Agreed Jeff.
Another really stunning light veneer is Tamo Ash. This per sq ft is about twice the price of the Birch Burr. I'd love to cover these speakers in that. However, my supplier mainly sells the exotic veneers to the motor trade and Rolls Royce are their main buyers for this veneer. They will only buy full bundles of around 16-leaves and this will all go into a single RR car! They will not buy a part split bundle so my veneering company will only sell to me a full bundle. That's over £1000.00 UKP
If you can buy smaller quantities Stateside then this is one to check out.
in the segment of the commercial market that I work in, the majority of veneers are kraft paper or phenolic backed flexible sheets, and range in wholesale cost from under $60 per 4x8ft sheet for species such as Oak, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Mahogany to as much as $300 for the likes of Brookside Composites ( the Macassar Ebony is quite nice)
I like cleaner more articulated bass.
Am i correct in concluding the MarKens present bass more like that of a transmission line vs "one note bloat" of a tuned port? Or is it cleaner as a result of being lean (missing the "one note bloat"), and rolling off higher than other boxes for a given driver? Also would you say the A12P MarKen's bass would be ample for smaller listening environments without the need for a sub?
To put that question in perspective. Of stand mounters, i once had ProAc response 1sc mini monitors which i felt to lean. Tried the response 2s which had sufficient bass but way to sibilant, going up in size to Spendor 2/3 which again had ample bass ext for me, albeit on the slow side.
Sorry for the questions but i'm trying to decide if i'd like the MarKen/A12p on its own (i'm not interested in doing a sub-woofer).
Hi MP9 (Guys),
From my memory, I listened to some MarKens last year at Tony and Kenneth's studio here in Hong Kong. Vey impressive with no bias towards a single tuned frequency that I could detect. The bass was lighter but musical detail was strong. For example, you could actually here the subtle definition and nuance in a cello recital.
I've also head some nice ported reflex boxes recently using Alpair 6M's.
Much depends on what individual audio folks want from their low range. Personally, I'm likely never to use a sub. I know how they're designed and built. Subs are mostly air movers, essentially they are only pistonic with little (or none) actual radial emittance from their cone surface. However, if you're into heavy rock, house or similar music that generates a heavy rhythmic thumpy thumpy signal, then a sub is best for this purpose.
Hope this helps.
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The Mar-Kens (all the miniOnken) have a very specific kind of tuning part of which is the high aspect ratio vents (which in effect add an R to the electrical model of the vent). This R has the effect of making the box more immune to the dynamic changes in T/S. A tightly tuned BR will in effect be only in tune at one level (do keep in mind that in music with some dynamics that the typical BR will go in and out of tune with these dynamics and not just the setting of the volume control). This only becomes moot if the T/S curves of the driver in question are horizontal lines. I (Daniel & myself) am currently working on kit to allow me to measure & plot T/S curves, then i will be able to generate objective data instead of just seat of the pants guesstimates (my current guesstimates are that Mark's drivers tend to have more horizontal curves than others i run thru)
No effort is made to stretch the bass downward, it gets to where it gets. If this means they don't reach low they may be perceived as lean. One only needs listen to the Mar-Kel70 or Mar-Ken10.2 (Mark's bass kings) to know that leanness is not inherent to the design.
The A12.2p does not reach as low as these two, but the bigger cone & greater efficiency lets them do what they do with less effort and allows for them to be pushed further. I've been listening to Mar-Ken12.2p for the last 5 weeks, i turned the helper woofers off early and have felt no need to turn them back on. In a smaller room with more room gain would get you more, whether it is enuff depends on what you need in terms of bass.
dave
Hook a brotha up!
You're in line behind me.
jeff
this is Mark's commercial forum - check your PM mailbox
Yesterday I decided to fix the spikes to the pedestal stand bases and bolt the stands to the speakers.
I used M6x10mm threaded inserts drilled into the underside of the speaker bases and M6 roofing bolts with 20mm dia washers to fix he speakers to the stands. To hide the fixings, I inset the washers and bolt heads into the top shelf of the stands. Not sure what name this type bolt has in across the pond so see image below.
This has tightened up the whole sound and improved imaging. They are now sitting happily either side the fireplace with the rear ports firing into the alcoves either side the chimney breast. This was a well worth exercise.
I used M6x10mm threaded inserts drilled into the underside of the speaker bases and M6 roofing bolts with 20mm dia washers to fix he speakers to the stands. To hide the fixings, I inset the washers and bolt heads into the top shelf of the stands. Not sure what name this type bolt has in across the pond so see image below.
This has tightened up the whole sound and improved imaging. They are now sitting happily either side the fireplace with the rear ports firing into the alcoves either side the chimney breast. This was a well worth exercise.
Attachments
Steven, as mentioned in your PM to me. This design is by Scott.
Scottmoose on this forum (and others).
I am not at liberty to give the design specs/paramaters of these speakers freely on the forum. The stands are my own design and not that difficult a task for anyone who can draw a couple of compound curves to get the shape they want. Just remember to make the centreline of the curved pedestal vertical and both shelves central to the speakers.
However, Scott is prepared to share if you, or anyelse contact him direct on a one-to-one basis.
Scottmoose on this forum (and others).
I am not at liberty to give the design specs/paramaters of these speakers freely on the forum. The stands are my own design and not that difficult a task for anyone who can draw a couple of compound curves to get the shape they want. Just remember to make the centreline of the curved pedestal vertical and both shelves central to the speakers.
However, Scott is prepared to share if you, or anyelse contact him direct on a one-to-one basis.
I understood your PM perfectly clear, Toppsy. I was merely hoping that he would reply and make it public information instead of getting 100 separate PM's requesting this cabinet design, especially if he's willing to divulge the information on a one-to-one basis like you say he is.
But if he plans on selling this design, I can see why he's not made it public already.
-Steven
But if he plans on selling this design, I can see why he's not made it public already.
-Steven
as I may have mentioned previously, I get to process invoices for commercial millwork company - just today saw one for high gloss coloured lacquer finish ( 3 coats, hand cut and buffed out final coat on MDF/ rubber ply curved display panels) - the COO was gobsmacked that the cost was less than $20 ft^2 - for the finishing alone
that makes veneer and clear coat lacquer seem like a freaking bargain - why anyone would want a painted finish on a handcrafted piece of furniture is beyond me, but then I'm just an obstreperous old before my time fart - and y'all you knew that already
IOW - Colin, go for the veneer, dude
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Veneer it is guys. 
I ordered a couple leaves the radial cut Birch Burr I posted up photos of and it arrived earlier in the week. Cost me a total £151.38 UKP
But now it's arrived I reckon I could have got away with a single leave to cover both the speakers and the pedestal stands.
A quote from my local car sprayer was around £100 to paint them in a similar colour to the cones if I did the prep work. So still if I can get away with covering the speakers and stands from a single leaf it's still cheaper to veneer in a rather exotic and expensive burr.
I'll post up progress shots when I get around to covering them.
I ordered a couple leaves the radial cut Birch Burr I posted up photos of and it arrived earlier in the week. Cost me a total £151.38 UKP
But now it's arrived I reckon I could have got away with a single leave to cover both the speakers and the pedestal stands.A quote from my local car sprayer was around £100 to paint them in a similar colour to the cones if I did the prep work. So still if I can get away with covering the speakers and stands from a single leaf it's still cheaper to veneer in a rather exotic and expensive burr.
I'll post up progress shots when I get around to covering them.
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