the HT2 cabinet

the function

Ever hear comments that a certain speaker "sounds great?" In reality, speakers should not impart audible qualities to the sound being reproduced. To avoid coloration, the cabinet must be as sonically inert as possible. This requires certain attributes:

• Walls must be built with materials that are not easily induced to resonate. No material is perfect. Solid wood is poor in this regard. MDF and Baltic Birch plywood are quite good.
• The walls must be sufficiently massive (thick or multi-layered), again to limit cabinet resonance.
• The cabinet must be well-braced for the same reasons.

A well-built standard speaker cabinet is usually heavy—heavier than it might appear—because mass is required to absorb and neutralize sounds, especially at lower frequencies. But that is just the beginning...

the design

The cabinet size (9" wide, 14" deep and 40" tall) was determined by the internal volumes required for optimum operation of the W18EX mid-woofer. This size was then increased slightly to compensate for two internal full-length braces (and for the crossover circuitry) that minimize cabinet wall vibrations in both driver cavities.

To further minimize resonances, the front baffle is comprised of a double layer of 3/4" MDF when built with standard satin black lacquer baffles (shown above). For custom options, the outside layer can be replaced by a solid wood baffle to match or provide contrast with the wood finish.

Finally, advanced sound deadening and absorption materials are applied to all inner surfaces to cut down on standing waves within the cabinet interior.

the result

The result is a rock-solid cabinet optimized to allow the LCY tweeter and the pair of Seas Excel W18EX's to perform at their highest potential.