Another CRAZY eNABL story

[soundsinthestix]

I completed a set of Half Chilli Changs with FE164s (ie FE167e) that I did the Planet 10 pretreatment and eNABL process to. I also got a set of Dave's phase plugs which I installed as delivered. Hooked them up face to face and out of phase, covered with blankets and let them play (or Thrash as Davethebass likes to say) for 150 hours. Set them up and put on some Diana Krall. WOW........tight strong bass....huge sound stage....great imaging......incredible detail. But...........there was this "sizzle" around the attacks. It sounded, like Dave Planet10 describes, as if the fibers in the paper cone were rubbing together. But I had already treated the cone. What could it be?
I did all the standard things.....repositioned the speakers...changed amps...listening positions, the sizzle was still there. They just fell short of my reference.....my Saburo's with Planet10 126eN's.

On a lark, I took out the phase plugs and put in another set that I had that I had eNABL'ed and finished with microgloss. VIOLA.....the "sizzle" was gone!!!!!!!! To those that like to TEST, let me say again.......two sets of phase plugs, one plain, one eNABL,.........."sizzle" gone with eNABLE.

[gainphile]

Interesting, but somewhat skeptical too... I had the experience where totally screwed up active filters creates a perceived sound changes and when measured there were no change.


Has blind test been performed on enabled vs normal drivers?

[soundsinthestix]

Can you measure the presence or absence of "sizzle"? I can't answer that. Can you hear the presence or absence of "sizzle"....yes. Is it different for different people? I have no idea. I can only present what I hear and see if others agree or disagree. I do know this......I am hearing things I have never heard before, and I feel more comfortable hearing them.

[gainphile]

No I don't have a "sizzle-o-meter" that's why the general question on enabled-drivers whether someone did a blind listening test. If these dotted lines do change the sound property they would be easily audible.

[Nanook]

is the bane of the craft in loudspeakers.

Having said that, my treated (but not EnABLed) and phase plugged FR8.0c drivers sound completely different than in stock configuration (done by no less than P10 hisself). The top end does seem more present, regardless of what they may measure like.

There is a fine line between measurements and craft. In my experience with P10's drivers (and I have quite an "intimate" knowledge of a few, and a few of his speaker designs...), the "basic" treatment is a step above and beyond stock, and the "EnABLed" drivers a step beyond that. I am sure the phase plugs would result in a perceived rise in the HF range, or "sizzle" as some have put it. I am also sure that the "EnABLed" phase plugs would smooth out the top end.

This is by no means meant as an affront to those that are "Objectionists", rather than those that are "Subjectionists", merely to point out that we may not have the method or means to develop meaningful tests that can easily and objectively highlight the differences between measurements and what we hear.

stew

[Alex from Oz]

Way to go soundsinthestix!

Have you EnABL'd the cabinets of your Half Chilli's yet?

[soundsinthestix]

Originally posted by Alex from Oz
Way to go soundsinthestix!

Have you EnABL'd the cabinets of your Half Chilli's yet?

I did do some selective eNABL on the inside. It was limited because I chose to do alot of bracing inside the cabinet. I mostly concentrated on the back of the baffle and the critical opening of the port throat.

I may do some on the exterior, but these are for my brother and he needs to OK the asthetics and sound first. They sound quite nice as they are now.