Dear Fellow DIYers:
I have built a few speakers with TB-871 drivers and they even sound good un-enclosed just sitting on the table. I have some 5" VIFA midrange drivers(model???..bought last year at blowout prices from Parts Expess) and pair of old Wharfedale 10" fullrangers I have yet to do something with. They both kind of sound lousy just run on the table without enclosures or X-overs. The 'S' soundsss sssound like a sssnake hissing on both. Is this because the highs are missing and the 'S' sounds cannot be properly reproduced? Or do I HAVE to run them with midrange X-overs(VIFAs anyway) to fully appreciate what they are capable of. Vocals also generally sound terrible on both drivers run raw on the table. I also do not like the vocal representation of the Radio Shack 40-1197 so it may be a taste thing. Thanks for any advice.
I have built a few speakers with TB-871 drivers and they even sound good un-enclosed just sitting on the table. I have some 5" VIFA midrange drivers(model???..bought last year at blowout prices from Parts Expess) and pair of old Wharfedale 10" fullrangers I have yet to do something with. They both kind of sound lousy just run on the table without enclosures or X-overs. The 'S' soundsss sssound like a sssnake hissing on both. Is this because the highs are missing and the 'S' sounds cannot be properly reproduced? Or do I HAVE to run them with midrange X-overs(VIFAs anyway) to fully appreciate what they are capable of. Vocals also generally sound terrible on both drivers run raw on the table. I also do not like the vocal representation of the Radio Shack 40-1197 so it may be a taste thing. Thanks for any advice.
Sat on a table, the longest wavelengths will be cancelling out from rear to front which is why the treble is hissing.
Put them in simple cabinets or at least a cardboard box to get an idea of their sound.
Put them in simple cabinets or at least a cardboard box to get an idea of their sound.
A good trick to get a better idea of how a speaker sounds when you don't have a baffle is to hold it edge on near your ear.
dave
dave
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you mean by edge on, but isn't that the least realistic situation for judging the sound of a driver? You are putting your ear at the point of maximum cancellation -- you will hear no low frequencies at all, since the distance for both the pressure wave and the vacuum wave are exactly the same for all frequencies, so that only wavelengths shorter than the size of the driver will be very audible.
In comparison, putting the driver face down on the table, which is a pretty bad simulation of the driver in a proper baffle, looks pretty good. But really, some sort of baffle with the driver in what ever orientation you expect to use it in (usually facing you) is neccessary to get any real sense of how the driver sounds.
In comparison, putting the driver face down on the table, which is a pretty bad simulation of the driver in a proper baffle, looks pretty good. But really, some sort of baffle with the driver in what ever orientation you expect to use it in (usually facing you) is neccessary to get any real sense of how the driver sounds.
Or do what KSL did--hold the edge of the driver to your nose, so the cone faces to one side! Your ears are out of phase, but it really tells you exactly what the driver can do.
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