I have just completed a new speaker of my own design. It is based on the synergy horn concept, invented by Tom Danley. It is a 3-way design, built into a very large horn, loosely based on the Klipsch K-402 (but about 20% larger). It is somewhat comparable to the Danley SH-96, as it uses a similar driver arrangement. However, my design uses sealed bass drivers instead of ported, and I am using fully-active DSP crossovers instead of passive.
I have decided to call it the Big-*** Synergy Horn and will refer to it from here on as the BASH.
Here are some build photos:
I have decided to call it the Big-*** Synergy Horn and will refer to it from here on as the BASH.
Here are some build photos:
I am using Eminence N-314X-8 carbon fiber diaphragm CD for the tweeter.
4x B&C 4NDF34-8 4" Midrange drivers
4x Crites Cast Frame 15" Woofers
4x B&C 4NDF34-8 4" Midrange drivers
4x Crites Cast Frame 15" Woofers
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The outer curved portion was formed using epoxy and fiberglass filler. This is not a construction method I would recommend to others. I used it because it is a process I am familiar and experienced with. I got a good result, but it was expensive, messy and time consuming. If I had to do it again, I would have invested in a foam hot-wire cutter. Would have been much simpler and easier. Oh well, this worked and I am happy with how it came out.
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Wiring was a pain. With 18 drivers to wire up, it just takes a while. Getting them up off the floor was an ordeal as well. I'd estimate they are over 300 lbs each.
La Scala Bass bins for scale (they are my new speaker stands until I can build something stout enough to hold these monsters).
La Scala Bass bins for scale (they are my new speaker stands until I can build something stout enough to hold these monsters).
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Oh absolutely. I am at work right now and don't have access to my REW files, but I will definitely be posting them in the next day or so. Would love to get everyone's input on tuning and EQ.
I have a basic crossover/EQ setup going right now. Still lots of measuring, tweaking and tuning left to do. I can say this though, they are extraordinary. The bass is just outrageously good (not surprising I guess). They get down to 25Hz easily. The output is tight and clean at any volume. The way the frequencies integrate into a point source is something I have just begun to appreciate. It is awesome though. I don't want to say too much before I get them fully dialed-in, but this is end-game stuff for sure.
That's what I've been casually calling my new design for a while now. Guess I'll have to come up with something else.
With another El Nino locally, I'm having trouble building as my workshop area become a shallow stream every time it rains, and some other works I want to do require council approval. They move glacially and I'm reluctant to put power tools and the CNC in there until then.
My design is closer to Chris' K402 based one and there are a couple of variants.
I'll watch your progress with interest.
Paying close attention to this thread. My kind of speaker as well.
My neighbors with their screaming little kids on the trampoline at 11 pm need you as their neighbor.
What are you driving them with and what crossover points?
My neighbors with their screaming little kids on the trampoline at 11 pm need you as their neighbor.
What are you driving them with and what crossover points?
Well, I have to apologize. I only had a few hours to get them hooked up and crossed over on Sunday, as I had spent most of the weekend moving and wiring them up. I mostly was trying to get a basic setup going, just so I could have an initial listen. In my haste, I did not save individual driver curves that would show the crossover, etc. I will fix that this weekend and get raw driver curves, phase curves, etc. for everyone to see. All I have to show right now is the basic frequency response I was able to get after establishing a preliminary configuration. I know this isn't much to look at, but it is all I really have to show at the moment. Here you go, keeping in mind, this was thrown together quickly:
I think what it does show, is that this design is very capable of clean output from 20-20,000Hz. I shouldn't have much difficulty getting this to be very flat over that range.
Don't worry, I'll get much better data than this for everyone over the weekend!
I think what it does show, is that this design is very capable of clean output from 20-20,000Hz. I shouldn't have much difficulty getting this to be very flat over that range.
Don't worry, I'll get much better data than this for everyone over the weekend!
Haha, luckily I have a very soundproof basement. Can rock all night!
I am currently driving the bass drivers with a Dayton APA150 (150wpc SS), the mids with a APPJ Mini 2013, and the HF with a Latino ST-70. I have a Yamaha P-2200 that I intend to use on the woofers once it gets back from the shop. I probably will also upgrade the mids to something a little better than the $99 APPJ.
Crossover points are about 150Hz and 1200Hz. Again, I'll get some raw driver curves done this weekend to show all of that.
nice job. we won't ask you for outdoor measurements. I suspect wherever they are, they are there to stay.
Very very nice !!!!
You've done what I want to do...build a synergy big enough to go low on it's own without a sub.
I just can't get over the idea not being able to move 'em around easily. (I keep all my synergy builds, made for 100Hz up, under 70 lbs)
I tried the hot wire / foam board route for the secondary flares, trying to mimic the K-402. It was a lot of work to get right, given the span needed for the long flares. Won't do it again.
If i do build some big ones, i think I'll copy what you did, but use bendy-board plywood over secondary ribs.
Looking forward to your measurements of individual sections and xover points. I'm not sure the four 4NDF34's in mine would reach down to 120Hz sufficiently. I guess maybe your bigger horn helps that?
Which btw, what mouth size and pattern do you have?
You've done what I want to do...build a synergy big enough to go low on it's own without a sub.
I just can't get over the idea not being able to move 'em around easily. (I keep all my synergy builds, made for 100Hz up, under 70 lbs)
I tried the hot wire / foam board route for the secondary flares, trying to mimic the K-402. It was a lot of work to get right, given the span needed for the long flares. Won't do it again.
If i do build some big ones, i think I'll copy what you did, but use bendy-board plywood over secondary ribs.
Looking forward to your measurements of individual sections and xover points. I'm not sure the four 4NDF34's in mine would reach down to 120Hz sufficiently. I guess maybe your bigger horn helps that?
Which btw, what mouth size and pattern do you have?
Thank you for the compliments.
I think that epoxy fiberglass filler is actually not a bad material to use, just so long as the volume required is minimal. I quickly learned that I needed to fill as much of the space between the ribs as possible with scrap wood before moving to the filler. The first few batches I laid down were inches thick, got really hot when they cured, and cracked afterwards. Not to mention they used huge quantities of very expensive epoxy. I realized that you had to fill 95% of the space before skimming it over with the filler. I spent hundreds on epoxy and filler and could have done it much more efficiently. Oh well, I guess you kind of have to learn as you go with a project like this.
I couldn't quite get the 4NDF34s down to 120Hz. They started to peter out around 150 or so. Not a problem as my woofers could probably do 600Hz or higher. I had way more overlap between the bass drivers and the mids than necessary, but that's just kind of how it worked out. Like you, I wanted a synergy horn that goes all the way down. You can't do that without woofers. I also wanted to cross to a CD at 1000Hz+. Woofers wont make it that high in a synergy horn. You can't get them close enough to the throat.
The mouth is 48" x 32" and it is a 90x60 pattern. They are 24" deep without the backs on. I had to add a ~3" bumpout to the back to fit the compression drivers, as they stuck out just a little farther than they were supposed to.
I think that epoxy fiberglass filler is actually not a bad material to use, just so long as the volume required is minimal. I quickly learned that I needed to fill as much of the space between the ribs as possible with scrap wood before moving to the filler. The first few batches I laid down were inches thick, got really hot when they cured, and cracked afterwards. Not to mention they used huge quantities of very expensive epoxy. I realized that you had to fill 95% of the space before skimming it over with the filler. I spent hundreds on epoxy and filler and could have done it much more efficiently. Oh well, I guess you kind of have to learn as you go with a project like this.
I couldn't quite get the 4NDF34s down to 120Hz. They started to peter out around 150 or so. Not a problem as my woofers could probably do 600Hz or higher. I had way more overlap between the bass drivers and the mids than necessary, but that's just kind of how it worked out. Like you, I wanted a synergy horn that goes all the way down. You can't do that without woofers. I also wanted to cross to a CD at 1000Hz+. Woofers wont make it that high in a synergy horn. You can't get them close enough to the throat.
The mouth is 48" x 32" and it is a 90x60 pattern. They are 24" deep without the backs on. I had to add a ~3" bumpout to the back to fit the compression drivers, as they stuck out just a little farther than they were supposed to.
Ok, I managed to get some more measurements over the weekend. Here are the individual drivers raw output. Not crossovers and no EQ:
I was able to get the mids close enough to hit a ~1200Hz crossover, which was my design goal. I could have made 1000 work, but glad I hit my intended number. The Eminence 314X starts to sound crunchy under 1000Hz, so I wanted to avoid that region.
I was able to get the mids close enough to hit a ~1200Hz crossover, which was my design goal. I could have made 1000 work, but glad I hit my intended number. The Eminence 314X starts to sound crunchy under 1000Hz, so I wanted to avoid that region.
Here I have level matched them, put a low pass on the Woofers and Mids, and a high pass on the CD. No EQ at all. This is starting to look pretty good! I can see how Tom Danley is able to use a passive crossover with his commercial units. The synergy horn makes blending the drivers much easier than other multi-way horns.
