custom speaker cabinet

[lmb]

This should probably be posted in the Speakers forum, but for some reason the site wouldn't let me post, kept asking me to log in.

But hopefully someone here can help, as it relates to an AV cabinet I'm designing to have built. If you look at the attached picture (and ignore the speakers, which will be used for music separately only), you'll see a circular section on top of which the TV will sit (and revolve). I was originally thinking of a soundbar, because the TV speakers will be inadequate, and I don't need full surround sound - but ideally the curved section would be perforated aluminium with speakers (curved as well?) sitting invisibly within and projecting out through the tiny holes.

I guess simply putting ready-made speakers inside behind a second grille would not be great for the sound quality - is there any way to have speakers custom built to clip into the also custom built curved grille section? Basically, I want the TV speakers concealed and perfectly integrated within that section...

Thanks!

 

[tonyrees687]

I think a floor plan of the room would help any answers, also what furniture is going in the room and your preferred seating position. Sizes of the cabinet would help and the dimensions of the speaker enclosure. What amps will you be using and of course the budget. Nice design btw.

 

[lmb]

Thanks, Tony, glad you like the design - the idea was to address an awkward corner (somewhat obtuse) whilst serving three viewing points in a fairly big open plan living room/kitchen (and concealing wires, units, keeping everything as light as possible) - the TV swivels, of course. The materials are likely to be brushed aluminium and glass (perhaps black).

The room is almost rectangular, maybe 9m by 4m (3 windows by 2 windows), wood floors, a large single rug near the unit, kitchen units across the far opposite wall, 3m ceiling, relatively underfurnished, one big chunky leather sofa (otherwise leather & chrome chairs).

Think the unit's about 2m across (don't have the measurements on me right now), and the diameter of the cylinder is 60cm - these numbers can be pushed around a bit if it helps, of course. Of course, the pole will penetrate through the centre of the cylinder to support the structure, which restricts the space inside (perhaps this can be got around, but probably difficult).

I'm thinking of two distinct systems ideally all controlled by an iPad (the mini, if it's released). One is for music - mac mini/dac/beolab 3s. The other for the rest. I don't want to share the speakers, because I like having the systems distinct (mute TV on, music on, without too much hassle or extra button presses). So I need speakers for the TV - something neat, but an improvement on the tinny rubbish in thin modern TVs, but not surround sound (for context, I was perfectly happy with the sound from my B&O beovision 3 (there's a speaker all around the screen, which is chunky, being a CRT).

One option is the soundbar taking the top or bottom shelf of the rectangular section. The other option (preferred, but perhaps too complicated) is using the curved section (the cylinder) beneath the TV through perforated aluminium - the advantage of this is that this space is generally less usable, that the sound will emanate more centrally from the picture. But I don't know how to go about this, or if it's to risky and/or difficult (either a second housing for ready made speakers or a custom build into the curved casing).

The units I have are the beolab 3s - I have yet to buy the mac mini and dac. On the video side, I have a Sky+ box, and need to purchase the rest -i.e. PS3, probably Samsung 46" TV, Blu Ray player, possibly an Amp to equalize sound across inputs and coordinate control, and any speakers serving the TV.

The budget isn't fixed, and I would say on the relaxed (i.e. high) side - I would pay for a perfect design solution, but not excessively for perfect sound, because past a certain point I'm not that bothered for the TV (it's not even surround sound). It's just the TV speakers are too weak!

Any suggestions on any of the above would be great (including equipment), but my main focus here remains the speakers problem - can I decently house them in the cylinder?