tms that is an impressive list. Now for another question, is anybody playing vinyl through their Abbeys, and what electronics is everybody using? Earflappin I owned an original M-1 Atmasphere amp at one point and it was a beautiful sounding amp. I for now have a Rotel 1068 preamp processor and have 2 amps a Rotel 5 channel 1075 and a Jolida 100wpc tube amp. I will be able to go strictly with the Rotel amp for 5.1 or use the Rotel on the center and surrounds and the Jolida for the front L & R, which is what I am running now. I will also be using my VPI scoutmaster for vinyl. i also have a 2 channel preamp with HT bypass that may find its way into the mix also.
No vinyl happening here any more. My system is now Logitech Transporter -> Bryston BDA-1 DAC -> Atma-Sphere MLS-1 linestage -> Atma-Sphere M60 MKIII.1's. It doesn't take a lot of horsepower for the Abbeys, as I've used the FirstWatt DIY F5 and DIY F4's driven by Zen Mod Pumpkin preamp with success as well.
Thanks guys. Its great to be loved 
As to timing, its getting worse. I am swamped with other projects and my helper no longer helps, so I am back to solo.
I am doing a project now that I have put off for far too long. It involves using polar measurements to improve the data. Each polar angle is not independent of its neighbors. In other words, the response from one angle to the next can only change so fast, otherwise its not physicaly possible. I have long noted this and how one should really be looking across the polar data and smoothing, thus elliminating a lot of noise and errors. I tried this and it works even better than I had expected it to.
But the real carret here is that by doing the polar smoothing one gets a set of parameters that can be used to reconstruct what was happening at the speraker that caused a particlar situation in the far field. For example, the axial hole. I know that its caused by the mouth diffraction, but what exactly is going on in the mouth that causes this? With this new technique, I can reconstruct the mouth velocities at any frequency that I choose and examine what is happening in some detail to better understand what might be done to improve it.
All in all this is an important project to me as its more the fundamental kind of R&D that I have done all my life and believe that I am good at. It would certainly be a good research paper. If you read AES you will see a letter to the editor from me about this in the next issue.
At some point I'd like to redo my Audio Transducer book updating it with all that I have learned since it was written ten years ago. "Good Luck with that!"
As to timing, its getting worse. I am swamped with other projects and my helper no longer helps, so I am back to solo.
I am doing a project now that I have put off for far too long. It involves using polar measurements to improve the data. Each polar angle is not independent of its neighbors. In other words, the response from one angle to the next can only change so fast, otherwise its not physicaly possible. I have long noted this and how one should really be looking across the polar data and smoothing, thus elliminating a lot of noise and errors. I tried this and it works even better than I had expected it to.
But the real carret here is that by doing the polar smoothing one gets a set of parameters that can be used to reconstruct what was happening at the speraker that caused a particlar situation in the far field. For example, the axial hole. I know that its caused by the mouth diffraction, but what exactly is going on in the mouth that causes this? With this new technique, I can reconstruct the mouth velocities at any frequency that I choose and examine what is happening in some detail to better understand what might be done to improve it.
All in all this is an important project to me as its more the fundamental kind of R&D that I have done all my life and believe that I am good at. It would certainly be a good research paper. If you read AES you will see a letter to the editor from me about this in the next issue.
At some point I'd like to redo my Audio Transducer book updating it with all that I have learned since it was written ten years ago. "Good Luck with that!"
Let's put it this way. When Tom is excited about something, I take him very, very seriously. He's a seasoned audiophile, having listened to some of the finest commercial speakers out there (at least 'finest' as far as what the public thinks, not necessarily in design). One thing he didn't mention was that his room is quite well treated which I am sure only enhances the performance.
Anand.
Thanks guys. Its great to be loved
As to timing, its getting worse. I am swamped with other projects and my helper no longer helps, so I am back to solo.
I am doing a project now that I have put off for far too long. It involves using polar measurements to improve the data. Each polar angle is not independent of its neighbors. In other words, the response from one angle to the next can only change so fast, otherwise its not physicaly possible. I have long noted this and how one should really be looking across the polar data and smoothing, thus elliminating a lot of noise and errors. I tried this and it works even better than I had expected it to.
But the real carret here is that by doing the polar smoothing one gets a set of parameters that can be used to reconstruct what was happening at the speraker that caused a particlar situation in the far field. For example, the axial hole. I know that its caused by the mouth diffraction, but what exactly is going on in the mouth that causes this? With this new technique, I can reconstruct the mouth velocities at any frequency that I choose and examine what is happening in some detail to better understand what might be done to improve it.
All in all this is an important project to me as its more the fundamental kind of R&D that I have done all my life and believe that I am good at. It would certainly be a good research paper. If you read AES you will see a letter to the editor from me about this in the next issue.
At some point I'd like to redo my Audio Transducer book updating it with all that I have learned since it was written ten years ago. "Good Luck with that!"
Hi Earl,
I hope you can keep up with the demand on your own (or else find a helper that helps more). That sounds like some very interesting research you are engaged in. I look forward to hearing more about it (preferably through some more of your speakers). Keep up the great work!
- Doug
Of those I'd say I prefer the F5 for the Abbeys as they don't present a particularly difficult load which might require the F4's current. I do think the F5 runs out of steam at some point, though up to the limit it is very clean with great bass. With the F4's you always have to deal with providing enough voltage swing to them so they're much more fussy about what preamps you use (~ +/-22v to full power). They sound a bit softer in the top end and a bit richer. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. Both are very enjoyable amps. I do suspect class A power has a certain synergy with the Abbeys, perhaps due to lack of crossover distortion. Who knows.
The A-S tube gear is just that much better with just startling clarity on the Abbeys. Much mo' betta.
My Abbeys have been up and running since January '09 and I've never been happier. What I love about them is the natural tone, unrestrained dynamics, lovely imaging and the clean, unforced detail.
Previous speakers, latest first.
Meadowlark Blue Heron 2
Vandy 3a sigs w/2 subs
Vandy 2Ci
Large DIY speakers (from about 1981 to 1999)
Other DIY stuff before that.
Current rig is a nettop pc feeding a DIY dac with a first generation twisted pear buffalo that I swapped an ES9018 into with a hiFace USB widget feeding it I2S, 8 discrete power supplies. Preamp is a DIY of my design, basically a 6SN7 grounded cathode loaded with a Pimm CCS feeding a pair of 6AH4's as cathode followers running at 25mA idle. Amp is an Atma-Sphere M-60 at the moment but I have 7 others.. (I'm a little off..). 3 GR/Rythmik sealed servo subs. Lots of room treatments, especially behind the speakers. I do have a vinyl rig but the digital is pretty good and I don't play it much. DIY Teres with Moerch UP4/Scheu-Benz and Hagerman Cornet/Jensen SU transformers for the phono pre.
Absolutely have zero desire to change speakers. I don't see the Abbeys going anywhere for a long time, if ever. Unless Earl dreams up something so much better I have to get one.
mike
Quite a wide spectrum of speakers that people have "moved on from" to get to the Abbeys (great work Earl) and Doug I think you did the best, you did not spend a bunch of money on other speakers like some of us before getting to the Abbeys. Now another question, Earl you said in an earlier post to use a lot of damping behind the speakers, my question is are you looking for damping the entire frequency range or the highs or the lows specifically?
No high frequency content is radiated from the back of speakers so lower frequency absorption would be enough to catch those reflections. But in order to get a more directional sound field with a shorter reverberation time, the front wall behind the speakers should be broadband (e.g. 10-15cm fiberglass plus 10-15cm air gap).
Thats what I am dealing with too David. I have the go ahead to go with this wedge foam from the foam factory. (thefoamfactory.com) I am not sure if this what you are looking for or not. You can see the different size wedge or pyramid have different frequency damping stats. I already have the corner bass traps from these people and am happy with the results thus far.
Very heavy drapes. They can look very good and they work very well if pleatted.
Dr. Geddes,
A few questions on the fully assembled Abbey 12a.
What is the net weight and shipping weight of each speaker?
How are they shipped?
What's the estimated shipping & handling charges for a pair to the Chicago area?
What standard colors are available?
How long is the wait if one sends in the money today?
What's the maximum output of the Abbey 12a and at what distance?
Are the cabinet edge radii in 1 1/2" or 2"?
Are you going to post a picture of the improved speaker soon?
Are you still considering a design with a 12" woofer and a 15" waveguide?
For all the Abbey owners out there, any of you in the Chicago area is willing to let me listen to your system?
A few questions on the fully assembled Abbey 12a.
What is the net weight and shipping weight of each speaker?
How are they shipped?
What's the estimated shipping & handling charges for a pair to the Chicago area?
What standard colors are available?
How long is the wait if one sends in the money today?
What's the maximum output of the Abbey 12a and at what distance?
Are the cabinet edge radii in 1 1/2" or 2"?
Are you going to post a picture of the improved speaker soon?
Are you still considering a design with a 12" woofer and a 15" waveguide?
For all the Abbey owners out there, any of you in the Chicago area is willing to let me listen to your system?
Why not take a day trip to Detroit to hear Earl's system and talk with him? It's quite an experience, but take your check book
To Chicago? would be a lot cheaper to pick them up, and I mean a lot. Probably $100-150 less. They are 75 lbs each at 20 x 20 x 40 (shipping).
Standard colors are black, white and red. I am expecting that gloss on the 12a might not be a premium price with the new material like it is with MDF. But I am not sure of that yet. MDF basically made gloss non-viable.
The queue is typically a couple of months.
I can only estimate the max output of an ABbety at 1 meter as about 124 dB. I have no capability to measure it that loud. The edge radio are 1.5".
Pictures? As soon as possible.
A 15" waveguide and 12" woofer - great idea, maybe someday. But don't hold your breath, "someday" has been "someday" for almost two years now. And you can expect the price to be almost the same as the Summa owing to the much larger sizes involved.
Quite honestly, the fact is that working alone, with my schedule, not much but the essentials gets done.
And, Yes, a trip here is the best idea. Its not like its far, I'll be in Chicago tomorrow.
- Status
- This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.