Can a 12P handle heavy metal?

Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.
I'm building a pair of living room mains for a friend of mine. His overall budget is nearly $500 and I'm personally a huge fan of Mark Audio speakers (have heard the original alpair 10's, the CHR-70.3(a), and the CHN-70). I'm leaning toward doing a pencil 12p setup for him or possibly some other MLTL but his listening tastes for audio tends to include heavy metal and electronic dance music (he's German after all :cheers:). I'm worried that those genres would be better suited to a multi-way design but at his budget a stereo pair of multi-ways with all crossover components added in, and driver costs etc... it may be tough to rival the alpair sound quality. Thoughts?

I also plan on recommending he eventually invest in a sub to add to the mix (probably something I'll end up building for him too), but for the first year or so we can assume he won't have a sub in the mix.
 
The 12P would probably not be your best bet for full body contact techno/club/disco/trance/heavy metal or whatever the kids are calling it these days; the 12PW - perhaps - especially in multiples - but I'd be inclined towards a more bullet-proof atmosphere generator to supplement below 200 or so. - in other words a "FAST" type 2-way.

JBL2225 makes some nice bass in a T-line -a buddy of mine has built a few, but that might take the budget slightly over the $500 level :D.

ps - if total sensitivity is not an issue, and you think you like the sound of Mark's paper drivers, the 10P in either the appropriately sized Pensil might well be worth investigating - particularly when high-passed and supplemented with decent stereo woofers.
 
Last edited:
I play all kinds of stuff thru my 12p Super Pensils, including disco and hip-hop, but my room isn't very large. In a bigger room, I think I'd want to go the 12PW 2-way route, especially if bass heavy music is the predominant genre.

What's the approx. room size?

jeff
 
Last edited:
Stochastic,

The Alp 12P and the 10P can do EDM nicely at decent levels. However I would suggest that keep your options open for the Alp 10.3 metal - likely to go lower in the same cabinet size and have a bit more perceived zing on the top. Extrapolating from my experience with Alp 7.3 and A12 metal, they should do fine. In a smallish room, maybe a BR box?

Now, heavy metal is a different ball game, and I haven't found a FR driver yet that fully satisfies that genre. However, I did find Rammstein listenable at moderate volumes in a Pensil 12. I am at times really tempted to do a "Twinned Tower" with 4 CHR drivers per cabinet (I am not aware of any builds yet) ... the CHRs to my ears are not as delicate sounding as the Alpairs and might do a better job with heavy metal.

Edit: MA Alpair 7.3 bi-amped and XO'ed anywhere between 110-150 depending on bass helper (sub-woofer or woofers) and preference, sounds very good with electronica.
 
Last edited:
I have the 12p in superpensil and my room is able 200 sq ft and ceiling height is about 9 ft.
When powered by a 50 W TPA 3123 class d amp, i have very satisfying results with AR Rahman techno music , the Brent Lewis Drumsex . The bass is very quick and very nice tonality. Toe tapping material.
I play in the low 90 db at my listening position that is about 6 ft to 8 ft away .
 
Okay, by the sounds of it the 12p with a recommendation to get a sub later for home theatre stuffs is the direction I'm leaning. Now I wonder which box design. I've read a few threads, but not all. Seems like those in this thread are leaning toward the superpencil.
 
I've thoroughly enjoyed Jeff's SuperPensils on several occasions, but would make two final comments on the subject of this thread:

- while the enclosures elicit the most I've heard from this driver (compared to a small standmount vented type, they are not a small footprint

- I'd still hesitate to heartily recommend the 12P for extreme duty without bass assistance
 
Status
This old topic is closed. If you want to reopen this topic, contact a moderator using the "Report Post" button.