Playing with cheap line array is fun!

[JinMTVT]

Firstly, i would like to thanks every single user in here for all the info/experience sharing!

today i have done a test line array loudpspeaker !!

Construction took a little less than 3 hours including wiring ..
Used an old presswood 18" by 70" high 3/4 thick

Drivers were scavanged from Civics 1990 to 1995 , front door speakers ..
they seem to be all the same, but the back says else..
some are made by alpine, other in the usa ..
ranging from 15W to 40W ..but i am pretty sure that they are all the same construction, and the magnets are all equivalent size and strength ..
the alpine one states 150Hz to 16khz

Wired them in 3 group of series that are then parallelled.
Should be giving something like 4.5ohm

Amplifier driving this louspeaker is my small but reliable Bryston 2B pro .. should get near 100W at 4.5ohm


Now for the real test ...
pluged this pannel to my computer replacing the left channle
Fisher limited edition loudspeaker!

The point is that i can A-B it agasin't this mid fi commercial unit!

Listening impressions :
well it sure lacks in bass!!!
nothing under 150hz ...but sub region wasn't the point of this experiment at all!

The pannel is 18" wide, wich should be good down to ~160hz before cancellation comes into play, is this correct?
this is approximatly the Freq at wich they don't play anything anymore

I was surprised at first by the loudness of this loudspeaker!

drived at the same amplifier gain, it is at least 25% louder than the Fisher unit , sensivity because of the disposition + lower impedance should be the reason why ??

Fired a few simple cds,
well this pos seems to be way more detailed than the fishers,
and i can say WAY more ..
i hear things i was only able to hear with the mirage OM-9 before they gone to the living room

i did a few A-B tests with instrumental passages, and
the line array gives resolution that the fisher cannot simply attain
i would really like to put it against the mirages...i'll see on that later

the pannel is pretty big though, kinda obstrusive, but it looks cool!
wahahhaha

i'll join pics ..please have a look at them

[JinMTVT]

I would really like to have comments from a few of you that are alert about dipole operation..

what should it bring to this speaker?


do you guys think it would sound better enclosed with the back wave controlled ??

here is the front pic

[JinMTVT]

also, it is crazy how the drivers don't even seem to move at all
even at near 100db ( hurting my ears..need to be carefull with that )

[rcavictim]

Originally posted by JinMTVT


.....do you guys think it would sound better enclosed with the back wave controlled ??

here is the front pic

No. Open baffle sounds so nice and clear partly because there is no cabinet coloration. Put sides and a back on this and once again you will have that problem.

[JinMTVT]

why is it then, that there isn't more commercial units using dipole config?

what are the cons of dipole in my array ?

[rcavictim]

Originally posted by JinMTVT
why is it then, that there isn't more commercial units using dipole config?

what are the cons of dipole in my array ?

Partly I guess is because they have to be fairly large to work properly and most 'consumers' have been programmed to lust after teeny weeny black plastic crap boxes with fake woodgrain finish applied that the manufacturers have spent lots of money advertising to 'educate' the consumer that this is what is 'hot'.

Manufacturers do not have to strive for better sound, only to provide what gullible consumers will buy. Remember Bose?!

There is also the WAF which often requires that the loudspeaker have a large enough top surface so as to be able to pile crap, 'er I mean 'decorative items' on top of. A thin top edge of a baffle is of little use here.

Now this is just my idea and I COULD BE WRONG.

There are no cons in your array unless the doors you obtained the drivers from were on stolen cars.

Dipoles have their place and are interesting to experiment with. Dipole arrays are a fun extension of this concept. They don't work pushed up in a corner or tight against a wall, so for this reason some folks will not be able to use them in their listening room for furniture layout reasons.

[JinMTVT]

nice reply...thanks

though i would like more technical info

( didn't get enough from Linkwitz .. )

And NO the speakers aren't from stolen car doors
i just happen to own an auto recycle part buisness

so i guess i have access to lots of 4ohm free speakers



One thing i still do not understand at all .
if the baffled dipole subs firing in reverse ???
what is the purpose of this?
doesn't the wave of both nulls out?

taling about this kind of sub :

[azira]

Nice work How come you didn't butt them up against eachother and left what looks like about 1" between them? I had this exact same idea, my buddy works at Circuit City and he asked his car install dept if he could score some replacement speakers. They said that by law they had to return them to the car owners. How did you get yours?
--
Danny

[JinMTVT]

there is in fact approximatly 1/4" in between each driver

i could'nt get them closer because of the way their frame is cast

for the drviers ...well read my last post

also the details in this small experiment weren't quite important,
only wanted to try it out and see the potential of this design!

quite good for the poor quality of the drivers i might say!!!

[FrankWW]

I bet if you got close enough to the Fishers you'd find they wouldn't sound that much different

http://www.livesoundint.com/archives...ct/man/man.php
(go down to 2nd question)

http://www.livesoundint.com/archives...pt/jbl/jbl.php

http://www.jblpro.com/vertec1/doug%2...%20rev%20c.pdf