suitable wire for all cabs. Prices are ok.

Plugs + Jacks - WesComponents http://www.wescomponents.com Jaycar, eBay.

[Grant Bunter]

If you sourced your parts from Australia for your build:

T nuts: available from bunnings (I think in packs of 6) and also cabinet makers supply stores

Allen head bolts: Got mine from the Coventry fasteners chain, $6.50 ish for 32. They are also known as machine screws here, so you can get them from engineering supply stores too

A third alternative for paint:
http://www.duram.com.au/pds_var11var258
User NeilD found this and his cab finish looks great

[el_ingeniero]

You should mention the 3rd party reshipping services that will ship things from the US less expensively.

[BassMe]

PA:
Please note Eminence Drivers cannot be shipped straight from American Retailers to Aus addresses. See http://www.Shipito.com for ways to "acquire" a US address that will forward your packages to you.

[Harley]

T nuts: available from bunnings (I think in packs of 6)

No No No No No

Bunning Tee nuts are the cheapest chinese crap ones you can find. They look great in the pack, but they're a recipe for disaster - I know from personal experience.



Bunnings Tee nut on left.

Top quality Tee Nut on right - sourced from an engineering fastenings company that specialises in top quality fixings. You can also buy your M5x45 cap screws there as well.

Shown above are 5mm Tee Nuts. The larger Tee Nut also allows you to put a small 4g x 9mm mush head screw into in between where the prong cut out is. The excess ooze form the epoxy will hold it and the screw in turn prevents spinning. Belts and braces yes - but hassle free bolting/unbolting your driver ( of course after having run a thread tap through in initially )

[Grant Bunter]

Quite right Harley!

Yep the ones from Bunnings are at best average, it was only put there in case you really couldn't find them anywhere else. For a proper heads up, the ones in Bunnings are made by ITP proline, so that brand is the one you want to avoid.

I got mine from a hardware/hydraulic hose/builders supply store.

If you're interested in a heap, this place sells them in 1000 lots:
https://www.bolt.com.au/nuts-tee-nuts-t ... _1358.html

[Harley]

So long as they are not el cheapo bulk chinese supply, then $AU79.00 for 1000 seems an incredibly good deal.

I pay about $NZ80 ( $AU 62 ) for 200 of the high quality ones ( M5 and not M6 )

I avoid buying bolts and fixings on line - just like ply, I like to view in the flesh first.

If you like, PM me your postal address and I'll mail you a good one for a sample.

[Grant Bunter]

Harley,
It's all good thanks!
It would be great though if you could offer other Aussie's the same option if they so desire.
Call me old fashioned, I got 1/4" UNC T nuts and appropriate cap screws.
Having said that, 5mm may have been better for the BP102's (would have fit inside the pressed basket better).

Edit: Forgot to mention, somewhere around, there is T nuts with anti twist screw holes (found them on a climbing supplies site of all things a while back, can't find them again grrrrr, or I would link them) but gut feeling is they are too large for our purposes ie 3/8". Still hope says if they are available in that size...

[norv]

I got 200 tee nuts in 4 sizes from this link... b4 I read this thread Can't really comment on quality, i haven't used them yet

http://elraco.com.au/index.php?cPath=11_334_341

Delivery was a couple of weeks, they must have been out of stock.

[dMac]

Hi, all, two points:

1. I do a lot of stuff through Shipito.com in the US, which I consolidate into one shipment and send across the Pacific monthly.

If you are willing to wait for my usual schedule, and if your shipment does not include liquid (TNT won't ship liquids such as bags of duratek, and they are the cheapest by far), you're welcome to use my account. PM me for details and working out costs etc.

2. Can anyone in the Sydney area, preferably SW Sydney, PM me re wood suppliers? Unfortunately work has taken me away for the Northern Beaches and DMK at Brookvale so I'm in the dark a bit.

[Titanium Hand]

Speaking of Brookvale.....

Cannonsound is there on old Pittwater Rd.

DMK is there 46 - 48 Chard Rd.

Bomond Trading Company is there 49 Orchard Rd. This place is my Holy Grail of mechanical fasteners. Got a myriad of tee-nuts and all manner of screws, nuts and bolts. All items are available the old fashioned.... By The Piece! Walk up to the counter, do your best to explain what you what and the champions come back from their library of stock with a few options to choose from. All really good quality, mild steel, high tensile, Galvanised, Zinc (shiny) or Stainless. They carry Metric and Imperial. Also stock taps, dies, cutting compounds and drill bits. No cheap garbage there.

If any Aussies are stuck for fasteners I could always get them for you and post them. I live 10 minutes walk away

[Harley]

... All items are available the old fashioned.... By The Piece! Walk up to the counter, do your best to explain what you what and the champions come back from their library of stock with a few options to choose from. All really good quality, mild steel, high tensile, Galvanised, Zinc (shiny) or Stainless. They carry Metric and Imperial. .... I live 10 minutes walk away...

You lucky man you, I'm so jealous. Within 5 mins' walk from my place; Bunnings, Mitre10 Mega and Placemakers, packed to the gunwhales with chinese rubbish...and Selleys

BUT - Plytech are a 10 min drive and on the way to work. They stock a great range of decent ply, best in the country really.

[Grant Bunter]

Well, are those places open on the W/E?
A Saturday morning trip might be in order if not.

Sheesh, you're in Sydney, surely it can't be that much to freight it to you if that's your only option. Not like the $300 they wanted to charge me for 3 sheets...

However, if you're prepared to go with radiata, which works fine, your nearest Bunnings probably stocks 2440 x 1220 (true 8 x 4) non structural sheets that have pretty good faces and cost about $35.

[Titanium Hand]

I can't complain

Thanks to your input with regards to that dodgy company, the business I work for as a contractor no longer uses Liquid Nails! I convinced the director to use fullers or Sikaflex branded gear instead. Next picket fence project we have I'm going to actually glue the pickets + brads. Most contractors only brad, or worse D headed Paslode nails. Given that we house out all of the posts on site opposed to pre morticed and use the good gear FJ pre primed DAR H4 it may actually improve resilience. Perhaps PL? I know it was developed for flooring, anybody got experience with PL in outdoor scenarios?

Cheers all

[dMac]

Well, are those places open on the W/E?
Sheesh, you're in Sydney, surely it can't be that much to freight it to you if that's your only option. Not like the $300 they wanted to charge me for 3 sheets...

Well, I've painted myself into a bit of a corner. Downsizing the car means ferrying "commercial" size sheets around is now not an option unless I really want suspect Bunnings ply (I looked at it and wasn't happy, especially when auroco is tantalisingly about 10 k away), I've yet to find anyone who will cut the sheet at point of sale, asking for delivery of one sheet is met with lots of laughter from the other end of the phone/counter, and any sudden influx of large quantities of ply will be met with raised eyebrows and questions at home..!

It might sound like not much to worry about, but it is to me! I know, life's hard.