What is the preferred cabinet volume for Audience A3s in a SEALED enclosure? I have heard everything from 1.5 liters to 2.5 liters per driver.
I got an answer back on this.
1-1.25 liters is the preferred sealed volume for modest power handling. That sets the corner of the roll-off at about 125Hz. Midrange is said to be best here, too. Using in a corner or near a wall is the recommend practice to gain some bass.
If the driver is used out away from the wall, then a second, rear firing driver on the back is advised to cancel baffle step loss.
There you have it!
1-1.25 liters is the preferred sealed volume for modest power handling. That sets the corner of the roll-off at about 125Hz. Midrange is said to be best here, too. Using in a corner or near a wall is the recommend practice to gain some bass.
If the driver is used out away from the wall, then a second, rear firing driver on the back is advised to cancel baffle step loss.
There you have it!
That's what I needed to know. I am, however, a bit surprised that the recommended internal volume is so small: 25 years ago, I used to give Bandor and Jordan 50mm modules 1.5 liters per driver - and they were significantly smaller units than the A3s. Still, I will go with your learned recommendation. Many thanks!!!
Sure thing.
It is a tiny volume. But that's from one of the Audience crew who uses and loves this driver. A good starting point, at least.
It is a tiny volume. But that's from one of the Audience crew who uses and loves this driver. A good starting point, at least.
Audience website still shows 5L volume for a two driver sealed unit.
audience :Audience A3 Loudspeaker Drivers: Applications
What's the true number? I'm considering using the A3 too.
Thanks,
Michael Speaker
audience :Audience A3 Loudspeaker Drivers: Applications
What's the true number? I'm considering using the A3 too.
Thanks,
Michael Speaker
There is no 'true number', just a set of compromises. You pick whatever suits your requirements best. For a 0.707 Qtc, you're looking at a whisker over 1 litre.
Audience A3 sealed cabinet volume
I'm sticking with Pano's recommendation of 1 to 1.25 litres per driver. Audience's listing of 5 litres for two drivers is old information.
Has anyone tried A3s with passive radiators as Audience is now doing?
I'm sticking with Pano's recommendation of 1 to 1.25 litres per driver. Audience's listing of 5 litres for two drivers is old information.
Has anyone tried A3s with passive radiators as Audience is now doing?
I am building a set of single A3S drivers in a 2 liter sealed enclosure with a passive radiator at the moment... I am still very busy with different enclosures and sizes and shapes... but so far, I find them to be quite harsh around 10.000Hz... I am just these days finishing new enclosures with rounded edges, "sunken" drivers and the passive radiator in the back... If anyone has any ideas on the harshnes.. please let me know!
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I'm not familiar with the specific drivers, but a few general observations/questions from playing with a few small FR types over the years would be
- source / amp type?
- driver break-in?
- rebate for flush mount
- is average listening position as near field as photo implies?
- if you can tolerate a large enough enclosure, try offsetting driver position from center as well as radius all edges
The A3S is very sensitive to internal reflections within the cabinet. That might explain some of the harshness. Try to do whatever you can to make the internal walls have non-parallel surfaces.
FYI, Audience's The ONE speaker (essentially what you are doing: One A3S in a recessed mounting on the front, one passive radiator on the back) is supposed to be placed within a few inches of a back wall to reinforce their bass response. I see from the photo that you have your speakers located in free air. The bottom end will probably suffer a bit without the wall for assistance.
Don't rely on this as fact, but, from the information I've gleaned, I THINK Audience is using about a 3 liter enclosure for the ONE. They claim response close to 40Hz.
I'll be eager to find out how your speakers break in. The ONE has had great reviews.
FYI, Audience's The ONE speaker (essentially what you are doing: One A3S in a recessed mounting on the front, one passive radiator on the back) is supposed to be placed within a few inches of a back wall to reinforce their bass response. I see from the photo that you have your speakers located in free air. The bottom end will probably suffer a bit without the wall for assistance.
Don't rely on this as fact, but, from the information I've gleaned, I THINK Audience is using about a 3 liter enclosure for the ONE. They claim response close to 40Hz.
I'll be eager to find out how your speakers break in. The ONE has had great reviews.
Hi full ranger... thank you for your comment... Do you have any ideas on how to make the inside walls non parallel?
I think THE ONE (sounds a bit like the speaker that shall not be mentioned doesn't it?) is not 3 liters... the dimensions seem to be: 7"tall x 5.5" deep and 6" wide. That would make 2.2 liters if they use 1,2 cm / 0,5 inch wood....
edit: my drivers are indeed going to be in free air... but that should not cause the somewhat harshness right?
I think THE ONE (sounds a bit like the speaker that shall not be mentioned doesn't it?) is not 3 liters... the dimensions seem to be: 7"tall x 5.5" deep and 6" wide. That would make 2.2 liters if they use 1,2 cm / 0,5 inch wood....
edit: my drivers are indeed going to be in free air... but that should not cause the somewhat harshness right?
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10 dB peak on-axis in the top octave is not going to help. The FR peak is ameriolated by the comb filtering when stacked in multiples as usually used. Nothing short of dealing with the actual mechanical resonance will deal with distortion products bein telegraphed lower in frequency.
A single will need to be listened off-axis.
Plots are from Dickason's VC test of the A3S
dave
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Hi Erik,
It's easiest to consider making the surfaces non-parallel when first undertaking to design the enclosures. That being said, if the enclosures are already built (and if you can reach inside through the passive radiator hole) one possibility is "building up" the two side walls with a thick sawdust/glue mixture so that they no longer are parallel. Maybe have the two side walls converge slightly. You'll lose a bit of internal volume that way, however.
Playing the speakers in free air would diminish the bottom end but not have any effect on the 10kHz "harshness".
It's easiest to consider making the surfaces non-parallel when first undertaking to design the enclosures. That being said, if the enclosures are already built (and if you can reach inside through the passive radiator hole) one possibility is "building up" the two side walls with a thick sawdust/glue mixture so that they no longer are parallel. Maybe have the two side walls converge slightly. You'll lose a bit of internal volume that way, however.
Playing the speakers in free air would diminish the bottom end but not have any effect on the 10kHz "harshness".
@ full ranger: we are going to build at least another try out cabinet, we will make sure the walls will not be parralel in that one! Tnx!
@planet: there are indeed remarkable differences when I move slightly around...
@planet: there are indeed remarkable differences when I move slightly around...
A question about basics here. In a multiple driver application does any driver 'know' the other is there? In other words, If you were going to use more than one driver, do you multiply that 1-1.25 liters by the number of drivers ?
. . . or would it be better to build the cabinet with separate divisions for each driver?
Thanks
Yes, you DO multiply that displacement volume by the number of drvers. That being said, if you want to mount each driver n a separate compartment of the required volume, by all means, do so.
But it is not necessary and will usuallynhave an impact on how close you can get the drivers — which you want to be as close as possible.
dave
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