CSS EL70

[GM]

Yeah, years of aggravating it with mass quantities of caffeine daily + lifestyle back then eventually made it quite distracting by my early 30s.

Indeed, but what I also enjoy so much about [now vintage] Altec or similar systems is that as you lower the volume you don't lose nearly as much WRT wide BW dynamics, i.e. don't need to use a 'loudness' control until turned down really low.

GM

 

[epilou]

So I've been back and forth between here and 41hz doing amp research and I'm sorry to hear that the EL70 is limited to stock on hand. I guess I better make up my mind soon huh?

I really want them for this project and I respect and believe in the hard work and research that went into the mar-kel designs but I'm probably going to need to experiment with a little different cabinet for this portable setup. I just had two questions. Do you predict total disaster with a more conventional enclosure? And I was wondering that with an amp9 from 41hz I could run two drivers paralleled in a modestly sized enclosure for more bass. The amp will handle the low impedance and still run clean at the power level I need.

Any thoughts?

Lou

 

[vinylkid58]

And I was wondering that with an amp9 from 41hz I could run two drivers paralleled in a modestly sized enclosure for more bass.

Two drivers in series (~8 ohms) per box = Microtower:

http://homepage.mac.com/tlinespeakers/FAL/downloads/microTower-maps-150909.pdf

jeff

 

[digits]

I guess I better make up my mind soon huh?

Buying food is so overated, good sound never can be.

 

[epilou]

Buying food is so overated, good sound never can be.

True. These IMHO are very reasonably priced it's not that.

I've heard a ton of overpriced speakers that to my ears sound ridiculously terrible. Besides the name tag on them I'm not sure what the draw is. I've also heard inexpensive ones that have clear efficient drivers in them that leave me wondering if everybody else knows about them lol.

So I understand that it's a subjective thing and I never claimed to have calibrated ears. I just need these to be portable and while the mar-kels are by no means large I've been playing around with some mock-ups of them and the dimensions aren't going to work out as good for me.

In trying to find a T amp that has the right power output, power requirements and size I found one that at 12v will power 4 ohms ok. Not so much with 8 ohms. I was thinking that going with two drivers in parallel I could go with something other than the very nice mar-kel70 and still get decent bass and with the lower impedance and multiple drivers make up a little sound level.

Just thinking that's all. Guess I still haven't learned not to do that yet. But it seemed worth considering.

 

[cogitech]

Forgive my ignorance if I am off base here, but it seems to me that finding an amp to drive 8 ohms should be a lot easier than finding one that'll drive 4 ohms (much less 2 ohms).

 

[kristleifur]

Forgive my ignorance if I am off base here, but it seems to me that finding an amp to drive 8 ohms should be a lot easier than finding one that'll drive 4 ohms (much less 2 ohms).

Absolutely true - in part. The thing is that situation is a little different in small high-quality Class-D amplifiers. They generally love low-impedance loads.

(Good Class-D, e.g. a quality Tripath implementation, gives by far the best sound quality for the money, compared to anything I've ever auditioned. Even ignoring the price/performance ratio, I prefer a good Tripath amp to anything else. The balance of qualities is exactly to my taste, and the musicality and involvement they offer is simply a beautiful thing.)

 

[epilou]

It has to do with the available Tripath chips and rail voltages. Most are either on the light side (<20w @ 4 ohms) or considerably larger. That's not the only thing though. I have been told that a conventional ported enclosure won't do as well as the mar-kel but I was wondering how much worse. I also read that two drivers produce some impressive bass for 4" drivers. But that was in series because few amps can handle the crazy low impedance that an amp9 can. So I guess I was wondering what to expect from two in parallel. It should allow me to run the amp at a lower rail voltage and pickup 3db for halving the load plus 3db for doubling the driver count.

 

[planet10]

... while the mar-kels are by no means large I've been playing around with some mock-ups of them and the dimensions aren't going to work out as good for me...

In my pantheon of designs Mar-Kel is the BIG one. The millSize is the small one for EL70, and i sespect i could come up with something antwhere in-between.

dave

 

[epilou]

Thanks for the input Dave. I'm about at the point where I just need to go foward and see what happens. I want one or two 4" full ranges in rectangular cabinets no more than 14" H x no more than 12" W x no more than 8" deep. From what I see, I really like the EL70's. Depending on how long this first project drags on I would love to build some mar-kel70's for my living room put on stands like I saw in some of the pictures here. While my use of them may not be optimum do you think there would be a better choice? (for the rectangular cabinets that is)

 

[GM]

At this size and smaller, there's little to be gained by venting, so might as well leave it sealed and use a bit of EQ to give it some of the Sony's no doubt very high Q 'rattle n' hum'.

GM

 

[spgjmf]

more el70 in small box

just thought I'd share my build of css el70s in a small 7l box with a front slotted port ( 3/4" x 5 1/2" x 8"). they are breaking in now - have about 4 or5 hours on them from a JE labs simple 2a3. loving the low end - better than my attempt a few years back with some fostex.

I lined the cabs with some quilt batting, still need to finish the fronts....
I had planned on port in the back 2x8 abs, but was too cheap to spend the $$ on the right hole saw, so went with a slotted port, but it had to be on the front.
I also plan on some interesting wood veneer once I have the time to finish them up.
The speaker is very nice out of the box. so far nothing too honky or sharp sounding - sources have been lp and cd - miles davis, yo-yo ma silk road, little axe and various jazz, classical and alt stuff. they sound full and bigger than the look. great imaging!

amazing speaker - thanks css and Mark audio! thanks Dave at panet10 for the box designs/suggestions


best,
Jeff