I pretty much agree with all of this but it does seem to be a shame to use so little power (such as 50W per amp) on drivers that are capable of much more. The Platinum driver set ranges from 100W (mid) through 160W (tweeter) to 300W (for the Radial bass driver), if it was me doing it I'd go for more than 50W per amp. I believe that ATC use MOS-FET power amps and their ratings are 200/100/50W per channel, the extra grip of the big amp on the bass driver is likely to be worthwhile.
While looking at the WA website I also noticed that the Prestige Platinum drivers are a range of sensitivities from 91 to 94 dB/w/m whereas the Gold are all 91dB, won't this require some EQ or gain adjustment to get the FR flat?
While looking at the WA website I also noticed that the Prestige Platinum drivers are a range of sensitivities from 91 to 94 dB/w/m whereas the Gold are all 91dB, won't this require some EQ or gain adjustment to get the FR flat?
That can't be right. At least I hope it isn't.
For starters the ATC dome is 16Ohm while the Volt one is 8 and then there are differing sensitivities between the drivers of the 3 models.
For starters the ATC dome is 16Ohm while the Volt one is 8 and then there are differing sensitivities between the drivers of the 3 models.
WA told me the same thing re Prestige crossovers, that they have only supplied one type for a long time. I thought it was odd too, for exactly the reasons you mention.
Did WA tell you that? That's exactly what I was told when I enquired about the differences between the three types of speakers because I thought the crossovers were bound to be different...
I got this from WA re the crossovers:
Looking back at what we have been supplying over the last few months, it seems that we have returned to using the same crossover for both the Gold and Platinum designs. The main parameters of the two midranges are very similar and although we did have slightly different designs for both, we have found that the Gold crossover does actually produce a better soundstage than our original Platinum design. However it quite often comes down to individual hearing. So if you feel after running them for a while, that the sound needs tweaking, we would be happy to advise accordingly
If you change the tweeter from the Gold to the Platinum unit, you may need to change the resistor value, but again that depends more on how they sound than a theoretical design. So again, see how they sound and if a tweak is required, we would be pleased to advise.
They might have a point regarding the tweeter, many pro designs have some level of adjustment for treble to match different rooms.
Looking back at what we have been supplying over the last few months, it seems that we have returned to using the same crossover for both the Gold and Platinum designs. The main parameters of the two midranges are very similar and although we did have slightly different designs for both, we have found that the Gold crossover does actually produce a better soundstage than our original Platinum design. However it quite often comes down to individual hearing. So if you feel after running them for a while, that the sound needs tweaking, we would be happy to advise accordingly
If you change the tweeter from the Gold to the Platinum unit, you may need to change the resistor value, but again that depends more on how they sound than a theoretical design. So again, see how they sound and if a tweak is required, we would be pleased to advise.
They might have a point regarding the tweeter, many pro designs have some level of adjustment for treble to match different rooms.
Volt mid sound quality?
Do you have any idea what the Volt mid dome sounds like? A lot of people know the ATC driver, and it is rated very highly, but the Volt is a bit of a mystery to me, I wonder if anyone else has heard it? It sells at quite a premium over the already quite expensive ATC as well. Volt tend to make pro drivers and it is possible that the extra money has gone into power handling (one of the Radial's strengths) rather than sound quality, if that is the case you might be buying features you don't need. Difficult isn't it?
Do you have any idea what the Volt mid dome sounds like? A lot of people know the ATC driver, and it is rated very highly, but the Volt is a bit of a mystery to me, I wonder if anyone else has heard it? It sells at quite a premium over the already quite expensive ATC as well. Volt tend to make pro drivers and it is possible that the extra money has gone into power handling (one of the Radial's strengths) rather than sound quality, if that is the case you might be buying features you don't need. Difficult isn't it?
Volt,like ATC, has two ranges: PA drivers and those for very high quality studio monitors.
The RV3143 and the VM752 dome mid belong to their studio range which are optimised for SQ I would have thought. At least they find themselves in some of the best sounding monitors money can buy.
Still worried about Wilmslows apparent use of the same xover for the 16Ohm ATC and the 8Ohm Volt.
The passband would be shifted by a large amount (an octave I think).
That said Volt drivers usually come in a choice of 4, 8 or 16 Ohm and ATC does special 8 Ohm versions of their mid.
So may be, just may be thats how Wilmslow does it.
The RV3143 and the VM752 dome mid belong to their studio range which are optimised for SQ I would have thought. At least they find themselves in some of the best sounding monitors money can buy.
Still worried about Wilmslows apparent use of the same xover for the 16Ohm ATC and the 8Ohm Volt.
The passband would be shifted by a large amount (an octave I think).
That said Volt drivers usually come in a choice of 4, 8 or 16 Ohm and ATC does special 8 Ohm versions of their mid.
So may be, just may be thats how Wilmslow does it.
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All true but my point was that (despite the Volt mid being studio quality) the difference in price might be because it is a beefed-up device (compared with the ATC) to allow extended loud usage without compression or damage. If this is the case it probably isn't worth the extra money in a domestic setting where it probably won't be on loud for hours on end. The RV3143 description makes a lot of this so it might apply to the mid too.
It might be best to ask WA for an explanation.
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It might be best to ask WA for an explanation.
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I've never delved into the art of DIY speakers up until now. Even now I'm not even pretending to know what I'm doing, that is why I am buying a kit. Someone hear (or here) must have experienced the difference between the two speakers.
I'm tempted by the GOLD but I don't want to be left feeling that I wish I'd gone PLATINUM in the first place.
If it is down to power handling, then I'm no going to be using any more than 150W.
I'm tempted by the GOLD but I don't want to be left feeling that I wish I'd gone PLATINUM in the first place.
If it is down to power handling, then I'm no going to be using any more than 150W.
Looking up the specs, the power handling is the same 50-300W for both Gold and Platinum.
The differences are the sensitivity 90dB (Gold) 92dB (Platinum)
and frequency response - 20kHz (Gold) and 40 kHz (Platinum)
I think I'll go Platinum.
The differences are the sensitivity 90dB (Gold) 92dB (Platinum)
and frequency response - 20kHz (Gold) and 40 kHz (Platinum)
I think I'll go Platinum.
If you're going active the difference in sensitivities and impedance between drivers won't matter. I'd be more concerned to find out if there is any EQ or response shaping applied to the drivers by the Wilmslow crossover as you'd need something like the miniDSP crossover to mimic it.
Looking at the choice of drive units, are you sure they are the best available? I've read elsewhere that Scanspeak are leading the field at the moment so I'd want to be convinced that Volt and ATC are keeping pace.
For the price, I'd be tempted to look closely at
CENTURION - Platinum
but that's probably not very helpful at this stage 🙂
PS The other Wilmslow design which intrigues me is
The Rhythm King Loudspeaker Kit
but it may have a radically different presentation.
Looking at the choice of drive units, are you sure they are the best available? I've read elsewhere that Scanspeak are leading the field at the moment so I'd want to be convinced that Volt and ATC are keeping pace.
For the price, I'd be tempted to look closely at
CENTURION - Platinum
but that's probably not very helpful at this stage 🙂
PS The other Wilmslow design which intrigues me is
The Rhythm King Loudspeaker Kit
but it may have a radically different presentation.
Colin, as I said, I know very little about choosing the drivers and even less about designing the crossovers.
I'm really at the whim of a ready designed kit and now I've bought the Prestige cabinets.
It'll take me a few weeks (months) to get them to the finish that I would happily sit and look at - I'm going to try for gloss piano black.
I'm really at the whim of a ready designed kit and now I've bought the Prestige cabinets.
It'll take me a few weeks (months) to get them to the finish that I would happily sit and look at - I'm going to try for gloss piano black.
I would have thought that the RV3143 description is mostly there to explain the reasoning behind the external basket which is somewhat unusual.
Nothing like that needed for the VM752.
I have the suspicion that the PMC mid dome would be even more expensive if PMC would sell it separately.
That is true but it still makes me wonder why the Volt is so expensive. I agree about PMC, I was very lucky to get mine and I wouldn't be at all surprised if they were double the Volt price if they were for sale.
I have heard the Prestige Gold in the new style cabs and they are very, very good, I don't think you will be disappointed. I would think about the obsolescent SS tweeter though, if you pay £400 for a pair and one dies it might cause you some trouble.
Might be just lower numbers built and there is somewhat more material in the Volt than in the ATC (9kg for the Volt, 7kg for the ATC net weight).
When googling it seems only Solen of Canada and Wilmslow sell the Volt plus unlike ATC Volt do not sell complete speakers.
So far the only speaker/monitor manufacturer I know of to use the Volt dome is Quested Audio and Roger Quested used them for some time before Wilmslow started to sell them.
Who knows may be Roger fell out with Billy Woodman and needed another source for a 3" dome. This is pure conjecture though.
A little OT question since you seem to have an angle on PMC:
The 12" and 15" woofers they use are clearly made by Volt but the cones on the PMC woofers look more like ATC ones ie there is a little ripple to the surface while my 3143s are completely smooth. Know anything about that per chance?
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