First let me say how lucky I feel for having found this forum and how much I admire all of you who give so much of their time and knowledge and I hope I can contribute in some small way in the future.
Next week I'll be starting my first project -bofu half changs. They will end up in the living room or my shop. I'm converting a spare bedroom into a 'listening room'. It is 10' X 17'. The speakers will be on the 10' wall and my ears will be 13' away from the wall. I will also do some HT in there. I have a a lot of flexibility for amps. I just scored a Yamaha receiver with 7 pre-outs and I have two 50's Fisher integrated amps with pre-out/power-in. I could also go with t-amps or a SET for the mains. My listening tastes are all over the map. I'm looking for dynamics and some of that mid-range magic I hear about which brings me to bipoles I don't mind using subs if I have to and have even toyed with using the half changs as bass horns with a sub for HT. Told you I was crazed.
So I'd like some opinions please.
Which bipole configuration would you recommend for this application, if any? Back firing, side firing or up firing?
I've been looking at bipole metronomes. How would you describe the sound of the fe126en vs the el70 versions?
I have to admit though that I like horns. Would the Lotus or Coniston^2 be appropriate?
I appreciate any and all inputs. I have a feeling I'll end up building several different cabs before I'm done. Thanks!
Next week I'll be starting my first project -bofu half changs. They will end up in the living room or my shop. I'm converting a spare bedroom into a 'listening room'. It is 10' X 17'. The speakers will be on the 10' wall and my ears will be 13' away from the wall. I will also do some HT in there. I have a a lot of flexibility for amps. I just scored a Yamaha receiver with 7 pre-outs and I have two 50's Fisher integrated amps with pre-out/power-in. I could also go with t-amps or a SET for the mains. My listening tastes are all over the map. I'm looking for dynamics and some of that mid-range magic I hear about which brings me to bipoles I don't mind using subs if I have to and have even toyed with using the half changs as bass horns with a sub for HT. Told you I was crazed.
So I'd like some opinions please.
Which bipole configuration would you recommend for this application, if any? Back firing, side firing or up firing?
I've been looking at bipole metronomes. How would you describe the sound of the fe126en vs the el70 versions?
I have to admit though that I like horns. Would the Lotus or Coniston^2 be appropriate?
I appreciate any and all inputs. I have a feeling I'll end up building several different cabs before I'm done. Thanks!
Side or top firing is my personal preference unless you can pull them way out from the walls.
Just got a 1st review of FE126eN Mets today, they were built 3 years ago. He likes them. Another client has now built 3 pair of bipole EL70eN mets -- they keep dissappearing on him (as friends say, can i have a set of those)?
Each is totally different, EL70 probably better suited to a met, and will have a larger range top & bottom. El70 is what i call a bass monster. The bipole mets sent John's sub into storage. It is happier with a larger range of amps.
Yes & yes. althou the latter would be kinda close to have the horns integrate.
dave
Thanks - there is one more question I should have asked. I can see the benefit of having all four drivers eNabled but would phase lugs be necessary for all?
With regards to the phase plugs...
If one driver is firing upwards, I'd avoid a phase plug due to the risk of dust/crap getting into the motor assembly. I'd have to contradict Dave about the lack of HF. Mine (fully enabled and phase plugged FE126E) have plenty of treble extension, making my headphones sound dull in comparison. Then again, I'm 16 so young ears help somewhat, and of course it's all a matter of personal taste. Whatever, they sound lovely. I'd expect that, given a large BLH, they'd be fine for music, without a subwoofer. For home theatre, I'd add a subwoofer for the extra low bass (<30Hz).
Still, a high efficiency full-ranger (I use one per side, but bipole could be interesting) driven by a SET amplifier is something to behold. Not the most dynamic listen, but very impressive for smaller scale music, choirs etc.
Chris
If one driver is firing upwards, I'd avoid a phase plug due to the risk of dust/crap getting into the motor assembly. I'd have to contradict Dave about the lack of HF. Mine (fully enabled and phase plugged FE126E) have plenty of treble extension, making my headphones sound dull in comparison. Then again, I'm 16 so young ears help somewhat, and of course it's all a matter of personal taste. Whatever, they sound lovely. I'd expect that, given a large BLH, they'd be fine for music, without a subwoofer. For home theatre, I'd add a subwoofer for the extra low bass (<30Hz).
Still, a high efficiency full-ranger (I use one per side, but bipole could be interesting) driven by a SET amplifier is something to behold. Not the most dynamic listen, but very impressive for smaller scale music, choirs etc.
Chris
It's more a question of dispersion / narrowing power response with increasing frequency Chris. A small FR driver is basically an oversized tweeter; it's rare for them to benefit in this respect from phase plugs, and particularly off-axis, it may indeed be worse, as Dave points out. When it comes to larger drivers, it's a different story. Or can be. Depends on size, profile, useable BW & a host of other factors.
That Kornet is interesting, HM. Only BLH bipole I've seen but I'm sure there are others. About how far from the back wall is the front of the speaker?
Different drivers, different results. FE126 goes to 15k, phase plugs improve stock drivers (dispersion), EnABLE gets the same results without sacrificing low end overload capabilities.
Mark Audios reach out to 20K+ and the gen2 dustcaps are carefully formed dome tweeters.
dave
Anyone know if Thirlmere could be made to side-fire like Coniston^2? Sir Scott? It would have to really simple for me to handle it.
I see some el70's in my future - EnABLED of course! So flexible, so many cabinet choices and pretty cheap too. Add in a few sheets of chipboard and let the games begin.
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