Lowther TP1 build

[flatman]

When I was looking around for a horn design for a pair of Lowther EX4 drivers I searched without success for info about building a TP1 corner horn.

I built a pair anyway, armed only with confidence and ignorance; a dangerous combination. If you're thinking of building a pair, here's the story.

[hm]

Hi flatman,
did you made a measurement and an Imp,
to show us how bad or good it sounds.
As i listen to it in the 80ties i was so disapointed
that i built my own horns.

[vitalstates]

stunning build flatman, and a stunning write-up as well...

many thanks

Ed

[flatman]

Hi hm,

No, I haven't made any measurements at all with these horns.

From the start I intended to design and build my own horns. I built a couple, one that was a 60 Hz downward firing horn intended for use against a wall, and another that was a corner horn. The first worked really well but was universally condemned by family and friends as too ugly to be allowed to live, and the second had no bass so I scrapped them both. The more I tried to design another horn, the more it looked like the TP1, so I gave up. The TP1 is pretty economical with volume inside the box, and about as large as I could get away with.

I should add that I drive them with a 20+20W Class A solid state amp and run them through a Behringer DCX2496 digital Xover/EQ unit. I use this to give them about 3dB lift below 80Hz. This will upset the purists but improves the sound. They do lack output in the upper bass otherwise.

Those using valve amps will get different results altogether. Tried a pair of Loftin-White SET amps with them and there was quite a bit more bass. Probably the output impedance effect that Nelson Pass refers to in his articles on constant current drive amplifiers.

Cheers,

Chris

[flatman]

Thanks Ed, it was one of those projects that just runs really smoothly, right from the start. I'm still amazed it all worked out so well.

By the way, I've also noted the 'burn-in' effect that experienced Lowther people talk about. Initially the EX4s were pretty rough and it was necessary to toe them in quite a bit. After nearly a year of listening though the hotter central angles are quite a pleasure for the extra detail.

Chris

[planet10]

Thanx for that. Quite interesting.

dave