Replikon, it really works.

Gerrit Boers · 22nd August 2007, 09:17 AM

There has been some discussion going on about the Replikon BLH design by Klangform Akustik.
I have build a pair of their DIY designs:

The picture shows my advanced setup for tuning the volume of the compression chamber. More pictures of the build process can be found here: Replikon

Some construction details:
I used 21mm birchply (15 layers). At the top of the enclosure extra pieces of birchply are added to be able to create a nice rounded of edge. To strenghten the joints of the side panels I used 180 dowels per enclosure. All voids are filled with fine sand (about 35Kg per enclosure).

The result:
At first I was shocked because all the 'over the top' low-mid of the Schmacks BLH was gone. It took some time to get used to this. This may be hard too believe but the Replikon sounds more like an ESL than a BLH.
Now for the big question: Does the 'resonance method' work?
I can affirm that it does, not only that but the changes are amazing. For my amplifier and room I had to reduce the volume by about 5L (the exact amount will be determined lateron).
For the first tuning test I put on 'The guide' by Youssou N'Dour, released the clothpins and sat down and listened. At the beginning the soundstage seems 2D and a little harsh. This slowly changes until at some point I jumped up to stop the flow of water. The soundstage becomes 3D and the harshness is gone. The stage is now unbounded, it seems like the enclosures and walls have dissapeared.
Because I found the mid a bit to pronounced I added a parallel notch filter as used with the Jericho BLH. This was just what the doctor ordered.

Scottmoose · 22nd August 2007, 11:06 AM

Very nice indeed. I can't say I'm surprised that you find they work well -like all BVRs, the Replikon is essentially a reflex box with a very large vent. My own prototype BVR style cabinets (albeit double-mouthed) showed similar imaging traits -dial them in right, and they vanish, leaving a panoramic soundstage.

FlorianO · 22nd August 2007, 11:18 AM

Ahem....Intresting idea about tuning the CC volume, can you pls detail:
- What kind of "beach ball" do you mean i.e. how do you let the air flow out while pouring water ?
- After tuning the CC volume, how do you remove that ball ? The cabinet looks finished with no way to access the CC.

Nice cabinet btw,

Florian

Gerrit Boers · 22nd August 2007, 11:31 AM

Thanks,

What really surprised me was the magnitude of the change while 'dialing in'. This could serve as a reminder to all the people who build similar enclosures; Take the time to tune them to your room. All it takes is some effort, there is no money involved in this improvement!

Gerrit Boers · 22nd August 2007, 11:42 AM

FlorianO,

I used an inflatable beach ball (50cm diameter), the kind kids play with. The ball is completely empty to begin with, so there is no air to displace. Put the watering can on top and the water will flow into the ball. If you go too far you put the can on the floor and the ball will empty itself.
After I have determined the correct volume the ball is removed through the driver hole and something else will be used to reduce the volume. I was thinking of half spheres made of styrofoam.
Removing and mounting the driver is real easy, the fit is near perfect.

FlorianO · 22nd August 2007, 12:22 PM

Thanks for the info, very interesting idea.

Scott,

Is this smth applicable/relevant to your BVRs like e.g. the Curved Chang ?

Florian

Scottmoose · 22nd August 2007, 01:33 PM

Adjusting the chamber volume you mean? Of course. Thing to remember about cabinets of this type is that they are all basically variations on the BR or MLTL theme (depending on whether you design the back chamber from a QW or helmholtz perspective). So you can treat them as you would a small-vent variation, and shape the response to taste by altering Vb.

peterbrorsson · 22nd August 2007, 04:55 PM

Hi Gerrit!
You got some cute amplifier standing there! Home made?

Cheers

Gerrit Boers · 23rd August 2007, 05:24 AM

Hi Peter,

Yes, it is a DIY project. I wanted to build my own 'high end' SET and came up with this.
The description can be found here:
SiTuIT

Extended specification are here:
Specifications

The amp has a voltage gain of 0.5! It is specifically designed to be driven by a high output DAC like my Benchmark DAC1. The input transformer is directly connected to the grid of the 300B.
The chassis was designed to minimize the footprint and maximize the distance between the AC transformer and the amplifier itself. The chassis is 12cm wide, 30cm deep and 42 cm high (without the 300B).
All the attention to the power supply really paid off, the hum & noise on the output is -84dBV or 55µV.

Roemhild · 23rd August 2007, 09:04 PM

nice work!

greetz Till

22nd August 2007, 09:17 AM	#1
Gerrit Boers diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Replikon, it really works. There has been some discussion going on about the Replikon BLH design by Klangform Akustik. I have build a pair of their DIY designs: The picture shows my advanced setup for tuning the volume of the compression chamber. More pictures of the build process can be found here: Replikon Some construction details: I used 21mm birchply (15 layers). At the top of the enclosure extra pieces of birchply are added to be able to create a nice rounded of edge. To strenghten the joints of the side panels I used 180 dowels per enclosure. All voids are filled with fine sand (about 35Kg per enclosure). The result: At first I was shocked because all the 'over the top' low-mid of the Schmacks BLH was gone. It took some time to get used to this. This may be hard too believe but the Replikon sounds more like an ESL than a BLH. Now for the big question: Does the 'resonance method' work? I can affirm that it does, not only that but the changes are amazing. For my amplifier and room I had to reduce the volume by about 5L (the exact amount will be determined lateron). For the first tuning test I put on 'The guide' by Youssou N'Dour, released the clothpins and sat down and listened. At the beginning the soundstage seems 2D and a little harsh. This slowly changes until at some point I jumped up to stop the flow of water. The soundstage becomes 3D and the harshness is gone. The stage is now unbounded, it seems like the enclosures and walls have dissapeared. Because I found the mid a bit to pronounced I added a parallel notch filter as used with the Jericho BLH. This was just what the doctor ordered.

23rd August 2007, 09:04 PM	#10
Roemhild diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Stuttgart / Germany	nice work! greetz Till __________________ http://www.hornlautsprecher.de

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22nd August 2007, 11:06 AM	#2
Scottmoose diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK	Very nice indeed. I can't say I'm surprised that you find they work well -like all BVRs, the Replikon is essentially a reflex box with a very large vent. My own prototype BVR style cabinets (albeit double-mouthed) showed similar imaging traits -dial them in right, and they vanish, leaving a panoramic soundstage.

22nd August 2007, 11:18 AM	#3
FlorianO diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006	Ahem....Intresting idea about tuning the CC volume, can you pls detail: - What kind of "beach ball" do you mean i.e. how do you let the air flow out while pouring water ? - After tuning the CC volume, how do you remove that ball ? The cabinet looks finished with no way to access the CC. Nice cabinet btw, Florian

22nd August 2007, 11:31 AM	#4
Gerrit Boers diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Thanks, What really surprised me was the magnitude of the change while 'dialing in'. This could serve as a reminder to all the people who build similar enclosures; Take the time to tune them to your room. All it takes is some effort, there is no money involved in this improvement!

22nd August 2007, 11:42 AM	#5
Gerrit Boers diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	FlorianO, I used an inflatable beach ball (50cm diameter), the kind kids play with. The ball is completely empty to begin with, so there is no air to displace. Put the watering can on top and the water will flow into the ball. If you go too far you put the can on the floor and the ball will empty itself. After I have determined the correct volume the ball is removed through the driver hole and something else will be used to reduce the volume. I was thinking of half spheres made of styrofoam. Removing and mounting the driver is real easy, the fit is near perfect.

22nd August 2007, 12:22 PM	#6
FlorianO diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2006	Thanks for the info, very interesting idea. Scott, Is this smth applicable/relevant to your BVRs like e.g. the Curved Chang ? Florian

22nd August 2007, 01:33 PM	#7
Scottmoose diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK	Adjusting the chamber volume you mean? Of course. Thing to remember about cabinets of this type is that they are all basically variations on the BR or MLTL theme (depending on whether you design the back chamber from a QW or helmholtz perspective). So you can treat them as you would a small-vent variation, and shape the response to taste by altering Vb.

22nd August 2007, 04:55 PM	#8
peterbrorsson diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cz Rep.	Hi Gerrit! You got some cute amplifier standing there! Home made? Cheers

23rd August 2007, 05:24 AM	#9
Gerrit Boers diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2007	Hi Peter, Yes, it is a DIY project. I wanted to build my own 'high end' SET and came up with this. The description can be found here: SiTuIT Extended specification are here: Specifications The amp has a voltage gain of 0.5! It is specifically designed to be driven by a high output DAC like my Benchmark DAC1. The input transformer is directly connected to the grid of the 300B. The chassis was designed to minimize the footprint and maximize the distance between the AC transformer and the amplifier itself. The chassis is 12cm wide, 30cm deep and 42 cm high (without the 300B). All the attention to the power supply really paid off, the hum & noise on the output is -84dBV or 55µV.

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