SBA-MTM, built by Thomas, South Africa
Copyright 2018 © Troels Gravesen

Dear Mr Graveson
I have recently completed my build of your SBA-16-MTM.

The HIFI bug bit only a few years ago, and this is my first DIY build of speakers. I came across your website about three years back, and over time have studied all your designs very carefully. The information presented for each project is detailed and insightful and helped me to further educate myself on the principles of speaker design, driver specifications, arrangements etc.

After you released the SBA-16-MTM, I immediatly knew it was the speaker to build. I really liked the clean, elegant design, simple crossover and your comments as to its sonic abilities - These Satori drivers are very well made and have proved to be exceptional performers. I did choose Level 2 crossovers, but I will upgrade soon.

The speakers have been running for 2 months now. I originally ran them powered by an old Yamaha amp to burn in... (which I thought sounded great),  while I finished my amplifier project which is a highly modified Emotiva XDA 1 as digital source / DAC, using a built-in Bruno Putzey Balanced preamp for volume control, and Hypex Ncores for power. - The Emotiva DAC with Bruno's preamp is a cheap yet excellent balanced platform to modify. Just clean up the power supply and roll the opamps of the DAC to taste - and when combined with Ncores, for me, is probably as good as anything out there.
These speakers sound fantastic!! They feel effortless to drive and are flexible in music choice. I really enjoy bluesy, acoustic, vocal performances.  The bass is tight and controlled and more than enough to my taste, soundstage is great,  but where these speakers really sing is their fine detail and imaging. Example: Mark Knoffler sits dead centre, his voice is as if he is there - Instruments have a detail and 3D placement which really allows me to connect, and I can listen for hours on end.

I have really enjoyed this project and am truly greatfull to you for your generous contribution and commitment, that allows us "mere mortals" have access to such amazing sound. If any reader is wondering if they should try build their own... stop thinking, just do it!!
Design and Build:
I have attached some images of the final Speakers and build process.
The cabinets are 22mm MDF - ( side cabinets are 16mm with frames of 6mm MDF which i filled with Bitumin loaded with Silica Sand. - worked well.)
Cabinet corners are rebated mitres, glued with epoxy. Straight joins are glued with yellow glue.
The baffle is 28mm MDF covered in full grain leather (MDF plugs were made to the same dimensions as the drivers to shape the leather neatly. The baffles are also rebated and inset into the side panels - glued with Sika multipurpose epoxy (water soluable for cleanup and a great gap filler)
The bases are made from 30mm Bamboo, and crossovers are suspended on rubber grommets. Binding posts are the larger versions from Jantzen, - just because they look cool.
The Spikes are made my grinding Stainless bolts on a bench grinder.
Cabinets are primed with MS primer and spraypainted with gloss black polyurithane, then 2000grit wet sanded and polished.
Grills are a aluminium ladder coverd in speaker cloth i got from Jantzen fixed to the Baffles with magnets.
Kind Regards and a million thanks once again
Thomas
Cape Town, South Africa