Just ordered one pair of the C6 in Black Strong and Flexible (nylon), and one pair in Polished Metallic Plastic (alumide).
My experience with shapeways couldn't have been better:.
Basically you download the file from the Symphones site to your PC.
Then you go to shapeways and sign up for an account. Only a username and password is required. You can opt in or out of mailings.
Once there you click on "Make" on the top menu bar.
You then will be prompted to upload the drawing from your PC.
At this point you can explore the various materials, and pricing is given specifically for the cup in each material.
You can drill down using "View 3DTools" for descriptions of each material, characteristics, potential advantages and disadvantages, and production limitations for each material.
Once you decide, you can just add it to your cart and checkout. Paypal is a payment option. I used WELCOME15 as a promo code and got about $5 off.
Even if you are not ready to buy, you can still create an account and explore options and cost. You can do this without creating an account, however the prices specific to the cup will not be listed, rather generic cost data.
For me personally, the shapeways site is one of the most user-friendly, navigable, and intuitive websites I have experienced. Very straight forward, and a great pairing for Symphone's similarly straight-forward and elegant website design. So much so, that I will be investigating the site designer for my own business.
I chose the Strong and Flexible material, which is nylon, for its durability and resilience.
I also chose the Polished Metallic Plastic, which is nylon mixed with metallic particles, for its visual aesthetic which I like, although the description indicated it is slightly more brittle than the Strong and Flexible. So I hedged my bet in the event the Metallic Plastic is not durable. Also, from an acoustic standpoint I wondered if the presence of the metallic particles in the nylon might affect the resonance versus the nylon alone. Metallic or mineral particles are sometimes imbedded in plastic speaker cones to change the resonance or structural nature.
I considered the stainless option but had concerns about whether the material might "ring" as metals tend to do since the walls are very thin. Another factor was a relatively higher weight, though that may in actuality be negligible. The material, per the description on the site is a blend of stainless and bronze. Per the site, "This material is 3D printed 420 Stainless Steel infused with bronze, and has a final composition of approximately 60% steel and 40% bronze. To build steel models, special 3D printers deposit small drops of glue onto layers of stainless steel powder, one layer at a time, until the print is complete. We carefully remove these models from the printer. At this stage of the process, the objects are very fragile, similar to wet sand. The models then go through an infusion process that replaces the glue with bronze, creating a full metal product. Models are then processed to achieve your desired finish, sprayed with a sealant, and shipped to you." Wow, metallurgy is certainly changing. Perhaps the end result might actually resemble cast metal and be less prone to ringing.
Many of the finest flutes are made from silver, and this is one of the listed options. The concept of silver cups and their affect on the audio signature is an intriguing, though very expensive, possibility.
As far as the absence of the hole, I can understand strategically why this approach was taken. Since this is primarily a DIY offering there would likely be variation in the diameter of the cord used, and some may even install jacks or other connectors for cord interchangeability. So whatever hole may have been provided might not have been the right size for a given builder. I am intrigued by Rhydons statement, "Any holes will violate the operating principle of the C6" and look forward to the further information and discussion to be released in a few days that will develop this concept.
One thing apparent in the C6 design is that since the V6 driver and C6 cup are developed by the same designer, the driver should fit very flush in the cup. Tweeter design in speakers very deliberately addresses reflective energy and its affect on frequency response. Care in flush mounting the tweeter (driver in this case) can make a significant difference in response, especially at higher wavelengths that correspond to the distance from the driver to adjacent surfaces and edges. With the C6 design, the cup can effectively become an extension of the V6 driver housing itself. In turn, the V6 was designed for a specific pad, so design of both the cup and driver with a specific pad offers opportunity to juggle all these variables to achieve a synergistic result.
I love the look of the honeycomb grille, and it is certainly open and will introduce little if any reflection. Also a honeycomb structure is inherently stronger.
I look forward to feedback from the first to receive these, and for the additional information on the cups design which is forthcoming.
