sennheiser sounding speakers

[okmat]

please recommend a diy speaker kit that sounds close the sound of sennheiser headphones

[bastek]

Since i got my HD560 Ovation II in '96, I'm looking for a speaker that comes close to the sound. Haven't found any.

[sdclc126]

What drivers do they use? Get them if they're commercially available, use the same enclosure dimensions, tuning, and crossover - easy as pie!



Actually you can use software to design a crossover, or if the crossover schematic is available just clone it. And you're there.

[chris661]

Ahem.

The OP wishes to recreate the sound of some headphones. Crossovers don't come into it.

What model of sennheisers are you looking to recreate?
Can you describe the sound?

Chris

[sdclc126]

Well that's what I get for missing one word.

In that case I wouldn't know how to approach it.

[gainphile]

I don't think you can ever recreate the sound of any headphones with speakers in room. Headphones lack room interaction and reflection, which are very difficult to deal with. Headphones even the cheaper ones will always sound oncoloured, smooth and clean -- but with that annoying "in the head sound".

Perhaps the best case would be a nearfield monitor using the narrowest directivity speakers available. And that's difficult because generic speakers tend to be omni at lower frequencies.

All else fail, build an anaecohic chamber ?

[okmat]

Thanks for the answers so far, i understand the differences that can be expected from room interaction and that the imaging is never going to be the same... it is the "voicing" what i'm trying to reproduce, specially in the midrange and high frequencies.

Unfortunately my english is not very good but i would describe the midrange as live, clear, airy, fun to listen to, and yet not harsh at all.

Thanks for any input

[Inductor]

I think the closest alternative would be the Guru Speakers, because they follow an extremes studio concept by their author, put in practice, to any headphones actually. It doesn't mean it can not be recreated, it's just the theory behind it.

GURU Speakers
Cardioid Bass
Vented alignments

[norman bates]

Not speakers, but this setup is a close compromise...........



My 3 way vegas sounded vastly better with the divider.
The voice was locked between the speakers instead of a muffled voice ball approximately 3' wide between the speakers.

A time aligned should be better, and a full range driver setup can be even better with the setup. I believe the ambio guy uses full range stereolab electrostatics.

But headphones are such a revealing tool, I don't think speakers can come close (detail, room reflections, etc), at minimum of 5x the cost anyway. Too bad that I'm used to hearing sound AROUND me, like in front of me.

Headphones don't sound natural to me, at all, and I like to feel bass, even at lower levels. But hearing stuff on headphone has made me realize that the room and speakers are the greatest contributor to the sound quality in a room.

I made an ambiophonic demonstrator and brought it to diyIowa 4 years back. Everyone smiled as they heard crickets almost over their left shoulder while looking at 2 tang band w3-871s speakers 18" in front of your face .

I truely believe that 70-80% of what your hear listening to speakers is the room and how the speakers dispersion pattern sounds in that room. I like my horn setup you see as my avatar. My dual 4" full range sounds like the sound is coming from an area the size of a flashlight, versus a real wavefront such as galloping horses or dance music.

Norman

[el`Ol]

Originally Posted by gainphile

-- but with that annoying "in the head sound".

An other solution would be getting the sound out of the head electronically. Probably neither the best nor the cheapest solution, but an example:
QUANTEC - Zero Artifact Room Simulation: Sound Clips
Listen to the two "out of head" clips.