Children are growing up and free time comes back again. So I finally build the speakers for my living room I already planned partially some years ago. The requirements are simple:
The documentation is full of simulations and research. I think there are some visualizations that have not been seen yet. Have fun while reading! 🙂
Full documentation
- Linear coverage of the whole room (complex, L-shaped, acoustically untreated)
- Stereo system with subwoofer support
- Good integration in the room (should not take much space), so it must be on-wall
The documentation is full of simulations and research. I think there are some visualizations that have not been seen yet. Have fun while reading! 🙂
Full documentation
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Thank you!
Here are the costs for both speakers:
- Midranges (38 pieces): 570 €
- Tweeters (150 pieces): 600 €
- Wood (laser-cut): 550 €
- Miscellaneous: 120 €
- miniDSP FLEX HT: 700 €
- 2 x Behringer A800: 340 €
In your opinion - does it worth it to do LA with many cheap speakers vs 3way with premium speakers?
Excellent comprehensive paper…….i think this will become a significant reference for those interested in arrays.
With TV screens approaching 100” diagonal and obtrusive, I believe we’re going to see an emergence of flanking on wall systems like yours…….maybe just not as tall……1.2-1.5 meters perhaps.
With TV screens approaching 100” diagonal and obtrusive, I believe we’re going to see an emergence of flanking on wall systems like yours…….maybe just not as tall……1.2-1.5 meters perhaps.
I don't know. I never built a line with expensive speakers nor with cheap fullrange drivers. Really cheap are only the tweeters in my build (because they come directly from China in a high number). The LaVoce is a good driver and I would not call it cheap. It just has a good bang for the bucks.
I’ve got 48 Dayton ND20fb’s still in the box and have yet to start my own build…….24 per side was the plan with an overall line length of 42”.
Nils,
Nice write up of the concept, design and measurement!
In the write up you mentioned "wave formers" used in line arrays have a very high ARF (active radiation factor) but are not suitable for your project due to depth:
Tom Danley's "Paraline" wave former is an exception to the rule in regard to depth:
The Paraline depth can be under 18mm (3/4 inch), and the vertical high frequency dispersion can be changed from zero degrees to divergent depending on the aspect ratio of the "eye".
The path length of a non-divergent Paraline is close to half the height of the "eye", which considerably increases the driver's low frequency loading, allowing a lower crossover frequency.
The depth could be reduced by cutting the Paraline exits into the speaker baffle.
If preferred, the mid driver (or drivers) can also share the Paraline, considerably reducing the driver count required for a floor to ceiling array. As few as 8 mid and high drivers would suffice for most domestic room heights.
Co-axial drivers also work well as Paraline drivers.
A single mid driver could be mounted behind the HF driver, or a single "full range".
That said, making Paralines are more tricky than simply cutting driver holes, but still can be made with a saw, router, drill, and a lot of patience.
Art
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Interesting concept! I would like to see a waterfall diagram. All wave formers I measured so far showed resonances across the frequency range. Some more, some less.
Paralines have narrow band resonances too, 360 degrees of turns in the path are not without consequence 😉
That said, a line of 75 tweeters are not free of peaks and dips in the near field, which extends far beyond an average domestic room.
No waterfall diagrams in my measurements, you might find them in Danley's "Polar Explorer" or CLF files or from VTC/Yorkville, who also use the Paraline wave formers.
The DSL SBH-10 is an interesting vertical array using eight 5" co-ax drivers on a 60" tall flat array, the different path lengths of the four different height Paraline units effectively curve the array into ~10 degree vertical HF dispersion.
Below are the polar response charts of a single unit I built in 2012 as in the above photo (10 were built total), using EV DH1AMT 3" diaphragm 1.4" exit HF drivers, and two Eminence Alpha 8" woofers on the multiple entry 90 degree parabolic horn (parallel top and bottom).
The 8" used a LR24 at 850Hz, the DH1 BW24 at 1000Hz, three PEQ filters on the HF.
The Paraline exit is ~9", (230mm).
The measurements were outdoors at 2 meters from the horn mouth.
I did not note the axis of rotation, but it probably was from the center of the Paraline exit.
I think using the cabinet face as the center of rotation may have been a better representation of the far field response.
The upper response line is on axis with no smoothing, the lower polar response lines degrees off axis, with smoothing to make the individual lines easier to see.
The horizontal response shows typical "waist banding" problems due to the horn in the 1-2kHz region.
The vertical response is -5dB just 7.5 degrees off axis at 10kHz, dropping another -3dB at 10 degrees off axis.
Anyway, there it is, warts and all.
Art