What to choose between: Selah Audio SSR / AOS ILLU18 / Rib 18 Revelator / Illuminator

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Hello everybody,
Sorry for my bad English.
I’ve been searching on internet to find the best monitor kit (20L cab) I could find for 1k-1.2k$ .



After searching I selected 4 DIY kits :
Selah Audio SSR : SSR
Rib 18 Revelator : Rib 18 Revelator *** - Byggesæt Stander - FreQuence
AOS ILLU18 : Scan-Speak
Illuminator Monitor : Illuminator-Monitor


As I can’t hear those babies its really hard (and maybe stupid) to buy before to hear them…
There is lot of good comments for the SSR of Selah audio, but the cabinet is around 30L so its very big for my room (around 20m2) and big in general for a monitor…
So I like the alternative in a 18L cabinet : Rib 18 revelator. But I cant find any positive comment on this speaker. And the specs on the website are kind of weird since its mentioned the speaker goes down to F3-35HZ when the SSR is F3-45HZ in 30L with the same woofer !


The 2 last speakers use the same tweeter and woofer (illuminator monitor and ILLU18). But the AOS ILLU18 is less expensive but it has no review…


So if you had the courage to read this until here you understand my choice is between Ribbon tweeter and the scanspeak tweeter and then which kit : SSR vs Ribbon revelator or ILLU18 vs ILLUMINATOR MONITOR.



Thank you to help me !


florian
 
In the last case (4) you're presented with the real ingenious essence of DIY from Troels-DK, with plenty of reading details. In this class of 7" speakers, you can expect a 20 L (BR) with F3 between 37Hz (Accuton C173-11-095)/39Hz(Seas T18RE/XFCTV2) and 44/45Hz. A 10" can do F3 29Hz/35Hz in the same enclosure (~volume).

ScanSpeak 18W/8545 7" (f3 40/41Hz)
SB Acoustics :: 6" SB17NRXC35-8 (f3 43Hz)
Audiotechnology C-Quenze 18H521706SD (f3 45Hz)
ETON 7-372/32 HEX (f3 45Hz)
 
Where are you from ? There may be more alternatives and opportunities to listen to some speakers, which you should before throwing away the money.
To me it just does not make sense to combine a Fountek tweeter with a ScanSpeak, except to obtain a smoot off-axis behavior. But otherwise this is like throwing Fiat and Porsche parts together.
 
And the specs on the website are kind of weird since its mentioned the speaker goes down to F3-35HZ when the SSR is F3-45HZ in 30L with the same woofer !
Scanspeak Revelator 18W 8531G00 here
SCANSPEAK 18W8531G00, VB = 37.3 L, FB = 24.8 Hz, F3 = 35/36Hz
To understand use software for the simulation of all the possible alignments... :D
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/subwoofers/231648-si-sub-help-2.html#post3407339

On the ScanSpeak 18W8531G from SSR kit
http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...ak-revelator-18w/8531g-00-7-mid-woofer-8-ohm/
http://www.madisoundspeakerstore.co...io-zrt-2-way-revelator-tower-parts-only-pair/
Raal 140-15D tweeter and the Scanspeak Revelator 18W/8531G
 

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  • SCANSPEAK 18W8531G00, VB = 37.3 L, FB = 24.8 Hz.jpg
    SCANSPEAK 18W8531G00, VB = 37.3 L, FB = 24.8 Hz.jpg
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@Inductor : Well i dont think my knowledge in the DIY let me any chance to change a part from a kit already documented and tested. I will try for the moment to do what i read before chosing parts by myself. I dont have any equipement to test my speakers to adjust them at the end except my humble musician hears...

@ 6.283: I'm from Paris France. I'm not so rich, but i don't think buying a Troels speaker or a Selah audio speaker is so crazy. But you are very right when you say i should hear them before... Its kind of weird for me to listen music on "real speakers" because i have only monitoring speakers at home. Basically when you buy a monitoring speaker its simple, the first thing you just want is a -1/+1 on the 50hz-20khz. I just dont want any Bump on low end because of a too smal enclosure or a lack of treeble because my seat is not in the axis of the tweeter. I want to feel music like it was recorded, clarity, purity, no more. I dont want my speaker make the music smoother if there is too much treeble on a distorded guitar. its like putting sunglasses when i go to the museum. Anyway since i wasnt in the studio, i cant tell how the music was recorded to listen it with the same way i want... Flat and clear is what i want , if you know some more DIY KITS please tell me !
Thank you
Florian
 
@Inductor : Well i dont think my knowledge in the DIY let me any chance to change a part from a kit already documented and tested. I will try for the moment to do what i read before chosing parts by myself. I dont have any equipement to test my speakers to adjust them at the end except my humble musician hears...

Florian
No, please on the contrary Florian, I read your text and appreciate that you like good music, I am like you. Anyway I never said or told you to change a thing. By the way the RAAL is one of the best in the world, just though you would like to know, crossover here. And "a monitoring speaker... -1/+1 on the 50hz-20khz" it's not a good speaker, not in my book. Maybe just for a studio setting, I don't know. If you feel you need any guidance just ask. Theres a lot of a members community ready to help you in your next project... Just take your time. You should enjoy the building and the learning process. When you finish this one you will want to build a better one. :D
 
With this sort of listing/requirements I'm going to give the "nod" to Jeff Bagby's Kairos:

http://meniscusaudio.com/images/The Kairos Monitor Speaker by Jeff Bagby.pdf

Kairos (Pair)

I think the tuning freq. however should be a bit lower - for a slightly "leaner/lithe" bass response with a bit more extension (..unless you use a sub or subs, in which case just plug the ports for a semi-aperiodic/"sealed" design, or simply make it a correct aperiodic design with some flow resistance vents).



Zaph's blog (8 ohm) and Gornir's website (4 ohm) have the midbass drivers measured as well:

Zaph|Audio

www.audioexcite.com SB Acoustics “Satori” MW16P-4


Why do I prefer this design? I like the drivers better. While I've not heard either Satori, I have heard the less expensive SB drivers in a few designs and prefer them to the Scan Speak drivers overall. Just a little less compression than the Scan tweets, and greater clarity with SB mid-basses (..the Illuminator midbasses in particular have sounded a bit "ho-hum" by comparison). It's also a reasonably minimalist crossover (which usually results in greater detail retrieval). Finally, I tend to like moderately significant slant-back designs better - which often provides a better soundstage.
 
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"a monitoring speaker... -1/+1 on the 50hz-20khz" it's not a good speaker, not in my book.
Definitely +1
I don't like speakers that have a completely flat frequency response.
Neither does Troels, just take a look at the frequency response of his designs.
The use of a declining frequency response counteracts the additional high frequency reflections that you get from the walls, floor and ceiling.
A flat frequency response doesn't sound balanced and natural.
I like this more :D
 
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@ Inductor : by "-1/+1 on the 50hz-20khz" i meant at the listening point not on Excel of course. But maybe you are right i should try doing it all by myself. honestly i dont know i can take so much risk... I would probably try to match an SS-4741 with the raal Ribbon in a 20L...

@Scott G :
Yes i saw some good design from Jeff Bagby, the mandolin kit seemed to be good too, very good for the price actually. Distortion levels on SB drivers are very good ! But i dont like so much the slant-back design even if its sound better, i would my booshelf look good for me. Do you think i could change the design easily to have regular boxes ?http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/members/scottg.html
@ Audio Elite: Well so if its simple as you said i could do it. Expet i wouldnt keep this 45° champfering that makes the look a lilte bit too agressive. I think i must buy or borrow some equipement to measure the sound of the speaker at the end...

Thank you all
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/members/scottg.html
 
@Scott G : [/B]Yes i saw some good design from Jeff Bagby, the mandolin kit seemed to be good too, very good for the price actually. Distortion levels on SB drivers are very good ! But i dont like so much the slant-back design even if its sound better, i would my booshelf look good for me. Do you think i could change the design easily to have regular boxes ?http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/members/scottg.html


Thank you all
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/members/scottg.html


At your skill level, probably not. :eek:

There *is* a method of getting effective offset with a minimalist crossover on a flat surface with the tweeter below the woofer and your listening position (like Dynaudio) - but frankly it's a re-design.

Oh, well. :eek:
 
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