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Pensil 10.2 or 12 wrt bass extention?

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Hi Mark,

Sorry to forget to take photos of Pensil 10.2 cabs without the vents being blocked yesterday. I will ask Kenneth to take photos today.

Thanks,
Tony.

Thanks for Mark Fenlon's high quality Alpair 10.2 full range drivers. If Alpair 10.2 works with right cabinets and good quality amplifier, high-end sound performance is possible.

(Hi Tony, Have U got a pic of the Pencil 10.2 cabs without the vents being blocked? I know Kenneth is using this control method while you get him more damping material but we don't want to mislead any new guys on how to adjust the cabs output) - Thanks Mark
 
Hi all,

Your experiences with the 10.2 have piqued my interest. The musical presentation of the driver - according to the descriptions in this thread - and FR are more to my liking than those of the 12. It also seems like an appropriate practical solution.

I would like to run with a SET amp and am interested in the 300B that was mentioned. Can anyone share circuit basics (actually, mainly the driver details and coupling topology; for my purposes, the rest can be adequately interpolated). I guess I am trying to identify whether a 300B amplifier with good overload recovery (and perhaps additional power in A2) is necessary for adequate performance, or whether something like a pentode driving the 300B would suffice (for power).

I guess I could simply give it a crack and if it does not work out, high-pass the amp (PLLXO) and run active (sub)woofers. Or sell and move on...

Cheers,
Raymond
 
Alp10.2 run-in

Hi!

My Alp10.2 in 18 liter ported has been running for low volume since wednesday - and I have now given some more power just to test carefully!
AND the result is: not far off in soundstage from my friends MartinLogan/Wadia/Dynamic Precicion System - BUT with a lot more juice and touch to the sound. When I play Fred Eaglesmith/Car - it is like he`s in the room playing and you can actually feel the plucking on his guitar. And I only have a SS Harman/Kardon HK980.
I think I have to build a Tube-Amplifier as my next project -when I have tuned my speaker-box till it`s best potensial!

Good luck to all on the Alp-building wagon!

Greatings to all

Olav
 
Listen to a MinWatt N3 broken in there's no way a 2a3a can produce the bass that it does,none of the single ended tube amps do bass better than a single ended pentode ultra linear amp like the MiniWatt N3,Vaughn Audio Carina,Teconaudio i34,or the Sun Audio KT-88 single ended pentode ultra linear amp.All these amp gives thunderous well controllled fast bass,even with low efficient multi driver speakers even the nice Cayan's push-pulls i have on hand cant out finese them in the bass......
 
A few ideas to scrutinize:
I could live with the Silbury footprint/weight if that horn type's "enhancement of dynamics" would allow for the 3watt Fi 2A3 amp to drive the 10.2's.
I've never been a bass freak but "had" a Audio Note Conquest 300B SET amp which produced woolly uncontrolled bass on the same vintage 91db 2-way speakers the Fi 2A3 does a acceptable job with. The 3watt Fi has and can drive my old 88db EPI 100 (minimal 1 cap x-over, mid-bass rolls off on its own). Realistically thinking, a Para-Feed 300b SET like the Bottlehead Paramount should do it for the drive and bass/A10.2 (oh to figure out how to save for a BH kit).
When i get a chance i'll A B compare the Fi 2A3 against the ~18watt Scott 222c, then the 25wpc Sonic Frontiers anthem 1 PP int amp using the EPI 100 speakers. The anthem produces solid bass provided impedance doesn't dip low. Before the Hiro it was driving Dynaudio speakers/flat 4ohm load. The Dynaudio's are now hooked up to the HT receiver, lol.
I would hope to be able to drive the A10.2 with the 3watt Fi 2A3. I'd be satisfied even if they only work the smaller 11.5'x17' room as i still have 96db FE166ES-R drivers waiting for a scaled up 166 frugal horn design for recourse.
I like what i'm reading and get the idea there's something special about the A10.2's.
 
My Alp10.2 in 18 liter ported has been running for low volume since wednesday - and I have now given some more power just to test carefully!
AND the result is: not far off in soundstage from my friends MartinLogan/Wadia/Dynamic Precicion System - ...And I only have a SS Harman/Kardon HK980.
I think I have to build a Tube-Amplifier as my next project -when I have tuned my speaker-box till it`s best potensial!
Good for you, that's really cool!
Btw, i have a 60watt HK880 from the late eighties, had a nice sound with good bass. Of course it couldn't compete with the Pass Aleph 3 i had on loan for a week but that was a $tereophile class A phenom at it's $$point. Nevertheless i think you'll like the tube amp. I couldn't go back to listening to the HK880 after hearing the tone of the tubed Scott 222c i was given that came from its org owners elderly wife wanting to see stuff from their attic appreciated again.
 
A few ideas to scrutinize:
I could live with the Silbury footprint/weight if that horn type's "enhancement of dynamics" would allow for the 3watt Fi 2A3 amp to drive the 10.2's.
I've never been a bass freak but "had" a Audio Note Conquest 300B SET amp which produced woolly uncontrolled bass on the same vintage 91db 2-way speakers the Fi 2A3 does a acceptable job with. The 3watt Fi has and can drive my old 88db EPI 100 (minimal 1 cap x-over, mid-bass rolls off on its own). Realistically thinking, a Para-Feed 300b SET like the Bottlehead Paramount should do it for the drive and bass/A10.2 (oh to figure out how to save for a BH kit).
When i get a chance i'll A B compare the Fi 2A3 against the ~18watt Scott 222c, then the 25wpc Sonic Frontiers anthem 1 PP int amp using the EPI 100 speakers. The anthem produces solid bass provided impedance doesn't dip low. Before the Hiro it was driving Dynaudio speakers/flat 4ohm load. The Dynaudio's are now hooked up to the HT receiver, lol.
I would hope to be able to drive the A10.2 with the 3watt Fi 2A3. I'd be satisfied even if they only work the smaller 11.5'x17' room as i still have 96db FE166ES-R drivers waiting for a scaled up 166 frugal horn design for recourse.
I like what i'm reading and get the idea there's something special about the A10.2's.

Hi Mp9,
I've tried Derek's N3 Miniwatt (3 watts) on the Pencils with 10.2's in them. Very surprised how well they worked. Then I tried the N3 on 14 litre BR's with 10.2's in them. Also surprisingly good but now quite as nice as Pencils. All the same, I'd suggest some experimentation with tube amps as my studio is a more open space so there's less damping compared to a living room.

Be very interesting to know how well the Fi does on 10.2's. Bearing in mind your particular musical tastes, it looking like the 10.2's could be the driver of choice.

Cheers

Mark.
 
perfect combination . especially for a diyaudio member . Mark Fenlon's speakers being driver by a Nelson Pass amp :)

right now driving my alpair 12's using a Peter Daniels gainclone and building a Nelson Pass F5 .

Incidentally, I'm in the process of gathering parts for the F5 amp. Currently running the Alpairs with a TA2020 class D. Exciting days ahead! :D
 
I'd love to try this amp on the Alp12's. Also the 10.2s could be very nice, but I have the feeling the copper coil on the Alp12's will like this amp very mucho. Remember guys, this is only my off-the-cuff thinking. Wish a had a ton on money to buy all these amps!

Cheers

Mark.

Could you explain further the about the copper coil and its theoretical response. I don't have a good understanding of this

We will know soon enough how it will sound. I had already ordered the parts to build ALeph J monoblocks. They will be biased to deliver nominal power to the 10.2's. If the Pensil blows me away, i may stop there(yeah right), otherwise i will be adding woofers to relieve low end. In my custom cardboard box they are sounding very nice at low levels.

perfect combination . especially for a diyaudio member . Mark Fenlon's speakers being driver by a Nelson Pass amp :)

right now driving my alpair 12's using a Peter Daniels gainclone and building a Nelson Pass F5 .

Too bad you don't live near NC, we could do a Firstwatt shootout. I cpicked the ALeph J because of the history of the Aleph breed and because it is considered a toobey SS amp.
 
Thanks Mark, i'll take your advice and go with 10.2's. Won't be long before i place the order and get started with the Silbury or Pencil's.

Glad to help. Maybe the Pencil 10.2 might be worth trying first. It's easy to adjust the damping volume inside the cap, makes it useful for setting up in room. Your could make cheap MDF mockups as test units. If you like the result, then make nice ply or solid wood finished versions.

Cheers

Mark.
 
Glad to help. Maybe the Pencil 10.2 might be worth trying first. It's easy to adjust the damping volume inside the cap, makes it useful for setting up in room. Your could make cheap MDF mockups as test units. If you like the result, then make nice ply or solid wood finished versions.

Cheers

Mark.

Mark,

I looked at the Pensil cabs and it didn't implicitly say so maybe I missed it somewhere, isn't the -3db point of the SuperPensil12 40hz? What is the -3db of the Pensil10.2?

Thanks!

Scott
 
Ok well that's even better. With all the discussion of the 10.2 I'm wondering if that may be better for me but the cone area, deeper f3, and overall physical presence of the Super12 are looking better to me ... Tough choices :D

Hi Scott,
Other Scott's corrected me (45Hz). The Super Pencil 12 cab is 40Hz (Scott L to correct me if needed). Tough choice. Certainly from last weeks listening test, the Pencil 10 with 10.2 drivers (not optimum) won by a short head over the Pencil 12. But the groups decision was very close and hinged on matching amps. Could we have found a sweeter amp match for the Pencil 12's? Possibly, in which case the decision could have swung the other way.

I've got a pair of Oakwood Pencil 10.2's arriving soon, then Super Pencil 12's to be build next. Once this is done, we'll get a better feel for the personality of both systems. My money is still on the Super Pencil 12's using my Accuphase's but this is purely personal choice. Norio, our Japan rep, who's also a respected jazz guitar player favours 10.2's.

Its purely a personal choice situation. Overall, if you've got a larger space, I'd possibly put the Super Pencil 12 (wife/parter permitting) more or less at the top of the list, but anyone wanting a slightly more mellow sound, the 10.2 with its new Matsubara san coil is ubber sweet, especially on a descent tube amp. Either cabinet system doubles up as an excellent flower/plant stand (keeping wife/partner happy). ;)

"Hung Hei Fat Choi" (Happy Chinese New Year) for the year of the Rabbit.

Mark.
 
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