Pensil Center Channel for A10.2?

[Ben_Tech]

Hi folks. Looks like I went and bought three Alpair 10.2's.

I'm looking at building the Pensil 10.2s from Mark's site for mains.

I'd like a matching center channel. Would simply halving the width of the Pensil 10.2's 'port opening,' placing one opening on each end, and moving the driver to the middle of the cabinet work, or is the Pensil designed with a specific intended distance from driver to 'port opening?'

I searched, but did not find anyone using the Pensil approach on a center channel.

 

[zman01]

Ben_Tech,

My understanding is rudimentary, but changing driver position or port sizes would not work for the Pensil.

For center channel folks have used P10 Dave's Mar-Ken10.2 boxes with satisfactory results IIRC.

Regards,
Zia

 

[planet10]

Ben,

driver offset is important, putting a vent at either end makes it a 1/2 wave resonator.

If you want a Pensil for centre, and low profile, just turn it 90 degrees. If you want the driver centred you'll have to tack on a void at the short end (was the top).

dav

 

[zman01]

Dave,

Your advice is as good as old, but your typos are getting more frequent!

Typing on a touch device?

 

[planet10]

Zia,

I never learned to type -- took Grade 11 math instead of Grade 10 typing.

Typing on the old laptop (some keys need a firm press to work) in the dark does not help.

dave

 

[Ben_Tech]

Ben,

driver offset is important, putting a vent at either end makes it a 1/2 wave resonator.

If you want a Pensil for centre, and low profile, just turn it 90 degrees. If you want the driver centred you'll have to tack on a void at the short end (was the top).

dav

I thought as much....

A Pensil on its side might look unusual.

Question though: Would it sound right with whatever emits from the opening only coming from one side of the box?

Any other enclosure suggestions for matched L/C/R set? (horizontal center is a requirement, unfortunately)

 

[planet10]

Question though: Would it sound right with whatever emits from the opening only coming from one side of the box?

No. Only very LF (long wavelengths) come out the terminus.

Any other enclosure suggestions for matched L/C/R set? (horizontal center is a requirement, unfortunately)

The miniOnkens have already been mentioned. If you want them visually as well as (relatively) acoustically matched, then you can build 3 centres and rotate the L/R ones. With the woofer support required of an HT setup, that they have less bass than a Pensil is likely moot.

dave

 

[chrisb]

No. Only very LF (long wavelengths) come out the terminus.



The miniOnkens have already been mentioned. If you want them visually as well as (relatively) acoustically matched, then you can build 3 centres and rotate the L/R ones. With the woofer support required of an HT setup, that they have less bass than a Pensil is likely moot.

dave

There are more permutations contained within the various subscription plan sets than you could shake a 6/4 S2S plank at, and I'm sure I've not seen all of them.

The centre channel that I think Dave is talking about for the 10.2 is roughly 16"W x 12" D x 8" H. I have the same style enclosure for the smaller Alpair7 in my own system, with Pensils as L & R mains - works very well. As he notes, you could turn them on their ends for use as "mains", but unless wall mounting is an option they'd need stands, the cost of could be more than the extra material required to build a floorstander.

 

[chrisb]

Dave,

Your advice is as good as old, but your typos are getting more frequent!

Typing on a touch device?

isn't a keyboard a touch device as well - and is your "g" key sporadic?

 

[Ben_Tech]

....but unless wall mounting is an option they'd need stands, the cost of could be more than the extra material required to build a floorstander.

Correct. I'd like to get rid of the concrete blocks I'm currently using as super high end speaker stands. After all, I think I paid $2.60 US for the four of them.

 

[Ben_Tech]

If you want a Pensil for centre, and low profile, just turn it 90 degrees. If you want the driver centred you'll have to tack on a void at the short end (was the top).

Thinking this over still, that would make the cabinet 58-1/4" long. Wow! Feels like a waste of space to me, so I'll probably do a slot ported BR and hope the voicing is close enough.

Either that, or I'll just design my own towers that are more orientation friendly. It's always nice to have the psychological reinforcement of building a design others have already heard and liked though.

 

[Ben_Tech]

I'll start a new thread for feedback on the LCR design I just came up with.