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Looks like MWAF registration is open,
https://www.parts-express.com/speaker-design-competition
Rules change this year, only one entry per person!
I was hoping to bring the Sica coax Iso project from InDIYana and a new >$300 project, but now I am kind of stuck on the fence.
There was a reason I built the Sicabarics for under $300, I wanted them to be double duty.
But I have a Scanspeak stand mount project that I wanted to build and enter in the >$300 category before it is dominated by Purifi entries.
My concerns might turn out to be unfounded, but I worry that once Purifi expands their range of drivers the >$300 category will turn into the "Purifi" driver category. Not a bad thing for Purifi, but >$2000 should be a new category
So, not sure what project/category to enter into this year.
Who else is thinking of going and what are you thinking of bringing?
Comments
I'll be going and kind of in the same boat as you. I built the three-way with the HiVi 3" dome tweeter for InDIYana just to practice a 3-way for the build I intend for SDC. But the HiVi speaker turned out better than expected, so I was looking forward to taking two. I'll build the new one though, if I can. It will likely take me 3 months though - it will be by far my most ambitious undertaking.
I don't think this will be the case. Purifi drivers have been out for awhile but SDC isn't full of Purifi, Accuton, Scan-speak, Seas, Eton, Satori, etc. Of course, some of them do show up, but I'd say it is more rare than normal.
Expense is the killer for those [expensive] products while the XO development talent likes to show-off their chops [deservedly-so] on less expensive drivers.
IMHO.
The Purify stuff is nice, but definitely not the end all be all.
I still love that mid. I wager it would give the ATC a run for its money.
If I pull out one peerless woofer from each speaker I can be in the under $300 class.
I am planning on bringing another egg speaker pair using Morel supreme tweeters and TiCw nd woofers with a new shaped baffle almost 3 inches thick. Supremely chubby over 300. I need to put much more effort into my crossovers. I plan to cut away some of the tweeter flange, cram them together under an egg shaped wire grill. And I would love to pull off first order filters, but I doubt it.
At least I wont feel compelled to buy more dayton drivers to build something.
Indy theme project began as all dayton but just I didn't like the alum dome mid had paired with the epique7's. Already dismantled my indy thugs to put the 4 epique7's to more appropriate use. Making 1.6 cuft 30 inch tall bass bins for the 4 EH180's, see if get 88-90db sensitivity 4 ohm load. Before the news, considered picking a 5 inch for mid, either dayton pro paper or ref paper and having to pick a tweeter but now I not bother. Will see how they work out, try some mix n match 3 way configs to keep me entertained.
Now to decide if bring, in progress on the back burner, 1.75cuft chunky 3 way stand mounts using same drivers as "Anomalies v2" paired with WO24 that will actually veneer part of to eventually land in family room. Cabs built, still deciding on veneer for top n sides. Or if I want to make something else with things around.
I hope to finish up my peerless 3way.
Last year I think there was a pretty big turnout so I guess thy are trying to keep it under control by limiting everyone to one entry. But I wonder if that might have unintended consequences like having barely any entries for the Dayton category.
If you bring an 3way augmented V2, Tim, let me know so I don't bring the Anomalies V2. I'd get trounced likely, and early. Right now that is my plan, but EMP has not been entered, and I could easily work up the Hancocks in the Versabox (Monoculus) cabs.
InDIYana Event Website
I'm currently suffering from a mild case of speaker building burnout, so I may not attend this year. Probably covid related. In the meantime, I have shifted over to amplifier builds. Will probably shift back by August and show up anyhow. Thinking of trying my hand at a hybrid type sysem, which would put me in the open unlimited category. Big roundovers, multiple small mid drivers, low 80Hz xover, that type of thing.
Well would be diff xover, not series heh, with 2.5k ish mid-tweet - rough guess, will see. Thanks for the vote of confidence they'll come out sounding good. Took me quite some time to get the Seas 'kents' to my liking, was great learning experience. Though leaning more toward bringing something different and save them for a diff event since the 3 song track trial, if like last year, prob not give enough exposure for everyone's builds. I'll register within week or so and confirm that not bring whatever end up calling the wavecorceramconesilk-sb12cac-WO24 chunkers
You'd have a good chance of winning it.
I think it's utterly ridiculous that guys won't enter the Dayton class if using less than $300 in drivers.
I think they are just worried about bringing a knife to a gun fight.
I never knew this. I have never been in the Dayton class, but would have thought it was full of budget builds. Is this because they think they have a better chance of winning in Dayton?
I was planning on being in the Dayton class this year and I'll be well over $300, but that is because I had planned on bringing two builds and the non-Dayton build would have been in the over $300. My Dayton build has nothing to do with SDC's Dayton class, it just happens to use all Dayton drivers.
I hear you on the burnt out part Bill. I might just build my last and final set for myself and call it good.
https://www.jfcomponents.com/
I don't why. I've done it multiple times
Winning changes nothing. Having this shit be your whole identity isn't healthy.
I'm not a competitive person so, I understand.
But it is a competition so, when in Rome..
I figure it has got to be hard for the judges. Who has more skill? The person who built a reasonably square box with only a jigsaw, or the person hitting "start" on a CNC router? Does it matter? Should it matter? It is all up to interpretation. I still enjoy being able to participate. Even though I'm just building speakers with tools I drag outside from the basement. And don't realistically have a chance against those with more skill and a better equiped shop.
It is up to us to make the experience better.
Agreed. I know you've been pretty open on your opinion on the "overly" competitive aspect of some people and I agree.
I realize your original post was just an off-the-cuff comment, but it's got me thinking (which I try to avoid as much as possible). I was going to be in the Dayton category because I'm using all Dayton drivers, it didn't even occur to me to be be in a different category. But now I'll have to think about which one to enter. I won't register for awhile until I'm confident I can actually get them completed.
Going back to the "whatcha bringing" aspect of the thread, are you brining your InDIYana theme builds or something new?
I'll probably bring the Indy speakers, but there's a slim chance that I may finish a set for the open unlimited class.
Not sure i am going to make it to MWAF, but if i do it will be a 3 way version of my Indi project with the Mac 05 iso drivers in the under 300$ category. but it needs to get finished first and a decent 3 way XO needs to come together, thugh the 2.5 way is a decent backup, through far out in the room may be at a slight disadvaantage.
Haha, who would do that? I'd rather try to beat the RAAL and Purifi entries with less money than the cost of one of those drivers.
Pretty sure my Anomalies will be firm in the knife camp being >$300.
Trying to decide if I should mock up the Hancocks instead before then for the Dayton class, but their 'creativity' score will be nill.
InDIYana Event Website
I won't be there due to time, money, and general dislike of competitive events constraints. Maybe next year after I accrue enough PTO and mad money to attend.
With your skills, man - you will rock it when you return to the fray.
I'm in the same camp as JR. I build projects that interest me or something I want to gift to a friend or family member. I like to try something different which each project. It's a very fun and very rewarding hobby in that regard. Designing/building a project to try to win with at a "vendor's" event doesn't interest me in the slightest. Others enjoy that and that's perfectly fine.
I still get a kick out of it. I listen and score all the speakers and try to guess WTH were the judges thinking. It's interesting to see people and entries who typically aren't involved with the forum or Indy. I think I have scores back to 2013.
Ask the judges if you can borrow their ears for a bit.
Perspective is the key to everything in this life.
I've never entered to try to win. It's just another event to hang with the bros, all be it on PEs terms. I still get to see everyone, look and listen to speakers, and have a great time.