SEAS CURV, built by Jannik, Denmark
Copyright 2014 © Troels Gravesen

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Hej Troels,
Efter års tilløb er jeg endelig gået i gang med at bygge mine egne højtalere. Dette har udelukkende kunne lade sig gøre på grund af dit arbejde og website, så det skal du have mange mange tak for!
Egentlig har jeg været interesseret i at bygge en stor gulvhøjtaler, men jeg fik overtalt mig selv til at lave et øve projekt først og valget faldt på en SEAS CURV. Det kan ikke understreges nok hvor glad jeg er for den beslutning.
Mine højtalere er i sidste fase, hvor jeg roder lidt med dæmpe materiale og desuden skal kabinetterne have (mindst) én gang maling til. Så p.t. står de placeret oven på  mine 110 cm. gulv modeller, med løse front baffler, enheder kun skruet i med 2 skruer og porten kun lige sat i så den stikker et par cm. ud fra bagsiden. Og ved du hvad - de spiller fuldstændig mageløst! De sidste 2 aftener(og nætter) har jeg været det meste af mit musik katalog igennem og gang på gang må jeg ryste på hovedet over hvad de små højtalere er i stand til.
Jeg glæder mig til, at det hele bliver samlet ordentligt og til, at jeg får bygget et par ordentlige standere.
Endnu engang mange tak fordi du deler dit arbejde med alle os andre.
mvh, Jannik Hendriksen

Hi Troels,
so here is my follow-up on the CURV speakers I build some 6 months ago. As mentioned this speakerbuild was a first time for me and ment as a test to see if I could do it before comitting to a bigger speaker project. I was hoping for a nice sounding speaker but didn't really know what to expect. I was sure they wouldn't replace the big floorstanders I was using. All images from the process can be found here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/113682251011612857239/albums/6028391173557866593 and you are welcome to link to it, grab images, or both.
The cabinet building was a very rewarding process. I enjoyed the (very) late hours in the garage so much. Being super particular and even manufacturing my own tools (circular guide) was so much fun. I chose to build in MDF and tried to achieve a high gloss finish following a guide I found on the web. That is a long and tiresome process and wears on your patience and mine didn't last so it is not a perfect job. The baffle was made from Ikea bamboo cutting boards. They are nice and cheap but you need a sharp router bit. They darken quite a lot as time goes.
The stands I made was also a process and they work great. They are made from a base (big Ikea bamboo chopping board), a pvc pipe filled with quartz sand, and an mdf top plate. The pipe is counter sunk into both top and bottom and glued in the bottom. furthermore an all thread rod goes all the way from top to bottom inside the tube and holds it all firmly together. I have some cheap Monacor spikes under the stand and blue tack between speaker and stand.
Ok sound... It is good!  These speakers are very detailed. I have a few records which have followed me for over 20 years and which I have listened to on quite a few systems and the Curvs revealed details which I hadn't heard before on most if not all of my records. On one track on "...but seriously" with Phill Collins there is a backup singer which I always thought was him self. When I heard that track on the Curvs it was immediately clear that it is not Phill but someone else. I have heard this record many many times.
Accoustic instruments sound very natural and detailed and are -if the recording allows it - placed with space and precision in the soundstage. I'm not a big symphony listener but I do have a few in my collection and picking out individual instruments is easy and the soundstage is nice and deep.
On material like Porcupine Tree, Steven Wilson, and Dream Theater there are sometimes rather complex passages where details easily gets lost but here the Curvs keeps composure with speed and precision.
Bass extension is impressive for such a small speaker. It goes much lower than I would have thought and again with detail. I know my bigger speakers goes lower and moves more air with twin 170mm  bass drivers but I'd much rather have the precise bass of the Curvs.
As with all speakers you need to place them correctly to get everything from them. I have them 70 cm. from baffle to front wall and 75 cm. from floor to bottom. Like this they integrate nicely into my 5*7m. room. (which has an opening into even further space). I had the room fitted with big corner traps and broadband absorbers for a month and the speakers really shined. That is going to be build in permanently now.
So as you might have guessed thte old speakers are out and the Curvs are in!
If you are a first time builder or just need a small speaker the Curv is a good option at a ridiculous low price. The only thing to consider is the small crossover. It has to be tight and if you suck at soldering like I do it can be a bit frustrating. I attached the components to the board with double sided tape before gluing to ensure it would be able to get in. In the end I had to make the hole in the brace bigger after I had painted the cabs. That wasn't optimal but it worked.
Thank you again for your work. I feel the itch again so hopefully before winter is over I will write you again :-)
Merry christmas and a happy new year to you and your loved ones.
Jannik