GLOW Voice One Kit

G L O W    A U D I O    D I Y    C O R N E R

DIY full range driver single driver loudspeaker

The GLOW Audio Voice One KIT

Do you DIY?

DIY Voice One Speaker Kits

... Introductory Price (per pair)...

$248

(includes enclosures, drivers, port tubes, and all hardware)

Assemble them yourself, and save a bundle.

THE VOICE ONE STORY

Ah, the GLOW Voice One. We designed the original back in 2006 to push the boundaries of the full range driver concept. They caught on. They sold faster than we could re-stock them. Music lovers loved the sound, especially when powered by a quality tube amp. Add a subwoofer, and these small full range loudspeakers embarrass many name brand multi-driver behemoths.

Folks appreciate the unique design and the rustic, natural look of these speakers in the pine and mahogany finishes. Simply put, they look as good as they sound.

Alas, because of the escalating cost of skilled labor and the expense of finishing the enclosures in multiple finishes, we can no longer offer the finished Voice One at anywhere near the $418 price of the originals.

Why is it so hard to make our Voice One loudspeakers? Each enclosure is made of 30 separate pieces of reclaimed wood, joined together in a puzzle piece manner to provide the variable enclosure thickness and faceted interior. The design dampens frequency specific resonances and breaks up standing waves within the enclosure .... the secret to the fast, uncongested sound of these loudspeakers. Add to that the cost of the fine finish; finely sanded, machined to perfection, with multiple layers of piano grade gloss enamel. The original Voice One was indeed a rare audiophile bargain, at $418 per pair.

INTRODUCING THE GLOW AUDIO VOICE ONE KIT

We imported a batch of the raw Voice One enclosures to test whether we could move production to the USA. Unfortunately, we haven't found anyone who can do the work to our specifications and deliver the finished loudspeakers at our under $500 price point. So we came up with a different idea....

The Voice One KIT. We are now offering these specialized enclosures to our loyal following in a DIY Kit. You will get the unfinished enclosures shipped straight from our California warehouse, in your choice of raw pine or mahogany stain, with all the hardware needed to assemble your very own KIT versions of the acclaimed GLOW Voice One speakers.

Completing the assembly will require basic DIY skills and some patience. The Fountek driver is a tight fit in the enclosure and you may need to trim the cut-out to allow the driver assembly with the speaker cable attached to fit (this may depend on the gauge of speaker cable you decide to use). Attaching and tightening the speaker terminal posts inside the enclosure may require a wrench with enough extension to reach the terminals through the enclosure opening.

You may prefer the enclosures in their "raw" state. Or you can spend a little more time and finish the enclosures yourself .... sand and paint, or sand and stain. Either way, you will have beautiful speakers that will rival the look and the sound of the acclaimed originals.

What's in the Voice One KIT:

Voice One enclosure in natural pine

     Voice One enclosure in mahogany stain

The Fountek FE-85 driver.

The included hardware

+ Two unfinished enclosures in your choice of raw pine or mahogany stain finish.

+ Holes and cut-outs for port tubes, speaker drivers, and speaker legs are pre-drilled.

+ Two Fountek FE-85 3 inch full range drivers.

+ Two pair of high quality speaker terminals/binding posts.

+ Press-in "tripod" legs.

+ Two 4" port tubes (4" for deeper bass; you can cut the ports to 3" for more mid bass output).

+ Speaker wire and clips.

+ Screws for attaching drivers to enclosures.

+ GLOW logos.

INTRODUCTORY PRICE

$248

An example of the GLOW Voice One KIT in Mahogany finish, assembled straight out of the box with no sanding and no clear coat. 

Customer Comments and Reviews HERE

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How the Voice One KIT loudspeaker differs from the original Voice One loudspeaker:

1) Speaker grills are NOT included with the Voice One KIT.

2) The enclosures are raw and unfinished. The wood grain pattern varies from one enclosure to another. The raw pine enclosures are rougher and will require filling and sanding prior to painting or finishing. The mahogany stained enclosures are already pre-sanded and stained, but have no clear coat or finish.

3) For ease of assembly, the Voice One KIT legs are a different design. The original loudspeakers were equipped with steel legs that attached to screw anchors embedded into the sides of the enclosure. The Kit version has pre-drilled holes in the enclosures for simple "push in" insertion of the tripod legs, without the need to align the screw anchors. This allows you to adjust the legs long or short, and tilt the speaker to your liking. 

4) The original Voice One loudspeaker featured our own proprietary hemp and bamboo fiber speaker drivers. These were at the time the best sounding 3 inch full range drivers available anywhere. They were expensive to make, and accounted for a significant amount of the loudspeaker's final cost.

The KIT version utilizes the renowned Fountek FE-85, a speaker driver that, despite its different look and the use of different cone materials, sounds remarkably similar to our original driver. Our original driver has a slightly fuller low end, and slightly better dispersion, but the Fountek FE-85 can handle more power without breakup. Both of these 3 inch drivers are champions at reproducing the critical midrange, and both avoid the upper midrange peak (the "shout" or "honk") that plagues so many larger sized full range drivers which have a tendency to "beam" the sound and provide poor off-axis response (the larger the driver diameter, the narrower the sound field; conversely, the smaller the driver diameter, the wider the sound field).

Our theory, borne out in the Voice One, is that simple is best; a single driver speaker when designed properly avoids the phasing anomalies and coloration that is unavoidable in a multi-speaker system that typically places the crossover in the critical midrange. But to reap the benefits of a single driver system, the driver must be small in diameter in order to provide maximum dispersion. Any lack of deep bass output in a small, single driver loudspeaker can be made up by a well integrated subwoofer, thus avoiding a crossover in the critical midrange.

The Fountek FE-85 provides a smooth response throughout its audible range, and handles complex passages better than most any small full range driver we have tested. Like our original driver, it has a natural, uncolored sounding midrange and gives an even response, whether one is listening from an on-axis or off-axis position. Both the original and the FE-85 provide exceptional imaging, especially with the specialized Voice One enclosures that present a nearly non-existent front baffle (and hence no baffle diffraction to muddy the imaging). The FE-85 is used in a number of very good loudspeaker systems, including the exceptional $4,000 Boenicke W5 bookshelf loudspeakers from Switzerland.

With proper placement, a pair of GLOW Voice One KIT loudspeakers with the FE-85 drivers will "disappear" into the soundstage exactly like the more expensive, production version of the GLOW Voice One speakers. Whether you choose the KIT speakers or the original finished Voice One, the imaging ability of these speakers is superior to many more expensive multi-driver loudspeakers.

The faceted interior of our special Voice One enclosures: The key to this loudspeaker's great sound!

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What You Need for Assembly of Your Voice One KIT Loudspeakers:

For raw enclosures (no additional finishing):

-Screwdrivers, pliers, drill

-Electrical tape or soldering gun

-Epoxy or other adhesive to glue in the port tubes and stainless steel tripod legs

For polishing or finishing the enclosures you will also need:

-Sandpaper

-wood filler

-paint and/or stain

-clear coat

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Send us photos of your finished DIY Voice One loudspeakers!

A Voice One KIT creation: wooden legs, and a DIY grill made from wood rings and old school grill cloth! "The speaker grills were made by drilling 3" holes into 4" rings that were purchased at a craft store. The twine cloth was sandwiched between two rings and glued in place. The rings are removable, held in place with blue tack."