My recent DIY subwoofer project has gotten me all fired up and itching for another DIY project, and in my pursuit, I stumbled upon the Open Baffle Subwoofer built by Javad Shadzi. This was my introduction to OB, and although I have seen them in the wild, I did not give them much thought. I was instantly enamoured with the beauty and the simplicity of the OB design and delved into a marathon session of mugging up on open baffle fundamentals and design which lasted several days and was devoid of sleep. Office calls and solid food were promptly ignored during this period, because, priorities!
My interest in OB automatically made me reach out to @yogibear. While he was kind enough to hold my hand and recommend a combination, I was already scouring the net at full speed, and I came across glow-in-the-dark-audio's Kevin Davis’ build of the Lii Audio F-15; while I was fully fixated on this build amidst the glowing review, he mentioned that he came across the F-15 from all the noise on the Decware Forum. Enter the Decware Forum thread on Steve Deckert's Big Betsy Project!
After thoroughly reading all 32 pages of the thread, I knew that this project was for me, and I was going to build the Big Betsy Baffle with the F-15. I have always been a minimalist, and the idea of a full-range driver in an OB was enough to convince me on multitude levels.
1) It would be a simple build
2) Crossover-less
3) Reasonably priced and gorgeous-looking driver.
4) Tried and Proven design
I have taken the first step towards this project by ordering the Lii Audio F-15. They also have a new 15" full ranger called the Fast-15 with an improved magnet, which promises even better extension on both ends. I avoided this as I have not seen any reviews of it in direct comparison with the F-15.
I will be using this thread to document the project in its entirety. It might be convenient or useful for someone in a similar boat.
I have chosen to go with the Decware ZF15L size baffle for this project, and have taken ample notes from the forum.
For the keen, It's fascinating to read about Steve Deckert's journey on his evolution in thought and design process for the ideal baffle size and how materials play a role in the resonance of the baffle. It's also heartening to see his style of engagement and encouragement for his fellow members in the forum.
Here are a few pictures of the Big Besty Baffles, (the baffles were originally inspired by Randall Rash's barrel-shaped baffles of Caintuck Audio)
Randy's Version of the baffle with the F-15
Size: 22.5" tall x 17.75" wide at the centre. The top and bottom width is 11"
The Big Betsy Baffle by Steve Deckert of Decware Audio - They come in two sizes.
ZF15M (Medium Size)
Size: 36" high
Size Comparison
The smallest is Caintuck Audio, and the medium and large are from Decware, all with F-15. The one in the forefront is with a 10" Lii Audio driver.
The largest baffle from Decware along with the smallest from Caintcuk Audio (with a smaller driver, not the F-15, but the baffle size is the same)
My interest in OB automatically made me reach out to @yogibear. While he was kind enough to hold my hand and recommend a combination, I was already scouring the net at full speed, and I came across glow-in-the-dark-audio's Kevin Davis’ build of the Lii Audio F-15; while I was fully fixated on this build amidst the glowing review, he mentioned that he came across the F-15 from all the noise on the Decware Forum. Enter the Decware Forum thread on Steve Deckert's Big Betsy Project!
After thoroughly reading all 32 pages of the thread, I knew that this project was for me, and I was going to build the Big Betsy Baffle with the F-15. I have always been a minimalist, and the idea of a full-range driver in an OB was enough to convince me on multitude levels.
1) It would be a simple build
2) Crossover-less
3) Reasonably priced and gorgeous-looking driver.
4) Tried and Proven design
I have taken the first step towards this project by ordering the Lii Audio F-15. They also have a new 15" full ranger called the Fast-15 with an improved magnet, which promises even better extension on both ends. I avoided this as I have not seen any reviews of it in direct comparison with the F-15.
I will be using this thread to document the project in its entirety. It might be convenient or useful for someone in a similar boat.
I have chosen to go with the Decware ZF15L size baffle for this project, and have taken ample notes from the forum.
For the keen, It's fascinating to read about Steve Deckert's journey on his evolution in thought and design process for the ideal baffle size and how materials play a role in the resonance of the baffle. It's also heartening to see his style of engagement and encouragement for his fellow members in the forum.
Here are a few pictures of the Big Besty Baffles, (the baffles were originally inspired by Randall Rash's barrel-shaped baffles of Caintuck Audio)
Randy's Version of the baffle with the F-15
Size: 22.5" tall x 17.75" wide at the centre. The top and bottom width is 11"
The Big Betsy Baffle by Steve Deckert of Decware Audio - They come in two sizes.
ZF15M (Medium Size)
Size: 36" high
Size Comparison
The smallest is Caintuck Audio, and the medium and large are from Decware, all with F-15. The one in the forefront is with a 10" Lii Audio driver.
The largest baffle from Decware along with the smallest from Caintcuk Audio (with a smaller driver, not the F-15, but the baffle size is the same)
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