Hello Friends!
Has anyone built something like this, or seen any designs? Is it an appropriate driver for LA? The price is certainly right - less than $10 a pop from PE, so maybe a few hundred bucks for LAs with what are supposed to be some pretty darn good little speakers. Not as cheap as NSBs, but probably much higher end sound.
They're not very efficient nor can tolerate a lot of power, but arrays are supposed to make up for that I believe? Also shielded, so bonus points for an HT set-up. The square frame would allow for the closest possible mounting, with driver edges almost touching! That would also make for a nice clean no-grill look for the speakers, as well as easier baffle cutting - just a straight trench!
With an FR up to 15k, maybe only a single tweeter per side needed; also kind of a high x-over to bass at 300, but workable I think - not to subs but maybe to 8 inchers, possibly part of the array itself.
Thoughts? Thanks all.
Has anyone built something like this, or seen any designs? Is it an appropriate driver for LA? The price is certainly right - less than $10 a pop from PE, so maybe a few hundred bucks for LAs with what are supposed to be some pretty darn good little speakers. Not as cheap as NSBs, but probably much higher end sound.
They're not very efficient nor can tolerate a lot of power, but arrays are supposed to make up for that I believe? Also shielded, so bonus points for an HT set-up. The square frame would allow for the closest possible mounting, with driver edges almost touching! That would also make for a nice clean no-grill look for the speakers, as well as easier baffle cutting - just a straight trench!
With an FR up to 15k, maybe only a single tweeter per side needed; also kind of a high x-over to bass at 300, but workable I think - not to subs but maybe to 8 inchers, possibly part of the array itself.
Thoughts? Thanks all.
Perhaps you should check out a couple of articles.
First off, here is a line array that could turn out quite well at parts express called the Cynosure
Also check out this thread about comb filtering
The last read is the line array white paper by James Giffin.
Hopefully you will learn a little about line arrays.
Good luck,
Josh
First off, here is a line array that could turn out quite well at parts express called the Cynosure
Also check out this thread about comb filtering
The last read is the line array white paper by James Giffin.
Hopefully you will learn a little about line arrays.
Good luck,
Josh
How many of the B3S were you going to use per side???
I have toyed with the B1S in a a small array. They have a nice midrange, but you can forget about anything above 10 khz with the B3S. Anyways, comb filtering sets in as it did in my B1S's. To fix that I hooked up this super tweeter in back of the cab to bring back the upper octave;
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=272-115
Worked great, I used the cap that it came with and that's all it needed.
Sounded great also. It added Ambience and Air to the sound stage.
You'll also need a sub. I see on the graph that it slopes very steeply at 100 hz.
I crossed my B1S's at 150 hz if I recall correctly. I could get them to play pretty loud. Also the sensitivity might be underated. Mine kept up with 2 8" woofers rather well.
Also I hope the driver terminals are beefier than my B1's. Mine were very fragile and a couple broke off and I had to glue them back on.
Good Luck!!! Rudy....
I have toyed with the B1S in a a small array. They have a nice midrange, but you can forget about anything above 10 khz with the B3S. Anyways, comb filtering sets in as it did in my B1S's. To fix that I hooked up this super tweeter in back of the cab to bring back the upper octave;
http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=272-115
Worked great, I used the cap that it came with and that's all it needed.
Sounded great also. It added Ambience and Air to the sound stage.
You'll also need a sub. I see on the graph that it slopes very steeply at 100 hz.
I crossed my B1S's at 150 hz if I recall correctly. I could get them to play pretty loud. Also the sensitivity might be underated. Mine kept up with 2 8" woofers rather well.
Also I hope the driver terminals are beefier than my B1's. Mine were very fragile and a couple broke off and I had to glue them back on.
Good Luck!!! Rudy....
RJ said:
Great info Rudy. I was thinking maybe 10 per side, 5 upper & lower w/ center tweet. Not a "ceiling to floor" array, but beefy nonetheless.
Yes, tweets & sub absolutely necessary, maybe even, as I said, regular woofers on the array too - SEAS aluminum, also for the tweets (so an all metal project). This could get costly but this is my ultimate reference project. Open baffle too!
Sound like you had decent results with your Hi-Vis - the B3S has got to be a good candidate .
Hey it looks terrific! Beautiful job. 
Is that stained plywood on the baffle?
Sorry but I'm a complete amateur with crossovers, so I don't know what the series of numbers mean! Maybe you could supply a diagram(s)?
Maybe you mentioned this already, but what are you driving them with? Yes subs absolutely, but I'm wondering where you would cross them over to a true sub? Seems you might need midbass woofers or something as well.
Is that stained plywood on the baffle?Sorry but I'm a complete amateur with crossovers, so I don't know what the series of numbers mean! Maybe you could supply a diagram(s)?
Maybe you mentioned this already, but what are you driving them with? Yes subs absolutely, but I'm wondering where you would cross them over to a true sub? Seems you might need midbass woofers or something as well.
sdclc126 said:Hey it looks terrific! Beautiful job.
Sorry but I'm a complete amateur with crossovers, so I don't know what the series of numbers mean! Maybe you could supply a diagram(s)?
Maybe you mentioned this already, but what are you driving them with? Yes subs absolutely, but I'm wondering where you would cross them over to a true sub? Seems you might need midbass woofers or something as well.
1) they are made out of MDF and veneered in birch, with Pecan stain.
2) The wiring of the B3N is series / parallel
You wire from top to bottom series 4-3-3-4 then wire the groups in parallel. = 6.85 ohms
Or 2-3-2-2-3-2 the top and bottom two are in series to actually give you 2-2-3-3-4 wiring = 4.17 ohms
I haven't finalized the xrossovers, since I haven't decided on the final wiring yet. Based on Jim Griffin line array paper the center to center spacing of the B3N limits the xrossover fequency to about 3.5K, should you wish to build arrays Jim's paper is a must read!
You will find a link on this board if you search for it.
As far as the sub I will use a sub amp, with the subout of my Yamaha.
when you wire 2 in series you have reduced the total power handling of the array to the maximum that the pair in series - keep that in mind... that also decreases the max SPL...
there is also some difference in the reactance of different numbers of multiple drivers that at high SPL could cause "power hogging"... probably not in normal home use though...
_-_-bear
there is also some difference in the reactance of different numbers of multiple drivers that at high SPL could cause "power hogging"... probably not in normal home use though...
_-_-bear
Humble Homemade Hifi
Hi, IMO trying to add a ribbon tweeter would be a big mistake,
/Sreten.
You could scale to say 12 per side, leaving off the top and bottom two and
adjusting the EQ component for the a 4||3series or 3||4 series array.
Hi, IMO trying to add a ribbon tweeter would be a big mistake,
/Sreten.An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
You could scale to say 12 per side, leaving off the top and bottom two and
adjusting the EQ component for the a 4||3series or 3||4 series array.
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I don't recommend that unless you cover them somehow. They are at the danger zone of kicks and vacuum cleaner, sometimes the unavoidable reality
I also think a single tweeter will benefit any array. It also relaxes the specifications of the array driver at the top end.
- Elias
I also think a single tweeter will benefit any array. It also relaxes the specifications of the array driver at the top end.
- Elias
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