Aino gradient - a collaborative speaker project

I look at response with 2ms, 3ms 6ms, 20ms and 300ms always. I like to show you the 20ms graphs because they look nicest! I use 2, 3 and 6ms for xo fine tuning and phase matching.

The two lowest xos are most difficutl to measure and adjust in a room, because of reflections. I will take the lMhMThM complex out as soon as I can!

I want to see vertical directivity too, it should be like a cannon!! One of the design objectives is to minimize floor reflection to the listener(mic). This is done by using a tilted 12" lM dipole and a hMThM configuration. My listening distance in the final setup in my living room is 2,5 - 3m.

p.s. I just cut the baffle edges to follow the edges of the drivers. XO needed adjustment thus. v9 coming...
Figure-1.-Typical-measurement-setup.png
 
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AINOproto v9

Reduced MTM baffle
xo modified to use dipole curves to maximum - not lookin' at dispersion meanwhile
- sofware xo very peculiar
- acoustic xo quite nice and between LR2 andLR4
- phase matching not very good (basically ok but I must go sleeping now!)
- horizontal dispersion ok with some bumps (room, dipole bloom/dip??)

Not yet listened to, it is too late for that.... (minidsp/REW/foobar is a quite nice combo! I can listen to music and while it is playing I can hear changes of minidsp settings immediately! And presto - I can make measurements by switching windows on the screen.)

Piccies and grapphies...
 

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Photos of v9 and a semi-freehand sketch of the AINO GRADIENT sideview

Body/post parts CNC'd of aluminium alloy, birch laminate?

I am loosing Alvar's touch, the idea of a birch laminate arch... sigh :confused:
 

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If I am loosing Alvar Aalto's style with Aino Gradient, I will get consolation by going to a concert to a hall designed by the master!

The Finnish Air Force Big Band will give a concert tomorrow, playing tunes and arr's of Quicy Jones! Mr. Jones himself has digged his archives to give original '50s arrangements. The FAF headquarters are in Jyväskylä.

The hall Aalto-sali (1925) is an early and a bit peculiar work of Aalto, it has heavy infuences of Italian classic/rural architecture. Aalto had his first office here in Jyväskylä.

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
I friend of mine is an engineer at Karibu, he promised to help with cad modelling of the post for AINO! He usually does these, I hope he don't suggest too many mods!
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


AINOproto v9
Some 90dB level measurements after listening tests and minor level adjustment,
xos acoustically 300/1050/3200

A part of listening tests is JJ Cale's Grasshopper album. The recordings are top quality but you can easily hear the sound of different studios and locations. I also listen to solo piano of Iiro Rantala and some pieces of Ry Cooder and Badding Somerjoki!

The DAC I use is ObjectiveDAC by NwAvGuy, made by Head'nHifi-Walter
 

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I got the boxes yesterday. They have not been painted yet but I wanted to see them installed and perhaps I can do some outdoor measuerments and minidsp adjustments.

The box is made of MDF discs glued together. The cavity has pentagon shape. The body for dipoles is solid birch and birch plywood, coated with Tung oil. Parts are connected with bolts and screws. The weight is 41kg/speaker, with drivers. Height is 110cm (95cm to mid of the tweeter)
 

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The wiring has two options.
- "let 'em hang" open wires like in post #163
- "hide" run wires along the backframe

The post for the 12" speaker and box's top plate have a 10mm hole drilled through. All wires will run inside the box to the bottom plate's connectors.

There is not enough room in the box, ICEpower amps will be external.
 
This is how AINOgradient looks from 175cm height and distance (my eye level) The boxed speaker has SEAS ER18 and DXT drivers (àla MarkK)

It is too windy to do outdoor measurements today. Forecast says rainy for next 2 days...
 

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AINOgradient v1 was out for measurements! :)

Measuring setup in the picture. Distance 2,00m, mic at tweeter level. bench 80cm off grass. Nearest buildings 6m away. Equipment as mentioned before (usb to ObjectiveDAC-rca out/UMIK-1-usb to a laptopPC running on batery, calibration file) The bass box was not out, it is a monopole and it interacts with the room dominantly.

Some tuning (xo, PEQ, delay. level) was done in miniDSP before taking these measurements. phase at LM to HM xo is not perfect, it has a W shape when inverted. HM to T is VERY deep.

Temperature +22C humidity 90%, light wind. Neigbours' kids, garden tools, airplanes, birds etc. made some noise. I tried to time measurements at lowest noise.
 

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AINOgradient v1 outdoor

Directivity graphics at 1/3 octave smoothing, 9ms
 

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Some thoughts,
- take individual drivers' directionality plots again (without xo and with it)
- I must try a 4 - 4,5kHz xo, it should even out directivity between 2-3kHz (HM,T)
- more PEQ to straighten 800 - 1,2kHz (LM),because xo shift doesn't help)
- try to get LM/HM phase better

I did lots of measurements yesterday, I can't show them all and I didn.t save all of them either.
 
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AINOgradient v2 outdoor measurements (distance 1,6m)

-HM to T xo up to 3,6kHz
-phase matched better LM to HM (not yet spot-on)
-minor changes to PEQ and levels

Results:
- amplitude response more even
- directivity more even but still a bump at 2kHz
 

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AINOgradient v2 outdoor measurements

Directivity 1/3 smoothing, 9ms
 

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There is a wrong attachment in the previous post,
Here is 0 15 30¤ directivity of v2

Can you call AINO a controlled directivity dipole?
 

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