Evening all.
I decided to give my LLM subscriptions a run for their money.
Consensus of the LLMs seems to be that with Sonido I would not do better than my Sibeliclones. As a matter of fact, they suggested the Pensil A10.3 and the Frugel Horn XL with Mark Audio drivers if I wanted to do better. For now my conclusion is that going down the path of more expensive full range drives does not seem to offer convincing (audible) advantages.
My clones weigh 28kg a piece - no surprise with their 2.5 cm thick oak ... no good way (without potentially damaging them) to take that with me to asia, so I think I'll end up building a Frugel Horn XL over there, possibly in 2.5 cm this teak wood, and taking the 10.2 drivers from my clones with me.
I also went looking for a subwoofer - and ended up with a SEAS L26ROY subwoofer design in which I'm inclined to put a Hypex FA251.
I'm sticking to the idea of a DMP-A10 from eversolo and based on previous comments on the choice of amps, I'm considering a Benchmark AHB2, as the eversolo serves as preamp as well.
I think that closes the subject. If anyone cares to comment, please do.
Cheers,
G.
I decided to give my LLM subscriptions a run for their money.
Consensus of the LLMs seems to be that with Sonido I would not do better than my Sibeliclones. As a matter of fact, they suggested the Pensil A10.3 and the Frugel Horn XL with Mark Audio drivers if I wanted to do better. For now my conclusion is that going down the path of more expensive full range drives does not seem to offer convincing (audible) advantages.
My clones weigh 28kg a piece - no surprise with their 2.5 cm thick oak ... no good way (without potentially damaging them) to take that with me to asia, so I think I'll end up building a Frugel Horn XL over there, possibly in 2.5 cm this teak wood, and taking the 10.2 drivers from my clones with me.
I also went looking for a subwoofer - and ended up with a SEAS L26ROY subwoofer design in which I'm inclined to put a Hypex FA251.
I'm sticking to the idea of a DMP-A10 from eversolo and based on previous comments on the choice of amps, I'm considering a Benchmark AHB2, as the eversolo serves as preamp as well.
I think that closes the subject. If anyone cares to comment, please do.
Cheers,
G.
I doubt more than 1% of posters have personal experience with $11k FR drivers to offer anything useful except bottom feeders whine. Its the same here, so you're pretty much on your own. Nothing audio related is worth more than $500 and cables are scam designed to take away from hamburger budget. There is a gulf of a difference between the drivers but you won't hear it through youtube demos. All Lowther drivers sound different although they have the same cone assembly since motor and voice coil makes the difference. Comparable Fostex drivers which have similar yellow cone sound different as well and I haven't heard one I like but they are cheap .
Metal based drivers have all the detail and smoothness but are tonally dead . Some say they are neutral but it's like a perfect marriage where the only missing ingredient is love. You either pay the money, go through the weeding out process or end up having lukewarm speaker where nothing is missing except it doesn't engage you.
Metal based drivers have all the detail and smoothness but are tonally dead . Some say they are neutral but it's like a perfect marriage where the only missing ingredient is love. You either pay the money, go through the weeding out process or end up having lukewarm speaker where nothing is missing except it doesn't engage you.
I fear you are right on all counts. It was worth giving it a try, you never know if the 1% offers an opinion ;-)
Morning all
I will go listen to the AERs, determine if they are better (using the amp and network player I have now) and I'll see if they are willing to share cabinet plans. Otherwise there seems to be a forum member here who might be able to help if he's still around.
There's no point for me in trying to get cabinets, even if I could pay them. At the prices they go for, importing where I'm heading is mission impossible because taxes there are prohibitive and you can't put speakers this size in your luggage. The drivers I can put in my hand luggage, one trip at a time ...
For the rest, my opinion is that everyone is entitled to get the best for the money they are able to spend. If that is a Baby Woden with an SMSL amp and a Wiim, that is just fine. 10K is peanuts in the audio world, but its what I have to do with, so I try to find what will give me most bang for my buck.
Have a good rest of your weekend.
G.
I will go listen to the AERs, determine if they are better (using the amp and network player I have now) and I'll see if they are willing to share cabinet plans. Otherwise there seems to be a forum member here who might be able to help if he's still around.
There's no point for me in trying to get cabinets, even if I could pay them. At the prices they go for, importing where I'm heading is mission impossible because taxes there are prohibitive and you can't put speakers this size in your luggage. The drivers I can put in my hand luggage, one trip at a time ...
For the rest, my opinion is that everyone is entitled to get the best for the money they are able to spend. If that is a Baby Woden with an SMSL amp and a Wiim, that is just fine. 10K is peanuts in the audio world, but its what I have to do with, so I try to find what will give me most bang for my buck.
Have a good rest of your weekend.
G.
Hi @WhiteDragon, decided to have a quick peek at coaxial drivers as I have them in the second set of speakers I have from Tannoy. The TBs seem to have some issues (resonance) but the Satori MT19CP-8 seems to be quite interesting. Can't find any cabinet plans so far though :-/
Kind regards,
G.
Well, I have, and personally, I've yet to find a wideband drive unit with performance that justifies that kind of outlay, with the possible exception of a pristine pair of RCA LC-1a, which is usually taken as an 'honorary wideband' -and good luck finding a pair of those in appropriate condition. Presumably that makes me a 'whining bottom feeder' -so be it. Interesting things, down here on the seabed.
How much would Goodmans Axiom 80 sell for if made today, $20K/pr? Before I diy'ed I might have valued them so. Driven by SE tube they sounded like... they weren't present. Totally.
Today I have a number of projects that might, one day, compare.
Today I have a number of projects that might, one day, compare.
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Depends on production quantity, but assuming we're not talking about hand-building a pair at a time & more like the modest batch numbers of the original, probably about 1/4 of that -remember, Goodmans was not a small concern but a major manufacturer with all that entails, so we'd need at least a 'modest' size current manufacturer [e.g. Markaudio size or larger] & production scale for a valid comparison. Most current expensive wideband drivers are produced by very small concerns & are expensive because out of necessity they're on a low volume, high margin model as the market is much smaller today than it was in the '30s - '50s. For e.g., if fallible memory serves. PHY wind [or used to wind] at least some of Supravox's coils for them: a tiny cottage industry manufactuer making coils for a company only one [or at the most two] stages up the size scale.
I've no idea. 'Not many' of the former, 'quite a lot' of the latter, but compared to the big industry players, still relative peanuts. As far as production figures go though, outside of mass quantity production, or items made under watertight patent protection, I doubt you'll find many commercial companies will be willing to release that information. Not until a good few years have passed by at any rate.
Most interesting. This confirms the point made earlier and judging by posts in these forums, you know what you are talking about. Quite right, better on the seabed. Everyone here tries to achieve the best possible outcomes with what is available to them, it's a greater achievement to do more with less ...
if you had the choice of any modern driver and cabinet (including more complex cabinets), what would you go for?
Kind regards,
Gunn
I have never seen one, but i was made aware of its vaunted status when i was but a rookie. I believe Zen Mod has a pair.
dave
Given that A10 went MIA because the tooling for the baskets wore out, many.
MAOPs are made in very small batches and have a very high reject rate.
dave
RcA LC-1a ? Really ? I wouldn't pay $300 for them. My friend had a pair. Maybe they were broken... No offense regarding "bottom feeders" but OP's stated budget is $11k and you guys recommend budget buggers in $300 range and some mass market metal jokes. Years ago some guys brought on Audio Show a pair speakers looking like pencils with those drivers. Couldn't pass Vivaldi four Seasons sounding like computer speakers. BUT Japanese drums from a sampler were impressive🙂 No FR is going to do it all . I like big FRs 10-12". I mentioned JBL Le-8 because it's simply charming in midrange like no other. It can't handle any power either. Lowther I only like in big front horn. It's kind of mesmerizing. My own Rehdeko are simply ruthless and deliciously colored. They slice the air like a Japanese knife and sound totally different on every recording , not homogenizing. That's what I find the most appealing quality.So called Hi End speakers always homogenize and that's my main beef with hi end
