Lowther PM5 specs

[lowtherdream]

Both are valid. Why not try them both?

I am not sure I would like the sound of a single driver baffle with a Lowther PM5A, especially because my favorite instrument is the double bass.
I hear a lot of good thinks about baffles and the way they open the sound, but most of them have extra bass drivers to help. This will require more $$ without knowing if I really like it.
I love the sound of simple SET amps and I dought I can find a single driver baffle design that will sound as good as a BLH.
I am planning to join the Montreal Audiophile Association next Tuesday and it will be a good place to ask if someone has a baffle setup I can listen to.
Any opinions on the LIB ?
http://www.lowthervoigtmuseum.org.uk/lowtherIdealBaffle.html

 

[CLS]

The cabinet incorporated a specially designed anti-phase slave membrane to overcome resonance.

Is that a sound-good rephrased "passive radiator"?

By the size of that cabinet, don't expect double bass.

If 'single driver' is an unchangeable persistence, then the only way to get good bass is BLH (or compound horn). Go for it, and make it as big as you can.

 

[Angelm]

Typically I don't need more than 25 watts for the low end, and I usually
use about 5 watts for the top end.

Two drivers, FR and woofer.

Filtering, simple 12 dB/oct and a simple notch - anyone can do it....

Nelson, could you suggest a woofer, you like?
And it is in production now?

Thanks,
Angel

 

[Nelson Pass]

There are a lot of possibilities, but the ones that work out the best
all seem to have high efficiency, light cones and low resonant frequency
down around 20 to 30 Hz. The inexpensive Eminence 15" alpha
and beta are good candidates. Martin King likes the alpha; I have
tried and liked the beta.

I biamp with an active crossover, and I can also EQ the bass response
which helps a lot. Given that, there a large number of woofers that will
do the job, and I have been able to get satisfactory results from SEAS,
PHL, Polydax, Vifa, and Fostex, and OEM parts out of Taiwan.

 

[Daze]

I am not sure I would like the sound of a single driver baffle with a Lowther PM5A, especially because my favorite instrument is the double bass.
I hear a lot of good thinks about baffles and the way they open the sound, but most of them have extra bass drivers to help. This will require more $$ without knowing if I really like it.
I love the sound of simple SET amps and I dought I can find a single driver baffle design that will sound as good as a BLH.
I am planning to join the Montreal Audiophile Association next Tuesday and it will be a good place to ask if someone has a baffle setup I can listen to.
Any opinions on the LIB ?
http://www.lowthervoigtmuseum.org.uk/lowtherIdealBaffle.html

Hi,

I'm a member of the AMA. Did you get a chance to come to the last meet where I was showing my Lowther Open-Baffles?



I doubt you will be able to find any single-driver OB that will give you the double-bass with reasonnable realism. Mine were inpired by the BassZilla. For open baffles, you might also look at the AcousticPlan Veena (from Germany). Nice design.

 

[Daze]

Btw

BTW, the lowthers on the pic are C45s. The tweeter on top was only added to show off the DEQX 3-way processor (to see how it can work in less than optimum conditions (distance between drivers, dissimilar amplifiers, large reverberant room, etc...).

The woofers are old EV Pro12B in simple BR cabs tuned to 35hz.

 

[Nelson Pass]

Very nice.

 

[lowtherdream]

Hi,

I'm a member of the AMA. Did you get a chance to come to the last meet where I was showing my Lowther Open-Baffles?



I doubt you will be able to find any single-driver OB that will give you the double-bass with reasonnable realism. Mine were inpired by the BassZilla. For open baffles, you might also look at the AcousticPlan Veena (from Germany). Nice design.

Hi Daze,

Thanks for the post. Very nice Baffles.

I was stuck at work again and missed that I really have to join and start enjoying life instead of dedicating all this time at work. This is a wake up call and I will join on the 19th. Hope to see you there and discuss OB

What is the minimum power required to drive these OB ? Any chance a SET can drive them ? I guess I would have to go with a Parallel Single Ended design. Andrea Ciuffoli has the 300PSE Mk2 http://www.audiodesignguide.com/my/pse2.html
Not sure if it can drive speakers like the Acousticplan.

The downside to all this is that I will have to spend a considerable amount of money to play in that field.
PSE = 2 or 4 times the number of output tubes, larger OTs
Acousticplans = $28K new

Unless there is a way to DIY at a reasonable price
These drivers are interesting with 96dB/1W/1m
http://www.solen.ca/pdf/fostex/fw405.pdf
@ $500 each
or
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_comp/pdf/w400ahr.pdf
@ $2500 each ... Alnico magnet, wierd looking cone ... they look cool

Can I drive the Lowthers with a standard SET and build another amp to drive the woofers in the OB ?

 

[Daze]

Hi,

My setup is bi-amped. The open baffles (with C45) are 94 db. You can drive those with event 1.5 watts (since the amp does not have to produce the lower frequencies). I currently use a PP 4B4G but could just as well use a 2a3 triode.

For the bass bins, I use a gainclone (about 30 watts) and it works fine. Dick Olsher has similar designs with series crossovers (with 1 12 inch Pro driver by eminence) and claims to get 40hz to 20K at about 94 db efficiency.

The Acousticplans also have amplified bass (in open baffle). When you bi-amp, you don't need much power on the lowthers and you also don't need very efficient woofers for the lows. The EVs that I am using now (EV PRO12B) are only about 89db.

If you are up to it, I have several plans for the BLH lowthers. I even have the plans for the TP1 (should be great with the PM5As).

See you at the next meet.

Daniel

 

[anystereo]

simple Notch filter for PM5A

'All have
a mild notch filter at 4.5 KHz, -3db.'


I would like to build up a notch filter like the one Nelson Pass has used and liked for my pma5a's. I suppose its a series of resistor, cap and coil in parallel with the driver has any tried this or know a formula for working out the values?