Selah Integrity DIY Speaker Kit Review

[ctrl]

THat link doesn't work for me. Even if it did, I need a track I can play in Tidal, not youtube stream if that is what it was.

You want the voice coil of BR speakers tuned to >25Hz to hit the pole plate?
No problem, I can help there

Future - 2017 Future - I'm So Groovy
https://tidal.com/browse/track/70469746
Down to 22Hz



Infected Mushroom - 2001 B.P.Empire - Never Ever Land
https://tidal.com/browse/album/87251878
Drumbeat from 50Hz down to 20Hz

 

[richard12511]

THat link doesn't work for me. Even if it did, I need a track I can play in Tidal, not youtube stream if that is what it was.

https://tidal.com/browse/track/108896515

There's a tidal link. Track is called "Praeludium and Chromatic Fugue" by "Jan Kraybill" on the album "The Orchestral Organ".

I would start the track around 13:15. There's a low note that comes in around 13:25 and then an even lower one at 13:30. The latter one I can feel the individual "beats" of the frequency, so it's gotta be super low. In my office system(4 12 inch corner subs) , I can't even really hear the last note's fundamental. I really only hear it in my main room.

 

[Rick Sykora]

But isn't that what we do here (nitpicking, singling out small measurable issues)? I mean, we argue over little frequency response variations, small regions of increased THD, relatively small directivity mismatches, etc. Why not point out similarly small issues in the impedance plots?

I still don't understand your reference to 'worst case amp load being +/- 45 degrees' or your referenced link. +/-45 degrees is probably typical for a small two-way, not worst-case. This speaker is worse than +/-45 degrees, although it's ameloriated by the magnitude being around 5-6 Ohms where the phase is so low.

Am pretty confident that, despite some examples otherwise, ASR does not have a stated goal of nitpicking.

So IMO, my further nitpick of your admitted nitpicking is of less value unless there is a clear benefit for others. So, I am also confident that most amplifiers, will have no issue driving this speaker, However, I acknowledge it has a somewhat greater than typical phase angle at around 70 Hz, but just not convinced this is sufficient reason to single out as a significant risk.

 

[Dmitri]

I’m not the first person to say this, but I want to thank Selah Audio for what they are doing, both in the concept of providing a speaker design in honor of Jeff Bagby, but also in contributing a portion of the proceeds to his family. The few snippets of personal encounters that members have had with Jeff are quite wonderful. Thank you for those shared memories.

Selah Audio has been on my “favorites” iPad page for a few years now. They are in Garner NC, approximately an hour’s drive from me. I’ve been looking at kit speakers for awhile now, not that I need another pair... I have too many laying around already!...but it’s a hobby...my wife just smiles and nods her head, and when I pass I’ll be sure they advertise the yard sale on ASR. ; )

Going out of town for awhile, but I just might have to visit Selah and check these out when I get back. If I purchase them, I’ll be sure to give them as “plush” a ride home as I possibly can.

Thank you Amir for reviewing the Integrity’s. I get the trepidation you must have felt, and can imagine your relief when they tested well. Perfect? Of course not. No speaker is. But the positive feedback I’ve been hearing about Selah through this thread is reassuring for someone who has been wanting to build a pair of speakers for a long time. Doesn’t hurt being a retired carpenter, cabinet and furniture designer/builder either, with a fully equipped but sadly underused shop. Big plus! I get to combine all my favorite hobbies....including photography, because if I do build them, you can be sure that I’m going to post them. ; )

 

[carbidetooth]

I never interacted with Jeff Bagby, but what a massive reputation as a kind and talented soul.

He has the kind of reputation that makes me think, "How will I be remembered?" and prompts me to try and be the best person I can be.



That's a relief to hear. I think very few people have the skill/resources/inclination/tools to cut out the driver recesses on the baffle themselves.

Still, I always think it's a shame that Madisound and Meniscus don't offer flat-pack kits like PartsExpress.

I realize how bulky those flat-packs are to ship and store. PartsExpress surely enjoys some economies of scale there and is thus able to handle that in ways that smaller companies cannot. But there are a lot of people out there who want to enjoy these kits but aren't able to do the cabinet work.

(A common suggestion is, "ask a local cabinet maker!" but unless you are friends with one, that can be rather expensive AFAIK unless they are really hungry for work - please correct me if I'm wrong)

I'm new to the forum, but think I can offer some insight here. "Economies of scale" is truly the last word here. From a business perspective, it's a tiny niche within a niche market. I've looked at scaling the CNC part of my business to include more flat packs and I think the only way would be to go big and try to capture a large percentage of the small market.

One would have to equip a shop and storage space, warehouse numerous designs and hope to penetrate the small, and probably shrinking, market. Even though I am not depending on the equipment for a personal income, I just can't get past looking at it the same way as any business endeavor. Equipment, space and all overhead costs need to be borne by the business first, then hope to eek out a little profit over and above that.

Try as I might, the return on investment just doesn't pen out without jumping to warp speed, something I'm unwilling to do. I suspect I'm not the only one who comes to the same conclusion. It's a tiny, fickle market. Over the years I've watched several businesses cater to this market only to disappear.

I think that finding "a local cabinetmaker" who would have interest in something like this is akin to finding a needle in a haystack. The likely candidate would be a serious hobbyist and they're most often all but invisible through conventional search methods. One might want to check in with local suppliers that cater to the retail side of the woodworking world. Woodcraft comes to mind, but there are others. There are usually communities and networks that exist within the realm, but will take some rooting around to find. Google probably won't be much help.

 

[carbidetooth]

I think these companies should provide g-code for CNC machines and then someone should setup shop to make front baffles for people using such. The rest of the box can be built with rudimentary tools.

Unfortunately, providing G-code would probably result in a zero sum game, assuming it could even be provided. Within G-code are many "dialects" specific to machines, manufacturers and control software. While G-code does control machine movement, it's interpreted from CAD programs through what's call a post processor. Without the entire chain being interconnected, the individual components are sort of useless.
The chain looks like this: CAD program>machine specific post processor>machine movement control. After all that, the machine follows coordinate instructions provided by G-code.

At the end of the day, CNC machines are nothing without instructions and G-code is not the only "key to the kingdom" so to speak.

Further down the same road, I think one has to look at DIY and try to determine if it makes any sense from a speaker performance standpoint. If most work is farmed out, the relative savings compared to a finished product can evaporate. For me, and for many others I suspect, there's a woodworking component that drives the train to a large extent. The "I made that" component is hard to place a value on. It will be different for everyone.

 

[Rick Sykora]

Well now that the one reviewed here is back with me, my wife noticed there are too many speakers around our house! So am wondering if anyone might be interested in it or maybe a matched pair. I bought the front baffle since was not worth my time to create a jig for one. The baffle was $40. Am looking for $400 for one or $800 for a pair. Will pick up shipping within the continental US.

If you are interested, please start a conversation with me directly. Will be holding off any new builds to keep my wife happy. In case, you are looking for something smaller/less expensive, after Amir tests one of the S2000s, plan to sell them too.

Thanks!

Rick

 

[mga2009]

Does anyone knows if the XO is available without the drivers? I already have the SB Acoustics drivers from another project.

 

[Selah Audio]

Does anyone knows if the XO is available without the drivers? I already have the SB Acoustics drivers from another project.

Check with Meniscus. If they're not able to do that you can message me here.

 

[HighFutility]

Is this still available?

 

[Grotti]

Is this still available?

Seems not to be available at meniscus, since they have closed their webshop:

One moment, please...

 

[HighFutility]

Seems not to be available at meniscus, since they have closed their webshop:

One moment, please...

Ah, sad trombone.