urghhhh! possibly the ugliest speakers ever?

was amongst the more flattering comments made by forum members concerning the release of the Nonsuch 4.

So this time I thought I might involve you guys early (with your permission). For the new range, I'm doing the 'acoustics' and I'm bringing in a ringer to take care of the aesthetics.

So here are some concept drawings and I'm deciding which way to go. What do you think?

I'll leave this up for 14 days and you can vote for more than one design if you want.

 

erm

sorry about that Steve :shame:

I retract my statement!

It had more to do with just not liking the actual choice of wood and wood veneer than the actual speaker, which looked fine.

By the way, youve got some funky designs there. I really like 2-3 of them. Beware the single pillar designs though, they make it look like a traffic light or a lollypop.

 

Tee hee, Chris. It wasn't so bad at the time and it seems positively amusing now. Your retraction has come two years too late.

Anyway, it was the comments of forum members at that time which are largely responsible for my fondness for Zero Gain since.

Incidentally, some of the concept drawings don't quite stand up to scrutiny. In fact some of them wouldn't stand up at all. Bl**dy car designers. I suspect that some of the proportions will need to be changed too. Still, they give an idea of my thinking. I told the guy that the new speakers had to be at home in an environment that might contain high definition and flat panel tvs and the like.

 

The drawings would be a bit better if you turned the virtual light on.

TBH none of them look great steve.

 

They remind me of the Mission Elegance range.

My girlfriend said they all look ugly, but that in pink they would be really cool! I don't think the standard WAF works with her...

After garyi's comment I feel I should say that I do like #2 and B1!

 

Also available in ...


... pink.

 

Me says:
his speakers are avalible in pink

She says:
=-o can i marry him?

Me says:
hell no

Me says:
you dont even like spakers

She says:
but he has pink speakers!

She says:
thats not true. i have loads of speakers



Now look what ya did!

 

Number 2 has me almost priapic and salivating. Where do i sign?

 

I've checked out the Mission Elegante speakers and see what you mean (slightly). And, you can get them in pink.

My wife tells me that if I sell as many as Mission she'll stay married to me.

Tenson, I think I'll go and pour myself a scotch. Looks like I've got some catching up to do.

 

Ah, I believe that number 2 will ONLY be available in pink.

 

I moved OUT of Brighton last year mate.

 

B1 is interesting and has a definite style

B2 looks distinctly wobbly for some reason

B4 looks the most conventional in appearance (possibly the safest bet for consumer appeal)

B5 looks a set of traffic lights on the A23!

'1' I'm not sure

'2' the swept back appearance doesn't appeal

'3' again not keen

'4' too 'AV'

'5' too odd


B1 or B4 for me Steve.

How are you intending to fabricate the enclosures?

 

2 & 5 for me although they all look a bit 'b&o' for my tastes but then i'm probably not your target market.

 

There is nothing to beat bare MDF 'eh?

 

They are all tall [so kids and dogs can knock them over and they will wobble front-back]

and narrow [so they will have loads of side reflections from wide dispersion in a typical UK size room]

with vertical symmetry [so baffle diffraction is worse]

and they look like most floorstanders in the last 10 years

other than that, I like them. The B versions look better to me.

Have you tried a sitting low to the floor, baffle leaning back type box? Personally I like speakers near the floor boundary. Especially with pain-in-the-ass laminate flooring, which is what people in these places:

'an environment that might contain high definition and flat panel tvs and the like'

will have...

 

The final versions will be stable. These are only concepts.

Dispersion is not so wide for most frequencies (above bass) with the drive units that I will employ (new Bandors which have been designed specifically for Seventh Veil). It has often occurred to me that mounting the drivers off-centre would be better for diffraction and I may end up doing that. However, I will undoubtedly employ a fairy wide radius on the front baffle (like my current Nonsuch 4s) so, in practice, you might not hear the difference.

With the single unit models, you'd be right but with doubles or models with four drivers mounted vertically the dispersion in the vertical plain dramatically reduces floor (and ceiling) reflections.

Thanks for your comments Graham. I think that you're 'on the money' but suspect that we're singing from similar song-sheets.

 

PS: The new range will incorporate a feature or two which will surprise most of you. I think I can promise a bit of controversy.

 

Are there any speakers in those pictures? Guess I'll have to download them and lighten them up in Paint Shop Pro

 

Aha! Now I can see them Hmmm? Tag McClaren meets Wobbly Bench :lol:

The scale of the models implies maybe 4 inch drivers. This can't be right because 4 inch drivers in a vertical array would suffer horribly from comb filter effects at normal hifi listening distances. Surely you'll be using 2 inch drivers?

Model 1 is quite nice in a 'The Bishop' sort of way. That pin stripe would have to come in different colours though (or not at all).

Model 2 looks like a giant milk frother or posh biro

Model 3 is also quite nice in a 'The Bishop' sort of way. Looks better for not having the pin stripe. The twin legs give it a slightly ecclesiastical air whereas Model 1 is more boy racer. There's probably a market for both.

Model 4 looks like a piece of sports equipment, like a punch ball or something. Horrid!

Model 5 also has the sports equipment look (or a fat fountain pen) but I quite like it all the same.

Model B1 is a touch more conventional but still very modern and would suit my living room well.

Model B2 - hmmmm - hard to say what I don't like about it - I just don't

Model B4 looks OK but Model B1 has more style.

Model B5 is hideous.



I would choose Model B1 for my current living room.

If I had the right sort of room, I'd choose Model 5. Hell I might even for the current room.

I could see Model 1 and Model 3 having appeal. And Also Model B4.


Models 2, 4, B2 and B5 will be on sale shortly at Richer Sounds for 50 quid :lol:

Hope that helps

 

I like B1 although I'm not bashing Model 3