Thought you might like to see the subs in action.
This is a video (sorry about the poor quality - they are under my desk and I can't be bothered to pull them out into better lighting!)
This is a 16 hz signal fed through so the phone mic doesn't pick it up, only the noise of the actual suspension moving. It also doesn't show very well how much the cone was travelling (black cone in dark conditions sorry), but it was a lot!
The pint glass is half full of water and balanced on top of the tube.....
https://youtu.be/edpdkzEuE8A
This is a video (sorry about the poor quality - they are under my desk and I can't be bothered to pull them out into better lighting!)
This is a 16 hz signal fed through so the phone mic doesn't pick it up, only the noise of the actual suspension moving. It also doesn't show very well how much the cone was travelling (black cone in dark conditions sorry), but it was a lot!
The pint glass is half full of water and balanced on top of the tube.....
https://youtu.be/edpdkzEuE8A
I can only get the second light to come on and that is at crazy levels, so headroom is not an issue. Just been playing some loud infected mushrooms music, and cabinet is cool, despite everything in the house vibrating....
Fans are literally so quiet I can't hear them - have to put my hand in front of the vent to ensure they are on. Highly recommended.
Fans are literally so quiet I can't hear them - have to put my hand in front of the vent to ensure they are on. Highly recommended.
I know the feeling. I am broken after another high speed build. But I am done now. This and the synergy balls are my final speakers...
Probably.
Probably need an extra pair (quads actually) of subs to be able to get instant music with both setups?
P.S. I'd be heart broken if you didn't try a line array
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Probably need an extra pair (quads actually) of subs to be able to get instant music with both setups?
P.S. I'd be heart broken if you didn't try a line array
I know! They were actually relatively easy to make - you could get two more of the SS subs you have and do a similar thing with PVC pipe. The pipe is so rigid - particularly end on, and if you pick the same size pipe as the drivers, like I did it is easy to mechanically couple them.....just a thought.
Line array - is definitely on my bucket list! The issue of height won't be one when my listening room is completed.......
I think I would try corner loading and wave-guided as some others are doing. Your build is still my inspiration though. Just well thought out physics and mechanics. Logical, well researched, and beautiful - brilliantly executed!
But seriously - have you seen my terribly recorded video of the subs? You could have them standing up and therefore taking up less space.....wrap them in black vinyl to match the towers...........
Yes I looked at the video . I'm going to stick to my original plans as those I could sell to my girl. Ease of build is way less, the performance might even be worse, but it is the least change or intrusion compared to what we have right now.
A wave guided line array would be fun! My dream would be a Synergy in the middle of a wave guided line for everything below 500 Hz. Never going to happen though, unless I get a house that has a spare room for me to play with.
. I'm going to stick to my original plans as those I could sell to my girl. Ease of build is way less, the performance might even be worse, but it is the least change or intrusion compared to what we have right now.A wave guided line array would be fun! My dream would be a Synergy in the middle of a wave guided line for everything below 500 Hz. Never going to happen though, unless I get a house that has a spare room for me to play with.
Did you try Afratz from Infected Mushroom with the new setup? Should be fun!
I'm glad the diffraction measures show up in the graphs and listening. Not that surprised though. This stuff works!
Just played Afratz - my wife came down from the kitchen (other end of the house) to find out 'what on earth' I was doing!
I have to say - I know the physics and theory, and thought the spheres might make some differences - but I really wasn't expecting the change in the polar to be so drastic with the Volt dome. Previously it was a difficult EQ compromise between boosting the dip at 2500hz on axis, and having that boost on the polars, or leaving it a bit on axis to even out the polars more. Mounted in the sphere, the polar is so much better to 3khz!
Yes I looked at the video
A wave guided line array would be fun! My dream would be a Synergy in the middle of a wave guided line for everything below 500 Hz. Never going to happen though, unless I get a house that has a spare room for me to play with.
Fair enough. Part of the reason for me to change the Prestige enclosures was because she didn't like the 'coffins'..
Oooo - a centrally mounted synergy in a wave-guided line array.......let's do it!
The 'wesaybush' speaker. Ok maybe not for a few years - but that is an awesome idea. I can see I may fall asleep thinking about that concept for a while........
Just played Afratz - my wife came down from the kitchen (other end of the house) to find out 'what on earth' I was doing!
Fun isn't it? Lot's of changes, plenty of bass and fun imaging queues...
What's not to like, the array will avoid floor and ceiling, the waveguide/synergy will avoid side walls and all of it will stay well within 1/4 wave rules/distances for it to be the ultimate MTM.
So I have had the weekend to play with these speakers. Taken some measurements outside. Some inside. Some at 1M, near field and listening position.
But, most importantly, how do they sound?
Well As you can see from some of the measurements I have posted - particularly the polars of the tweeter and Volt mid-range dome, the spherical enclosures have made a huge difference- measurable and audible.
Getting the C-C distance of the tweeter/mid down to 12cm, by mounting the tweeter slightly forward as I have (it was 15.5cm on the prestige cabinet) has helped with vertical lobing.
Having the combination of bamboo block, steel, and structural epoxy has helped minimize any cabinet vibrations and colouration.
Switching the big 12" Volt RV3143 for the 7.5 inch MW19-P has really helped the 80-600 hz range - much clearer and better than the high Le woofer trying to get up that high.
And the subs are crazy - down to sub 20 hz no problem!
I have to say I think I actually prefer these to the XBush synergies now, which is something I thought I would never say.
They image as well as the synergies, but the quality of the drivers just has something over the SB acoustics drivers in my synergy horns.
I need more listening and probably some side by side listening days, but previously the WA Prestige speakers were very good, but not as good as the Xbush......now, I think the tables have turned.
Here are some obligatory measurements just to give an idea of my initial crossover working. Currently all LR4 slopes.
But, most importantly, how do they sound?
Well As you can see from some of the measurements I have posted - particularly the polars of the tweeter and Volt mid-range dome, the spherical enclosures have made a huge difference- measurable and audible.
Getting the C-C distance of the tweeter/mid down to 12cm, by mounting the tweeter slightly forward as I have (it was 15.5cm on the prestige cabinet) has helped with vertical lobing.
Having the combination of bamboo block, steel, and structural epoxy has helped minimize any cabinet vibrations and colouration.
Switching the big 12" Volt RV3143 for the 7.5 inch MW19-P has really helped the 80-600 hz range - much clearer and better than the high Le woofer trying to get up that high.
And the subs are crazy - down to sub 20 hz no problem!
I have to say I think I actually prefer these to the XBush synergies now, which is something I thought I would never say.
They image as well as the synergies, but the quality of the drivers just has something over the SB acoustics drivers in my synergy horns.
I need more listening and probably some side by side listening days, but previously the WA Prestige speakers were very good, but not as good as the Xbush......now, I think the tables have turned.
Here are some obligatory measurements just to give an idea of my initial crossover working. Currently all LR4 slopes.
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Did you use threaded rod through all 8 woofer holes or only through alternate holes? I assume you stuffed each sealed tube generously.Not very scientifically. I just used the same torque setting on my electric drill! Nice and tight.
Hi Bon.
All eight. Sub tube lined with silent coat, then rubber sheet with wool felt (high quality underlay), then stuffed with fibreglass.
This is my standard treatment for sealed enclosures I use, I find it gives a good balance between enclosure resonance absorption, wall vibration suppression, and maximisation of apparent internal volume - arguably less of an issue for the subs, but I treated them the same as the woofer sphere anyway.
Just for information, the NU4-6000 cooling system is different from the NU-3000 and NU-12000 that I also own. I have replaced all the stock fans with the Noctua's and they are all now quiet enough for home use. However the NU4-6000 is the quietest because it does not have the flimsy plastic fan shroud that the others have. The air flow through the NU-3000 and NU-12000 shrouds causes them to audibly vibrate. IMHO the NU4-6000 is the sweet spot in the iNuke range. Each channel can run down to 2 ohms and pairs of channels can be bridged to essentially make a NU-6000. I have found that the iNuke amps are very consistent in sound quality across the range. They don't really sound different except possibly varying clipping levels. However I have never been able to audibly clip any iNuke at home with music in a 6.5x7.5m room.
Very cool project. I might shamelessly copy your ideas as they seem to work quite well. Also got some nice drivers at hand to experiment with:
Peerless 830868 & Peerless 830869 woofers
ScanSpeak 10F/8424 full ranges
ScanSpeak D2010/851300 and B&G Neo3 PDR tweeters
Maybe I can tinker something together from these
Peerless 830868 & Peerless 830869 woofers
ScanSpeak 10F/8424 full ranges
ScanSpeak D2010/851300 and B&G Neo3 PDR tweeters
Maybe I can tinker something together from these
Feel free! I have been planning this build since I got the speakers a few years ago. I knew I wanted spheres and looked at so many different options including making my own, but the IKEA blanda bowls are so useful and ideal I kept coming back to them.Very cool project. I might shamelessly copy your ideas as they seem to work quite well. Also got some nice drivers at hand to experiment with:
Peerless 830868 & Peerless 830869 woofers
ScanSpeak 10F/8424 full ranges
ScanSpeak D2010/851300 and B&G Neo3 PDR tweeters
Maybe I can tinker something together from these
Please do a build thread so we can follow!
Of course I will, when I get to it
I built a speaker with MarkAudio full range and Blanda bowl 3 years back, it was fun to work the the bamboo. Anyhow, what kind of crossovers have you planned for the drivers? Are you going to go with digital crossovers or analogue ones? I am thinking if I plan a similar built I'll cross the 90dB sensitive woofer at baffle step to the 86,5dB sensitive midrange for 3,5dB baffle step correction. Have you considered using a Harsch XO for the speakers? It would be easy to account for the delays with physical offset between the spheres when building the speakers.
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