valleyman said:
My preference in this case would definitely be sealed. Sealed enclosures tend to be more precise than vented at the expense of bass. In particular I have heard it said about the ZD5 that the sealed box has notably sweeter midrange. As you have the possibility of adding a sub the lack of bass from the sealed boxes is less of a problem (assuming you can integrate the sub nicely).
I have noted how some show a preference for sealed with the ZD5. I suspect it's not really a "sweeter midrange" but a leaner, shallower bass rolloff that emphasizes the midrange a bit more. The sealed system will likely be less sensitive to room size. If you look at an average room response, there's always a primary node somewhere between 50 and 80 Hz depending on room size. The sealed system is rolled off before this, and peaking is minimized as a result. With a little less "room bloom", the midrange probably seems a little more forward and cleaner. The key word is "seems"
Vented will work best in a larger room, or a medium size room that has a reduced bass node via an opening into another large room. My living room connects to my kitchen and dining room via 2 large doorways for example. (all IMHO)
R-Carpenter said:
Hi Zaph. It is interesting to me that Madisound has some kind of relationship with you and sell your kits. I spoke with them a few times and they swear that there’s an audible difference between not only electrolytic and poly but also between different brands of polypropylene capacitors. I do tend to agree with your point of view, all though at 1 time I thought I heard a difference between cheap electrolytic and more expensive polypropylene cups. Since Madisound is selling kits based on your design, whats your position on their perspective?
Everyone knows how I stand on high end components including Madisound. While developing the SR71 kit, there was actually a bit of bargaining between what I wanted to be in the kit and what they wanted to sell. There were 2 concessions I made: the Clarity SA cap on the tweeter and the option to get a copper foil inductor on the woofer. The SA cap is a bit more pricey but it's not outrageous. Some people would not buy a steel laminate inductor for fear of "hearing" it. Madisound knows all too well what people want to buy. I didn't complain too much because the kit price knocks 10% off the component costs and people are essentially getting the pricey cap and more for free.
With the kit I'm currently working on for Madisound, it will be interesting to see what we can agree on. With a 2.5-way option and a conjugate impedance notch on the tweeter, there will be some huge caps and coils needed here. We haven't worked out what will be in the kit, but I suspect there won't be any electrolytics in there. While I think electrolytics sound great, someone spending $1500 on a kit isn't going to take the chance. Sure, I've got a big mouth about my beliefs, but I'm no "capacitor nazi" so I don't really care too much what anyone else thinks.
