Jäger Build Notes

[Jameson]

I wanted to share a few notes as I progress through the build so future builders can benefit.

• The inductor leads on mine were a bit short. Where I needed to, I soldered wire to the lead ends to make them fit.
• I used a QuadHands workstation and that helped me keep the wires somewhat organized. You’re going to need something since you end up with a lot of long, thin wires.
• The packing on the kit was really, really nice. The boxes obviously went through some hell getting here but everything arrived in great condition. Kudos to the team on that.
• The dry fit is so, so critical. Even after I thought I worked out the kinks, though, some things shifted somehow when I added glue. I was frantically scrambling to “persuade” pieces into place. A rubber mallet was super helpful.
• I bought a large moving blanket and used that as my assembly area. That seems to have worked just fine
• I’d also recommend assembling where the speakers will live. The 150 pound shipping weight isn’t a lie, and hauling these things up the steps once completed would be a big ordeal

Really looking forward to finishing these over the next week or so. I’ll post more notes as I have them.

 

[Jameson]

Second cabinet done. And like most things you do twice, the second time was much easier. The thing I tried this time that really made my life easier was to not lock the cams until everything was in place. It was a little tougher to reach, but I was able to move much faster and not have issues where the pieces weren't as easy to move into position.

I also used a lot more glue.

 

[Jameson]

Picture of the glued-up cabinets and my exhausted helper.

 

[jtori]

Nice!  Your friend looks dog tired from helping assemble them.

 

[Doc B]

Great tips, Jameson. The two things I'll offer about the glue are 1) wiping up any glue that squeezes out of the joint onto the outside of the cabinet with a damp cloth before it dries is helpful and 2) running another bead onto the insides of the joints once the original glue is dry can help to assure the cabinet is air-tight. You don't want air leaking out (or in) anywhere except the ports.

 

[Jameson]

There do seem to be some small gaps between the face and the rest of the cabinet, so I do plan to add even more glue in there (somehow - that’s a tight fit!)

 

[Doc B]

I put a dab of glue on the tip of my finger and just run it along the inside seam wherever I can't apply it right from the bottle, like along the front panel seams up by the tweeter.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

If you want an excuse to buy more tools (which I usually do), there are syringes that work really well for this.  You can even use a shop vac and pieces of cardboard over the holes in the cabinet to pressurize the interior with negative pressure so the glue gets sucked into the cracks. 

 

[Jameson]

Good call, I just picked up some syringes. Our shop vac is at my parents’ house across the state so I might have to skip that one, unfortunately.

 

[Jameson]

Quick question - the cotton insulation I received doesn't match the measurements in the manual. I ended up with a 29" overall instead of 32". I have two 8" square pieces, two 8"x12" pieces, and a remaining piece that will be two 8"x9" pieces. Is that alright? Any preference on where the 8"x9" pieces go if so?

I’m currently putting one behind each tweeter

 

[Doc B]

Pull on it a little. The stuff gets scrunched up in the packaging and needs to be stretched out a bit. There should be a piece wedged in the top of the cabinet above the port, and a similar one at the bottom of the cabinet under the bottom port. Make all four of those about the same size. If you can't stretch them out a little make them all 8 x 10.5. The third piece in each cabinet goes behind the upper woofer, not behind the tweeter. Use the 8" square for that. Don't worry about exact measurements, just put the same sized piece in each position in the two cabinets.

 

[Jameson]

Thanks, Doc. All finished!

I've got the Stereomour II on tweeter duty for now. I think I like it better this way. It seems like the highs are more detailed (I heard parts in Talking Heads' Slippery People that I'd never heard before, and that's my test track for any new piece of equipment), and the bass feels more weighty. It's entirely too early to tell for sure.

Overall I'm very pleased with the sound. I'm not over the moon with the finishing job I did, but that's on me.

 

[Paul Birkeland]

The collection is growing!

 

[Jameson]

I think it's done growing for a bit. We have a baby on the way, and I feel like the little guy plus the new house will put a significant crimp on my freewheeling audio spending.

I still have that Mainline in the closet, though...

 

[Doc B]

Congrats! I like the look. Looks like with a little more clear finish they will match up nicely with the rest of the gear.

 

[Jameson]

This isn't typically a question I'd ask since it's probably subjective, but do you think I'd be better served with the speakers on the same wall? Right now the listening spot will be equidistant from the speakers in straight lines from the drivers, but I'm considering putting everything on the same wall and having a more conventional setup.

The reason I'm asking is two-fold: 1) It's a ton of rearranging to accomplish that setup, 2) I'd probably have to move the Stereomour into one of those cubbies, which has room for it but I'm not sure how the amp would fare with more limited airflow.

 

[Doc B]

It's pretty hard to say without actually seeing the room. Symmetry always helps in a setup, so if the setup along the wall sets the speakers up more symmetrically in relation to the room dimensions it might sound better. You really have to try it and see, though room modeling software can give you a rough idea of any major issues with resonance.

 

[Jameson]

Yeah, I was afraid of that answer. It’s a funky shaped room, and Room EQ Wizard doesn’t have a good model to fit it.

I will say this, though: as positioned right now these things are insanely holographic. If you blindfolded me without seeing the setup in advance I’d 100% think there was a center channel.

 

[Doc B]

Can you post a rough floor plan, or better yet maybe post a 360 image  of the room somewhere?

 

[Jameson]

Yeah, let me see what I can do.