Having just finished the build of a pair of Dallas 2s (but just starting the tweaking) I'm finding myself tempted to build something else. I'm liking the sound of the Dallas 2 already so cast my eye over the Woden Kirishima. Space and WAF are not a problem!
Although bigger, the construction of Kirishima looks much easier than Dallas 2 as it's all straight lines. The build effort looks much the same for Kongo and Haruna so unless there's a really good reason it looks like the Kirishima is the preferred option.
But my concern is availability of the FE206En which was quite a problem even a year ago. I've seen that @Scottmoose is adamant that this is the driver Kirishima was designed for. I don't think I can run to FE208EZ Sigma (plus treble "support"), and the FE206NV doesn't seem to generate a lot of enthusiasm - Scott mentioned elsewhere that "published Qt is significantly higher than the previous En" so I'm really unsure if it it is suitable, or what other options I may have. Advice gratefully received!
At the moment my amp is an EAR 859 (kit-built about 30 years ago) and I have an as yet untried Chinese JLH solid state amp. Also contemplating a DECWare Zen Kit 1 SET build if I can still get the transformers. Current listening room (my home office) is about 5.5 x 5.5 x 4m but our main living space is about 6x that area and has no hifi or even TV
Although bigger, the construction of Kirishima looks much easier than Dallas 2 as it's all straight lines. The build effort looks much the same for Kongo and Haruna so unless there's a really good reason it looks like the Kirishima is the preferred option.
But my concern is availability of the FE206En which was quite a problem even a year ago. I've seen that @Scottmoose is adamant that this is the driver Kirishima was designed for. I don't think I can run to FE208EZ Sigma (plus treble "support"), and the FE206NV doesn't seem to generate a lot of enthusiasm - Scott mentioned elsewhere that "published Qt is significantly higher than the previous En" so I'm really unsure if it it is suitable, or what other options I may have. Advice gratefully received!
At the moment my amp is an EAR 859 (kit-built about 30 years ago) and I have an as yet untried Chinese JLH solid state amp. Also contemplating a DECWare Zen Kit 1 SET build if I can still get the transformers. Current listening room (my home office) is about 5.5 x 5.5 x 4m but our main living space is about 6x that area and has no hifi or even TV
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The short answer at a glance is NO basically because the specs don't line up close enough to fudge it.
You did a great job building the dallas 2 horns. What don’t you like about the fostex FE206NV driver in it? How many hours does this speaker have on it? A phase plug (dave from planet 10 can help you out) and damping the metal basket from the common ring with plumbers putty between the magnet and the frame. Also a peice of whool glued to the back of the magnet helps as well. Wires help and so does the type of rca cables as well. I again think you did a super job on your speaker boxes. I hope things get better as the speaker breaks in like fine wine. Please keep us updated. 😁.
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I can check but i bekieve Scott said that Valiant, Victor, and Vulcan will tolerate the NVs.
I have a couple pair of FE166En, patially modified. 1 set has lost its woofers, which suggests 2 pair Victorwith 2 used side-by-side (firmly), and a low pass on the no-whizzer ones (series with big shunt cap). Won’t go lower, but the larger mouth will mean less ripple). The no whizzer ones will be cost of shipping.
dave
I have a couple pair of FE166En, patially modified. 1 set has lost its woofers, which suggests 2 pair Victorwith 2 used side-by-side (firmly), and a low pass on the no-whizzer ones (series with big shunt cap). Won’t go lower, but the larger mouth will mean less ripple). The no whizzer ones will be cost of shipping.
dave
The Dallas 2s have the FE206En drivers (not NV), I managed to get them just over a year ago but it was a bit of a struggle. Now it seems even harder.
I have a long list of tweaks to consider including:
- more burning in hours, I only finished last weekend so probably under 20 so far and even less LOUD hours, but Thin Lizzy is giving them a hammering tonight
- everything from https://diyaudioprojects.com/Drivers/Fullrange-Modifications-Tweaks/,
- changing speaker cables to CAT5/6 twisted pair, and internal wires too when I can get more connectors (currently 2.5mm silver stranded)
- connecting metal basket to -ve terminal (not 100% sure how to do this...)
- phase plug, probably from DECWare as I can buy the PCB for the Zen Kit 1 at the same time - I have to consider these things as it isn't so easy to get stuff shipped to Azerbaijan!
Another question - the bitumen sheet I have seems very stiff, not sure that it will wrap around the basket - does it need warming up first? Or maybe just a strip back and front, not wrapped around.?
Anyway, for the (potential) Kirishima I guess I'll look harder for someone who has a pair of FE206En lurking in a dark corner. The NV feels like it may be a bit of a compromise, which I don't want to make.
The ductseal shown in the second pic could be one of mine.
The felt he is using is too thin and polyester. It wants to be on the inside of the basket legs.
Be interesting to hear what you think of this one. Hi-end version of this can be found at Take 5 audio.
Sometimes makes a difference. If your amplifier is bridged the “ground terminal” is hot and not of use for this.
I hate to say it but much that Steve now does is not much use.
The socket phase plug is just an example of him grabbing everything he could and seeing if it would fit.
We started with a lipstick cap and refined from that. I am not impressed with Steve’s.
And you can de much better than the Zen for an SE EL84 amplifier. We went thru that.
dave
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Good Evening sorry I miss understood about the fostex Fe206en driver’s. I can give you a example of the FE126EN vs The FE126NV Series. The magnet is smaller on the NV vs The EN series as you can see in the picture. When I have time I will A&B the EN vs the NV series later this winter. Good luck. Jeff
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I've just picked up a pair of FE166En on eBay.com so it looks like a pair of Haruna are on the cards. But it's the only pair I found and FE206En seem completely unobtainable
I liked my Sachikos with my FE206ES-R drivers but if I was building a pair now I'd splash out for the plans for Scott's Vulcan.
I had a pair of Harunas and they were excellent, sold them because they were a bit large and imposing in my room and regretted it ever since. If you have the space then I'm sure you will enjoy them
I found this place selling phase plugs https://audio-diy.rdacoustic.cz/en/?s=phase+stabilizer&post_type=product which is convenient as my boss is going near there very soon. But what size to get (for FE206En in Dallas 2) - 40, 50, 60, 70 or 80mm? My gut feeling is that 50mm feels and looks about right but I don't have any sound basis for saying that.
Also I guess I should get some for the FE166En that are on the way, though that shop doesn't have them. On items this small I just get killed with postage charges to Azerbaijan - probably more than the plugs.
Also I guess I should get some for the FE166En that are on the way, though that shop doesn't have them. On items this small I just get killed with postage charges to Azerbaijan - probably more than the plugs.
Based on nothing but my impression, those are kinda opointy and why so many lengths. For this purpose the tip just reaching a tiny bit past the top edge of the whizzer.
I have not yet released my FE206 plug plan. I will when i sell off the last of the ones i have ($30 USD/pr + $12 post to the USA a buck more for international). Canadians get screwed on postage.
FE166 is sold out so:http://www.planet10-hifi.com/downloads/FE16x-PhasePlugs.pdf
Someone did an STL file for these. I’ll have to find it
dave
I have not yet released my FE206 plug plan. I will when i sell off the last of the ones i have ($30 USD/pr + $12 post to the USA a buck more for international). Canadians get screwed on postage.
FE166 is sold out so:http://www.planet10-hifi.com/downloads/FE16x-PhasePlugs.pdf
Someone did an STL file for these. I’ll have to find it
dave
Be interesting to hear what you think of this one. Hi-end version of this can be found at Take 5 audio.
@planet10 I've seen a lot of different ways to use CAT6 including braids etc. But I think that for this kind of speaker (Dallas 2/Haruna) you are meaning a single pair?
I'll use the same colours left and right so the twist is the same. My speaker cables need to be about 2.5m and internal wires about 35cm.
I'm thinking to use the whole cable to give it some strength and visibility going across the floor, and just select one pair to actually connect. Or are you meaning to braid it?
Thanks
Yes, a single pair. It is important to remove the other wires. A simple pair works but you can get fancier in the geometry.
dave
dave
