2nd impressions of sound
Well, the midrange is really quite good. Vocals sound great and are very clear. After a minor EQ attenuation at 8khz, the top end sounds pretty good as well, but the bass is rather distorted. I'm playing test tones now trying to narrow the issue. Seems most of the "junk" is coming in around 80 - 150 hz.
Well, the midrange is really quite good. Vocals sound great and are very clear. After a minor EQ attenuation at 8khz, the top end sounds pretty good as well, but the bass is rather distorted. I'm playing test tones now trying to narrow the issue. Seems most of the "junk" is coming in around 80 - 150 hz.
My problem may be more with my expectations rather than the speaker(s). When I get the 2nd box done I'll try them with a more substantial amp to see if the T-amp may be part of issue. Rated SPL is only 80db for the Auras, so even a modest volume may be pushing the T-amp a little too hard. The amp has no trouble pushing the Atoms to much higher levels than what I've attempted with my project build.
You could build two tiny subs with these:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=264-831
And use this for an amp:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=300-802
Wire them in series and you would get 75 watts of power and two subs for less than $120, not including wood.
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=264-831
And use this for an amp:
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&Partnumber=300-802
Wire them in series and you would get 75 watts of power and two subs for less than $120, not including wood.
Distortion kicks in a low volume
Timn8ter,
I should have been more specific in my earlier comments. I haven't pushed these to an even moderate level yet. For example,the max volume is what is just adequate to hear and understand a radio news broadcast at a distance of ~ 12-15 feet (other side of the room) in a pretty quite room. Another example: My officemate could not recognize the music i was playing at my desk (music he's quite familiar with), even though he sits just 8 feet from me. To be fair, the single speaker is set up on the opposite side of two large CRT monitors, but it should still give you a rough idea of the actual sound levels to which I've limited myself. Even at that level, there's audible distortion <125hz. After looking at my original WinSID model and Sreten's posted model (Post #5), I'm thinking it may be the rising output near Fb, reinforced by the nearby wall and ceiling boundaries. I'm not terribly concerned as this morning was the 1st time I've listened.
I definitely agree that the Midrange is very sweet with these drivers!
Squib
Timn8ter,
I should have been more specific in my earlier comments. I haven't pushed these to an even moderate level yet. For example,the max volume is what is just adequate to hear and understand a radio news broadcast at a distance of ~ 12-15 feet (other side of the room) in a pretty quite room. Another example: My officemate could not recognize the music i was playing at my desk (music he's quite familiar with), even though he sits just 8 feet from me. To be fair, the single speaker is set up on the opposite side of two large CRT monitors, but it should still give you a rough idea of the actual sound levels to which I've limited myself. Even at that level, there's audible distortion <125hz. After looking at my original WinSID model and Sreten's posted model (Post #5), I'm thinking it may be the rising output near Fb, reinforced by the nearby wall and ceiling boundaries. I'm not terribly concerned as this morning was the 1st time I've listened.
I definitely agree that the Midrange is very sweet with these drivers!
Squib
Final update
I wanted to post a last note after some monkeying around and even more time just listening to these speakers. Most of the distortion I was hearing below 125hz was due to the placement of the speakers. I had initially pushed them back towards the rear wall boundary of my desk (a practical choice as I do need SOME work space). Because the ceiling slopes down due to the building's roofline, the upper edge of the rear baffles were touching the ceiling. There was roughly 8 inches (20cm) between the rear baffle and the vertical wall section behind the speakers.
The sound improved noticeably when I pulled the speakers forward and away from both the wall and ceilings. Running them on top of a file cabinet in the middle of the room cleared up the distortion completely, but also killed any output below ~100hz.
Overall, I'm very pleased! I can't believe how much clearer the midrange is on these than any other (admittedly modest) speakers I've personally owned. I can suddenly understand lyrics that have eluded me for 20 years! Aside from using a shallow (~2db) EQ notch at 8khz, I think the treble is quite nice and I personally don't see the need for a tweeter. I will note that anything above 14-15khz is lost on my ears. I experienced a few too many Ramones shows in my youth to retain that part of the bandwidth.
The combination of these drivers and the SI T-amp is also a pleasant surprise. After shifting the speaker positions, the amp is quite sufficient for moderate listening levels. If I get a little happy with the volume (i.e. beyond 10:00 - 11:00 on the volume dial), the sound turns to noise immediately. Up to that level, I have a very engaging set up. I tested the speakers using my old Marantz 2240b and confirmed that I can squeeze get a little more clean output from them with a larger amp, but it would be overkill for my purposes.
Perhaps some of the shine will wear off as I continue to listen, but for now...I'm smitten!
If I were to make any changes, I would be tempted to take Landroval's suggestion to tune to 70hz rather than 60hz. Somewhere down the line, I'm planning a "subwoofer" (bass unit) to mate with these and the overall FR balance models a little better with the higher tuning.
Thanks again to Landroval, Sreten, and Timn8ter for their assistance and contributions.
I wanted to post a last note after some monkeying around and even more time just listening to these speakers. Most of the distortion I was hearing below 125hz was due to the placement of the speakers. I had initially pushed them back towards the rear wall boundary of my desk (a practical choice as I do need SOME work space). Because the ceiling slopes down due to the building's roofline, the upper edge of the rear baffles were touching the ceiling. There was roughly 8 inches (20cm) between the rear baffle and the vertical wall section behind the speakers.
The sound improved noticeably when I pulled the speakers forward and away from both the wall and ceilings. Running them on top of a file cabinet in the middle of the room cleared up the distortion completely, but also killed any output below ~100hz.
Overall, I'm very pleased! I can't believe how much clearer the midrange is on these than any other (admittedly modest) speakers I've personally owned. I can suddenly understand lyrics that have eluded me for 20 years! Aside from using a shallow (~2db) EQ notch at 8khz, I think the treble is quite nice and I personally don't see the need for a tweeter. I will note that anything above 14-15khz is lost on my ears. I experienced a few too many Ramones shows in my youth to retain that part of the bandwidth.
The combination of these drivers and the SI T-amp is also a pleasant surprise. After shifting the speaker positions, the amp is quite sufficient for moderate listening levels. If I get a little happy with the volume (i.e. beyond 10:00 - 11:00 on the volume dial), the sound turns to noise immediately. Up to that level, I have a very engaging set up. I tested the speakers using my old Marantz 2240b and confirmed that I can squeeze get a little more clean output from them with a larger amp, but it would be overkill for my purposes.
Perhaps some of the shine will wear off as I continue to listen, but for now...I'm smitten!
If I were to make any changes, I would be tempted to take Landroval's suggestion to tune to 70hz rather than 60hz. Somewhere down the line, I'm planning a "subwoofer" (bass unit) to mate with these and the overall FR balance models a little better with the higher tuning.
Thanks again to Landroval, Sreten, and Timn8ter for their assistance and contributions.
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