Audio Nirvana Alnicos?

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Hi All,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster. Thinking of taking the plunge on a pair of the 10-inch Audio Nirvana Alnico drivers. Was curious, broadly, whether anyone here has had experience with the AN Alnicos - I've seen the question asked here before, without a lot of answers, hoping that may have changed since...

Also looking for thinking/opinions/experience on whether the AN10 Alnicos would mate well with the 2.8 Mk. II enclosures - hoping it wouldn't be too tight of a squeeze. Was thinking of getting them in Baltic Birch, double-ported. I'm in a pretty small apartment with thin floors and a downstairs neighbor with sensitive ears, and am wary of putting out too much bass...

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

:cool:
 
Hi All,

Long-time lurker, first-time poster. Thinking of taking the plunge on a pair of the 10-inch Audio Nirvana Alnico drivers. Was curious, broadly, whether anyone here has had experience with the AN Alnicos - I've seen the question asked here before, without a lot of answers, hoping that may have changed since...

Also looking for thinking/opinions/experience on whether the AN10 Alnicos would mate well with the 2.8 Mk. II enclosures - hoping it wouldn't be too tight of a squeeze. Was thinking of getting them in Baltic Birch, double-ported. I'm in a pretty small apartment with thin floors and a downstairs neighbor with sensitive ears, and am wary of putting out too much bass...

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

:cool:
Hi,
I never listen any Nirvana, but after reading all the Nirvana datasheets, my personal preference is the Alnico 12inches, cause it had more cone area and more SPL than the Alnico10 inches, that is usefull to a small tube amp, and more other reasons, etc

For the Nirvanas 10 and 12inches, I prefer the 5.6 box, cause more internal size=more Bass and=less level on the treble.
Maybe you could take a look at this old thread about enclouseres for FR:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/200763-how-treat-passively-peaky-fullrange-drivers.html

I would love read your impressions, about these Nirvanas, so you would send me a PM at the time, if possible, Thanks.
Good Luck
 
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Hi FullRangeMan - thanks for the response. It's interesting - I've actually been told that it's the 10-inch and 15-inch versions of the AN Alnicos that are the best. The 10-inch is better, I've heard, because it has the same size magnet as the 12-inch, allowing for better overall control of a smaller cone. The 15-inch, on the other hand, delivers a crazy amount of scope and weight to the presentation, but I think that's going to be too much for my Brooklyn apartment.

So I think the 5.6 cabinets would be too much for me - in terms of the space they'd take up physically, as well as the bass output. In fact, controlling the bass output is actually more of a priority, I think, than boosting it. So I'm hoping there's somebody out there who could give a sense of how this 10-inch AN driver in this 2.8 Mk. II enclosure would likely fare in a room that's basically 11x20....
 

GM

Member
Joined 2003
In theory, even the 13.6 isn't large enough to allow this driver to 'breathe' due to its relatively high Vas and Qts, so even a sealed up 2.8 is too small without significant damping, yielding an F3, Fb up around 300 Hz.

Venting the 2.8 to a very low Fb [~20-25 Hz] and then stuffing it to create a ~aperiodic alignment will work in theory to get F3 down to ~60 Hz with room gain adding a bit more extension, but this much damping may 'suck the life out' of the mids too much. Only one way to know for sure though.

GM
 
Hi FullRangeMan - thanks for the response. It's interesting - I've actually been told that it's the 10-inch and 15-inch versions of the AN Alnicos that are the best. The 10-inch is better, I've heard, because it has the same size magnet as the 12-inch, allowing for better overall control of a smaller cone.

Yes, this is true, the 10inches had a smaller and lighter cone, but general SPL is a bit lower than the 12inches. The choice is a very personal issue, or if one use a powerfull amp, the 10Alnico could be a better choise, I feel.

Quote:
The 15-inch, on the other hand, delivers a crazy amount of scope and weight to the presentation, but I think that's going to be too much for my Brooklyn apartment.

If you like light bass and use an around 100W SolidState amp, you would consider the 15Alnico in a easy to made OB panel, as the QTS=0,9 and the soundstage will be real 3D, as there is no box, the OB panel is small deep, just a bit wide.
The 15Alnico is great to Rock and Jazz music, I cant imagine a good sax tenor solo on it.:):up:

IF you know more info about the 12 & 15Alnicos, please let me know.
Best Regards
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
 
Not alnicos, but the response on the 10" is all over the place.

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Having unheard any but based on posts, I'd recommend the cast 12" with Mr cua (spelling) zobel, shelf, and notch ckt at 2.5khz. There is even a review, but most people find the raw response tough to listen to, especially on rock music.
http://www.commonsenseaudio.com/affordableaudio12.pdf

Otherwise the 15" looks nice but needs a big box or open baffle.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?t=229312

I'm thinking real closely between the 12" and 15", but I have a box to put the 15 in. I'd read that one had upgraded from the 15" to the alnico 15"and was happy.

Otherwise I think people also like the 8" alnico. Others prefer the 8" (no alnico cast?) to the fe206e, but the climbing response would be a deal breaker for me.

Norman
 
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I like the sound of my AN CF 12's out of the box but Michael Chua's testing posted here and component recomendations are well worth reading at that post on this forum.Thank you Michael.
I really like what the zobel brings to the speaker performance and the contour circuit which smooths out the upper mid response nicely . I tried the notch circuit to tame the 2.5 K spike but it sucked enough life out of the driver to be a detriment . More noticeable on vinyl playback than CD for some reason. I use an ART 31 band stereo EQ to gently notch out the midrange spikes that Mr. Chua points out . Plus a slight bass boost that probably wouldn't be needed with a larger cab.
Using a Class A SET amp for classical, folk , blues, jazz and rock . Cabinets against the wall and toed in with grilles off.
Music has a nice big warm soundstage and is enjoyable even off axis . Not fatiguing in any way , very pleasing to enjoy listening too. Treble is smooth , no tweeter needed.
 
Thanks for all the input, everybody. I'm still weighing whether to try the 2.8 Mk II cabinets, or possibly an OB configuration as the QTS of the 10-inch Alnicos is pretty high. Still, that might be a bit much for my smallish living room, I'm guessing.

At any rate, sounds like there really aren't a lot of folks here who have tried the AN Alnicos...
 
Thanks for all the input, everybody. I'm still weighing whether to try the 2.8 Mk II cabinets, or possibly an OB configuration as the QTS of the 10-inch Alnicos is pretty high. Still, that might be a bit much for my smallish living room, I'm guessing.

At any rate, sounds like there really aren't a lot of folks here who have tried the AN Alnicos...
Yes, the AN-Alnicos are quite new produscts on the market, and there is few users.

I would say all OBs loudspeakers had a small or soft bass, as the open panel attenuates 4 - 5dB, to a boxed loudspeaker.
So, even a 15inches as Alpha15A will not had a strong bass, and can be suited to your needs. My two cents...
Regards
 
Coverto--

I have the 8-inch ANs in the Ambience Mk II configuration. The speakers are in a living room that is 12 by 18. I play them at about 70-75 dBs most of the time (measured with a meter). I expect the 10-inch Alnicos with their superior sensitivity would be more than enough output in your room.
 
I would add:
The bass output can be raised or attenuated;
If one wish raise the bass in a enclousure, just add more stuffing inside the box, there is a saturation point, where too much stuffing will attenuates the treble also.
And to lower the bass is suited use few internal damping. So more stuffing=more bass...
 
Thanks guys. Chicago - which 8-inch ANs do you have? Actually, I'm more concerned that the 10-inchers will have too much output for my room, as opposed to not enough - especially in the bass department. Right now I've got some Tonian speakers with the 8-inch Fostex drivers, and they're plenty to fill the room, which is 11x13, with an archway opposite the speakers leading to an adjoining room that's 9x10.

FullRangeMan - I know I can stuff the cabinet, I'm just hoping I can strike the right balance between getting the right amount of bass and not deadening the cabinet too much. I'm going with Baltic birch for sure, or maybe some still fancier grade of marine plywood, if you have any recs there...
 
FullRangeMan - I know I can stuff the cabinet, I'm just hoping I can strike the right balance between getting the right amount of bass and not deadening the cabinet too much. I'm going with Baltic birch for sure, or maybe some still fancier grade of marine plywood, if you have any recs there...
Of course I recommend Baltic Birch, 30mm on Baffle and 20mm on other sides, also important paint outside and inside the box to avoid air humidity, inside the box the colour must be mate black.
Also all corners most be rounded etc.. as indicated on the earlier thread:>
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/200763-how-treat-passively-peaky-fullrange-drivers.html Please Note the Fantastic tip from ERIKB1971 on post 25
 
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I have the Super 8s, not the Alnico. The SPL rating is pretty close, though, IIRC. You might find the smaller drivers will work better for you. Properly sized, the cabinets on the Tens are going to be quite a bit larger than the Eights. I would consider the AN Ambience plan, which has matched speakers on the top as well (2 x 8 ohms = 4 ohms). You put a switch in and can drive both or just the fronts, depending upon the type of music you are playing. You can e-mail David Dicks at AN if you want to discuss pros and cons of different driver sizes, etc.
 
If you progressively increase the level of damping (nee 'stuffing') in a vented box, you will just as progressively damp its output. The clue is rather in the name. Reducing damping levels may result in greater output around tuning; depends on the box in question & whether it has any peaking at Fb. You may also have more issues with internal reflections coming back through the cone. Overstuffing a box can increase midband / HF distortion / 'suck the life' out of a wideband drive unit / attenuate some of the HF however due to the high acoustic load deforming the cone.
 
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Thanks again, all. Spoke to David Dicks today, who told me that the 10-inch Alnicos "kill" the 8-inch versions, which is corroborated from another source. He also said the 10-inchers will fare just fine in the 2.8 cabinets. So I guess that's that.

The only major question left, I think, is the question of bass. My living room is only 11x13, with 8-foot ceilings and a five-foot-wide archway opposite the speakers that opens into another room that's slightly smaller, around 9x10 - all of this being a scenario that I know some acoustics guys would consider one large, single space.

As I mentioned earlier, I'm mostly concerned about having TOO MUCH bass, as I'm in a New York apartment with thin floors and irritable neighbors. The last thing I want is a situation where I start overloading the room with bass and I've got to start hanging up all kinds of room treatments - in fact, my wife absolutely forbids that...

So in light of my room situation, I'm curious whether folks have any advice about how much stuffing of the cabinet is likely needed, and what configuration and size ports I'd likely need. I'm guessing I'd need two ports, in any case, given my concerns about bass bloat, which is largely a mid-bass phenomenon, as I understand it.
 
In the 80 years I was in a similar situation, with a big boss wife, so I kickout the wife, and give no reasons, check mate, as say the pun.
About the BR port, you will need use one big 152mm BR port(not two) as recommended by the Nirvana plans, outside the recommended plans is need alot of tests and listening;

The amount of internal muffling is a personal taste, and you will get to test various quantities, little, medium and very.
Cheers
 
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