Big Heil AMT in compact, bi-amped 2-way set up with electronic crossover–help needed!

[SOelker]

Hi there and good evening!

I am a starter in DIY speaker building (and a first time thread poster here) and look for some advice on my first project! Maybe some of you experienced guys can help me on this – reading through this forum, I can see there are people here 100 times more experienced than me.

My idea is to build a sealed, compact (approx. 15 – 20l / 900 – 1200 cubic inch) 2-way box, bi-amped with electronic xover using the "big" HEIL AMT:

• Tweeter: HEIL / ESS AMT 1 (4 ohms version) - already bought
  
• Midwoofer: no decision taken yet, but the “candidates” are Seas Excel W18E001, ScanSpeak 18W/8531G00, Accuton C173-T6-95 / C180-T6-95, SB Accoustics 17NRXC35-8. Why? Because their TSPs allow for sealed enclosure, they show low resonance frequency and their RMS looks like they can cope with the Air Motion Transformer dynamic-wise
  
• Enclosure: compact 2-way (approx. 15 – 20l / 900 – 1200 cubic inch), because right now I do not want to place a floorstander – sealed, because I imagine this fits better to the HEIL AMT
  
• Crossover: electronic/active crossover (Behringer DCX 2496), as it provides most flexibility and passive crossover design might be too complicate for me yet. Crossover frequence would be around 1500 – 2000 Hz, I guess.
  
• Bi-Amped, because I could eliminate the differing sensitivities of AMT and midwoofer without lowering the AMT
  
• Power Amps: not decided yet. I already own a Marantz AVR ZR 6001 with pre-outs
  
• Music I listen to: Jazz, Classical Orchestra, Pop, a little bit of Rock sometimes – I usually listen at low to moderate volumes
  
• Important to me: a detailed and relaxed sound with a good staging even at lower volume. Live-like levels are not important.

Certainly, I would highly appreciate any feedback or recommendation on my project! I am sure here are people with experience in HEIL AMTs in an electronic crossover set-up. Especially I would like to know:

• Which midwoofer you would recommend with the HEIL AMT?
  
• Which kind of enclosure you would recommend for a compact 2-way?
  I am aware that vented enclosures reach the lower octaves, but I am not sure whether this fits to the AMT.
  
• Which kind of power amp would you recommend? Class D or T? Gainclone? Or ordinary Class A or AB?
  
• Any other trick that could help

Thanks a lot for your feedback in advance!!

Kindest regards
Stefan

[planet10]

One we did... bipolar 9" Fostex midbass drivers. XO at 2 kHz.

dave

[SOelker]

Hi Dave!
Thanks a lot for your fast reply and for the great pictures!!
Really great looking and surely great sounding speakers !

I wish I could place floorstanders at my place! Unfortunately, I can not.
I am rather looking for stand-mounted 2-way speaker.
More the Focal Mini Utopia-size, you know?

I am afraid the 9" Fostex will not fit into that concept.

Have you any experience with a "more compact version"?

Kindest regards
Stefan

[cdfr]

Stefan,

You can find here another example of loudspeaker with AMT. The woofer is a very light paper cone.
http://www.lamaisonduhautparleur.com/kit-albedo.php

As I wrote in a post about AMT 3, I recommend the XO frequency to be above 1000Hz. Say 1500Hz or higher. The Great Heil does not sound so great at 1K.

[SOelker]

Originally Posted by cdfr

Stefan,

You can find here another example of loudspeaker with AMT. The woofer is a very light paper cone.
http://www.lamaisonduhautparleur.com/kit-albedo.php

As I wrote in a post about AMT 3, I recommend the XO frequency to be above 1000Hz. Say 1500Hz or higher. The Great Heil does not sound so great at 1K.

Hi cdfr,

Thanks a lot for your link!
I am afraid my French is not good enough for this website (despite a Parisian girlfriend some decades ago).

Nevertheless, I understand the ALBEDO Kit to be a floorstander, as much as the SON from Dieter Achenbach or the AMT V or the Hurricane.

Can it be possible that the most compact version of a 2-way with the big HEIL AMT is the original ESS AMT-1 pyramide (even not a stand-mounted 2-way)?

Thanks anyhow!!
It is great to see that people care!!!

Kindest regards
Stefan

[CLS]

How to integrate the inherently dipole Heil and a bipole mid-bass? Wouldn't there be some irregulations around the xover?