Hi,
Here are some pics of my nearly completed speakers. All that is left to do is the laquering and plinths / spike (almost done).
The sound is simply superb...I have been playing with the placement of them for the past two hours and now have them perfectly "imaged". My method is to play a well recorded Quartet track and place them until I can pin point each player, and they are at the correct distances from each other. I have played in many quartets so I believe myself to be a good judge of this method. It took tiny movements but the image just "clicked" into place. The sweet spot is not huge but since I always sit in the same place, it's not a problem. It does not seem sensetive to general movement as I hear some can be. At first, when listening to a track of orchestra, I found the "edges" to be cut off. It was as though the front was not wide enough in it's stage (the violins and cellos). This has cleared up by moving them around a bit.
The speaker is ported (as you can see) and are made from a Visaton MHT12 and Peerless 164 HDS (w/o phase plug). The edges are routed and the lot is MDF covered in an oak veneer...
I really pleased with them!
Hope you like them as much as me!!!
Gaz
Pic 1/3:
Here are some pics of my nearly completed speakers. All that is left to do is the laquering and plinths / spike (almost done).
The sound is simply superb...I have been playing with the placement of them for the past two hours and now have them perfectly "imaged". My method is to play a well recorded Quartet track and place them until I can pin point each player, and they are at the correct distances from each other. I have played in many quartets so I believe myself to be a good judge of this method. It took tiny movements but the image just "clicked" into place. The sweet spot is not huge but since I always sit in the same place, it's not a problem. It does not seem sensetive to general movement as I hear some can be. At first, when listening to a track of orchestra, I found the "edges" to be cut off. It was as though the front was not wide enough in it's stage (the violins and cellos). This has cleared up by moving them around a bit.
The speaker is ported (as you can see) and are made from a Visaton MHT12 and Peerless 164 HDS (w/o phase plug). The edges are routed and the lot is MDF covered in an oak veneer...
I really pleased with them!
Hope you like them as much as me!!!
Gaz
Pic 1/3:
Attachments
Well done!
Gaz,
They look good, but the best thing is that you are pleased with the way they sound.
That's a very comfortable and tidy looking student's pad🙄
Cheers,
Gaz,
They look good, but the best thing is that you are pleased with the way they sound.
That's a very comfortable and tidy looking student's pad🙄
Cheers,
Looks veeeeery nice.
You paid a lot of attention to the details.
We are pleased with the look, but can't hear the sound.
Tell us something about the crossover and the amp you use.
/Hugo - always wants to know what's inside. 😉
You paid a lot of attention to the details.
We are pleased with the look, but can't hear the sound.
Tell us something about the crossover and the amp you use.
/Hugo - always wants to know what's inside. 😉
How does the MHT12 perform? I have a pair of them but didn't mange to buid speakers around them 😀 But that's a problem I have with a load of other drivers as well. Seems, that I need a time machine...or a 30 hour day.
Hi,
The internal wire is 5 strands of 19x0.15mm PTFE silver plated copper. The xovers are both 1st order crossed over 2700Hz. It also has attenuation for the tweeter.
Here are pics of my amps: PICS: "Optimos" 140W Monoblock Amps!...
With a slightly higher rail voltage, they are closer to 160W.
Thanks for your comments...
BTW: The MHTs are great! They are extremely detailed and the imaging is absolutly perfect!
Gaz
The internal wire is 5 strands of 19x0.15mm PTFE silver plated copper. The xovers are both 1st order crossed over 2700Hz. It also has attenuation for the tweeter.
Here are pics of my amps: PICS: "Optimos" 140W Monoblock Amps!...
With a slightly higher rail voltage, they are closer to 160W.
Thanks for your comments...
BTW: The MHTs are great! They are extremely detailed and the imaging is absolutly perfect!
Gaz
Optimos v. Gainclone?
Not to change the subject, but how do you like your "Optimos" monoblocks in comparison to the Gainclones you built? I've build a Gainclone and have been bitten by the DIY bug and am curious about other amp projects.
Not to change the subject, but how do you like your "Optimos" monoblocks in comparison to the Gainclones you built? I've build a Gainclone and have been bitten by the DIY bug and am curious about other amp projects.
They look great!
I will be using the CSX version of that woofer in a new speaker soon.
Tell us more about the XO. You must have used a zobel, correct?
I am not sure if you are using on, but a trap for that peak at 4Khz might help a bunch.
How much BSC did you use? It looks like they are about ~1.5 ft from the walls (the drivers) I am not sure what sounds right at this distance, maybe 2dB of BSC?
Let us know the details of the XO, it is the most important and most interesting part of the speaker!! And I am curious as to how you worked it out with this one!
-Paul Hilgeman
I will be using the CSX version of that woofer in a new speaker soon.
Tell us more about the XO. You must have used a zobel, correct?
I am not sure if you are using on, but a trap for that peak at 4Khz might help a bunch.
How much BSC did you use? It looks like they are about ~1.5 ft from the walls (the drivers) I am not sure what sounds right at this distance, maybe 2dB of BSC?
Let us know the details of the XO, it is the most important and most interesting part of the speaker!! And I am curious as to how you worked it out with this one!
-Paul Hilgeman
Hi,
I have played them for about 3 hours now and although the bass was fairly weak to begin with, it is seriously improving. It is 80% filled with long haired wool. It is a 28.1l box, with the port tuned to 40.8Hz. This gives a theoretical -3dB point of 56.9Hz which is great for me...I can put in a REL Strata II clone to fill in the bass (When I build it).
The crossover is as simple as I could manage. There is no BSC although I may add this later, neither have I added a zobel. The latter was on the advice of the shop where I bought the drivers. I trust them implicitly. Again, I may try adding these later. First, I have to get used to the sound so I can actually hear the difference.
To be honest, I prefer the gainclones at lower volumes, but for outright power, it has to be the OptiMOS amps...They never seem to run out of it!
I have already spent about £500 and I could justify a higher cost at this stage. I have left space to convert these to active speakers if I later intend. I would have an active xover and two gainclones. I would then be able to use them in passive mode or in active mode.
Hope this answers a few questions...If not, let me know!
Gaz
I have played them for about 3 hours now and although the bass was fairly weak to begin with, it is seriously improving. It is 80% filled with long haired wool. It is a 28.1l box, with the port tuned to 40.8Hz. This gives a theoretical -3dB point of 56.9Hz which is great for me...I can put in a REL Strata II clone to fill in the bass (When I build it).
The crossover is as simple as I could manage. There is no BSC although I may add this later, neither have I added a zobel. The latter was on the advice of the shop where I bought the drivers. I trust them implicitly. Again, I may try adding these later. First, I have to get used to the sound so I can actually hear the difference.
To be honest, I prefer the gainclones at lower volumes, but for outright power, it has to be the OptiMOS amps...They never seem to run out of it!
I have already spent about £500 and I could justify a higher cost at this stage. I have left space to convert these to active speakers if I later intend. I would have an active xover and two gainclones. I would then be able to use them in passive mode or in active mode.
Hope this answers a few questions...If not, let me know!
Gaz
I would most definitely add a zobel network to your woofer. Due to the rising impedence of the woofer, your first order crossover is probably having very little electrical effect on the driver. It does have a pretty natural roll-off, especially off axis, which is nice. but for closer to on-axis listening, that peak will really mess with your upper treble.
-Paul Hilgeman
-Paul Hilgeman
I hope they sound as good as they look 😉
Is your XO just a cap+2 resistors and an inductor?
If those are the only speakers you have, why not biamp them?
gainclone for the highs, and optimos for the bass
Is your XO just a cap+2 resistors and an inductor?
If those are the only speakers you have, why not biamp them?
gainclone for the highs, and optimos for the bass
What about vertical dispersion?
Hello,
Nice work. Can you comment on the vertical dispersion of the tweeter? Can you stand up without losing too much?
I was thinking of bying it.
Thanks
Salas-Athens-Greece
Hello,
Nice work. Can you comment on the vertical dispersion of the tweeter? Can you stand up without losing too much?
I was thinking of bying it.
Thanks
Salas-Athens-Greece
You're correct Bricolo, that's all that makes up the xovers.
Salas:
You don't seem to lose too much but then I've not tried playing musical chairs with them! 😉 They seem good though...
Right now, I'm going to go and cough myself to death...I've just laquered one speaker (two cans of laquer and now where near deep enough yet)!
Gaz
Salas:
You don't seem to lose too much but then I've not tried playing musical chairs with them! 😉 They seem good though...
Right now, I'm going to go and cough myself to death...I've just laquered one speaker (two cans of laquer and now where near deep enough yet)!
Gaz
Very nice job Rarkov, they look excellent, and I'm sure they sound as good as they look.
It's a shame you started spraying them, I would have suggested Danish oil and wax, but, hey, I'm strange like that🙂
It's a shame you started spraying them, I would have suggested Danish oil and wax, but, hey, I'm strange like that🙂
Oil and wax is the way I finished off my last pair, and it sure does look nice, spraying never was to my liking, aplying oil and wax by hand can be time conduming and boring, but in the end it's very worth it.
Maybe you could try it next time...
Maybe you could try it next time...
Hi,
My veneering isn't fantastic so I am planning to upgrade these speakers in a few years. I'll replace the peerless with a Volt midbass and try that finish after I've had some more practice veneering!
Do you have any pics of that finish?
Gaz
My veneering isn't fantastic so I am planning to upgrade these speakers in a few years. I'll replace the peerless with a Volt midbass and try that finish after I've had some more practice veneering!
Do you have any pics of that finish?
Gaz
Rarkov said:
Hmm, it's very hard to take photos of flamed sycamore without proper lighting, (which I do have, but not at home!), but I think you can get the idea.
The box is the Audax HT centre, (modified of course 😉 ), with the front bookmatched 18mm solid wood, on an 18mm birch ply carcass stained black and waxed that looks rubbish in the photos, but great in reality. The sycamore was given four coats of oil and then four coats of antique pine wax, and buffed by hand to a medium gloss finish. Much easier and quicker than varnish, and if it gets marked, a bit more wax brings it back to life very quickly.
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