I am soliciting suggestions for new design of stereo 3 way or even 4 way speakers. I am fairly adept in the wood shop and will build my own cabinets and crossovers. I have no delusions about designing my own - I do not have that skill so I want a proven design.
I have pair of ZDT 3.5s that I am actually very content with. But they are over 10 years old and I want to try something different. Amp is a McCormack DNA 125. I listen to Symphonic music, Jazz, and some Rock. Speakers will also be used for watching movies. My room is large and pretty live. Measures about 25 x 35 ft and has 14 foot ceiling.
If there was something I would like more of from my current speakers its a wider sweet spot. Prior experience with speakers was with Saphire IIti/Sub1s, and before that a pair of Altec Lansing 604Ds in Karlson cabinets. I have kept both pair by the way.
I have been reviewing the Anthologies, and the Kairos 3 ways. Also thought about using the Kairos woofer module with the Spirit Winds. I think the Anthologies are about the largest I would want in my living room. I have also seen the Morel Diadem, and PBN 741 and SBA Sasandu on the Madisound site but cannot find any experiences with these.
Thanks in advance for reccomendations
Dave
Links:
Kairos 3 way: https://meniscus.lightningbasehoste...he-Kairos-and-Continuum-Three-Way-Writeup.pdf
Anthology: https://meniscusaudio.com/product/anthology-speaker-kit/
Sasandu: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/3-way-speaker-kits/sb-acoustics-sasandu-kit
Morel Diadem: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/3-way-speaker-kits/morel-diadem-3-way-speaker-kit-parts-only/
PBN designs: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/3-way-speaker-kits/b741-scan-speak-kit-pair-by-peter-noerbaek/
I have pair of ZDT 3.5s that I am actually very content with. But they are over 10 years old and I want to try something different. Amp is a McCormack DNA 125. I listen to Symphonic music, Jazz, and some Rock. Speakers will also be used for watching movies. My room is large and pretty live. Measures about 25 x 35 ft and has 14 foot ceiling.
If there was something I would like more of from my current speakers its a wider sweet spot. Prior experience with speakers was with Saphire IIti/Sub1s, and before that a pair of Altec Lansing 604Ds in Karlson cabinets. I have kept both pair by the way.
I have been reviewing the Anthologies, and the Kairos 3 ways. Also thought about using the Kairos woofer module with the Spirit Winds. I think the Anthologies are about the largest I would want in my living room. I have also seen the Morel Diadem, and PBN 741 and SBA Sasandu on the Madisound site but cannot find any experiences with these.
Thanks in advance for reccomendations
Dave
Links:
Kairos 3 way: https://meniscus.lightningbasehoste...he-Kairos-and-Continuum-Three-Way-Writeup.pdf
Anthology: https://meniscusaudio.com/product/anthology-speaker-kit/
Sasandu: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/3-way-speaker-kits/sb-acoustics-sasandu-kit
Morel Diadem: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/3-way-speaker-kits/morel-diadem-3-way-speaker-kit-parts-only/
PBN designs: https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.com/3-way-speaker-kits/b741-scan-speak-kit-pair-by-peter-noerbaek/
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I haven't heard any of these, but I would think they will all sound pretty good: did you get some ideas from their write-ups, eg the Anthologys are noted to have a wide sweet spot.
What about budget, cabinet size and crossover complexity, how do they compare? They're the sort of Qs I would be thinking about.
Geoff
What about budget, cabinet size and crossover complexity, how do they compare? They're the sort of Qs I would be thinking about.
Geoff
If you want a speaker to sound good as you walk around the room, you are interested in the off-axis response curve.
How good is your hearing? If you can hear 14 khz (I can) then at least SBAacoustics provides a 30 deg off axis chart on the sasandu model. 8 db down at 15 khz is not very good. I didn't see any off axis response curves on the anthology website. Even the pdf download was a bunch of blather, no tests. For $1000 you would think mesniscus would test one. I didn't look up your other models.
Pispeakers.com 4pi off axis response is a little better at 30 degrees, 5 db down @ 15 khz. www.pispeakers.com/Measurements/fourPi.html
I've owned a built up 2 way with -3 db response at 30 deg horizontal from 500 hz to 16 khz, the Peavey SP2-XT. See the horizontal polar patterns, the DI chart is 6 db response. I paid $300 apiece for some used ones. They sounded the same anywhere in the room over 10 feet away. I mounted mine on poles near the ceiling to project highs over all the furniture, as they are designed to be installed. Modern Peavey SP2 are tuned for high power, 1000 w AES, which means the woofer may beam and wide response is not charted or bragged about. Used SP2(2004) don't have the chart, but are pretty good off axis, and I got my replacements fot the stolen SP2-XT for $400 the pair. SP2(2004) 6 db radiation is specified 90 deg hori, +10 -30 deg vertical. Again designed to be mounted on poles projecting highs down at people's heads. I listen to these 500 W capable speakers at 1 watt or less, since they are 98 db 1w1m. See the SP2(2004) distortion charts, 2nd & 3rd harmonic distortion 20 db down from 5 W response 54 hz to 8 khz. I've only seen HD charts on individual drivers, not on any other packaged speaker or kit. Low HD to me means a Steinway piano, a cymbal or a tinkly bell sound pretty accurate, IMHO. Which is why I bought them; I tested used ones with a piano CD before purchase.
The Peavey SP2 is a copy of some JBL products, but JBL despite their stellar reputation in the profesIsional line, don't provide off axis charts that I can tell. They don't bother to have a dealer in my city either, so no personal experience. The current EON-615 is +- 3 db 50-20 khz centered and pattern is "90 by 50 " whatever that means. In the PA market coverage is usually discussed at the 6 db down point, which may be okay but not as good as 3 db coverage IMHO. No HD chart.
Another poster looking at building wide dispersion speakers is this thread: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/efficient-2-way.380822/
I'm looking at mating the Eminence 15" Deltapro-15A to the N314-X 1.4" CD driver for dispersion as wide as the SP2-XT. N314-X measured HD as low as 4% 2nd harmonic to 12 khz. www.audioxpress.com/article/test-bench-eminence-n314x-textreme-compression-driver/
Happy shopping and maybe later building.
How good is your hearing? If you can hear 14 khz (I can) then at least SBAacoustics provides a 30 deg off axis chart on the sasandu model. 8 db down at 15 khz is not very good. I didn't see any off axis response curves on the anthology website. Even the pdf download was a bunch of blather, no tests. For $1000 you would think mesniscus would test one. I didn't look up your other models.
Pispeakers.com 4pi off axis response is a little better at 30 degrees, 5 db down @ 15 khz. www.pispeakers.com/Measurements/fourPi.html
I've owned a built up 2 way with -3 db response at 30 deg horizontal from 500 hz to 16 khz, the Peavey SP2-XT. See the horizontal polar patterns, the DI chart is 6 db response. I paid $300 apiece for some used ones. They sounded the same anywhere in the room over 10 feet away. I mounted mine on poles near the ceiling to project highs over all the furniture, as they are designed to be installed. Modern Peavey SP2 are tuned for high power, 1000 w AES, which means the woofer may beam and wide response is not charted or bragged about. Used SP2(2004) don't have the chart, but are pretty good off axis, and I got my replacements fot the stolen SP2-XT for $400 the pair. SP2(2004) 6 db radiation is specified 90 deg hori, +10 -30 deg vertical. Again designed to be mounted on poles projecting highs down at people's heads. I listen to these 500 W capable speakers at 1 watt or less, since they are 98 db 1w1m. See the SP2(2004) distortion charts, 2nd & 3rd harmonic distortion 20 db down from 5 W response 54 hz to 8 khz. I've only seen HD charts on individual drivers, not on any other packaged speaker or kit. Low HD to me means a Steinway piano, a cymbal or a tinkly bell sound pretty accurate, IMHO. Which is why I bought them; I tested used ones with a piano CD before purchase.
The Peavey SP2 is a copy of some JBL products, but JBL despite their stellar reputation in the profesIsional line, don't provide off axis charts that I can tell. They don't bother to have a dealer in my city either, so no personal experience. The current EON-615 is +- 3 db 50-20 khz centered and pattern is "90 by 50 " whatever that means. In the PA market coverage is usually discussed at the 6 db down point, which may be okay but not as good as 3 db coverage IMHO. No HD chart.
Another poster looking at building wide dispersion speakers is this thread: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/efficient-2-way.380822/
I'm looking at mating the Eminence 15" Deltapro-15A to the N314-X 1.4" CD driver for dispersion as wide as the SP2-XT. N314-X measured HD as low as 4% 2nd harmonic to 12 khz. www.audioxpress.com/article/test-bench-eminence-n314x-textreme-compression-driver/
Happy shopping and maybe later building.
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You could look at the Philharmonic Audio BMR speakers by Dennis Murphy. Here are a few reviews. You can find many more. Meniscus Audio sells the kit with several options (LINK).
Erin's Audio Corner: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/philharmonic_bmr/
Audioholics: https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/bmr-philharmonitor
Youtube:
Discussion at audioScienceReview: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/philharmonic-bmr-speaker-review.14781/
Erin's Audio Corner: https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/loudspeakers/philharmonic_bmr/
Audioholics: https://www.audioholics.com/bookshelf-speaker-reviews/bmr-philharmonitor
Youtube:
There is something or two you can do with your qlready good sealed loudspeaker imho:
1) lythics caps have great capacitance variation, it should sound way better when the exact values are chosen then made after tests with mkp to avoid drift... measurement tools help : voice coil and caps measured, mic....
2) eq it for your room in the digital domain and enhance readeness with appropriate curve and one or two distributeed sub for the 2 first octaves : mic, DRC, laptop with REW, etc.
It will beca far better improvement that changing flavors with a different loudspeaker as your is really good enough with the good taste to be sealed in the bass.
Just 2 cents.
Edit: could drive towards a great journey: multi channel dac, multi amps, etc
1) lythics caps have great capacitance variation, it should sound way better when the exact values are chosen then made after tests with mkp to avoid drift... measurement tools help : voice coil and caps measured, mic....
2) eq it for your room in the digital domain and enhance readeness with appropriate curve and one or two distributeed sub for the 2 first octaves : mic, DRC, laptop with REW, etc.
It will beca far better improvement that changing flavors with a different loudspeaker as your is really good enough with the good taste to be sealed in the bass.
Just 2 cents.
Edit: could drive towards a great journey: multi channel dac, multi amps, etc
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If OP doesn't want to try dipoles like NaO Note or LX521, may I suggest investing on good bass?
Zaph 3.5 is verry good speaker, but it has only 2x 6.5" woofers with bass-reflex tuning. Belieeve me, sealed box large drivers (2x10-12") with some eq will make most impressive improvement. Easy choice is to make an active woofer box with some Hyper FA modules. At least two-way is needed because one needs to set delay for the mid-tweeter system. Making passive 3-4 way is more difficult to get reasonable balance between units.
Zaph 3.5 is verry good speaker, but it has only 2x 6.5" woofers with bass-reflex tuning. Belieeve me, sealed box large drivers (2x10-12") with some eq will make most impressive improvement. Easy choice is to make an active woofer box with some Hyper FA modules. At least two-way is needed because one needs to set delay for the mid-tweeter system. Making passive 3-4 way is more difficult to get reasonable balance between units.