The Devil drives where needs must. Now happily settling in to our new home - alarm clock variable, depending upon geese on the river accepted - but otherwise just fine. However, we are slowly wading through packing cases and I am coming to realise, I really won't have the luxury of enjoying my Spendors for very much longer. This is true for any loudspeakers, other than book shelf - there just isn't the space - but I really don't want to go there.
Unless, I leave one in its box and revert to mono listening. That would certainly simplify the issue relating to relieving my BC1 of excess low frequency load.
But will I really be returning to the days of my childhood with music sounding like that from my old Dansette record player? Are there any Forum members in a similar predicament or indeed are there any Mono - Connoisseurs out there?
Unless, I leave one in its box and revert to mono listening. That would certainly simplify the issue relating to relieving my BC1 of excess low frequency load.
But will I really be returning to the days of my childhood with music sounding like that from my old Dansette record player? Are there any Forum members in a similar predicament or indeed are there any Mono - Connoisseurs out there?
The older I get the less I hear....however, I have an excellent aural memory and so even a known tune from radio is enough to stimulate the recreation internally and subsequent enjoyment.
The ear-brain interface is a marvelous thing.
Downside... radio stations do not play the tunes I know and like.
Workaround...NAS>Streamer>(mono) system playback (Try RPi and MoOde or Randy)
https://moodeaudio.org/
Like 'The Geese Alarm" though that might tire quickly based on our past experience 🙂
The ear-brain interface is a marvelous thing.
Downside... radio stations do not play the tunes I know and like.
Workaround...NAS>Streamer>(mono) system playback (Try RPi and MoOde or Randy)
Hi All,
Sharing this side project of mine which has been my daily workhorse streamer for the past few years.
Please welcome Randy to this busy and wonderful neighbourhood of RPI/SBCs music streamers 🙂
Randy is built with minimalism and user experience in mind.
It's probably the first RPI streamer that's not using MPD and instead using a powerful media streamer called MPV with lot's of tweaks to get good quality sound.
I am releasing it as an early version to get more feedback and see if there is interest to push it forward and therefore at this stage some things are...
Sharing this side project of mine which has been my daily workhorse streamer for the past few years.
Please welcome Randy to this busy and wonderful neighbourhood of RPI/SBCs music streamers 🙂
Randy is built with minimalism and user experience in mind.
It's probably the first RPI streamer that's not using MPD and instead using a powerful media streamer called MPV with lot's of tweaks to get good quality sound.
I am releasing it as an early version to get more feedback and see if there is interest to push it forward and therefore at this stage some things are...
Like 'The Geese Alarm" though that might tire quickly based on our past experience 🙂
Thanks DRONE7. Thinking ahead to Christmas, noise level may well drop by a tad!
As for solving the issue surrounding a bass driver, one could be located in close proximity to the BC1, if the crossover frequency was somewhat higher than usual for an aux woofer; say 150 - 200 Hz. This should reduce the work done by the Bass/Midrange unit of the BC1 and minimise muddying the sound. However, it is probably best to replace the Spendor's with a single high quality speaker, which is rated sufficient to handle the lows.
This being the case, perhaps this opens up a few opportunities with regard to the choice of speaker. We could accommodate a single speaker, somewhere within the lounge/living room a lot easier than we could a pair where considerable emphasis is placed upon positioning.
Suggestions please?
As for solving the issue surrounding a bass driver, one could be located in close proximity to the BC1, if the crossover frequency was somewhat higher than usual for an aux woofer; say 150 - 200 Hz. This should reduce the work done by the Bass/Midrange unit of the BC1 and minimise muddying the sound. However, it is probably best to replace the Spendor's with a single high quality speaker, which is rated sufficient to handle the lows.
This being the case, perhaps this opens up a few opportunities with regard to the choice of speaker. We could accommodate a single speaker, somewhere within the lounge/living room a lot easier than we could a pair where considerable emphasis is placed upon positioning.
Suggestions please?
I'm not really following, you only have space for speaker, but you do have space to keep the other one around? Isn't the issue then not one of shifting (priorities) around a bit? A stereo or mono amplifier takes just as much space. As do other sources of music.
What about ceiling mounted speakers? Or speakers integrated in another piece of furniture?
What about ceiling mounted speakers? Or speakers integrated in another piece of furniture?
Yes, I get your point. However, the second one would have to go into a cupboard/wardrobe, so the stereo image won't be up to much - He, He.
True, I could go mono in both the lounge and one of the bedrooms/study. Most of our furnishings are soft and as with my loudspeakers, there isn't enough room for a decent sized sideboard/dresser, into which they could be mounted.
Hadn't thought about ceiling mounts, but at 78, I wanted to get away from DIY and cables running around the room. I had never heard or thought of a "Media Centre", until we bought this place. The previous owner had built one with integral smart TV and electric fire. And importantly, it leaves the room completely cable/extension lead free.
My amplifier/streamer could go into the media centre - which passes for a chimney breast.
True, I could go mono in both the lounge and one of the bedrooms/study. Most of our furnishings are soft and as with my loudspeakers, there isn't enough room for a decent sized sideboard/dresser, into which they could be mounted.
Hadn't thought about ceiling mounts, but at 78, I wanted to get away from DIY and cables running around the room. I had never heard or thought of a "Media Centre", until we bought this place. The previous owner had built one with integral smart TV and electric fire. And importantly, it leaves the room completely cable/extension lead free.
My amplifier/streamer could go into the media centre - which passes for a chimney breast.
Here's a rabbit hole...
and the manufacture that is often mentioned there... do look at the Stereolith and see if there is a dealer/audition near you...it may be something to contemplate ? Ymmv 🙂
https://www.stereolith.com/en/
https://www.stereolith.com/en/holographic-sound/
and the manufacture that is often mentioned there... do look at the Stereolith and see if there is a dealer/audition near you...it may be something to contemplate ? Ymmv 🙂
https://www.stereolith.com/en/
https://www.stereolith.com/en/holographic-sound/
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Quote : - "Here's a rabbit hole".
I've fallen down a few of those in my time. But I am conscious of what DRONE7 says about the ear/brain relationship. And I need to remind myself, it is the music I want to listen to. If I couldn't get a ticket, I would be happy enough standing outside a concert hall listening!
If I go mono, I still have the problem relating to the low power handling of my BC1's and in particular the load on the Bass/Mid-range driver. So I have bought a Spender A5r, which has a small - ish footprint, 160mm. wide X 260mm. deep and 790mm. tall.
What is of particular interest is the crossover frequencies Spender chose for the A5r, 700Hz. & 4k5Hz. I read somewhere that a sub - woofer/suplimentary base driver works best if it is an I.B. enclosure. Also, if one selects a high - ish crossover frequency for the sub by positioning the main speaker and the sub, together, they will perform better as an pseudo single speaker.
So the A5r should allow me to continue with my experiments to shift some of the low frequency work away from the new BC1 drivers, without doing any modifications to either of them. The A5r's 700Hz. crossover gives me a substantial frequency range to experiment with.
The S.O.T. crossover frequency will be initially based around the 200Hz. line level LPF's I bought. This is going to dovetail nicely, being one channel of my 909 amp will drive the A5r, whilst the other will drive the BC1. I chose 200Hz. as a starting point, principally as these filters fixed the low frequency point, leaving me with only the HPF filter to design/experiment with. Plus they are line level - Phono in, Phono out.
Using a single amplifier, addresses several issues, such as channel balance and phase response. which may be a problem if I used a 909 in conjunction with a 405. Any compensation only needs to be made by way of either the LPF of HPF.
I don't suppose all this is going to be straight forward, but it will keep me entertained for a while - which is the real bonus.
I've fallen down a few of those in my time. But I am conscious of what DRONE7 says about the ear/brain relationship. And I need to remind myself, it is the music I want to listen to. If I couldn't get a ticket, I would be happy enough standing outside a concert hall listening!
If I go mono, I still have the problem relating to the low power handling of my BC1's and in particular the load on the Bass/Mid-range driver. So I have bought a Spender A5r, which has a small - ish footprint, 160mm. wide X 260mm. deep and 790mm. tall.
What is of particular interest is the crossover frequencies Spender chose for the A5r, 700Hz. & 4k5Hz. I read somewhere that a sub - woofer/suplimentary base driver works best if it is an I.B. enclosure. Also, if one selects a high - ish crossover frequency for the sub by positioning the main speaker and the sub, together, they will perform better as an pseudo single speaker.
So the A5r should allow me to continue with my experiments to shift some of the low frequency work away from the new BC1 drivers, without doing any modifications to either of them. The A5r's 700Hz. crossover gives me a substantial frequency range to experiment with.
The S.O.T. crossover frequency will be initially based around the 200Hz. line level LPF's I bought. This is going to dovetail nicely, being one channel of my 909 amp will drive the A5r, whilst the other will drive the BC1. I chose 200Hz. as a starting point, principally as these filters fixed the low frequency point, leaving me with only the HPF filter to design/experiment with. Plus they are line level - Phono in, Phono out.
Using a single amplifier, addresses several issues, such as channel balance and phase response. which may be a problem if I used a 909 in conjunction with a 405. Any compensation only needs to be made by way of either the LPF of HPF.
I don't suppose all this is going to be straight forward, but it will keep me entertained for a while - which is the real bonus.
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You need a device called an AB-to-MS stereo encoder. It allows you to play stereo from a single speaker (with 3 drivers), one in the middle facing forward (M) and two on each opposing side (S).
The M speaker is fed A+B (the sum of the L and R stereo signals) and the S(ide) speakers are fed A-B (the difference between the L+R stereo signals).
The M speaker should be able to transfer a full range audio spectrum, so either a full range speaker or a multi way. The Side speakers can be one speaker with a limited frequency range.
I've never heard it, but it's supposed to work. This M+S trick apparently is also used as a recording technique.
I've read this in the book 'The Bottle Builder' by Johan Basse Bergqvist. An Elektor publication. It's (only) still available as e-book. It comes with full schematics and a box plan.
Are you willing to sacrifice your Spendors?
The M speaker is fed A+B (the sum of the L and R stereo signals) and the S(ide) speakers are fed A-B (the difference between the L+R stereo signals).
The M speaker should be able to transfer a full range audio spectrum, so either a full range speaker or a multi way. The Side speakers can be one speaker with a limited frequency range.
I've never heard it, but it's supposed to work. This M+S trick apparently is also used as a recording technique.
I've read this in the book 'The Bottle Builder' by Johan Basse Bergqvist. An Elektor publication. It's (only) still available as e-book. It comes with full schematics and a box plan.
Are you willing to sacrifice your Spendors?
Here is some info on the web on Single Speaker Stereo
On this forum there is also some info on MS stereo speakers
On this forum there is also some info on MS stereo speakers
Yes. a long time proponent of that is the Stereolith speaker I referenced earlier.
https://www.stereolith.com/en/
https://www.stereolith.com/en/holographic-sound/
Don't hesitate to go single speaker mono. Stereo isn't necessarily better or worse, just a different presentation.
Put a little effort into the speaker placement, and then don't worry about it.
Put a little effort into the speaker placement, and then don't worry about it.
The technique you are referring to is known as the GE - Zenith Standard (American - Companies competed to come up with a method), and it was adopted as a means of creating Stereo Broadcasts, which could still be listened to by those with Mono Receivers, at the time Stereo broadcasts were introduced and few people owned Stereo receivers. The Broadcast envelope is effectively sum and difference + 38khz Pilot Sub - Carrier, which is derived from the original 76khz Carrier. The audio frequency is restricted to 15 kHz.
As to sacrificing my Spendors - no. However, it introduces the kind of problem that I may not solve, but will have fun trying.
Modern building techniques do little for suspending Venetian Blinds in our pad, so I don't hold out much hope of suspending speakers - He, He. Plus, I don't think I can swing that one by "Management".
Sound advice - no pun intended.
In truth, the left and right channels are not completely isolated from each other, so yes, I get where you are coming from - I think.
However, considerable food for thought is evidenced by your collective posts - thank you.
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Way too much information is lost once stereo is fused to mono. Its a crime and it should be punished. Forced labor or huge financial penalty. In good old times it would come with public humiliation. Boy i miss good old times.
Web pages dedicated to mixing and studio work have vast amount of information about canceling and information being lost for ever when stereo is forced to mono. Go study.
Web pages dedicated to mixing and studio work have vast amount of information about canceling and information being lost for ever when stereo is forced to mono. Go study.
Wrong - Correction, subcarrier/Pilot is 19khz. Carrier is 38khz. Not as I said 38khz. & 76khz.
Ah yes - the good old days! 4 weeks in the Stocks with nothing but a Dansette record player and a scratched mono recording of Any Williams blaring out continuously in the left ear!
Thanks for the attached information, much appreciated. Would I get a lesser punishment for being partially deaf in one ear?