Thor or Orion

[bhg41088]

http://www.madisound.com/thor.html
or
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/orion_challenge.htm

They are both around the same price.

[BillFitzmaurice]

The Thor is a plug and play; the Orion requires a specialized equalization circuit that adds to the complexity of the system. I'd lean towards Thor if you're not comfortable with the custom electronics aspects of the Orion.

[AndersP]

Hi

I would go for the Orions most definately. I think you are underestimating the system price for the Orions though. They need 8 separate channels of poweramplification.

[tktran]

I am still confused about dipoles in general. Apparently there is less room interaction but I can't get my head around it.

Surely a speaker that fires energy backwards as well as forwards is going to need a room with better acoustics than a monopole speaker.

At the very least the speaker must sit far out from the front wall and and this front wall be heavily draped or have curtains.

[Drew Eckhardt]

Originally posted by tktran
I am still confused about dipoles in general. Apparently there is less room interaction but I can't get my head around it.

Surely a speaker that fires energy backwards as well as forwards is going to need a room with better acoustics than a monopole speaker.

At the very least the speaker must sit far out from the front wall and and this front wall be heavily draped or have curtains.

You're incorrectly assuming that monopole radiation is forwards. As wave lengths increase beyond baffle width a monopole becomes omnidirectional and monopole/dipole rear output is equal in magnitude. With domestically acceptable baffle widths matching wave lengths several octaves into the midrange, the required front-wall separation for hi-fi applications (meybe 4 feet, reflected path 2X direct path) isn't any different for monopoles and dipoles.

With the same separation to the front wall the dipole works better because its cosine alpha radiation pattern (-1.2dB 30 degrees off-axis, -3dB 45 degrees off axis, -6dB @ 60 degrees, no output at 90 degrees) reduces the magnitude of sidewall and ceiling reflections. Image shift from a single speaker towards the sidewall is significantly less than with a monopole (like well inside the tweeter flange iinstead of outside the speaker).

Total power is also 4.8dB lower for a given on-axis SPL with a dipole instead of a monopole, so the reverberant field is weaker.

You don't want the front-wall draped with curtains because they're going to affect high frequencies more and therefore change the total power response.

[bhg41088]

i hear "reference quality" alot, is the thor reference quality? seems like a great design.

[Jonasz]

I vote for the Orion!

I have built the Phoenix system myself and I can honestly say that they are the best pair of speakers I've ever heard. The magic with much less room interactions actually works, maybe you have to hear it before believing it?

I'm sure the Orions are more expensive to build though, but it is worth the extra money!

[sfdoddsy]

I'd also vote for the Orions, although the minimum is six channels of amplification not eight. Depending on your degree of audiophilia nervosa the amps don't have to be expensive. I use the $200 Panasonic XR25 digital receiver with mine and have no complaints at all.

You may also want to check the Arvo Part project at the DIY section of www.htguide.com for a passive dipole solution.

Cheers

Steve

[Drew Eckhardt]

Originally posted by AndersP

They need 8 separate channels of poweramplification.

6 or 8.

Each woofer has a minimum impedance of 5 Ohms which makes for a 2.5 Ohm minimum impedance when the two are wired in parallel. I use a single Adcom 555ii amplifier for the bass which has no problems with this.

[bhg41088]

but are these speakers reference quality?