IIRC I only have a piece of poly wadding on the rear wall of the head, BUT, I may have removed it. I would have to look but I remember putting poly along 4 walls and taking it out wall by wall as it kills the sound. You (me anyway) would think with that box shaped head you would need to dampen it but you need very little or none at all.
As someone wrote you need to experiment. My Jerico horns took lots of damping experiments to get right and had me frustrated for days because until I got it right they really sounded terrible.
I do not have any other damping in the 101's, I love them just the way they are and hope they will get even better with time.
On a side note.
Night before last I was playing the D-168 Swans with the FE168es-r's. I was playing some classical pieces using my inverted gainclone now since I had to cannibalize my RH84 to build a RH807. I was not impressed at all and all I had changed was the amp to the gainclone. I have a Williamson styled EL34PP I built years ago and was about to try that when my AKSA 55 (Its a ss kit amp from Hugh Dean in Australia) called out to me saying it felt like a forlorn lover, what could I do more than hook it up?
It sounded a little better but after about 20 minutes of (fore)play I suppose it was warming up and started sounding "good" I had forgotten how nice an amp it was so I turned it up. I got into one of my "moods" at this stage and decided to see just how loudly the swans would play, it was time for one of my "tests" which means I push the D.U.T. and if it breaks then it was not meant to be.
The AKSA took hold of those voicecoils and with a vicelike grip pushed and pulled them showing them who was in charge now and the Swans took flight, showing their mettle.
I can tell you they will play loudly and will take some punishment, they make real bass and dynamics to die for.
They had something inside my projection screen tv resonating.. loudly.
I got a few "ppppllllaaaappppp" sounds from the Swans but they survived, no voicecoils thrown across the room, speaker cones pretending to be U.F.O's or anything like that.
Anyway you are proably wondering what my point is.
These speakers are very good, they play a lot louder than you would think for a 6-1/2" speaker and make real bass which for a fullrange says something. I do not know if with time they will play as well at a lower volume but they sould excellent with some power behind them.
The other side of this is the ss amp (in this case the AKSA 55 does not image as well as the tube amp nor does it possess that richness that a tube amp has.
Perhaps its time for a "better" high power PP amp. I like the circuit of the old G.E.C. 50W KT88 amp with the 12AX7 paraphase splitter at the front.
I also prefer the sound of S.E. amps.
Will I ever get off this merry-go-round of a hobby...........
Andrew
Ordered the 108EZs today from Madisound. Hopefully they'll arrive before the weekend. I think I'll try and elevate them to ear level with a small stand.
I'll keep you posted on the progress. I have a friend helping me with the construction this weekend. Maybe we'll take some photos of the project as it happens and post to my .mac webspace.
Hail yeah.
Kofi
I'll keep you posted on the progress. I have a friend helping me with the construction this weekend. Maybe we'll take some photos of the project as it happens and post to my .mac webspace.
Hail yeah.
Kofi
I'm too lazy to acctually look it up, but if memory serves me the main difference between the two designs is the throat size. The 101s has a larger throat which will do better with lower Q drivers. I believe it was designed for one of the special limited 4" drivers that fostex puts out every now and again. I would guess that the 101a would be your best bet, however this is all going off of memory, and I could be full of s***. My redneck approach would be to look at the recomended design for the 108es and then go with the swan that is the closest in throat size to the recomended design. I'm sure somebody let me know just how ignorant I am for recomending that, but it's still what I would do.
Joe
Joe
Re: I'm with Joe
You ain't ignaant! Hey-- I met you at the DIY Atlanta meet last year. Your ceramics were really impressive. Hope things are going well.
Word. Just finished the cuts for the 101a today (well, I had a lot of help) and I'll be gluing and sanding tomorrow.
Kofu
Josephjcole said:
You ain't ignaant! Hey-- I met you at the DIY Atlanta meet last year. Your ceramics were really impressive. Hope things are going well.
Andrewbee said:
Word. Just finished the cuts for the 101a today (well, I had a lot of help) and I'll be gluing and sanding tomorrow.
Kofu
Kofi- I figured that was you behind the U.N. facade. Things are going well here, just making pots, started raising chickens, messing around with the ol' stereo, and of course as my girlfriend likes to say "geeking it up with the boys".
I hope all the construction goes well. One thing the 101a has a funny hole in the middle of it which they recomend cutting open a hole on top to prevent resonance. I just filled the hole in my brother's up with "great stuff", the expandable foam spray stuff, then left it closed. I thought it looked a little cleaner that way. I never noticed any kind of resonance from it. Just a thought.
Joe
I hope all the construction goes well. One thing the 101a has a funny hole in the middle of it which they recomend cutting open a hole on top to prevent resonance. I just filled the hole in my brother's up with "great stuff", the expandable foam spray stuff, then left it closed. I thought it looked a little cleaner that way. I never noticed any kind of resonance from it. Just a thought.
Joe
Josephjcole said:
Facade? Oh yes, yes. Facade. A ha ha. A ha.
If ya still gotta girlfriend, things are OK. Just watch the chicken raising. I think that's in the latest Glamour as the number seven reason to break up with a boyfriend. Maybe eight. Of course, building the Nagaoka Swan D101a ranks up there too.
You know, you really need to tell me about these things before I start cutting. I just cut that motherfather and lemme tell you, I've seen straighter things on the Bravo network. The jigsaw wandered a bit and, you know, its like Miles Davis used to record records in one take; this is a one-take project. Pure jazz, baby.
Anyway, let me know if you plan to be in Atlanta for the next DIY gig. Maybe you and me and the wizife and the gizrlfriend can grab a meal somewheres. Got coupons.
Hail yeah.
Kofi
P. S. Photos of swan construction will be posted soon. Well, soon by my standards anyway.
Kofi,
not to worry it was her idea to get chickens, so I'm actually building up brownie points by building the chicken house and what not.
I'll be interested in how the 108es compares to your 206e. I've often wanted a larger driver than my 108es, but am too cheap to get the 168 or 208.
Anyways, I think I told you last time that it was kind of silly to drive five hours just to listen to a bunch of speakers, and that I wasn't coming back. I was only decieving myself, I'm sure I'll be back down that way the at the first word. Ready to geek it up with the best of em. I'll certainly take you up on dinner when I come down. And if you ever make it up north let me know.
Joe
not to worry it was her idea to get chickens, so I'm actually building up brownie points by building the chicken house and what not.
I'll be interested in how the 108es compares to your 206e. I've often wanted a larger driver than my 108es, but am too cheap to get the 168 or 208.
Anyways, I think I told you last time that it was kind of silly to drive five hours just to listen to a bunch of speakers, and that I wasn't coming back. I was only decieving myself, I'm sure I'll be back down that way the at the first word. Ready to geek it up with the best of em. I'll certainly take you up on dinner when I come down. And if you ever make it up north let me know.
Joe
Just Finished!
Just finished the Swans tonight and I really like the sound. They're a little bit honky (like me), but I think that will even out over time. The Fostexseses take a while to break in.
I'm not the greatest woodworker in the world, but I used an oil-based poly on some baltic birch ply that I edge banded and from a distance they look aight.
I'll post some photos by this weekend on my .mac space. I took some photos of the general construction (which wasn't easy) which may be heplful to some prospective builders.
This was a really fun and rewarding project. Hell, I like these more and more as I listen.
Would a super tweeter add some air on top or would it not be worth the expense? I think they have a really nice top end, but things can always get better, right?
Kofi
Just finished the Swans tonight and I really like the sound. They're a little bit honky (like me), but I think that will even out over time. The Fostexseses take a while to break in.
I'm not the greatest woodworker in the world, but I used an oil-based poly on some baltic birch ply that I edge banded and from a distance they look aight.
I'll post some photos by this weekend on my .mac space. I took some photos of the general construction (which wasn't easy) which may be heplful to some prospective builders.
This was a really fun and rewarding project. Hell, I like these more and more as I listen.
Would a super tweeter add some air on top or would it not be worth the expense? I think they have a really nice top end, but things can always get better, right?
Kofi
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