I'd like to clone a Dragonfly

audiomagnate · 26th February 2013, 04:11 PM

I heard these little speakers at RMAF last fall and fell in love with them: http://www.sound-smith.com/products/...Fi+_review.pdf

Does anybody recognize the drivers? All I know about the crossovers is that they are "phase correct" whatever that means. The fuse lamp behind the grille that tells you you are about to blow up the tweeter is pretty ingenious. I'm sure before it blows the resistance goes way up, so the loss of highs before it actually blows is another clue you're about to fry your expensive tweets. Any info would be appreciated.

adason · 26th February 2013, 05:02 PM

I do not like that lamp/fuse on the front
it looks you can hit and break it anytime
no cover on it is just asking for trouble

btw bose did these lamps 30 years ago!
nothing new...nothing ingenious

planet10 · 26th February 2013, 06:03 PM

Looks like a Davis mid-bass. I'm with adason on the external fuse, besides his objections they will be a diffraction object.

And why didn't they use screws with proper heads???

dave

Jim Griffin · 26th February 2013, 07:50 PM

If you like that design, you might consider also my Jordan with a ribbon mini-monitor or mass loaded transmissioin line (MLTL). The mini-monitor's thread on DIYAudio started back in 2005 at:

Crossing Over Jordan

and later the MLTL thread is at:

Jordan with a Ribbon MLTL

Many of the mini-monitor links are dead but if you are interested, please contact me.

The Jordan with a ribbon mini-monitor and MLTL designs use the same crossover and the Jordan JX92S (Jordan's US Distributor for EAD Full Range Drivers) and Aurum Cantus G2si (Parts Express: the #1 source for audio, video & speaker building components) drivers which are still available for a total cost of $600. Both designs have been duplicated by numerous others.

Jim

vinylkid58 · 26th February 2013, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by planet10

And why didn't they use screws with proper heads???

+1. Looks wrong.

jeff

audiomagnate · 27th February 2013, 01:46 AM

I thought the same thing about the screwey screws. The ones ast the show had that worked out. Which Bose model used fuse lamps in series with the tweeter? Any guesses on the tweeter?

kevinkr · 27th February 2013, 01:54 AM

Almost every unpowered Bose speaker used fuses in series with the tweeter.. It's been a long time, but I expect most of the current ones still do.

audiomagnate · 02:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevinkr

Almost every unpowered Bose speaker used fuses in series with the tweeter.. It's been a long time, but I expect most of the current ones still do.

This is a fuse lamp, not a fuse. A fuse lamp looks like a fuse, but is actually a lamp. It starts to glow when the power is getting dangerously high, alerting the listener that he should back off on the volume. Secondly, just like any other incandescent bulb (or any conductor, including voice coils BTW) the resistance goes up as the temperature increases, offering a second level of protection. The third level of protection is the same as a conventional fuse, it opens up, breaking the circuit to the tweeter.

These lamps were used in vintage tuners and receivers receivers for dial lights, but I don't believe they've ever been used in exactly this manner before in a speaker. I do know that many vintage speakers used incandescent bulb in the internal crossover for the increasing resistance protection scheme, but did offer the visual feedback or the fuse style protection.

But that's not what I care about, these speakers SOUND absolutely wonderful, better than all but a few megabuck speakers at the show.

adason · 27th February 2013, 02:39 AM

"These lamps were used in vintage tuners and receivers receivers for dial lights, but I don't believe they've ever been used in exactly this manner before in a speaker."

I personaly took few of them out of old Bose speakers...you are not listening what people tell you, it has been used extensively in 70ties and 80ties

McIntosh used these often too...this is from Roger Russell's page:

Red and yellow indicator lights were mounted in the front of the bass cabinet at the bottom right. The yellow light was connected directly to the system input. It became visible when the input to the system approached rated power. It served only as a warning indicator. If the system was driven excessively hard, the main fuse would blow. If the system continued to be driven after the fuse blew, the yellow light would still be seen but no sound would be heard. The red light was connected directly across the tweeter fuse. It could only be seen if the high frequency fuse blew and the system continued to be driven at high power. Protection circuits were included for the lights.

audiomagnate · 27th February 2013, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by planet10

Looks like a Davis mid-bass. I'm with adason on the external fuse, besides his objections they will be a diffraction object.

And why didn't they use screws with proper heads???

dave

Thanks Dave, good call on the Davis. It looks like he's added some sort of yellow "dope." Any guesses on what that is or the tweeter ID?

Davis 13mp5g 5" Graphite Midbass 297-562

Too bad it's NLA from PE.

26th February 2013, 06:03 PM	#3
planet10 frugal-phile(tm) diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Victoria, BC, NA, Sol III Blog Entries: 5	Looks like a Davis mid-bass. I'm with adason on the external fuse, besides his objections they will be a diffraction object. And why didn't they use screws with proper heads??? dave __________________ community sites t-linespeakers.org, frugal-horn.com, frugal-phile.com ........ commercial site planet10-HiFi p10-hifi forum here at diyA

27th February 2013, 01:54 AM	#7
kevinkr diyAudio Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Blog Entries: 6	Almost every unpowered Bose speaker used fuses in series with the tweeter.. It's been a long time, but I expect most of the current ones still do. __________________ "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." - Carl Sagan

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26th February 2013, 04:11 PM	#1
audiomagnate diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA	I'd like to clone a Dragonfly I heard these little speakers at RMAF last fall and fell in love with them: http://www.sound-smith.com/products/...Fi+_review.pdf Does anybody recognize the drivers? All I know about the crossovers is that they are "phase correct" whatever that means. The fuse lamp behind the grille that tells you you are about to blow up the tweeter is pretty ingenious. I'm sure before it blows the resistance goes way up, so the loss of highs before it actually blows is another clue you're about to fry your expensive tweets. Any info would be appreciated.

26th February 2013, 05:02 PM	#2
adason diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: troll in US	I do not like that lamp/fuse on the front it looks you can hit and break it anytime no cover on it is just asking for trouble btw bose did these lamps 30 years ago! nothing new...nothing ingenious

26th February 2013, 07:50 PM	#4
Jim Griffin diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Tennessee	If you like that design, you might consider also my Jordan with a ribbon mini-monitor or mass loaded transmissioin line (MLTL). The mini-monitor's thread on DIYAudio started back in 2005 at: Crossing Over Jordan and later the MLTL thread is at: Jordan with a Ribbon MLTL Many of the mini-monitor links are dead but if you are interested, please contact me. The Jordan with a ribbon mini-monitor and MLTL designs use the same crossover and the Jordan JX92S (Jordan's US Distributor for EAD Full Range Drivers) and Aurum Cantus G2si (Parts Express: the #1 source for audio, video & speaker building components) drivers which are still available for a total cost of $600. Both designs have been duplicated by numerous others. Jim

27th February 2013, 01:46 AM	#6
audiomagnate diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Colorado, USA	I thought the same thing about the screwey screws. The ones ast the show had that worked out. Which Bose model used fuse lamps in series with the tweeter? Any guesses on the tweeter?

27th February 2013, 02:39 AM	#9
adason diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: troll in US	"These lamps were used in vintage tuners and receivers receivers for dial lights, but I don't believe they've ever been used in exactly this manner before in a speaker." I personaly took few of them out of old Bose speakers...you are not listening what people tell you, it has been used extensively in 70ties and 80ties McIntosh used these often too...this is from Roger Russell's page: Red and yellow indicator lights were mounted in the front of the bass cabinet at the bottom right. The yellow light was connected directly to the system input. It became visible when the input to the system approached rated power. It served only as a warning indicator. If the system was driven excessively hard, the main fuse would blow. If the system continued to be driven after the fuse blew, the yellow light would still be seen but no sound would be heard. The red light was connected directly across the tweeter fuse. It could only be seen if the high frequency fuse blew and the system continued to be driven at high power. Protection circuits were included for the lights.