Hi folks,
For the past year I have been using Ciare CH250 speakers in a test baffle. Since two months I had a nice pair of Supravox HP215RFT Signature Bicone waiting to be placed in a baffle. I wait for some nice wood to arrive, so I decided to mount the drivers in my old and ugly test baffle (the drivers on the downside in the picture). I have now listened to the Supravoxes for two days and I must say I am very much impressed!!!
First I have to make some reservations:
- The Supravoxes are not broken in properly (just 15 hours of playing)
- I use different speakers cables for the bicones (1 or 1.5 m CAT5 instead of 2m OTA)
- The bicones are low to the ground. This improves baffle stiffness and bass. Also, the HF content is less at ear height this way.
- I compared the drivers without any EQ. With EQ the differences could be different.
I plan to rotate the baffle 180 degrees later to put the supravoxes on top.
This is just a first test because I just couldn't wait for my new baffles to arrive!
Well... now my observations for the Supravox drivers:
- Definitely more and deeper BASS! That's is very good because the Ciares were a bit too thin without EQ. I hope the reason for the improved bass is the lower resonance frequency of the driver and not the lower position. I will find that out later!
- More relaxed. A more balanced sound.
- More detail.
- Better focus.
- Better instrument realism.
I need to listen to them for a longer time to get a good opinion, but for this moment I am very satisfied!!!
Hopefully I can finish the new baffles before the end of the year, or in the first month of the next year. I ordered some nice birch plywood, hopefully the sound get even better than! (at least the look will be better don't you think?)
To be continued...
For the past year I have been using Ciare CH250 speakers in a test baffle. Since two months I had a nice pair of Supravox HP215RFT Signature Bicone waiting to be placed in a baffle. I wait for some nice wood to arrive, so I decided to mount the drivers in my old and ugly test baffle (the drivers on the downside in the picture). I have now listened to the Supravoxes for two days and I must say I am very much impressed!!!
First I have to make some reservations:
- The Supravoxes are not broken in properly (just 15 hours of playing)
- I use different speakers cables for the bicones (1 or 1.5 m CAT5 instead of 2m OTA)
- The bicones are low to the ground. This improves baffle stiffness and bass. Also, the HF content is less at ear height this way.
- I compared the drivers without any EQ. With EQ the differences could be different.
I plan to rotate the baffle 180 degrees later to put the supravoxes on top.
This is just a first test because I just couldn't wait for my new baffles to arrive!
Well... now my observations for the Supravox drivers:
- Definitely more and deeper BASS! That's is very good because the Ciares were a bit too thin without EQ. I hope the reason for the improved bass is the lower resonance frequency of the driver and not the lower position. I will find that out later!
- More relaxed. A more balanced sound.
- More detail.
- Better focus.
- Better instrument realism.
I need to listen to them for a longer time to get a good opinion, but for this moment I am very satisfied!!!
Hopefully I can finish the new baffles before the end of the year, or in the first month of the next year. I ordered some nice birch plywood, hopefully the sound get even better than! (at least the look will be better don't you think?)
To be continued...
Attachments
one1speed said:
You're right... the Supravox is 5 times more expensive!
But still very much worth the money I'd say. For under 750 euro you can make a very nice pair of open-baffle speakers with these drivers. And I guess it will beat many *much* higher priced speakers!!!
I 'll keep you all informed. Actually, you can expect a webpage when the project is finished...
The Ciares still can sound very fine, especially with some EQ. I was able to listen to them for a year and they kept on sounding better. But these Supravoxes are of a different class!
Fedde
So... this week I had some more holiday. Thus some time to experiment again. Finally, I turned the baffles upside. This resulted in Supravoxes at ear height. Wow!!! The sound was very surprising, much more open then I'd have guessed they would be when they were below! The bass is a bit less, but also tighter. But the mids and highs are so much faster and detailed! After comparing one Supravox driver with a Ciare (both at ear height) I concluded that the supravoxes are much faster speakers. This is likely due to the much lower mass of the cone and due to stronger magnets.
The amount of detail of the stereo Supravox open-baffle system is breath-taking. Hi-hats and rides sound much more accurate, piano sounds better than ever and voices are very easy to follow without sounding too harsh or digital. Many details in the music (small percussion sounds, vibes, instrument noises etc.) become apparant without becoming irritating. Sometimes I was actually startled with a few tunes. (for example with Gidon Kremer - El Sol Sueno. I won't spoil the surprise, get the song and put the volume high!)
The soundstage is quite deep. And live recordings sound really cool! You get almost the feeling of being there.... nice stuff these Supravoxes...
Fedde
ps. Sorry for the rave review, good mood today
ps2. I could use a sub for some extra 20-40 Hz bass... hm...
The amount of detail of the stereo Supravox open-baffle system is breath-taking. Hi-hats and rides sound much more accurate, piano sounds better than ever and voices are very easy to follow without sounding too harsh or digital. Many details in the music (small percussion sounds, vibes, instrument noises etc.) become apparant without becoming irritating. Sometimes I was actually startled with a few tunes. (for example with Gidon Kremer - El Sol Sueno. I won't spoil the surprise, get the song and put the volume high!)
The soundstage is quite deep. And live recordings sound really cool! You get almost the feeling of being there.... nice stuff these Supravoxes...
Fedde
ps. Sorry for the rave review, good mood today
ps2. I could use a sub for some extra 20-40 Hz bass... hm...
I'm not surprised either fedde, these speakers won a test in an OB competition for a French Mag, over Phy HP and the F200A. I wonder if they need a tweeter too, or maybe "bicone" means coaxial?
And notice the article states 190€ / unit.
Anyway, I wish you a lot of listening pleasure
And notice the article states 190€ / unit.
Anyway, I wish you a lot of listening pleasure
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Thanks for your comments Kepa1!
Actually there are four similar products from Supravox:
- HP215 RFT64 (e 160,-)
- HP215 RFT64 bicone (e 190,-)
- HP215 Signature (e 230,-)
- HP215 Sign. bicone (e 255,-)
The prices are from Spectrumaudio.de, but they don't seem to sell it anymore. The prices are old too, prices are higher now.
I have the HP215 Signature Bicone. Bicone means they have a small whizzer cone for highs, thus these speakers go to 19 kHz instead of 10 kHz. The whizzer cone moves with the same coil as the rest of the cone but is better in HF movement. The Signature Bicone speakers go a bit lower and have a more even response compared to the RTF64 bicones.
I think they have sufficient high frequencies for me, but the HF content is quite directional. This is not a big problem for me (actually it has advantages when you are sitting at the sweet spot!)
Still enjoying them greatly...
Greetings,
Fedde
Actually there are four similar products from Supravox:
- HP215 RFT64 (e 160,-)
- HP215 RFT64 bicone (e 190,-)
- HP215 Signature (e 230,-)
- HP215 Sign. bicone (e 255,-)
The prices are from Spectrumaudio.de, but they don't seem to sell it anymore. The prices are old too, prices are higher now.
I have the HP215 Signature Bicone. Bicone means they have a small whizzer cone for highs, thus these speakers go to 19 kHz instead of 10 kHz. The whizzer cone moves with the same coil as the rest of the cone but is better in HF movement. The Signature Bicone speakers go a bit lower and have a more even response compared to the RTF64 bicones.
I think they have sufficient high frequencies for me, but the HF content is quite directional. This is not a big problem for me (actually it has advantages when you are sitting at the sweet spot!)
Still enjoying them greatly...
Greetings,
Fedde
No, you don't because here is their top top top 8":
(EXC2000 series)
(EXC2000 series)
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Hi Fedde. All sounds very good. I'm awaiting delivery of visaton B200's for OBing for the first time. Like your site, too. Am going to build a gainclone sometime, to make use of a SMPS i bought off Nuuk. yours looks very promissing to me. Those top of the range drivers look very tempting too!
Yeah yeah... patience my friend! I had to recover from my listening session last night...
Let's first explain the reason for this posting of Merijn. Yesterday, we spent some time making better looking baffles for my Supravox units. This was about time as the previous baffles were very ugly and not rigid at all. This time I used 18mm birch plywood instead of thin MDF.
Here some pictures to get a glimpse:
http://jwg.student.utwente.nl/fedde/audio/baffle/baffle1.jpg
http://jwg.student.utwente.nl/fedde/audio/baffle/baffle2.jpg
I am still evaluating the performance of this new babies, but I must say that on first impression I am quite errr... baffled!
The dynamics are better, the bass deeper and better controlled, subtle details come to life and the overall presentation is more relaxed.
To be continued!
Fedde
Let's first explain the reason for this posting of Merijn. Yesterday, we spent some time making better looking baffles for my Supravox units. This was about time as the previous baffles were very ugly and not rigid at all. This time I used 18mm birch plywood instead of thin MDF.
Here some pictures to get a glimpse:
http://jwg.student.utwente.nl/fedde/audio/baffle/baffle1.jpg
http://jwg.student.utwente.nl/fedde/audio/baffle/baffle2.jpg
I am still evaluating the performance of this new babies, but I must say that on first impression I am quite errr... baffled!
The dynamics are better, the bass deeper and better controlled, subtle details come to life and the overall presentation is more relaxed.
To be continued!
Fedde
Very cool Fedde, please keep us abreast of your progress with the Supravox drivers. I've noticed recently that there is now a North American distributor for some of the Supravox products.
I've only really paid any attention at all to the open baffle concept here these past few months. If you don't mind sharing how did you devise what the dimensions, placement, and overall shape of the baffle should be?
Also what are the various room placements you've experimented with thus far?
Have fun!
Rick
I've only really paid any attention at all to the open baffle concept here these past few months. If you don't mind sharing how did you devise what the dimensions, placement, and overall shape of the baffle should be?
Also what are the various room placements you've experimented with thus far?
Have fun!
Rick
Hi Rick,
My old baffles were MDF, 1220x610x15 mm. The new ones are 1220x650x18 mm. The centre of the Supravox driver is 45 cm from the top and 25 cm from the left (or right for the second speaker). More information will follow later. I plan to make a webpage with the construction details and more photos.
I just spend another evening listening to the drivers together with a friend. We listened to many CD's including "The songs of west side story". That CD really sounded fine, with beautiful sounding choirs in combination with dynamic&tight bass and drums. My guest commented that the sound of the system was the most close to a good pair of headphones he had ever heard...
To be continued!
Fedde
My old baffles were MDF, 1220x610x15 mm. The new ones are 1220x650x18 mm. The centre of the Supravox driver is 45 cm from the top and 25 cm from the left (or right for the second speaker). More information will follow later. I plan to make a webpage with the construction details and more photos.
I just spend another evening listening to the drivers together with a friend. We listened to many CD's including "The songs of west side story". That CD really sounded fine, with beautiful sounding choirs in combination with dynamic&tight bass and drums. My guest commented that the sound of the system was the most close to a good pair of headphones he had ever heard...
To be continued!
Fedde
Still very happy with the new baffles. Two days ago I did a very simple tweak but with an amazing effect. I earthed the metal of the speaker to the '-' connection. This had a very clear effect. Some haze disappeared, the sound is even more direct. Try it! Very nice for such a simple tweak...
Fedde
Fedde
fedde said:Still very happy with the new baffles. Two days ago I did a very simple tweak but with an amazing effect. I earthed the metal of the speaker to the '-' connection. This had a very clear effect. Some haze disappeared, the sound is even more direct. Try it! Very nice for such a simple tweak...
Fedde
HI Fedde I know about that tweak Tony Gee from Humble Homemade Hifi whit his Fostex BLH
http://www.humblehomemadehifi.com/Solo206.html
picture
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Would like to hear those Supravox OB's
please read this
http://www.zelfbouwaudio.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3732
please read this
http://www.zelfbouwaudio.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3732
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