I'm using the RD-75s, which are a little over six feet long. In theory, they're good up to about 18kHz. In practice, I cross over to the ribbons at 5kHz with a 6dB/oct slope. Horizontal dispersion is good, at least if you keep the high frequencies down. Resolution isn't as good as, say, the best electrostats, but it simply mops up any dynamic driver I've heard. It's a definite improvement over the Maggie midrange. They're good down to 2-300Hz, supposedly. I've got them crossed over at 250Hz (I think, I'd have to look at my notes). Can they do the frequency? Yes. But they don't have quite enough surface area to move enough air below that.
For what it's worth, this is the same driver Genesis uses in their top of the line 1.1, and they run it down to 80Hz or something, before handing off to their woofer towers. I've heard the 1.1s, and they're good, but I don't think they're as good as they could be. I bridge the gap with the woofer panels from the Tympanis--250Hz to 70 Hz. Takes the load off the RD-75s. I'm pleased with them. The compromises are reasonable. Oh, they're 5.3 ohms, purely resistive. Can't complain about that.
As an aside, the Bohlender-Graebener drivers are naturally shielded, just by nature of the way they're built.
Grey
For what it's worth, this is the same driver Genesis uses in their top of the line 1.1, and they run it down to 80Hz or something, before handing off to their woofer towers. I've heard the 1.1s, and they're good, but I don't think they're as good as they could be. I bridge the gap with the woofer panels from the Tympanis--250Hz to 70 Hz. Takes the load off the RD-75s. I'm pleased with them. The compromises are reasonable. Oh, they're 5.3 ohms, purely resistive. Can't complain about that.
As an aside, the Bohlender-Graebener drivers are naturally shielded, just by nature of the way they're built.
Grey
I'm not sure if this has been mentioned in anyone of the above replies, I've a slight headache to read all the previous replies 
I remember Vifa themselves noting that their drivers are not broken-in before they measure them. Only ScanSpeak drivers are broken-in prior to measurement. Click on any of the frequency response of the classics drivers line and the said notes should appear.
I think this explains the above-mentioned differences in the driver's T/S params.
Isaac
I remember Vifa themselves noting that their drivers are not broken-in before they measure them. Only ScanSpeak drivers are broken-in prior to measurement. Click on any of the frequency response of the classics drivers line and the said notes should appear.
I think this explains the above-mentioned differences in the driver's T/S params.
Isaac
Grey, I know that this forum is about the equipment and not the music, please forgive me the digression. I've been looking for a good recording of the 1812 for a while. I already have a number of recordings. I used to like a Lorin Mazel conducted version Sony/CBS recorded about 1981, (I think) but as my system has became more revealing, it now fails to take me there. The Mazel recording is full choir and carillon bell version, (oh yes, and the pop guns), other versions record only half the score.
Can you recommend a better recording?
Can I pester you a little more to reveal your current amplification setup.
Have you ever tried a DBX RIAA expander, I use one on vinyl that has been heavily compressed, (it’s made by the same company, that manufactures the equipment, that does the original damage). Some recordings really come to life, (I’ll never forget the first time I heard “In The Air Tonight” through the expander, up till then I hadn’t realised just how upset Phil was). Of course it will destroy a good recording.
Regards WALKER
Can you recommend a better recording?
Can I pester you a little more to reveal your current amplification setup.
Have you ever tried a DBX RIAA expander, I use one on vinyl that has been heavily compressed, (it’s made by the same company, that manufactures the equipment, that does the original damage). Some recordings really come to life, (I’ll never forget the first time I heard “In The Air Tonight” through the expander, up till then I hadn’t realised just how upset Phil was). Of course it will destroy a good recording.
Regards WALKER
Walker,
I don't get as irritated by off-topic things as some do. It's been my experience that that's when you get the best stuff--the things that you can really dig in and do something with.
The question of what I listen to has come up before (since I seem to be on the lunatic fringe--it gets lonely out here on the frontier). Rather than retype all that nonsense, I'll quote here from another thread:
As for my system, it's both simple and complicated. I've long believed that simple circuits are more likely to deliver good sound (after a rather substantial, lengthy, and expensive foray into complicated circuits, getting further and further from what I heard at the concert hall, but I--finally--learned that numbers don't count for much), so the individual units tend to be fairly straight forward, but there are so *many* of the little critters that the sum of them all gets a little crazy.
For the front end and electronics, try the Class A, AB or what thread about half way down the page: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=22&pagenumber=5
Speakers were detailed in the 5W Zen for biamp tweeter thread: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=155
Since then the water-cooled Aleph 2s have come online (another pair nearly ready), which currently leaves my tube amp pushing the tweeters, Aleph 2 on the mids, Threshold S-500 on woofer panels, and another Threshold S-500 on the subs.
Okay...back to the here and now...I've been delayed getting that second pair of Aleph 2s online, but I'm nearly there. Got some imaging experiments to try out, then I want to use the poor thing as a guinea pig to try melding Nelson's X and Aleph concepts into a single circuit (see Petter's X thread for the ideas).
Since then, someone else said they've got twelve 12's too, but from what they posted, it looks as though they're infinite baffle in the non-sealed sense of the term. I would think, from what I saw, that they'd be rather under-damped, so I question how tight the bass is. The quantity is there, I'm sure, but the quality...
The 1812 is kinda like the beautiful woman with a 36D bust--she never stood a chance. Even if she wanted to study and be the next Einstein, the guys wouldn't leave her alone. Doomed by her looks, she follows the path of least resistance (usually--I seem to recall that Racquel Welch was reputed to have a very high IQ) and becomes a trophy wife. The 1812 is hampered by the WOW! factor. The cannons and bells are just too big a temptation to pass by. For pure bombast, I still like the Telarc version. Musically...I dunno...there's an old Mercury mono recording that rates well, but most can't get past the mono part. Um, I guess I'm going to have to admit that the 36D part sways my attentions, despite my best intentions. Telarc it is, if you want stereo.
I used to use a 3BX expander way back when. Since then, I've backed away from all processors.
Grey
I don't get as irritated by off-topic things as some do. It's been my experience that that's when you get the best stuff--the things that you can really dig in and do something with.
The question of what I listen to has come up before (since I seem to be on the lunatic fringe--it gets lonely out here on the frontier). Rather than retype all that nonsense, I'll quote here from another thread:
As for my system, it's both simple and complicated. I've long believed that simple circuits are more likely to deliver good sound (after a rather substantial, lengthy, and expensive foray into complicated circuits, getting further and further from what I heard at the concert hall, but I--finally--learned that numbers don't count for much), so the individual units tend to be fairly straight forward, but there are so *many* of the little critters that the sum of them all gets a little crazy.
For the front end and electronics, try the Class A, AB or what thread about half way down the page: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=22&pagenumber=5
Speakers were detailed in the 5W Zen for biamp tweeter thread: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=155
Since then the water-cooled Aleph 2s have come online (another pair nearly ready), which currently leaves my tube amp pushing the tweeters, Aleph 2 on the mids, Threshold S-500 on woofer panels, and another Threshold S-500 on the subs.
Okay...back to the here and now...I've been delayed getting that second pair of Aleph 2s online, but I'm nearly there. Got some imaging experiments to try out, then I want to use the poor thing as a guinea pig to try melding Nelson's X and Aleph concepts into a single circuit (see Petter's X thread for the ideas).
Since then, someone else said they've got twelve 12's too, but from what they posted, it looks as though they're infinite baffle in the non-sealed sense of the term. I would think, from what I saw, that they'd be rather under-damped, so I question how tight the bass is. The quantity is there, I'm sure, but the quality...
The 1812 is kinda like the beautiful woman with a 36D bust--she never stood a chance. Even if she wanted to study and be the next Einstein, the guys wouldn't leave her alone. Doomed by her looks, she follows the path of least resistance (usually--I seem to recall that Racquel Welch was reputed to have a very high IQ) and becomes a trophy wife. The 1812 is hampered by the WOW! factor. The cannons and bells are just too big a temptation to pass by. For pure bombast, I still like the Telarc version. Musically...I dunno...there's an old Mercury mono recording that rates well, but most can't get past the mono part. Um, I guess I'm going to have to admit that the 36D part sways my attentions, despite my best intentions. Telarc it is, if you want stereo.
I used to use a 3BX expander way back when. Since then, I've backed away from all processors.
Grey
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