The array design in the Parts Express catalog caught my attention yesterday so I ordered up the parts for one speaker and will do a test mule. My plan is to make up a cardboard baffle and test it out.
It has 4 of these stacked with two small ports in a stock .56 knockdown enclosure. One of the better features is they can be stacked.
I think this should be an interesting little project.
Question...I am new to speaker building so I assume that wiring 4 in a series-parallel equates to 8 ohms...correct? The design has an option to use a cap for "maximum power handling". Again, I assume this would go on the positive side of the main connection?
Speaker Projects Gallery,Speaker Design Goals, Project Materials, Enclosure Assembly, Speaker Project Photos and More, Submitted By Parts Express Customers.
It has 4 of these stacked with two small ports in a stock .56 knockdown enclosure. One of the better features is they can be stacked.
I think this should be an interesting little project.
Question...I am new to speaker building so I assume that wiring 4 in a series-parallel equates to 8 ohms...correct? The design has an option to use a cap for "maximum power handling". Again, I assume this would go on the positive side of the main connection?
Speaker Projects Gallery,Speaker Design Goals, Project Materials, Enclosure Assembly, Speaker Project Photos and More, Submitted By Parts Express Customers.
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At first I was very excited to see this driver as it has some pretty good performance, but the $43 price is too high in my opinion for what it is as the parameters are actually a lot like the discontinued buyout Tang Band W3-881si ($10). The parameters are so similar that I could just drop them into a MLTL designed for the 881si and it sim'd pretty well. I did some tweaking to optimize it for bass extension and a flat bass shelf in the freq response. As long as the referenced design was going to use qnty 4 drivers, I would recommend putting 2 front firing and 2 rear firing for a bipole and you will not have any BSC issues to deal with. Below is the sim for a bipole MLTL design as follows:
4.5 in wide x 7.0 in deep x 40 in tall, with drivers mounted at 17 in from top (the middle line btwn drivers mounted as close as possible together), bottom firing 2.0 in x 5.0 in rectangular vent x 3.5 in long, with 4 in tall legs for the bass to escape. Stuff upper 2/3rds of chamber with polyfill at about 0.5 lb/cu ft. Wire drivers parallel/series for 8 ohms total. This is very similar to the build by Ryani here: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/234535-tangband-w3-881-mltl-build.html
He had very good success with the 881si's, and I think these will sound similar. You get more cone excursion with these drivers so they should be able to get louder. The MLTL will get down to about 55 Hz and the efficiency achieved with 4 drivers is very high.
First plot is freq response at 1 m, 1 watt, with speaker 60 in away from wall, second plot is driver cone excursion, third is impedance. The sim does not have stuffing so with it in place, the dips and peaks should really be smoothed out.
4.5 in wide x 7.0 in deep x 40 in tall, with drivers mounted at 17 in from top (the middle line btwn drivers mounted as close as possible together), bottom firing 2.0 in x 5.0 in rectangular vent x 3.5 in long, with 4 in tall legs for the bass to escape. Stuff upper 2/3rds of chamber with polyfill at about 0.5 lb/cu ft. Wire drivers parallel/series for 8 ohms total. This is very similar to the build by Ryani here: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/234535-tangband-w3-881-mltl-build.html
He had very good success with the 881si's, and I think these will sound similar. You get more cone excursion with these drivers so they should be able to get louder. The MLTL will get down to about 55 Hz and the efficiency achieved with 4 drivers is very high.
First plot is freq response at 1 m, 1 watt, with speaker 60 in away from wall, second plot is driver cone excursion, third is impedance. The sim does not have stuffing so with it in place, the dips and peaks should really be smoothed out.
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Yes. If you wire them as shown in the diagram on the project page, you'll end up with a nominal 8 ohms.
Mike
Not interested in building column enclosures [although they look intriguing]. I will stick with the design in my original post with some possible mods...I may reduce the width and increase the height slightly.
Question...with the enclosure about the same dimensions can the ports be moved to the rear of the cabinet?
Question...with the enclosure about the same dimensions can the ports be moved to the rear of the cabinet?
I built a "test mule" and the Parts Express design works quite well. These really project some nice detail...especially acoustics. I have tried it in two different applications...one complimenting a pair of 2 ways, the other with my Alpair 7s. I love what these do. The parts are coming in for the second one and will most likely run them in parallel with my Alpairs on my main system.
What does it have that the others do not?
scaleautoart,
Can you elaborate as best as you can your listening impressions of the AN3510 in relation to your Alpair 7's? What do these add to your Alpair and 2-way system? Is it more mid-range tone, wider soundstage, enhanced downward dynamics, etc...
I have a slap together NSF array system I have enjoyed for some time now, and am scoping out higher quality drivers to build a more refined array system. Fostex FF85WK, AN3510, and Mark Audio CHR 70 are on my short list. I like the downward dynamic range of my Avebury sytem, with the Alpair 12, but it does not have the "live presence" of the array system. You know how it is with these sound projects - we strive to have it all! 😉
Thanks in advance,
Allen
scaleautoart,
Can you elaborate as best as you can your listening impressions of the AN3510 in relation to your Alpair 7's? What do these add to your Alpair and 2-way system? Is it more mid-range tone, wider soundstage, enhanced downward dynamics, etc...
I have a slap together NSF array system I have enjoyed for some time now, and am scoping out higher quality drivers to build a more refined array system. Fostex FF85WK, AN3510, and Mark Audio CHR 70 are on my short list. I like the downward dynamic range of my Avebury sytem, with the Alpair 12, but it does not have the "live presence" of the array system. You know how it is with these sound projects - we strive to have it all! 😉
Thanks in advance,
Allen
OK...I no longer have them with the two ways..., I have them set up with a pair of Alpair full range.The best way to describe these is dynamic. A wider sound stage for sure as well as very nice detail and an extended field. They sound nice close up and about 14 feet away. It fills the room. I also moved the two ports to the back and have caps installed so they can handle what I throw at them. They are in parallel with the Alpairs.
I have no need for any more improvements...I am very happy with this combination. I am not sure how many would do this sort of set up. I have them sitting on top of my Alpairs [in a BK12m horn enclosure] and it looks pretty odd...but the sound more then makes up for the oddball look 😉
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Oddball could be key!
Wow, with a favorable response like that, I have to wonder what the Alpair BK12 horn adds to the array (I am guessing treble and bass)!
Actually your combination makes a lot of sense to me based on my own observations with my system. My arrays have the sound stage, presence, and dynamics, where as the Aveburys have the refined highs, fast and deep lows and low level detail. The Aveburys sound distant and far away, where as the arrays bring the music to you as if putting the listener at the venue playing with the band. Whether or not I can build an array that has the best of both of these worlds is hard to say, but we do know we can have both with an arrangement like yours 🙂
Blessed you are to have found the sound you enjoy, even if a little oddball. Oddball could very well be the key why your arrangement works so well... Thanks for taking the time to share.
Allen
Wow, with a favorable response like that, I have to wonder what the Alpair BK12 horn adds to the array (I am guessing treble and bass)!
Actually your combination makes a lot of sense to me based on my own observations with my system. My arrays have the sound stage, presence, and dynamics, where as the Aveburys have the refined highs, fast and deep lows and low level detail. The Aveburys sound distant and far away, where as the arrays bring the music to you as if putting the listener at the venue playing with the band. Whether or not I can build an array that has the best of both of these worlds is hard to say, but we do know we can have both with an arrangement like yours 🙂
Blessed you are to have found the sound you enjoy, even if a little oddball. Oddball could very well be the key why your arrangement works so well... Thanks for taking the time to share.
Allen
Yes...the horns provide the base line and mids while the arrays provide some nice highs and create a much wider sound stage. It's amazing what such small drivers can accomplish...of course at $40.00 a pop they better be that good!
And as you say they do put you right there [or should I say bring the instruments into the room]. Either way I am hooked.
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