no xo said:
no xo- Thanks for the note. I have dimensioned all the plywood and have begun the process of sanding and finishing the some portions of the horn pieces.
I hooked up the first speaker about two weeks ago and have begun the process of breaking the speaker in. The initial impressions are very good, though I do seem to note some shoutiness in the midrange at times. I reversed the phase on the T90A and it seems to integrate better with the FR speaker. I was surprised by this minor tweak and it may be just my imagination- I have old ears.
The clarity in the midrange is exceptional especially with a breathy female voice (read Corinne Bailey Rae).
In comparing it to the BK16 BLH from Madisound the dynamics and fullness of sound is easily noted. The 206 wins hands down. The BLH16 has some advantages in the midrange reproduction- which was pleasantly surprising.
The most significant difference is in bass response. The 206 is a forceful driver and the 206’s larger cabinet and mouth are obvious advantages to low end reproduction.
I hope to have the other speaker finished by the end of the month.
I appreciate your insight on using a DHT amplifier to drive these things once complete. I have been seriously considering the purchase of an integrated tube amplifier (Jolida, Shanling, Pathos) but I am a bit hesitant- have absolutely no experience with tubes. I would like to be able to hear the difference between ss and tube- a demonstration of sound difference before plunking down $$. I have scoured the Seattle area for an audio store that carries tube amplifiers, other than McIntosh, with miserable results.
graykeene said:
Scour no more Gray - contact Dan at Bottlehead after the holidays, or consult the Frapper map at his site. If you're in the Seattle area, there's gotta be someone close enough to arrange something in the way of a listening session. I'd be very surprised if you'd not be pleased with the combination of even the baby amp (less than $400) with your horns.
Of course, you can always get spendier on commercial products if you like; but rather like the Fostex horns - multiple times the acquisition cost is no assurance of bigger smile on your face when you push play.
You should be warned though, the DIY addiction may have only begun.
graykeene said:
Really? ... i see Chris has pointed you towards Doc... a trip up to the 4th annual Vancouver Island diyFEST -- be lots of tube amps there...
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=100098
dave
My thoughts on the sound are good. Balanced, dynamic and fatigue free. Imaging is more natural than some of the British mini monitors I`ve had. Currently using an Audio Electronic Supply AE-25 DJH PP triode amp. Just ordered a First Watt F-1 and will post when I get it going, hopefully a couple weeks. And just for clarification, the tweeters are less than 1" back from the front and the grilles are removable, held in place with magnets. If you can`t tell. I`m very proud of the way they sound and look. This is my most difficult build to date, and worth the effort. These will be with me for a long time. NOXO
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