Goodmans Axiette 8s by Carter Hendricks I finally built boxes for the Goodmans Axiette 8 II speakers which I found a while ago (specs in this picture from Carter). I have been listening to them at my Italian car restoration shop for a couple of weeks. The Axiette 8 are full range drivers, with a listed response of 40 - 15000 cps. The Axiette was designed by Ted Jordan, and I got a note from him saying that the port should be about the same area as the face of the driver. Attached to his kind note was his "bio," in which he says that the Axiette was his first project for Goodmans after joining them in '52. He talks about smooth and extended response. [By the way, his last project for Goodmans was a 2 inch [!] full range unit…). I also got a reply from Goodmans, with suggested dimensions for a reflex box. Goodmans suggested a box of 3000 cu in — just over 2 cubic feet. Port 4 x 7 inch and 6 inches deep. Easy enough. But I have this other speaker upstairs at my house. It is a Jensen 15 inch coax in an Ultraflex cabinet. The Ultraflex is the predecessor of the bass cabinet which we know as the Onken, with long vertical vents on each side of the face of the cabinet. My big box (which I built) isn't very well built, but the quality and tone of the lower notes seems much better than what I expect from a bass reflex arrangement. I built that 15 inch Ultraflex cabinet from drawings in an old Jensen booklet. Also in the booklet are plans for an 8inch coax corner box, and in the text are ideas for an 8 inch "Onken." So that's what I built. I adjusted (shrunk) the internal volume to Goodman's suggested 2 cu ft. I set the vents to Jensen's suggested 7 in length and area = 29 sq in. The box is made from 1 inch material and is 29 inches tall and has a 14x14 footprint. I used three pieces of Deflex — one behind the driver, and one more on the top and floor of the box. Two pieces were not enough. I did one thing unlike the usual "Onken" practice. My vents start back 3.5 inches from the face of the cabinet, maybe improving clarity and stuff. It is something which Tom Ronan and I wanted to try. The sound is nice. I listened to the Goodmans mounted on the faces-with-ducts as a sort of baffle, and they are smooth and fast and fun. Brass tone and piano "wood" sounds right. Mounted in the box they got real strong down there. I brought the speakers home and have been listening to both the Goodmans and my Diatones. The Axiette's are efficient; a step above my Diatones. The tone of the Goodmans is very full. Very good on piano. The Goodmans are more lively, aggressive and outgoing than the Diatones. But played loud the high notes get a bit edgy. Is this a full range lows/highs tradeoff? For sure the bass is a lot stronger and faster. My Diatones are weak down low, and I like the additional strength. But what is most important to me is the tone of the bass and I think (for whatever reason?) the Ultraflex type of box is better for this. I want to try my Diatone drivers in this design of cabinet... I don't yet think the Goodmans are "better" than the Diatones, and I'm not even very interested in that. I'll listen to them both for a few weeks, here at home and at the shop, then maybe build an Ultraflex box for the little Diatones... Top