What about Monacor?

[mr_push_pull]

Hi all

I'm considering Monacor as my first option for my second loudspeaker project (used Visaton for the first one). The second option is to buid a horn with a FR driver, as a result of constant pressure from a friend

Requirements:
1. An F3 point of at least 45 Hz, less wouldn't hurt.
2. At least some dynamics and definition. This is where I'm unsatisfied with my first project.
3. Budget: 400 EURO maximum.

If someone had some experience to share about Monacor it would be great.

 

[joensd]

Hi,
if I remember you had 2 real nice chassis from Visaton W170S and G20.
I´d guess your disappointment is more due to the enclosure than anything else.
You gotta remember that it´s not only the chassis that makes the sound. And that might be even a big understatement.

What did you end up enclosure-wise?
Have you tried different ones?

Even if it was only to prove yourself wrong, build something "recommended" for the two and I´d guess you´ll be happy then.
(If you have problems reading through a thread at the Visaton-forum let me know.)

greets

PS.:

Before recommending me exotic (expensive? hard to get?) stuff check my profile. Thank you

I did!

 

[mr_push_pull]

Hi,
if I remember you had 2 real nice chassis from Visaton W170S and G20.
I´d guess your disappointment is more due to the enclosure than anything else.

Indeed, I built a pair of Alto-G speakers. My enclosures are 40l in volume instead of 28 as the original Alto-G project says. No other modifications were made. Why I made this modifications is an old and boring story and I'll skip it. However, the simulations showed a not so big difference, except a bigger cone excursion and a somewhat slower transient response. Anyway the enclosures had been built at the moment and reducing the volume implied a trip to the lumber yard... Bad prospects.
Just to rest assured I put some books in one enclosure to compensate for those 12 liters and I made some comparisons with the other box. I decided that the difference does not worth the effort to undergo surgery with the boxes.
Above all, I measured the parameters of the drivers and one of them was pretty far from the Visaton specs. I don't remember the exact figures (I have them at home), but I recall precisely that Fs was 42 Hz instead of 36Hz as Visaton says. The other had a 37 or 38Hz Fs. I haven't measured Vas but you can imagine that probably things wouldn't look too good there either.
As a matter of fact I could feel that one of the woofers had a clearly softer suspension just by pressing with the hand on the cone. And this was prior to any break-in! I thing that after break-in and around 1 month of use I can feel the difference even better: the enclosure that has the driver with the bigger Fs sounds different, obviously less bass.

But enough about a 37 euro paper cone woofer.

The thing is that I'm thinking about looking into kevlar or aluminium. Maybe AL170 or the much praised Monacor SPH-165KEP ( http://www.shop3000.de/product_info.php?products_id=3003 ). I asked about mating the AL170 with the G20SC (something similar with the VIB 170 AL but with different tweeter) on the Visaton forum but someone said they can't work together too well (no explanation). This should work OK with my enclouses since the VIB 170 AL is around 40l, if I manage to design a filter for the AL170/G20SC combination.

Bottom line is: what disappoints me isn't the bass, but the midrange. There's no detail, no dynamics. When I expect the sound to strike me, it remains dull and boring.

 

[Tomac]

I think G20sc deserves much better bassmidrange than w170s is. Try Monacor SPH-176 it is round 45 euros. Another good one could be SPH-170. SPH-165 KEP should be even better but it requires smaller box of 15-20 litres.In a classic BR it could give F3 of 45 Hz

 

[mr_push_pull]

Hi Tomac

I think G20sc deserves much better bassmidrange than w170s is.

I totally agree. After all, it is used in some high-end kits from visaton (VIB 130 for instance).

Try Monacor SPH-176 it is round 45 euros. Another good one could be SPH-170.

Have you used/heard these drivers?

SPH-165 KEP should be even better but it requires smaller box of 15-20 litres.In a classic BR it could give F3 of 45 Hz [/B]

If I'll go with Monacor, I think I'll use SPH-165KEP, it seems to be the safe option since I read so many positive things about it. Building another box is not out of the question.

 

[virofe]

From spanish site: www.matrixhifi.com
http://www.matrixhifi.com/foro/viewtopic.php?t=1201&sid=43c3661bf373a048d58d150b1ba55b61

Sorry for the poor translation...

"All models "KEP" of Monacor although are very good, they have a little construction problem, reason why I have had to unscrew the dispersion nose and put a folio coiled three times between the nucleus and the coil so that it left this affluent nose centered and does not graze. Then it goes well. All the models of kevlar of Monacor are "soft", nonrigid and therefore they hardly do not have resonance tip towards los3 khz. In addition they annul that tip and the distortion by a second small magnet in the central
nucleus

 

[FE3T]

Buildt a couple of ported bookshelf speakers a few years ago, with the SPH 135 KEP drivers.
Altougth the bass and midrange was very good for the size, i goofed up big time by going for the visually matching Focal TC 90 kevlar tweeter.

It was virtually impossible too get those tweeters sound natural and smooth in my livingroom

I ended up selling them too a friend who had a living room with heavy curtains and wall to wall carpet. there they worked great

 

[andyjevans]

I use the Monacor SPH-130AL full range in a 20 litre ported box. There's no stuffing in the box, which is heavy and assymetrical. Port is 6mm x 11mm on front. It's not perfect but I haven't got around to changing it because it's a simple solution and covers most of the frequency range. No deep bass, but satisfactory bass down to about 40hz. Top end is a bit uneven but it has good extension for its size. The detail and soundstage is excellent. Obviously I'd like to make a good crossover which would cross up to a Decca ribbon or other ribbon. Any suggestions welcome.

 

[blueskynis]

...

I asked about mating the AL170 with the G20SC (something similar with the VIB 170 AL but with different tweeter) on the Visaton forum but someone said they can't work together too well (no explanation). ...