Just finished my first FR boxes, thoughts...

[klocwerk]

So I'm working on a pair of frugel-horns with some Fostex fe126e drivers, but they're going slowly for assorted reasons. I figured what the heck, I wanna hear these in a 'default' situation before I get to the frugel-horns, and threw together the Fostex recommended bass reflex boxes in about 2 hours.

My current speakers are a set of speakers I made about 14 years ago from a diy kit. The kit ran me about $350 for the pair iirc, so a half-decent set of loudspeakers. Nothing phenomenal, but better than your average boxes, a definite improvement over my fiancee's Aiwa bookshelf system, she even agreed that they sounded light years better.
I'm really looking forward to when she gets home in a bit so she can hear how much more clarity the Fostex cabs have!
I threw in a Miles Davis CD first off, because people say that FR is great for trumpet recordings. Holy freakin crap! It's like a totally different album! The closest I can get to the experience is to say that it's similar to when I got my Grado 125's to replace a set of $100 Sony cans, just so much more open and clear! The 8"woofers on my old speakers definitely have a bit more presence in the low end, and the aluminum tweeters give them a bit more sizzle up high. I don't think the Fostex's will be my go-tos for movie watching, but for music they're soooo much better.

I'm currently listening to Edgar Myers (upright bassist) and Bela Fleck (banjo) playing me a duet right in my living room. As a bassist myself, I gotta say that the bass is a little thin, but it's there all the way down to a low E. It doesn't vibrate the room, but hey - that's what I have a sub for.

The drivers still aren't broken in, so hopefully I'll get a bit more bass out of them as they warm up.
Anyone have a subjective review of what differences I should be able to hear when I move the drivers into the Frugel-horns instead?

Next up in the listening queue, quality vocals.

[klocwerk]

Wow, vocals are amazing.
And bass is a little stronger on this album, must depend a lot on the mix. I had to double-check that my sub was turned off. heh.

Forgot to mention, driving them with with a Panasonic SA-XR55. I'd try my T-amp, but it's un-modded so I don't think the bass roll-off would combine well with the lower bass of the fostex's.

(I'm so getting a 127e and building a center-channel speaker with it, and maybe a tweeter crossed around 10k.)

Another photo while I'm here.

[Godzilla]

Those came out nicely. You can use one of those boxes for the center with the 127e in it or you can build another and have a center and two surrounds with 127e. The 127e will give you a more balanced sound from top to bottom in ported boxes.

Then you can put the 126e into the horns and have an amazing system. The horns will bring up the bass on the 126e and round out its performance.

Enjoy!
Godzilla

[klocwerk]

Originally posted by Godzilla
Those came out nicely.

Hah, thanks! It was just some spare plywood I had around and slapped together quickly, you'll notice there are no close-up shots...

Our living room is really not laid out well for surround, so once i build the horns these guys are either going to my office or into the basement workshop with a sonic impact amp.

[chrisb]

If I read the initial post correctly, you're using FE126 in a BR enclosure?

If so, as Jeff noted wait 'til you get them in the 'horns (and about 200 or so hours on the drivers) - the bass still won't crack the plaster - but articulation, extension and texture will blossom nicely.

[klocwerk]

Originally posted by chrisb
If I read the initial post correctly, you're using FE126 in a BR enclosure?

If so, as Jeff noted wait 'til you get them in the 'horns (and about 200 or so hours on the drivers) - the bass still won't crack the plaster - but articulation, extension and texture will blossom nicely.

You read it correctly, they're temporary boxes while I finish the horns. I got impatient to hear them.
(Plus daily use is a good way to break in the drivers. )

Good to hear about the horns, I'm hoping they really give me the fullness of the upright bass tone that I so love, as It represents a good chunk of my music collection.

[chrisb]

You mentioned Bela Fleck in an earlier post - while it's not a new piece of work, but still a fabulous demo piece for tone, articulation, extension and micro-dynamics is Victor Wooten's masterful "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo"

I think you'll be quite satisfied, and raise a few eyebrows with the performance the FE126 can deliver on this piece in the Frugel Horns

[klocwerk]

Been there, played that.
I'm really looking forward to finishing the horns after this experience, in fact I ought to get my butt into the basement. heh.

[Taperwood]

I think you'll like Meyer/Fleck on the Frugel-Horns. This kind of music suits these speakers very well.

When it comes time to tweak the Frugel's, find some Gillian Welch to play. Her voice was the most difficult I found to get right on these speakers. When I finally got it, everything else sounded better. It took a combination of CC sizing and line stuffing.

Doug

[AudioGeek]

did i see Bela Fleck??

i think i have all their albums and am still amazed by the Flight of Cosmic Hippo track.

A workout for bass. This was the track that got me into audio. Hearing a set of VMPS subs (at VMPS nonetheless) playing this track.

anyways i have a set of fe167e waiting for an enclosure. )