Re: FR125 open baffle
Here is the stereo pair.
Within the limitations in the bass (as already noted by Jim) the FR125s were excellent on the OBs. In a smaller room (almost any room will be smaller than outside
) with lesser volume demands these would be just fine. If used as an OB midrange or mid/tweeter (from say 150 Hz up) these would be stellar.
dave
chrisb said:
Here is the stereo pair.
Within the limitations in the bass (as already noted by Jim) the FR125s were excellent on the OBs. In a smaller room (almost any room will be smaller than outside
) with lesser volume demands these would be just fine. If used as an OB midrange or mid/tweeter (from say 150 Hz up) these would be stellar.dave
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I have seen this design quite often and I don`t understand it. Glass has the same wave speed as steel and aluminium and should be fine to take over the magnet/basket resonances. And it is heavy enough to form a solid base for the driver. Wood resonates and can support the driver in bass. So I would do it the other way round, glass for the panel and wood for the wings.
In the past couple of days, I placed the FR125S in a small baffle 1foot x 3foot, close to side walls in a smallish room 10x12feet. How richly sumptuou is the midrange and treble. Could use a bit more bass, though.
How about two drivers per side, either horizontally next to each other or vertically with some distance, i.e. one driver close to the floor? I shall next try a larger baffle for certain.
How about two drivers per side, either horizontally next to each other or vertically with some distance, i.e. one driver close to the floor? I shall next try a larger baffle for certain.
Did some playing around with my openbaffle CSS FR125S. With the driver at 28" on the 1'x3' panel located about a foot from side walls, the bass falls sharply at 100Hz. When another panel is added for 2' wide x 3' tall, with the edge touch the walls, the bass goes to the high about 75Hz with a gradual roll off. When the singe 1'x3' panel is turned upside down then tilted back, so that the driver is about a foot from the floor, about 80Hz with a less gradual roll off.
In an open baffle the FR125S' harmonic structure is so rich, and I've not heard such sweet violins or upper treble from any fullrange driver that had been boxed.
In an open baffle the FR125S' harmonic structure is so rich, and I've not heard such sweet violins or upper treble from any fullrange driver that had been boxed.
You know, I've been asking about the Audio Artistry Vivaldi's -one of Siegfried Linkwitz' most astonishing achivements in my mind -a completely passive dipole, over on the multi-way section. Doing something similar, but with the FR125 rather than mids + tweeters sounds interesting. The polar response going from a couple of 12" drivers to a dinky little 4 1/2" job might be interesting though...
Well with boards as wings, the FR125S in the open baffle have bass smooth and strong to the high 50 some Hz and then 3db down in the mid 40s. Enough bass for my listening.
Presently the set up consists of leaning boards, bookends, drapped sweaters. But on my porch are some Oak boards which have been coated with Dragon's Blood resin.
There are so many virtues to the sound in the open baffle compared to the four different boxes that I've put the FR125S into.
Notable: harmonic richness!!!!, delicacy, speed, tonal color, blat, melodic smoothness, depth of soundstage. I hear the rosin on the bow of a string bass. Ease and naturalness. I'm drawn into my favorite music, deeply drawn in. One of those audiophile moments that startle. Ah!javascript:smilie('
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Presently the set up consists of leaning boards, bookends, drapped sweaters. But on my porch are some Oak boards which have been coated with Dragon's Blood resin.
There are so many virtues to the sound in the open baffle compared to the four different boxes that I've put the FR125S into.
Notable: harmonic richness!!!!, delicacy, speed, tonal color, blat, melodic smoothness, depth of soundstage. I hear the rosin on the bow of a string bass. Ease and naturalness. I'm drawn into my favorite music, deeply drawn in. One of those audiophile moments that startle. Ah!javascript:smilie('
')You are so right. (And thank you, John, your comments in a AudioCircle post about DarkStars were most convincing and most helpful) Without a doubt there is no turning back. Goodbye zHorn, hello zOpen. (...or "zOB", as in, I'm zobbing with audio joy.) Unboxed, let the music run freely, run with wild excitement through the midwestern American prairie, though the glacial driftless zone, though the Costa Rican jungles...through the listening room.
Tom Zurowski ~ zHorn Speakers
Tom Zurowski ~ zHorn Speakers
Tom
Your prose is pretty hard to ignore; it seems you have experienced an "audio epiphany." A conversion on some audionic 'road to Damascus,' perhaps!! ...I look forward to the FR125's arrival. I cut some baffles yesterday, 26X41, to start. I will cut some wings from this size. I couldnt find my original drawings, to fax to you.
With five pairs of DarkStars out there since this summer, there have been comments from people who pay great attention to music and its related electonics, who actually said the B200 DarkStar was about the best speaker they had heard. I personally believe this is chiefly the result of open baffle configuration. The B200 doesnt exactly suck either, and routinely converts listeners to its way of doing business.
It will be interesting to compare tonal differences and XO adjustments required, between the two, using the dipole bass modules, and active EQ as a standard for full range presentation.
I like Planet10's direction, 125 with the Extremis. One big advantage in using the B200 though, is that it can easily be powered by a couple SET watts. Sounded fabulous with 15 Art Audio PX25, and merely different with 2.5 B'head SEX amp. Both were outstanding, and I actually preferred the sound of the hotrodded SEX amp.
Your prose is pretty hard to ignore; it seems you have experienced an "audio epiphany." A conversion on some audionic 'road to Damascus,' perhaps!! ...I look forward to the FR125's arrival. I cut some baffles yesterday, 26X41, to start. I will cut some wings from this size. I couldnt find my original drawings, to fax to you.
With five pairs of DarkStars out there since this summer, there have been comments from people who pay great attention to music and its related electonics, who actually said the B200 DarkStar was about the best speaker they had heard. I personally believe this is chiefly the result of open baffle configuration. The B200 doesnt exactly suck either, and routinely converts listeners to its way of doing business.
It will be interesting to compare tonal differences and XO adjustments required, between the two, using the dipole bass modules, and active EQ as a standard for full range presentation.
I like Planet10's direction, 125 with the Extremis. One big advantage in using the B200 though, is that it can easily be powered by a couple SET watts. Sounded fabulous with 15 Art Audio PX25, and merely different with 2.5 B'head SEX amp. Both were outstanding, and I actually preferred the sound of the hotrodded SEX amp.
The DarkStars I built were for some friends who liked what they heard at my place, using dipole bass. Dipole bass is WHERE ITS AT, with the whole open baffle thing, I am sure JohninCR will agree. .... They asked me to reproduce it for them, and all are very happy with the result. None are planning a return to packaged sound anytime soon.
The now licensed name "DarkStar" will eventually be applied to a dipole speaker whose final design will be determined by myself, and Louis Chochos of Omega Loudspeakers, who likely will build on a custom order basis. It could be well into next year before anything is on the street, but with standing orders for completed pairs of an unknown final design makes it such that neither of us can continue to "ignore" the idea for too much longer.
If you read the thread on audiocircle, it is very informative, with much educational input from many sources. It is about the best primer on nutz n boltz DIY dipole at this point. I also recommend strongly, reading Dr Linkwitz' entire site for the physical science, psychoacoustics, theory and practice of open baffles a la Audio Artistry. www.linkwitzlab.com this is essential
The now licensed name "DarkStar" will eventually be applied to a dipole speaker whose final design will be determined by myself, and Louis Chochos of Omega Loudspeakers, who likely will build on a custom order basis. It could be well into next year before anything is on the street, but with standing orders for completed pairs of an unknown final design makes it such that neither of us can continue to "ignore" the idea for too much longer.
If you read the thread on audiocircle, it is very informative, with much educational input from many sources. It is about the best primer on nutz n boltz DIY dipole at this point. I also recommend strongly, reading Dr Linkwitz' entire site for the physical science, psychoacoustics, theory and practice of open baffles a la Audio Artistry. www.linkwitzlab.com this is essential
I've loved OB ever since I made one by accident. I was experimenting with some drivers on cardboard to see how line arrays worked and was floored by the results.
My Nicaraguan helper around the house will finish cutting the panels today for my woofer section which will be 8 cheapie 12"ers per side in compact 4 driver units 12" wide X 27" tall. If they work as planned giving me flat response down below 30hz with plenty of efficiency for my SET amps, then I can finally get my room finished.
If funds permitted, I'd get 32 of the WR125's with the truncated baskets and 2 high quality, high efficency supertweeters. Then build a pair of great OB line arrays which probably wouldn't need any bass support.
My Nicaraguan helper around the house will finish cutting the panels today for my woofer section which will be 8 cheapie 12"ers per side in compact 4 driver units 12" wide X 27" tall. If they work as planned giving me flat response down below 30hz with plenty of efficiency for my SET amps, then I can finally get my room finished.
If funds permitted, I'd get 32 of the WR125's with the truncated baskets and 2 high quality, high efficency supertweeters. Then build a pair of great OB line arrays which probably wouldn't need any bass support.
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