A Speaker that Kicks Butt in Large Spaces

[freddi]

that's real time video on a Zoom Q3 camera - a photo could look much better- i'm forced to use the high sensitivity mic setting as it just seems to take too much spl to peg the other setting. "Auto" seems to gain ride so that's no good.

FE206EN is a great little Karlson driver - works well in the Karlsonette - its more lively than W8-1772 whose cone has a lot of damping pulp applied to the rear. 206 is my favorite fullrange overall.

did you think 206 had better attack than the 2-way (generic xover) with 8 and K-tube?
https://youtu.be/T71pRwTGfuc

as usual, I botched a link - here's the Alan Parson's Sound Check sax cut with 1772 in a K https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1RYpD9MrV0

[freddi]

I put an old Pyle PYM1298 into an ancient/beat diy Karlsonette which I furthered beat by plugging its horizontal slot port and hacking a rough ~3" x 4" high port into the panel above the baffle. This with a Dayton D250P on a Transylvania K-tube has good dynamics - makes 12lta sound like the weak thing it is and crushes the fullanges for dynamics - i think it has better dynamics and clarity than my Klipschorn (will have to compare) but a K-horn only uses a 54 ounce ferrite slug
-
Its good in a K12 imo to avoid the distributed slit port, use decent motors - that means for a 12 inch speaker, keeping mass down and at least 80 ounces of ferrite slug.

Eminence's Kappa 12a is the current equivalent of pym1298.

Use the K-tube instead of waveguide or horn - it will blend better

a setup like this would make a nice little keyboard or electronic drum speaker.

[freddi]

when using a K-tube on top of a cabinet, consider that it has a baffle step - so it can be useful to experiment with a cardboard baffle at the driver-front plane to help fill energy that normally folds back with say a 5-6 inch wide mount and driver magnet.

[freddi]

would the distribute hole array port used by Karlson in a kit version of the K12 exhibit the high velocities of the 1956 K12's distributed slit port? In between that port and a single ~ 12 sq. inch port? It was sold with a blank port board and apparently, instructions (missing) on drilling the holes. K12 usually have system tuning around 60-62Hz

[xrk971]

You have to compare cross sectional areas but my guess is the slits have higher velocities.

[coit]

X,
Could I use a pair of P.audio BM-15CX38's in full size or larger Karlsonators, or is their Qts too low?


Sensitivity: 100dB
Impedance: 8ohm
Fs: 36Hz
Re: 7ohm
Qes: 0.23
Qms: 5.53
Qts: 0.22
VAS: 287litres
Sd: 830cm2
Efficiency: 5.7%
Xmax: 4.5mm
Mms:64.9gram
BL: 21.03Tm

HF Driver

Power RMS: 75W
Sensitivity: 109dB
Frequency Range: 500-18K

Woofer drops off at 3KHz.

Thankyou,
coit

[freddi]

xrk971 will have to simulate the Karlsonator - system tuning will determine a lot - - - - If they have good/lively midrange, then should be nice in the original Karlson "K15" Mms and BL look very favorable. I've run P-Audio's SN15C in K15 which has a BMD440 one inch format compression driver with good result - and need to make some crossovers for that system. I've been fixated on the little K12. and attempts at 8 and 10" K-coupler.

[coit]

freddi,
I am running them open baffle, and the clarity is stunning.
Weak bass, needs extra subs. Using DBX234xs for crossovers and to reduce HF input.
I have made several pairs of Karlsonators with Viva and Dayton drivers and just thought that the P.audios, if suitable, would sound great.
I am totally sold on X's Karlsonators.
My son loves the Vivas with 3116 and good PSU.
Which of the "original" Karlson designs on the Karlson webpage do you recommend?
thanks
coit

[freddi]

Hi Colt - -- K15 as presented in the January 1954 issue of Radio and Television News http://classicaudio.ru/forum/uploads...471361,079.png

lets see what X says about Karlsonator possibilities.

K15 does not go "low" but that said, can be very agile and powerful in the bass with excellent cone control. (Its really better than most front load horns)

btw, from Carl Neuser's calc, K15's wings are 51" radius

here's C's note: (t=1/2 gap at start; w = 1/2 final width)

"Compute the radius r as follows:
r = ( h^2 + w^2 - w*t + t^2 )/2*( w - t )

For Karlson 15, h = 30.19, w = 10.17, t = .23, r = 51
For Karlson 12, h = 23.5, w = 7.38, t = .25, r = 42.5

[freddi]

here's a rough comparison of the little Acoustic Control 115BK with a 15" vs a larger folded horn with 10" - the Karlson can use a crossover up to 1K6 and sound pretty good - the horn has to do ~400Hz crossover. I also think the K-coupler may exhibit lower distortion - at least in this case. There's a point in path length where the horn takes over.

A K-tube on top of 115Bk makes for good sound.

here it is with a 1960's style K-tube derived from one seen in Karlson's "X15" system. X15 had the tube mounted internally- which works very well.



If scaled 1.2:1 then it would be around K15's bulk and should make a nice "K18"



I should have taken on and off axis plots but the ground plane was pretty good and there was no damping material at all in the cabinet. 115BK I think, is derivedfrom whatever plan generated Transylvania Power Company's little K coupler. Perhaps Mrs.
Karlson supplied the X15 plan with big vent (?)

115BK without the wings inset, would only be 13.5" deep. Height was 27 inches, width - 20.5"

vent area is quite large at around 27 sq.in. so it doesn't compress for any practical input power.