I've built a pair of 2641's (not to spec - I crossed them over @ 800/5600) and I'd be interested to hear any other experiences other people have had with this design.
I am curious as to why I have seen very few references to these loudspeakers.
So many other designs get a lot of posts - is this because very few people build them or what?
Even with my non-standard implementation they are spectacular - any comments?
Just curious.
Regards,
Tom
I am curious as to why I have seen very few references to these loudspeakers.
So many other designs get a lot of posts - is this because very few people build them or what?
Even with my non-standard implementation they are spectacular - any comments?
Just curious.
Regards,
Tom
I am currently in the process of doing the finish work on the cabinet. I just built them to spec as it is my first build and don't have a whole lot of knowledge of this stuff. In my mock up testing I am not totally sure they will give me what I am looking for and have already been glancing at other designs. I know they will require some playing to open up and all. I guess I just really like that open sound and sense of the sound floating in the air. Time will tell.
Glad you are really enjoying them. What is your associated gear?
Mike
Glad you are really enjoying them. What is your associated gear?
Mike
Congrats, ther're great!
Associated gear is a pair of UcD 400's on the HG supply with the 1KVA toroid but I've also driven them with a pair of UcD 180's on an ST supply with a 250VA Traffo and they are just as sweet.
They are driven by an integrated custom digital music server with an Onkyo SE90-PCI 24/192 DAC on a VIA Mobo running Foobar2000.
Bear in mind that I did NOT build Kevins XO (I intend to build his XO soon). I have not done the right thing but my ears are old and I like very forward midrange. Kevin probably has it right and I don't. Massive anyway...
However these are the most SPECTACULAR loudspeakers I've ever owned (heard) - spooky airy and wide - lovely. Nobody who has heard them has done anything but close their eyes and say - Wow. Spooky good.
I've gone to the local hi-fi shops and can't find a competitor at any reasonable price (next best was 3-4K$).
How did you wire them? I used 14Ga copper stranded wire secured to the braces and popped through a siliconed hole into the mid/tweet chamber - XO in the bottom of the box with the port.
Did you wire them for bi-amping?
I put some Partsexpress feet on them - recommended.
Did you double up the baffle depth (ie: 1 1/2 MDF?) Whoops, did you build them of MDF?
Screwed and glued?
I intend to put some white Birch Veneer on these guys when I get time but they sound soooo good I hesitate to mess with them... LOL.
Anyway, I hope we'll talk more...
[edit] BTW you got some nice gear...
[edit 2] My cables are all generic AR gear - shielded but nothing special. I'm usually broke...
Regards,
Tom
Associated gear is a pair of UcD 400's on the HG supply with the 1KVA toroid but I've also driven them with a pair of UcD 180's on an ST supply with a 250VA Traffo and they are just as sweet.
They are driven by an integrated custom digital music server with an Onkyo SE90-PCI 24/192 DAC on a VIA Mobo running Foobar2000.
Bear in mind that I did NOT build Kevins XO (I intend to build his XO soon). I have not done the right thing but my ears are old and I like very forward midrange. Kevin probably has it right and I don't. Massive anyway...
However these are the most SPECTACULAR loudspeakers I've ever owned (heard) - spooky airy and wide - lovely. Nobody who has heard them has done anything but close their eyes and say - Wow. Spooky good.
I've gone to the local hi-fi shops and can't find a competitor at any reasonable price (next best was 3-4K$).
How did you wire them? I used 14Ga copper stranded wire secured to the braces and popped through a siliconed hole into the mid/tweet chamber - XO in the bottom of the box with the port.
Did you wire them for bi-amping?
I put some Partsexpress feet on them - recommended.
Did you double up the baffle depth (ie: 1 1/2 MDF?) Whoops, did you build them of MDF?
Screwed and glued?
I intend to put some white Birch Veneer on these guys when I get time but they sound soooo good I hesitate to mess with them... LOL.
Anyway, I hope we'll talk more...
[edit] BTW you got some nice gear...
[edit 2] My cables are all generic AR gear - shielded but nothing special. I'm usually broke...
Regards,
Tom
Re: Congrats, ther're great!
Wow, I myself was considering selling my Nuforce ref 8's in order to fund the build of the Ucd units of Kevin's. I wouldn't even know where to begin in terms of designing a crossover. Heck, I don't even know what an inductor and capacitor does (understand resistors though).
I take it you just purchased the drivers and followed Kevin's box design then? If you do build Kevin's crossover be sure to post your reviews as I too really enjoy a more forward midrange. One of the things that I have doubts about is whether the midrange would be as forward as my Polks with the dual mids. I thought that I may have to look at other dual mids in order to get what I am looking for. I Looked at some of the Raw kits but I don't think their response graphs are all that impressive and I felt that they are just a tad pricey for what they are. I may be wrong though.
I used the 16 gauge stranded copper wire that the kit came with for wiring the woofers and used some 3 stranded Tara Labs hookup wire for the remaining. The directions in constructing the kit called for each driver network crossover to be built on a 3.5 x 5 inch piece, but I could not fit the midrange network on it. I just couldn't get them all on the bottom of the cabinet. Therefore, I only have the bass network where the port is, the mid is mounted on the rear one shelf above, and the tweeter network is mounted one shelf above that. I then have all the positives off of each network tinned, and all the negatives from each tinned going into one set of posts. I hope this is acceptable....I am not sure, it is my first experience with electronics. I too have a hole going up into the top chamber that is sealed with silicone. I hope having silicone around the wire at that point doesn't alter the resistance at all. How did you adhere the wire going through the braces?
I have some Puresonic feet for speakers. They mount on the cabinet and then have a threaded pointy bottom section for leveling.
I did build them out of MDF. I am half way finished veneering them with a cherry veneer. The baffle is 2 pieces of 3/4 inch thick (1.5 inches), with the inside one fitting inside the cabinet and the outer one on the outside of the cabinet.....very solid. I glued only with the odd brad here and there when I was assembling them just so nothing would move.
I hope I addressed everything. Let me know if you think that I did anything that is not the best it could be, because I do have my doubts of whether I did the crossover right. I have been looking at other crossover designs and they seem to be a lot more complex networks with the drivers and crossover components more intertwined if you will. I am unsure if it is okay to do it the way I did.
How do you like those UcD modules and what have you compared them too?
Thanks,
Mike
PS. I am beyond broke myself lately. I have built my entire system starting in January of this year.....just too much spending!
Wow, I myself was considering selling my Nuforce ref 8's in order to fund the build of the Ucd units of Kevin's. I wouldn't even know where to begin in terms of designing a crossover. Heck, I don't even know what an inductor and capacitor does (understand resistors though).
I take it you just purchased the drivers and followed Kevin's box design then? If you do build Kevin's crossover be sure to post your reviews as I too really enjoy a more forward midrange. One of the things that I have doubts about is whether the midrange would be as forward as my Polks with the dual mids. I thought that I may have to look at other dual mids in order to get what I am looking for. I Looked at some of the Raw kits but I don't think their response graphs are all that impressive and I felt that they are just a tad pricey for what they are. I may be wrong though.
I used the 16 gauge stranded copper wire that the kit came with for wiring the woofers and used some 3 stranded Tara Labs hookup wire for the remaining. The directions in constructing the kit called for each driver network crossover to be built on a 3.5 x 5 inch piece, but I could not fit the midrange network on it. I just couldn't get them all on the bottom of the cabinet. Therefore, I only have the bass network where the port is, the mid is mounted on the rear one shelf above, and the tweeter network is mounted one shelf above that. I then have all the positives off of each network tinned, and all the negatives from each tinned going into one set of posts. I hope this is acceptable....I am not sure, it is my first experience with electronics. I too have a hole going up into the top chamber that is sealed with silicone. I hope having silicone around the wire at that point doesn't alter the resistance at all. How did you adhere the wire going through the braces?
I have some Puresonic feet for speakers. They mount on the cabinet and then have a threaded pointy bottom section for leveling.
I did build them out of MDF. I am half way finished veneering them with a cherry veneer. The baffle is 2 pieces of 3/4 inch thick (1.5 inches), with the inside one fitting inside the cabinet and the outer one on the outside of the cabinet.....very solid. I glued only with the odd brad here and there when I was assembling them just so nothing would move.
I hope I addressed everything. Let me know if you think that I did anything that is not the best it could be, because I do have my doubts of whether I did the crossover right. I have been looking at other crossover designs and they seem to be a lot more complex networks with the drivers and crossover components more intertwined if you will. I am unsure if it is okay to do it the way I did.
How do you like those UcD modules and what have you compared them too?
Thanks,
Mike
PS. I am beyond broke myself lately. I have built my entire system starting in January of this year.....just too much spending!
Nicely done!
The UcD's are the finest amps I have ever heard, period. Wow, lots of answers...
I di just follow Kevins box design and driver choices but I ran them with a bunch of crossovers - some with one Extremis doing mids and finally with both woofs. Kevin is right that the Extremis breaks up in the upper mids... so I put them both at 800. Perfect to my ears. DON'T play with the driver selection - there are no better drivers (IMO) than the XBL2 motors - clear and the curves are soooo forgiving you can do almost anything you want without screwing up.
I used some plastic/screwed wire anchors I used to use when I was a multizone installer - nothing special but they stay put. Don't worry about the silicon. You did Okay.
Yod did better on the baffle than I did - I have only 3/4 MDF on the front - million screws tho...
Don't worry about the crossovers until you experiment some, just don't close the boxes up until you have spent a month or two experimenting with the sound - it is quite possible (likely becuse he is smart) that Kevin has done the best job possible - I am just thick-headed.
My favorite power amp is the NAD C270 - crisp - clear and whompingly rich - but the UcD's thrash it - and everything else I've ever heard. Period. Now, I ain't a rich guy so I haven't ever owned a 10K$ amp. Probably never will - but- nobody who has ever heard my UcD's has ever said anything but WOW! Including a friend who writes and produces PBS soundtracks and another guy who does movie sound.
They take a while to learn to listen to - they are the most honest amps you've ever heard. Spectacular.
[edit] My dad used to build tube amps when I was a kid - the UcD's are the closest I've ever heard to the sound I grew up with - I'm SOLD. So, in all honesty, I'm biased (no pun intended).
The 2641's - I can't imagine a better loudspeaker - why would anybody want better - is still boggles my small mind. LOL
[last edit, I promise] Try the PartsExpress 800/5600 XO's as a test so you can see what's up - 44$ a piece - just as a test. Tell me what you think. They fit in the cab and sound extrodinary! Not the best but I am reluctant to mess about more until I build Kevins...
Keep me posted!
Regards,
Tom
The UcD's are the finest amps I have ever heard, period. Wow, lots of answers...
I di just follow Kevins box design and driver choices but I ran them with a bunch of crossovers - some with one Extremis doing mids and finally with both woofs. Kevin is right that the Extremis breaks up in the upper mids... so I put them both at 800. Perfect to my ears. DON'T play with the driver selection - there are no better drivers (IMO) than the XBL2 motors - clear and the curves are soooo forgiving you can do almost anything you want without screwing up.
I used some plastic/screwed wire anchors I used to use when I was a multizone installer - nothing special but they stay put. Don't worry about the silicon. You did Okay.
Yod did better on the baffle than I did - I have only 3/4 MDF on the front - million screws tho...
Don't worry about the crossovers until you experiment some, just don't close the boxes up until you have spent a month or two experimenting with the sound - it is quite possible (likely becuse he is smart) that Kevin has done the best job possible - I am just thick-headed.
My favorite power amp is the NAD C270 - crisp - clear and whompingly rich - but the UcD's thrash it - and everything else I've ever heard. Period. Now, I ain't a rich guy so I haven't ever owned a 10K$ amp. Probably never will - but- nobody who has ever heard my UcD's has ever said anything but WOW! Including a friend who writes and produces PBS soundtracks and another guy who does movie sound.
They take a while to learn to listen to - they are the most honest amps you've ever heard. Spectacular.
[edit] My dad used to build tube amps when I was a kid - the UcD's are the closest I've ever heard to the sound I grew up with - I'm SOLD. So, in all honesty, I'm biased (no pun intended).
The 2641's - I can't imagine a better loudspeaker - why would anybody want better - is still boggles my small mind. LOL
[last edit, I promise] Try the PartsExpress 800/5600 XO's as a test so you can see what's up - 44$ a piece - just as a test. Tell me what you think. They fit in the cab and sound extrodinary! Not the best but I am reluctant to mess about more until I build Kevins...
Keep me posted!
Regards,
Tom
You really have me interested in those Ucd modules now. Kevin is supposed to be coming out with a Ucd700 package....not that we necessarily need it. I was thinking of selling my ref's 8 in order to fund a Ucd400 unit. Then possibly selling my ref 9's as I have been having my eye on the AVA fet 550 hybrid amp, but who know maybe Ucd's all the way around?....hmm too many options
Thanks for your help,
Mike
Thanks for your help,
Mike
I haven't built a pair, but I've listened to them for several extended periods , including the final crossover prototyping session. Kevin had narrowed it down to five iterations IIRC, and then selected the final choice. Well, not quite, as he later did an additional tweak after some more listening.
Personally, I wouldn't change anything in Kevin's crossover as I feel that he makes excellent design choices. These are a real music lover's speaker, everything sounding just the way it should. That may be a drawback, as they don't sound spectacular in any way. However, you "can" listen to these for hours on end and never develop listener fatigue. The treble isn't overstated and there is all the bass that's needed (it goes way down). The mid's are natural and unstrained.
Are there better speakers? I've heard a couple that were "a bit" better I think, but they start out costing about $25,000 more (and up). YMMV.
Now for the disclaimer:
Kevin is a good friend of mine, but I still wouldn't have posted this if I didn't believe what I'm saying is absolutely true. His speakers are an excellent value and if I wasn't so hard headed and conceited about my own designs, I certainly would have these on my short list.
Best Regards,
TerryO
Personally, I wouldn't change anything in Kevin's crossover as I feel that he makes excellent design choices. These are a real music lover's speaker, everything sounding just the way it should. That may be a drawback, as they don't sound spectacular in any way. However, you "can" listen to these for hours on end and never develop listener fatigue. The treble isn't overstated and there is all the bass that's needed (it goes way down). The mid's are natural and unstrained.
Are there better speakers? I've heard a couple that were "a bit" better I think, but they start out costing about $25,000 more (and up). YMMV.
Now for the disclaimer:
Kevin is a good friend of mine, but I still wouldn't have posted this if I didn't believe what I'm saying is absolutely true. His speakers are an excellent value and if I wasn't so hard headed and conceited about my own designs, I certainly would have these on my short list.
Best Regards,
TerryO
Thanks for the insight...
TerryO :
Thanks for the insight. I knew Kevin had worked hard on these things. I put the PE XO in the boxes just to get them up and running and then I got lazy...
I spoke to him (email) a couple of weeks agao about getting a BOM for his XO which I intend to implement. It'd be kind of dumb not to hear what he intended -
Mike :
Do check out the UcD's - worth every dime and then some. They compare to other amps like the 2641's compare to other speakers. Top of the pile both.
Please let us know how it goes.
Regards,
Tom
TerryO :
Thanks for the insight. I knew Kevin had worked hard on these things. I put the PE XO in the boxes just to get them up and running and then I got lazy...
I spoke to him (email) a couple of weeks agao about getting a BOM for his XO which I intend to implement. It'd be kind of dumb not to hear what he intended -
Mike :
Do check out the UcD's - worth every dime and then some. They compare to other amps like the 2641's compare to other speakers. Top of the pile both.
Please let us know how it goes.
Regards,
Tom
Hello ptwining,
The Exodus 2641 crossover BOM and layout can be found on the diycable site, and is located here:
http://www.diycable.com/main/pdf/2641.pdf
Hope this helps.
The Exodus 2641 crossover BOM and layout can be found on the diycable site, and is located here:
http://www.diycable.com/main/pdf/2641.pdf
Hope this helps.
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