Build Details And Specs
The Fostex FE208 Sigma was purchased from Madisound for about $300 for the pair. The binding posts also are from the same source. The cabinet is made of two layers of MDF glued together with standard yellow wood glue to create 1-1/4-inch walls. The MDF cost about $80. Glue cost about $6 for several tubes of Liquid Nail and the wood glue. The cork I purchased was a 48x48 sheet. The cork itself is inexpensive, but shipping and handling brought the price to about $20. I only used about 12x48. A small amount of Acousta-Stuf was used in the compression chamber. One pound costs $10 from Parts Express. The hookup wire was standard solid core CAT5e cable, left in its PVC shell. I do not know what kind of dielectric is used. This cable was free at work. The speakers weigh 90+ pounds each!
Minimal Tweaks
1-Cork lined the compression chamber, except side walls.
2-Cork extended down and around the first bend to create a smoother curve.
3-A fist full of Acousta-Stuf was used in the compression chamber.
4-One coat of damar varnish on the wizzer cone only.
Sound
Feb. 15, 2003 - After 100+ hours
Pre notch filter: The highs are nice, clear, and extended enough to satisfy my worn out ears (from years as a mobile DJ). The mid-range is a bit too forward and with some laid-back recordings, this feature can make sources sound better, such as LPs and analog recordings. I've never heard Abba sound better than with these speakers. However, put on Norah Jones and you'll be running for the hills. This made each CD I put in a game of Russian Roulette. The bass was nice and tight, but overall was a bit lacking in depth and volume. The bass also sounded slightly congested, causing the overall presentation to sound a little boxy or boom box-like.
Conclusion: These are nice to listen to, but I don't know if they can be true replacements for my NHT 2.5 speakers. The NHTs are a three-way design so produce much more bass, which helps to warm up the music. The NHTs are also a bit laid-back; couple this attribute with the forwardness of my 5687WB JAN Philips preamp tubes and you have a better match, I believe. So, what to do about the forwardness of the Fostex driver? I decided that I did not want to try tube rolling so I opted for a notch filter... protesting all the way. After all, why would I want to put something in the way of my pure signal?
The notch filter consisted of a 1mH inductor, a 2.2uf Solen PP cap, and a Mills 8ohm resistor, all wired in parallel and attached to the binding posts and speaker cables outside of the cabinet.
April 16, 2003 - After 200+ hours of break in total.
Post notch filter: I've been stacking things all over my listening room in prep for remodeling my basement. Records, old speakers, computers, etc., are all laying about the floor. Then it hit me. Wow this setup sounds really nice right now. Hmmmm. I think I've broken up some bad reflections in the room and everything seems to be coming together finally. The notch filter helped tame Norah Jones' high pitch and most stuff sounds just fine now, although the mids are still a bit glaring.... Even so, things are much more balanced I think... or it could be that the two cocktails I've had are coloring my assessment. Either way, I'm tired of deciding whether they can be good enough to beat the NHTs. These speakers cost me $475 in parts, not including labor, and they sound damn fine for that price. And they can be driven by a few puny watts. On to the priming and painting!