Good evening everyone. I've recently moved on to my narrowboat to live on for the foreseeable future. One of the main motivations for the boat project is being able to build the best hi-fi I can over the next couple of years and upgrade as and when I can without upsetting my neighbours! My M&E guy tells me I can do anything I want electrically so we're building the electrics system up from scratch. The engine is sited, she's been battened, insulated and lined with 12mm ply, so obviously the only thing I can think about is planning the first-fix electrics around my new stereo 🙂 She's had all her steelwork done and she's water-tight and really well vented with a few mushroom vents and folding brass portholes. She's awesome. Like a well insulated tank.
Anyway, I am only interested in stereo - the best stereo sound I can build.
I listen to a lot of bass heavy music and wanted to go down the route of full-range DIY rather than the standard bookshelf/sub combo I've been used to.
I will only have one source which is a PC through a good quality DAC.
I hope to buy dedicated amps to power low and high inputs separately.
I can build pretty much any enclosure I want but my internal dimensions are 6'6"(w) x 7'6"(h) x 17'6"(d). The 6'6"(w) tapers in at the soffit to around 3" 🙂
I want to build a walled enclosure to house everything and I can build the enclosure with up to 3' of depth if needed. The bulkhead behind that can be cut out and vented if necessary.
The boat is fully insulated with closed-cell spray insulation(25mm), sheepswool insulation(25mm), Regupol(3mm), 12mm MR MDF on 25mm HW battens, then any finish I want.
I don't want to spend much more than £1500 on speaker parts and £750 on amps so with another £250 for interconnects I'm hoping to get something stunning for £2500 (cabinet costs are included separately in my fit-out budget which includes insulation/MDF/lining (carpet..?) etc so the £2500 is on parts/amps. The more I can build the better!
I was looking at the ZaphAudio SB12.3 before I sold my flat and got the boat and that's the sort of configuration I want to build now (full-range without a separate sub) but assume with something more suited to the size of the room! I can post pics to demonstrate but if anyone has any suggestions for a DIY project on a boat then please let me know. Like I said, she will be fully kitted with AC/inverter/battery-bank/generator etc. I've had to give up my vinyl collection for this so I want to make up for it by going to town on the stereo project but with a view to being able to tinker and upgrade over the next few years if I feel like it. I've been told that ported speakers are a bad idea on a narroboat but I'm fascinated by what acoustic properties a space like that has and how it can be controlled. I hope that if a car can be fitted out then my boat can be too!
Any help gratefully received.
Gaz, Brum.
Anyway, I am only interested in stereo - the best stereo sound I can build.
I listen to a lot of bass heavy music and wanted to go down the route of full-range DIY rather than the standard bookshelf/sub combo I've been used to.
I will only have one source which is a PC through a good quality DAC.
I hope to buy dedicated amps to power low and high inputs separately.
I can build pretty much any enclosure I want but my internal dimensions are 6'6"(w) x 7'6"(h) x 17'6"(d). The 6'6"(w) tapers in at the soffit to around 3" 🙂
I want to build a walled enclosure to house everything and I can build the enclosure with up to 3' of depth if needed. The bulkhead behind that can be cut out and vented if necessary.
The boat is fully insulated with closed-cell spray insulation(25mm), sheepswool insulation(25mm), Regupol(3mm), 12mm MR MDF on 25mm HW battens, then any finish I want.
I don't want to spend much more than £1500 on speaker parts and £750 on amps so with another £250 for interconnects I'm hoping to get something stunning for £2500 (cabinet costs are included separately in my fit-out budget which includes insulation/MDF/lining (carpet..?) etc so the £2500 is on parts/amps. The more I can build the better!
I was looking at the ZaphAudio SB12.3 before I sold my flat and got the boat and that's the sort of configuration I want to build now (full-range without a separate sub) but assume with something more suited to the size of the room! I can post pics to demonstrate but if anyone has any suggestions for a DIY project on a boat then please let me know. Like I said, she will be fully kitted with AC/inverter/battery-bank/generator etc. I've had to give up my vinyl collection for this so I want to make up for it by going to town on the stereo project but with a view to being able to tinker and upgrade over the next few years if I feel like it. I've been told that ported speakers are a bad idea on a narroboat but I'm fascinated by what acoustic properties a space like that has and how it can be controlled. I hope that if a car can be fitted out then my boat can be too!
Any help gratefully received.
Gaz, Brum.
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First off, congratulations on your new place!
Living on a boat is a dream for many.
Before you start spending so much money, consider a few things.
The high humidity and salty air, if the boat is on the ocean, will wreak havoc on speaker components and electronics. Their lifetime will be shortened by quite a bit.
Also, the confines of a boat will induce a lot of reflections, reverberations, nodes and peaks inside. It will be a mess of bouncing waves, so understanding that, you should limit your aspirations of creating a high end hi-fi setup.
I'm thinking of a highly directional system, something like the synergy horn, of a floor to ceiling array of 6.5" woofers flanked by a column of tweeters. That latter option will also save space inside the boat. Easily done with a computer, a sound card and JRiver as the media center. Then, add a copious amount of absorbing panels behind the listening spot, and maybe.....
So, before spending so much, maybe try to borrow a friend's system and have a listen inside. Then, you'll have an idea.
Living on a boat is a dream for many.
Before you start spending so much money, consider a few things.
The high humidity and salty air, if the boat is on the ocean, will wreak havoc on speaker components and electronics. Their lifetime will be shortened by quite a bit.
Also, the confines of a boat will induce a lot of reflections, reverberations, nodes and peaks inside. It will be a mess of bouncing waves, so understanding that, you should limit your aspirations of creating a high end hi-fi setup.
I'm thinking of a highly directional system, something like the synergy horn, of a floor to ceiling array of 6.5" woofers flanked by a column of tweeters. That latter option will also save space inside the boat. Easily done with a computer, a sound card and JRiver as the media center. Then, add a copious amount of absorbing panels behind the listening spot, and maybe.....
So, before spending so much, maybe try to borrow a friend's system and have a listen inside. Then, you'll have an idea.
You're going to laugh, but that's not full range, those are multiway speakers, but now that you are here, I'd keep away from any 3way that isnt already fully engineered, brewing your own crossover unless you have a lot of experience will not lead to the best speakers.
Seeing the size of your room its really more like a car or maybe a minibus I'd say that you might actually be best served by full range drivers, subwoofer assisted if you want. You could be plenty loud save a tonne of space and about £2000.
Seeing the size of your room its really more like a car or maybe a minibus I'd say that you might actually be best served by full range drivers, subwoofer assisted if you want. You could be plenty loud save a tonne of space and about £2000.
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Given the size of cabin and construction, a full-range driver and sub (or multiple, smaller subs) concealed within the structure would be a versatile way to go. The better class-D amps are versatile and reduce power consumption/heat.
Can you post pics? Big fan of narrow boats so I'd be interested in seeing some images of the boat.
Can you post pics? Big fan of narrow boats so I'd be interested in seeing some images of the boat.
I'd consider going for a Double Bass Array. There's gonna be a lot of standing waves to deal with.
Apart from that, invest in a measurement setup and learn to use it and what the results tells you. My builds really jumped up in quality after doing that - easily the best value audio purchase around.
Chris
Apart from that, invest in a measurement setup and learn to use it and what the results tells you. My builds really jumped up in quality after doing that - easily the best value audio purchase around.
Chris
Thanks for the advice. I actually have a pair of Kef Q100's and a pair of Kef Q300's and was initially thinking of re-housing them - either removing the drivers etc and housing them in a new enclosure with an additional sub on each side or just putting them inside a bigger box with cutouts to fit flush.
I'm happy to accept this will all be a compromise but there are pros and cons to living on a boat. It's a narrowboat btw, so only on the canals of Birmingham. I'll post a few photos shortly so if you could have a look and maybe tell me how many speakers in an array, approximately, it'd be appreciated.
Good advice. It is a similar size to a caravan but with 10mm and 6mm steel and more insulation than a UK new-build house 🙂 Not sure if you read my comment above about rehousing my Q100's and Q300's and adding a suitable pair of subs - it'd save me more money for acoustic treatment and allow me to upgrade/build over time. I need to get them onboard and have a listen as they've only just warmed up after a few months in my flat.
I'll try to post some now. I really do think I'll regret not allowing for a sub as long as it's suitable for the space. I was looking at the Peerless Class D amps which seem to have good reviews but any suggestions would be appreciated.
There's plenty of depth in the gunwales to be able to recess some nice in-wall speakers if I wanted to. I got a bit fixated with placing the speakers at one end but have a look at the space and let me know what you think. Cheers!
Nice one. I'm an architect so I've been able to build a 3D CAD model already. I've not looked into acoustic software but assume there are packages that I can feed the model into and optimise the design before I spend too much money.
I'm going to try and post photos then Google "Double bass array" 🙂
I can't wait to hear what you make of DBA......
Have you thought of infinite baffle, ie, in the walls but venting to the outside?
Have you thought of infinite baffle, ie, in the walls but venting to the outside?
Right, wow. That makes a lot of sense and would definitely suit my space and my tastes in music. Also, although I'm not into films and surround-sound, I make a lot of VR models and fancied making a proper surround studio for exploring VR worlds. Four small subs in the corners with smaller speakers recessed around the space could be accommodated easily.
I really want to limit the amount of metalwork I have to do now although I have been reading up on infinite baffles. Now she's water-tight I don't want to open her up again. However, if you look at the photos (sorry for the multiple posts but I can see the links to delete them), there's a smaller cabin beyond the main bulkhead at the front. That will be a sleeping berth but I can open up that bulkhead and vent into that berth space if that will help with acoustics.
I really want to limit the amount of metalwork I have to do now although I have been reading up on infinite baffles. Now she's water-tight I don't want to open her up again. However, if you look at the photos (sorry for the multiple posts but I can see the links to delete them), there's a smaller cabin beyond the main bulkhead at the front. That will be a sleeping berth but I can open up that bulkhead and vent into that berth space if that will help with acoustics.
I did once see an article where someone had fitted ATC SCM200 into a narrowboat. So a lot can be done.
That could be worth considering if the speaker placement is ok for your listening position, for subs only it wouldn't be so critical.
I can't see the photos; can you use the proprietary embedded method ? 😛
I mean, the attachments that you can use in the message at DIYaudio
BTW
What's wrong with these ?
Minx Series - Ultra compact speakers | Cambridge Audio
I mean, the attachments that you can use in the message at DIYaudio
BTW
What's wrong with these ?
Minx Series - Ultra compact speakers | Cambridge Audio
Placing more speakers around the cabin than you think you may need (or at least, the spaces to fit them later) may be a good way to go. You might change your mind about layout or the number of channels you require at a later date. The attractive thing about this project is that it is a half-way between car and home installation. Like a car, you have a close control over the space, the acoustic and the arrangement of speakers.
Infinite baffle sounds interesting for the subs if the placement fits but for the mains you'll probably do just as well with sealed, as long as you can get to 80Hz or just below.
btw, I think the Cambridge speakers use BMR drivers so their sound distribution pattern will differ from a conventional cone. Building the speakers into the walls is a better fit and forget option, imo.
Infinite baffle sounds interesting for the subs if the placement fits but for the mains you'll probably do just as well with sealed, as long as you can get to 80Hz or just below.
btw, I think the Cambridge speakers use BMR drivers so their sound distribution pattern will differ from a conventional cone. Building the speakers into the walls is a better fit and forget option, imo.
Ideally length-ways as 6' 6" is tight to fit a stereo and sofa and enjoy it properly. Plus it'd restrict my listening position too much I think. I'm open to suggestions if you have any inspiration. I'll try re-upload the photos.
It's like being in a cacoon so I like the idea of a number of smaller speakers in the recesses. I won't be doing anything to the hull-sides and looking at speakers like the Kef in-wall speakers I'd only lose 100mm all around to line them flush which I can live with. Plus, all the "walls" are naturally pointing at the centre of the boat which I'm sure I can take advantage of.
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