Full Range Speaker for SE KT88 build

[breakthastatic]

Yeah the Brine flat packs will probably put me out of my price range. The speakers will most likely be going on my desk next to my computer monitor. I live in a small apartment and don't really have room for stands. Have any of you built Brine designs? If I bought the plan whats the hardest part involved (may be a relative question). Do you think I can get away with not stand mounting them? How hard would it be to open up a Tekton and put in a circuit to modify it?

[HareBrained]

Originally posted by chrisb
The CHR70s are a great bargain, but so far I've only heard them in mini monitor sized sealed boxes (circa 4-5 liters - certainly compact enough for bookcase or desk-top). They definitely have some limitations - primarily sensitivity and bass response, and for the experimental types, certainly respond very well to EnABL treatment.

First comment I've seen on EnABL'ing the CHR70. If correct, this driver is killer. I may have to order the kit and give it a try.

I do have direct CHR70 experience and I only agree with sensitivity being an issue for a SE valve amp for anything but nearfield listening. The bass output is not a problem with this driver (although your amp/driver combo may not be able to reproduce it well.) My dual-chamber reflex design, which I use for nearfield, has a solid mid-40Hz F3 and is very accurate in reproduction of the lower octaves using my SS amp. Over-all, I wouldn't recommend it for your situation because of the low sensitivity.

[planet10]

For the kind of placement being suggested, the CHR might do the trick (and any sealed box 4 litres plus should do), but the more efficient mFonken might be a better call. With the nearfield desktop mounting, anything that produces significant bottom will likely end up with a BIG bump on the bottom.

Originally posted by HareBrained
First comment I've seen on EnABL'ing the CHR70. If correct, this driver is killer. I may have to order the kit and give it a try.

1st tunes were played thru the CHR70eN yesterday -- using our newly minted mFonken sized sealed box (i can't see using the CHR in anything but sealed or a very large BR). I'll be a little stronger than Chris, EnABL transforms this driver.

Get your kit from Ed and just do it. If you don't feel comfortable doing your own, i can start taking orders today.

As Chris says we need to give the A10 a week or so of good breakin and then more comparison before commenting on CHR70 vrs stock A10.

What happened to the CHR bodes very well for an A10eN (and A6/A5)

dave

[chrisb]

Originally posted by HareBrained


First comment I've seen on EnABL'ing the CHR70. If correct, this driver is killer. I may have to order the kit and give it a try.

more to follow, no doubt - I noticed improvement in areas of coherency, depth/spaciousness of soundfield, low level detail, etc.

I do have direct CHR70 experience and I only agree with sensitivity being an issue for a SE valve amp for anything but nearfield listening. The bass output is not a problem with this driver (although your amp/driver combo may not be able to reproduce it well.) My dual-chamber reflex design, which I use for nearfield, has a solid mid-40Hz F3 and is very accurate in reproduction of the lower octaves using my SS amp. Over-all, I wouldn't recommend it for your situation because of the low sensitivity.

Yup, driving the smaller Mark Audio drivers can be a problem for some flea-power SE amps - the combination of 4ohms impedance and at least 3dB lower sensitivity than say an FE103 (or 6dB in the case of FE127) might require at least 10watts of P/P for them to really bloom.

In my case, I preferred them overall with class A EL84 P/P triode, over the 300B or 2A3 - coarser "grain" texture, but larger image and substantially firmer foundation in the lowest octaves.



edit:

Dave beat me to the go button on the above post, so I'll just outright state that in the brief listening session yesterday, there was definitely a noticeable difference between the FE127En in milliFonken enclosure and the (EnABLed) CHR70s. Which was "better"? - that depends on the application and the listener. For nearfield use, and with the right amount of power, a lot of folks might certainly prefer the Mark Audio drivers.

[HareBrained]

Originally posted by planet10
For the kind of placement being suggested, the CHR might do the trick (and any sealed box 4 litres plus should do), but the more efficient mFonken might be a better call. With the nearfield desktop mounting, anything that produces significant bottom will likely end up with a BIG bump on the bottom.

My enclosure is 8.1L net volume but I'd still consider it to be "bookshelf", and it does not have a big bump on the bottom. 1db max from ~200Hz to the tuning freq (50Hz). It can be viewed in the CHR70 thread.

Originally posted by planet10
1st tunes were played thru the CHR70eN yesterday -- using our newly minted mFonken sized sealed box (i can't see using the CHR in anything but sealed or a very large BR). I'll be a little stronger than Chris, EnABL transforms this driver.

Get your kit from Ed and just do it. If you don't feel comfortable doing your own, i can start taking orders today.

As Chris says we need to give the A10 a week or so of good breakin and then more comparison before commenting on CHR70 vrs stock A10.

What happened to the CHR bodes very well for an A10eN (and A6/A5)

dave

Now you have me drooling. I will get a kit soon.

[loninappleton]

I am overdue for ordering the Enabl kit too. Cold Feet.

But I wonder if there are pics of the Alpair with the treatment?

Using pen and paint on metal cone would seem difficult.

When I finally get the kit I have some practice Pioneers to fiddle with. Then up to the FE127e that has been Damar'ed already.

[planet10]

Originally posted by loninappleton
But I wonder if there are pics of the Alpair with the treatment?

Not yet.

When I finally get the kit I have some practice Pioneers to fiddle with. Then up to the FE127e that has been Damar'ed already.

I hope not over the whole cone...

dave

[loninappleton]

Originally posted by planet10


Not yet.



I hope not over the whole cone...

dave

Erf. For those who haven't done it yet how do you not do the whole cone? I do not recall seeing anything about --- wait that was the
triad pattern yes? I recall that now but as I recall it was for the FE126.

When looking at the completed FE127 e as in here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/hpurvine...127ETreatment#

no triad pattern is showing. The two colors showing are the printed pattern and the Damar'ed FE127e.

I have been reluctant to do this because my setup just doesn't have the sensitivity nor do I figure my hearing is good enough to know one from the other.

Damar treatment hasn't done any noticeable damage. Bud's pix up there don't look like those are Damar'ed but maybe Mod Podged/ Puzzle coated. The Damar darkens the paper cone significantly as would any shellac/varnish product.

I have heeded the warning about not trying to fit phase plugs to the FE127e.

[Geek]

Originally posted by planet10
F1st tunes were played thru the CHR70eN yesterday -- using our newly minted mFonken sized sealed box...

These are transformed into a completely new and different driver, easily sounding like ones worth a HECKUVA lot more.

<IMO>

The downward dynamic range is brought up to Fostex levels and the soundstage gets a hundred feet added to it.

When I first heard the En process, when Bud switched between them, I described it as "turning the recording from the mono to stereo position". In no other speaker have I heard such a dramatic change with the En process as I did this week with the CHR's.

The top end is cleared up spectacular as well. Sonics wise, it was like in a 2-way, swapping a paper cone tweet to a ribbon. BUT... It's not harsh. It just gets that much more clear and well defined.

We listened to some more delicate female vocals and I could not hear their breath with the non-En. I could quite easily with the En version.

</IMO>


Cheers!

[breakthastatic]

Well I got a buddy with more woodworking experience on board to help me, so I think I'm going to order the FB-20 plans from Bob and give those a shot. As long as the parts aren't ridiculous expensive, I should come in well under 450, and hopefully with a better sounding enclosure than the Tektons. Thanks for all the input guys. I'll post to let you know how they turn out.