Cadentia 3 Product Development thread / Audio First Designs

[Pausi]

I’ve just ordered a pair. Will be interesting to compare the sound quality to my Wharfedale Lintons.

 

[djn04]

I really want to order a speaker kit but my four year old and her four year old friends have me nervous about the lack of a grill. Has anyone thought about building something? I wonder if there's enough space on the front of the cabinet to put some magnets under veneer and build a fabric wrapped frame to go around the baffle? Even better would be perforated aluminum like I have on my Magico S1s.

 

[101geo]

there's a 10mm border around the baffle, should be easy enough to figure something out that's easily removable for listening

 

[Milt]

Honestly, a truly transparent grille won't stand up to a hell-bent 4yo

 

[suttondesign]

Honestly, a truly transparent grille won't stand up to a hell-bent 4yo

be afraid. be very, very afraid.

 

[MASantos]

Honestly, a truly transparent grille won't stand up to a hell-bent 4yo

Nothing really does survive a hell-bent 4yo!

That said, a mesh grill will hide the drivers and control curiosity, and with magnets it is quite easy to remove for critical listening.

 

[Karmacoma]

Nothing really does survive a hell-bent 4yo!

That said, a mesh grill will hide the drivers and control curiosity, and with magnets it is quite easy to remove for critical listening.

With magnets it is quite easy to remove for fun! That would just make a fine toy for a 4 yo. Resistance is futile.

 

[djn04]

Yeah, I'm mostly interested in curiosity control with a little added protection. I wouldn't use them for any serious listening.

For those in the US, how long was the shipping time for your kits? I'll probably need to time delivery around a vacation.

 

[Milt]

Yeah, I'm mostly interested in curiosity control with a little added protection. I wouldn't use them for any serious listening.

For those in the US, how long was the shipping time for your kits? I'll probably need to time delivery around a vacation.

I bought assembled speakers but there are 2 factors:
Lead time & shipping time.
I live near Seattle & from shipping notice to arrival was 3 days.
For current lead time you'd need to ask Harry

 

[djn04]

Ok, the order is in! Now the waiting part begins. This should give me some time to over think what veneer I want to use. Do I go light? Dark? Keep it simple with Walnut or Oak? Or something more exotic? If anyone knows a custom furniture marker in the California Bay Area that might be good for the veneer work, let me know.

 

[suttondesign]

Ok, the order is in! Now the waiting part begins. This should give me some time to over think what veneer I want to use. Do I go light? Dark? Keep it simple with Walnut or Oak? Or something more exotic? If anyone knows a custom furniture marker in the California Bay Area that might be good for the veneer work, let me know.

FWIW, I find that I prefer regular veneer rolls over 3m peel-and-stick. A smooth finish with water-borne urethane, sanded, then two coats of contact cement (wood stores stock it) is really easy without the expensive risks of the 3m.

FWIW, exotics look sort of fakey on these crisp boxes. I used walnut b/c I already have chunky floating walnut shelves and a huge turned walnut coffee table around the speakers, but really I think any long grain veneer would look good. White oak especially.

The kit panels need a little finessing after glue-up. Use a lot of clamps to get as square and flush as you can because you will be sanding and veneering baltic birch edges. Fortunately they do sand nicely.

On the back, do not try to veneer the exposed edge of the side, top, and bottom panels, but only the inset back panel. It looks fine that way, quite nice actually, if you sand and finish those exposed edges.

 

[djn04]

FWIW, I find that I prefer regular veneer rolls over 3m peel-and-stick. A smooth finish with water-borne urethane, sanded, then two coats of contact cement (wood stores stock it) is really easy without the expensive risks of the 3m.

FWIW, exotics look sort of fakey on these crisp boxes. I used walnut b/c I already have chunky floating walnut shelves and a huge turned walnut coffee table around the speakers, but really I think any long grain veneer would look good. White oak especially.

The kit panels need a little finessing after glue-up. Use a lot of clamps to get as square and flush as you can because you will be sanding and veneering baltic birch edges. Fortunately they do sand nicely.

On the back, do not try to veneer the exposed edge of the side, top, and bottom panels, but only the inset back panel. It looks fine that way, quite nice actually, if you sand and finish those exposed edges.

I'll probably change my mind before it's done, but I'm leaning towards quarter sawn white oak veneer with as light a finish as possible. I think I'll try to make your stands in white oak and give them a ebonized finish so they look black.

 

[testp]

I really want to order a speaker kit but my four year old and her four year old friends have me nervous about the lack of a grill. Has anyone thought about building something? I wonder if there's enough space on the front of the cabinet to put some magnets under veneer and build a fabric wrapped frame to go around the baffle? Even better would be perforated aluminum like I have on my Magico S1s.

i thought about adding some magnets to the inside of the baffle on Fidelia's, and i did but to do it right with 2 piece epoxy i had to remove the tweeter, because the tweeter magnet pull is too great, it starts to pull the magnets towards the tweeter.

 

[Milt]

i thought about adding some magnets to the inside of the baffle on Fidelia's, and i did but to do it right with 2 piece epoxy i had to remove the tweeter, because the tweeter magnet pull is too great, it starts to pull the magnets towards the tweeter.

Velcro?

 

[testp]

Velcro?

straps no, i thought small neodyum magnets, then a grill with magnets on the outside...

 

[Milt]

If rare earth magnets F with the driver(s), 2" velcro strips will securely hold a transparent grill frame in place.
I've owned speakers that did this. Easier & as effective as magnets especially if you're DIY...

 

[testp]

If rare earth magnets F with the driver(s), 2" velcro strips will securely hold a transparent grill frame in place.
I've owned speakers that did this. Easier & as effective as magnets especially if you're DIY...

ahh i see, that would work

 

[Marc v E]

Beautiful work, gentlemen! I am so happy to see them being built and enjoyed!

My recovery seems to be going quite well, I can move my leg a lot more normally now and hopefully will be off the crutches in 2 weeks.

With the help of my colleague George, we managed to ship out a few more kits last week. Now I am waiting for more drivers to arrive to finish the rest.

Initially, I thought I could focus on design work these days, but man, little did I know how the nights would be after the surgery... The discomfort and pain kept me awake.

But its definately getting better. I know everything will be fine eventually.

A little sneak peek of the Cadentia 2 prototype:

View attachment 512928

View attachment 512929
View attachment 512930

View attachment 512927
View attachment 512932

Waveguide and baffle still need some adjustment...

They look beautiful to me. The baffle and drivers particularly.

 

[djn04]

I got them up and running. I used Claude Code and the REW MCP to confirm everything was wired up correctly and performing as expected. Everything checked out. I'm waiting on the stands from Harry and will probably live with them in unfinished birch ply for a while.

They're sitting way too low on some toddler art stools for now but they still sound great.

 

[Milt]

Curious about your current system.
Looks like NAD, a TT top center?
KEF KC-62 subs?
Speakers unknown, maybe a NUC.

Sorry to be so nosey but it looks like a well thoughtout purposeful config.
I'm pondering my system around Cadentia3s