Choosing Amps for a 5 Way Active Horn System

[KCCT82]

Hello all,

My dad and I have partly completed our listening room and managed to put a 5 way active horn system together. Our next intention is to build dedicated amps for each of the 10 channels. We have no background in electronics and would really like to hear everyone's input.

Since our system is quite high in efficiency, I thought First Watt amps would be a natural choice. I've read the FW manuals 5 times and barely understood anything... what I did notice is it is for full range drivers, are they gonna do wonders for horn loaded compression drivers as well?

Let's take a look at the system as a whole first:

The room is 21' wide x 32' long x 12'6" ceiling. The horns are placed 10' away from the front wall, listening position is another 10' away from the horns which leaves about 12' behind the listening position.

The source is currently PC digital out > digital pre > 2x Behringer DCX 2496 (XO and DA duties) > 5x C-Audio 100W pro amps. We will be building a complete PC XO solution with RME Fireface 800 sound card in the future so please help me choose amps according to the sound card's 10x analog output instead of more traditional "preamp" outputs. I bring this out because I don't know whether the sound card's output will be enough to drive FW amps directly... and the whole input/output impedance thing? enough gain? the need for B1 buffer? voltage/current source?

The speakers are:

TAD ET-703 compression driver <12k-20k> (107db 8 ohms)
TAD TD-4002 compression driver on 400hz tractrix <1.9k-12k> (110db 16 ohm)
GOTO 505TT compression driver on GOTO 150hz hypex <250-1.9k> (110db 16 ohm)
TAD TL-1101H cone driver on DIY 1/2 space 53hz hypex with 5" throat <58-250> (around 103db if not more... 16 ohm)
TAD TL-1603 cone driver on DIY tapped horn <20-58> (around 95db... 8 ohm)

My initial configuration of amps based on my limited knowledge (in the above order):

Any FW Model
Any FW Model
Any FW Model
F4 (because I need some damping factor? a little more Watts?)
N/A or Bridged?

As for the sound we're looking for... clean high and mid with a touch of sweetness, solid midbass, and enough power to work tapped horn's magic.

Thanks all!

[KCCT82]

Better view of the midbass horn.

[KCCT82]

And the compression drivers.

[wirewiggler]

Incredible looking system, what are you using as active crossover ?
I would happen to guess your mom doesn't live there any more.

Bill

[KCCT82]

Hi Bill,

It's written on the 1st post, 2x Behringer DCX 2496... and no one really lives there, it's a dedicated room for audio in an old industrial building.

[wirewiggler]

I am thinking of getting the DCX myself and modding it, I have a sound room with 6 amps and only 2 speakers. I need a larger sound room and more speakers.

Bill

[wirewiggler]

I like the horns one of my speakers is a back loaded horn. It has some peaks in it I need to tame. The Pass F4 sounds a little to hygienic, the SETs a little muddy on congested music. I may try the trick of driving the F4 with SET and see if that makes the horn sing a little better. I would like to make more horns if I ever had the space, I guess you could say I have a little horn envy.

Bill

[WALTER BURKHARD]

Hello Keith,

any constrution drawings from your midbass horn??

I can send you from Goto original Basshorn Drawings !

br Walter

[KCCT82]

Wirewiggler- thanks for the comments on F4 and SET. Maybe it's a little hard to tell, but yeah I like horns too

WALTER BURKHARD- I used Hornresp and exported my design. After that I plotted the curves on paper and cut plywood according to paper templates. The Goto original drawing sounds interesting, let's discuss more over at: My DIY 5 Way Active Horn System

[tinitus]

Originally posted by KCCT82
Hi Bill,

It's written on the 1st post, 2x Behringer DCX 2496

A 100.000USD speaker system and then use Behringer xo



Should I choose a FirstWatt amp it would surely be the Jfet F3 or the new F5, without knowing much about it
Fore you maybe a mix of the two

I dont remember how, but you may need to do something about the gain and noise on Behringer