Lowest cost/performance ratio would be greatly appreciated though I do not mean cheap, has to sound great. Not apposed to going to a smaller driver as long as we can get down to fairly low in bass output with a single driver per side.
Going into the ceiling 4 ft above the bed into a space approximately 16x30x6" filled with fiberglass and has two 3" openings to on two sides into more air space.
I am looking into a low cost but great streamer/dac/amp combo or possible separates, wired to ethernet so no wifi or BT needed. just needs to sound very nice, laid back, etc, will consider one of the little units from China with tubes even if a hybrid, would look cool and my wife loves tubes as much as I do.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and of course I will start doing a lot more research than I have as just came up with this idea instead of using a BT speaker like we have been doing.
Edit: I realize I will likely want a pretty high QTS driver for this.
Thanks,
Rick
Going into the ceiling 4 ft above the bed into a space approximately 16x30x6" filled with fiberglass and has two 3" openings to on two sides into more air space.
I am looking into a low cost but great streamer/dac/amp combo or possible separates, wired to ethernet so no wifi or BT needed. just needs to sound very nice, laid back, etc, will consider one of the little units from China with tubes even if a hybrid, would look cool and my wife loves tubes as much as I do.
Any ideas would be greatly appreciated and of course I will start doing a lot more research than I have as just came up with this idea instead of using a BT speaker like we have been doing.
Edit: I realize I will likely want a pretty high QTS driver for this.
Thanks,
Rick
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I was going to look into Markaudio, thanks! That driver does look promising, rolls off a bit more than I would like on the bottom end but the install will make up some of that and fairly close to the corners will help as well as I will likely use a Wiim Pro to stream so have some PEQ to work with. I do not need them to go really low or even play that loudly so I can probably tune them in well enough. I am considering one of the cheap D class amps with tubes as mentioned, might give one a try with the built in DAC though might not like it that well....
Or, just realized, I have a Pro Plus and not using the DAC in it as got a great price and was curious to how it sounded which is pretty good, likely more than enough for the bedroom system. I could get the regular Pro for the main system or look into something DIY later one when I have more time.
I have used home audio drivers in cars for decades with no issues, just so you guys know it is perfectly fine to do so. I always made a little shield over the top of the drivers in doors to make any water that gets in goes around them. Raw home audio drivers are generally far less expensive than similar quality one marketed for car audio. I have some I know of going over 20 years and still working great. I removed a set of Sony marine speakers from the ceiling in the RV, changing location so sealing up the holes, they are 18 years old and the surrounds just fell apart and it was evident they never got wet.
I had direct wholesale accounts with 3 major higher end car audio brands and connections to get most anything car audio related, alarms as well and I still used home audio drivers when it was a better way to go.
Thanks again!
Rick
Or, just realized, I have a Pro Plus and not using the DAC in it as got a great price and was curious to how it sounded which is pretty good, likely more than enough for the bedroom system. I could get the regular Pro for the main system or look into something DIY later one when I have more time.
I have used home audio drivers in cars for decades with no issues, just so you guys know it is perfectly fine to do so. I always made a little shield over the top of the drivers in doors to make any water that gets in goes around them. Raw home audio drivers are generally far less expensive than similar quality one marketed for car audio. I have some I know of going over 20 years and still working great. I removed a set of Sony marine speakers from the ceiling in the RV, changing location so sealing up the holes, they are 18 years old and the surrounds just fell apart and it was evident they never got wet.
I had direct wholesale accounts with 3 major higher end car audio brands and connections to get most anything car audio related, alarms as well and I still used home audio drivers when it was a better way to go.
Thanks again!
Rick
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Yes, they look like a great way to go, budget and results
One more thing, I will check, my wife loves copper, if these come in copper then will get some, it not then will look at their other drivers so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, again
Taking a look now, seems they call it gold but looks copper on the site for the Alpair-10M. have not looked at the specs, just the pretty picture.
So far it looks like the CHN-110 specs are best. I wonder if the CHR-120 would work out OK.
I would stick with the CHN-110 and she would be happy with them if must use it, no worries, she loves copper but music even more.
One more thing, I will check, my wife loves copper, if these come in copper then will get some, it not then will look at their other drivers so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, again
Taking a look now, seems they call it gold but looks copper on the site for the Alpair-10M. have not looked at the specs, just the pretty picture.
So far it looks like the CHN-110 specs are best. I wonder if the CHR-120 would work out OK.
I would stick with the CHN-110 and she would be happy with them if must use it, no worries, she loves copper but music even more.
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I have been buggin gthem ever since they made th echange in colour but not he word they use for the colour.
It is copper. Same issue with grey vrs silver
dave
A long time ago I picked out and installed some amazingly good sounding drivers for a car dash, they were boston acoustics 3.5" poly cone coaxials with fabric dome tweeters. They were clean and went loud with no harshness. I believe the small size of the cone made the dispersion wide enough to integrate really well with the tweeter. They were all that would fit but they sounded fantastic.
Way back in 1982 or 83 I used to go to a place in SF called Speaker City(at least I believe that was their name) using their little catalog, nothing online yet of course, I picked a home audio 6.5 and tweeter, crossover boards, caps, grills, etc and put together a set for myself. My Navy buddies loved them and so I went to get the parts for a few sets and they asked me where I came up with the specs and I said from their catalog, they were pretty impressed as we getting a kit ready to sell with exactly the same parts for a car audio kit. No more than 6 months later I saw a Boston Acoustics add for a new 6.5 car audio set at many times the price I put mine together for and they looked very similar. I went to a shop and checked them out, exact same drivers, crossover design, etc, just different grills and crossover packaging and brand of parts on the boards.
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Down firing can be an issue, so I have heard at least, never built anything down firing as never needed to.
I still have a pair of tiny little what I call "nipple" tweeters, I think they were label as ....can't recall, major brand though, and certainly the same as I believe were some Audax home audio units in little swivel mounts for a car install.
I also have an old pair of little aluminum enclosure ADS speakers I picked up at a garage sale for around $12. They were exceptionally heave so I opened them up and found them full of sand, I cleaned them out and upgraded the crossovers and still have them, been in storage a very long time so I hope still good, I might try them but the do need a sub but sound very good. I was offered $500 for them right after I got them up and running but turned it down, liked them that much, only used in a house or RV, garage system, etc since.
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Down firing can be an issue, so I have heard at least, never built anything down firing as never needed to.
I still have a pair of tiny little what I call "nipple" tweeters, I think they were label as ....can't recall, major brand though, and certainly the same as I believe were some Audax home audio units in little swivel mounts for a car install.
I also have an old pair of little aluminum enclosure ADS speakers I picked up at a garage sale for around $12. They were exceptionally heave so I opened them up and found them full of sand, I cleaned them out and upgraded the crossovers and still have them, been in storage a very long time so I hope still good, I might try them but the do need a sub but sound very good. I was offered $500 for them right after I got them up and running but turned it down, liked them that much, only used in a house or RV, garage system, etc since.
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Had a chain of stores or relocated? https://www.speakercity.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?
My sweet wife wants copper colored speakers as they will have no grills and be in the ceiling in the bedroom, she spends quite a bit of time reading there and loves copper/copper color if not actual copper.
That said I am looking at the MA drivers in what they call "gold" as it looks copper in all the pics.
Alpair-10M
Alpair-11MS
Alpair-7MS
Fulvia Eleven
Pretty big price spread but if the most expensive ones are the best ones then OK with that, if a less expensive pair are still very good, close enough....then that is cool as well
I have never worked with or heard these speakers so asking for advice here.
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I do appreciate the recommended CH-110, lowest cost, would sound great, just not the right color.....
Thanks,
Rick
That said I am looking at the MA drivers in what they call "gold" as it looks copper in all the pics.
Alpair-10M
Alpair-11MS
Alpair-7MS
Fulvia Eleven
Pretty big price spread but if the most expensive ones are the best ones then OK with that, if a less expensive pair are still very good, close enough....then that is cool as well
I have never worked with or heard these speakers so asking for advice here.
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I do appreciate the recommended CH-110, lowest cost, would sound great, just not the right color.....
Thanks,
Rick
I have the 5 and 10, the latter needs to be toe'ed out quite a lot for bedtime listening. Both sound very smooth like liquid metal, but still a hint of metal compared to other stuff. I made Alpair 5.2 in 3.75-liter TLonken (there's a thread with pics) and used Alpair 10.3 omni pointing up as well as in desktop stainless bowls (slightly tilted, pic in the full range photo Gallery). If ceiling mounted, 10.3 might point straight down omni-directional. Or, mount either in a ball/bowl that can be pointed as needed.
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It is copper. There have been no gold MA since the first generation… only the label on the box has soldiered on.
Don’t forget the Pluvia 7HD. It is probably the sweet spot between A5.x and A10.3. Has the same bass potential as the larger driver, better dispersion and a tiny edge thru the mids.
The mino suapension drivers (A7/11ms, A6.3) probably won’t be happy long term in the ceiling.
dave
Cool, Wife will be super happy about that, loves her copper!
I did not look at the 7HD, figured to small but it sure has great numbers and really nice response.
And, cheaper!
If I use a WIIM streamer I will have a bit of EQing but I might end up using an Andriod phone or tablet instead, at least at first, I believe they can "EQ" a bit as well, never had a reason to try it. Yep, just looked, 7 presets and 9 bands on the phone.
THANKS
I did not look at the 7HD, figured to small but it sure has great numbers and really nice response.
And, cheaper!
If I use a WIIM streamer I will have a bit of EQing but I might end up using an Andriod phone or tablet instead, at least at first, I believe they can "EQ" a bit as well, never had a reason to try it. Yep, just looked, 7 presets and 9 bands on the phone.
THANKS
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