Designer:

Art K

Project Category:
Bookshelf Speakers

Project Level:
Intermediate

Project Time:

20+ Hours

Project Cost:

$100-$500

Project Description:
 Samba bookshelf speakers with laminated bamboo cabinets.

Design Goals:
 I read that some speaker manufacturers are starting to experiment using bamboo as the cabinet material (e.g., http://forum.ascendacoustics.com/showthread.php?2597-Sierra-The-Cabinet). I had some leftover laminated bamboo lumber from a previous project, so I decided to try making speakers using (mostly) bamboo.

Driver Selection:
 Samba kit components.

Enclosure Design:
Used Samba kit dimensions, modified slightly to increase the volume due to additional internal bracing and enclosure panel miter joints.

Crossover Design:
 Used Samba kit design and components.

Tips & Tricks:

Laminated bamboo is a hard, heavy, but brittle/fibrous material. If your tools aren’t sharp you may get tear-out when cutting.

I bought a full Samba kit and a baffle-only kit. Since I built my own enclosures I could use the MDF from the complete kit to build the extra pieces I need for the second enclosure.

Conclusion:
My first speaker project, it came out better than expected and sounds great even using a small Bluetooth Class-D tube amplifier.

About the Designer:
 
I am a (very) casual hobbyist woodworker. This was my first DIY speaker project.

Project Parts List: