MA Alpair 7.3 In Pencils VS MA Alpair 7.3 In FHMK.3

[thunk303]

The time has finally come, the wife has decided the down pipes I'm using as a MLTL for my CHR-70's are just too ugly. I tend to agree unfortunately so its time for them to go.

After plenty of reading I am still undecided between the FH3 vs Pensil.

The Pensil MLTL is easy to build and can work in a variety of situations but is kinda ugly when compared to the FH3, so aesthetically its the FH3 for sure...BUT.

Will the FH3 work without corner loading (not an option in this house). Will 'close' to the back wall be enough to boost the bottom end as intended or is it corner or nothing with these little puppies?

Cheers
Dean

[andb]

I wouldn't call the pensils (no one seems to spell this correctly!) ugly, look at the pics that Chris has posted of his home setup, they are beautifully veneered and fit the room wonderfully. I made a pair for the A7's (g2) and really like them. However, my wife considered them boring and actually asked me to put the big set of open baffles back into the living room! So the pensils are now in my office where their unobtrusiveness is a plus. I have a pair of chr70's and two a7's in various enclosures and if I was going to do the work of building the fh3's I'd probably consider selling the speakers you have now to someone (why let the work go to waste) and getting a pair of a7's for the new build. I'd look for the g3's, I seem to remember the guy in UK doing flatpacks recently writing they were a real improvement over the g2's in the FH, so I'd guess the same probably applies in the pensil, though I haven't yet seen drawings for them.

[planet10]

Colin being the guy in England

With the CHR on FH3 you won't need corners. Leave the damping out below the driver in the front part and you may find too much bass even pulled out from the wall.

dave

[hempie]

Lets Talk About Comparing The Mark Audio Alpair 7.3 Driver in Either Cabinet. With Respect to Cost, Performance & Application.

The Pencils Or the Frugel Horn MK3.

A Cost of a Pencil Build Using a Quality Ply I would Speculate to be around $200-$250 Finished.

A Frugel Horn MK3. "Pack" Or Self Cut & Build, Coming to a Figure Slightly Above The Pencils Around $250-$350 Finished.

The Prices for Either would be subject to cost alteration when we also factor in DIY Ability, Tools on Hand & Sourcing Wood Ect.. A Well Seasoned DIYer Knows most Projects turn out to usually cost more than Initially Planned.

So, to Compare Performance of the Driver in either Cabinet with Taking consideration also of Cost, would taking the "Leap" To the higher costing FH MK3 give a greater gain and how much? Is it Quantifiable?

Would the Use of Different Grades of "Quality Ply" in both of the builds, again, Narrow or Broaden the performance margin Between the two, with also Taking into consideration the cost of the Material used? Would the Laws of "Ever decreasing Yeild for Price Paid" Be Applicable for these two Builds? What Cabinet would suffer more? and why?

Now Lets talk also on Application.

As im Sure one Cabinet will Have its advantages and Disadvantages in Various Room Layouts and Room Dimensions, What would a Pensil Layout thrive in? What would a FH MK3? Thrive in? What would they Both suffer in Performance wise? And Why?

Would it even be worth Considering the Genre of Music One Favours, to what cabinet would work best? Or Perhaps, what "Aspects" Of Bass, Mid & High to which one Favours, To which Cabinet will Accentuate & Clarify More or Less?

I Cant wait to Hear your Input,


Thanks Guys,

[thunk303]

Well that was easy, see you all soon with pics of my FH3's.

PS. Sell my CHR's... WHAT!!!!!!!!! I'll just have to buy a pair of the A7's as well.

Dean

[thunk303]

Actually, is there a new version of the plans for the FH3?

Or are these still the going currency?

FH-Mk3-betaDoc-251010

Cheers
Dean

[Squeak]

What about bafflestep correction? Doesn't the FH3 need it (as opposed to the pensil)?

[Goto]

Yeah, I'm interested too. I just got a pair of new A7.3s from Madisound (great service) and I quickly made up a simple OB to run them in with. Gentle music for about 24 hours and a bit more muscle to it for the last six, and they sound great - if lacking in bass. That's oly to be expected I guess in a small OB set up. Am thinking Pensils or FH3 too, as a first enclosure". My listening room is fairly small but the corners are an option to lift the bass if needed.

If Colin is still offering flatpacks for the Frugal Horns I might be tempted as I don't want to get ply dust all over my shiny new bike!

I plan to leave the drivers running in in the oopen baffle arrangement for a week or so, but then a more optimal enclosure will be a priority.

My concern with the FH3s is losing a little of the point-source nature of the full rangers, but that might be me overthinking.

[woodturner-fran]

The bass isn't lacking with the fh mk3 + alpair 7..... Listening to it right now in a large room, good distance from the corners but about 8" from the back wall.

[Goto]

Fran

I'm sure the bass is fine in a horn, my observation was more with the rather haphazard open baffle I've bolted them into just to get some music through them in line with Mark's guidelines for running in.

They've changed a fair bit in the last few hours (about thirty in total now).

Mark