I use the KEF HTS 2001 "EGG" Uni-Q speakers for my small den home theater set up. They were easy, off the shelf, and alright for DVD movies, but are pretty inadequate for music. I have been noticing this more as I use the system to stream Tidal, an Internet content provider.
I am troubled by the mid-low-bass response of the HTS2001 Eggs that drop's like a stone under 200Hz. The HTS2001 Uni-Q drivers ostensibly drop at 80Hz, the subwoofer is supposed to carry the day from 150Hz down, but it is pretty inadequate for music. There is this odd subwoofer presence that sound pressures/thumps and an anemic, empty, quality to lower octaves. So, I want to build helper woofer cabinets for the Uni-Q's and mate them to 8" drivers. My eggs need new nests.
The project is to choose a driver and a crossover that would mate the HTS2001 Eggs onto a bass enclosure with an appropriate crossover. I would be grateful for driver, crossover, and enclosure recommendations.
I am troubled by the mid-low-bass response of the HTS2001 Eggs that drop's like a stone under 200Hz. The HTS2001 Uni-Q drivers ostensibly drop at 80Hz, the subwoofer is supposed to carry the day from 150Hz down, but it is pretty inadequate for music. There is this odd subwoofer presence that sound pressures/thumps and an anemic, empty, quality to lower octaves. So, I want to build helper woofer cabinets for the Uni-Q's and mate them to 8" drivers. My eggs need new nests.
The project is to choose a driver and a crossover that would mate the HTS2001 Eggs onto a bass enclosure with an appropriate crossover. I would be grateful for driver, crossover, and enclosure recommendations.
I had an old Onkyo HT receiver that I know had 30w/channel that drove these puppies as loud as I needed, but it just died. I got a used Yamaha RX-V567 to hold place while I figure out the new computer based DSP options. The Yamaha is adequate, likely straining a bit, and the sound is thinner and less dynamic than the Onkyo.
Rather than buying a receiver or a pre-amp I would like to see how much processing can be done on what is becoming a computer based system. Then the issue of amplifiers is one of me going in and out of my garage to see which amps make the most sense for the speakers. These Uni-Q B-100 drivers Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) 88dB. That is in the ballpark for drivers outside the "high efficiency" tier.
To be clear, these are already 2-way coaxial drivers that cross at 3kHz and are (± 3dB) 80Hz - 27kHz. I want to add a crossover, line-in, to an 8" woofer that will manage the frequencies below 80Hz and blend this 2-way speaker into a cohesive 3-way speaker.
Rather than buying a receiver or a pre-amp I would like to see how much processing can be done on what is becoming a computer based system. Then the issue of amplifiers is one of me going in and out of my garage to see which amps make the most sense for the speakers. These Uni-Q B-100 drivers Sensitivity (2.83V/1m) 88dB. That is in the ballpark for drivers outside the "high efficiency" tier.
To be clear, these are already 2-way coaxial drivers that cross at 3kHz and are (± 3dB) 80Hz - 27kHz. I want to add a crossover, line-in, to an 8" woofer that will manage the frequencies below 80Hz and blend this 2-way speaker into a cohesive 3-way speaker.
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Sure, these days it might well be less expensive to go all digital and bi-amp the eggs and the nest. This Yamaha receiver allows me to use the rear outs to bi-amp the front mains. I am learning how to use a digital interface, the Focusrite Scarlett 6i6, in an all active system stereo system. So going all active in the HT is likely the future.
But I built KEF Cantata's back in the day and they are bi-wired with the PCB9 crossover that feeds the B139 bass driver, crossing 250Hz at 18db. And, I know enough to be dangerous. But it seems to me that I could bi-wire the HTS2001's with a PCB9 to a helper woofer.
But I also know that crossing the HTS2001 at 250Hz may create a nasty bump in the overlapping range of 250Hz down to the 80Hz roll off. I am also unsure how easy it would be to change the crossover from 250Hz down to 80Hz. My layman's understanding is limited but I fear it is more than changing a resistor at these frequencies.
Falcon Acoustics still sells the PCB9 boards and I would appreciate advise on the values of the components that would get this crossover down to 80Hz.
But I built KEF Cantata's back in the day and they are bi-wired with the PCB9 crossover that feeds the B139 bass driver, crossing 250Hz at 18db. And, I know enough to be dangerous. But it seems to me that I could bi-wire the HTS2001's with a PCB9 to a helper woofer.
But I also know that crossing the HTS2001 at 250Hz may create a nasty bump in the overlapping range of 250Hz down to the 80Hz roll off. I am also unsure how easy it would be to change the crossover from 250Hz down to 80Hz. My layman's understanding is limited but I fear it is more than changing a resistor at these frequencies.
Falcon Acoustics still sells the PCB9 boards and I would appreciate advise on the values of the components that would get this crossover down to 80Hz.
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