Optimal Single Driver FR Speakers for Smallish Narrow Room

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What kinds of single full-range drivers and enclosures should one consider for a room that is 8' W x 18.5' L x 9.25' H, where the speakers are placed at one of the 8' ends and amplification is with SET tube amps?

Can use corners, not use corners, standmounted or floorstanding, speakers can be close to front wall or pulled in substantially from it, listening position can be anywhere from very close to very far.

Music is mainly jazz/vocal and small ensemble classical, with some rock and electronic (like Atlas Sound, with detailed bass textures).

What would extract the best performance from a given driver, and provide excellent tonal development, frequency range, and soundstage?

I've got a pair of Fostex FE103Sol and FF105WK but am open to larger drivers, open source designs, commercial designs, whatever.

Some thoughts:

* Frugal Horn Mk3 with removable suprabaffles to try various drivers (Sol, 105WK, FE126En, Alpair 7.3, etc.). Since the ceiling is tallish, I imagine these would fill in a nice soundstage with their angled-back drivers and upward-oriented horn flare.

* I was thinking about iBIB(k) for the Sols, in the corners, but killmister on this site had negative results with it.

* Alpair 12P in Pensils (for greater bass extension and perhaps better tonal development?) (too large for the space?)

* Alpair 10P in Pensils (efficiency not ideal for SETs, but my 89db 4" drivers do more than fine with them, possibly because room is small and listening distance is close) (too large for the space?)

* Perhaps a standmounted or floormounted Onken-style enclosure

Thoughts on these? What else might work?

Thanks,

Jeff
 

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The room looks a little small for FH to me, and based on my previously posted predilection for floor standers, I'd suggest Pensils or similar format of MLTL for 3 to 4" models such as A6.2, 7.3, Pluvia7, Fostex FF85 or 105WK - each of which I've heard in at least a couple of different designs.

Let the games begin ....
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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I've got a pair of Fostex FE103Sol and FF105WK

Both those fit into the same Fonken enclosures with only minor tuning differences. I would give the edge to the FE103 SOL on sonics.

So i’d guess the SOL would drop into the Baby Lab for the FF105 — i know you are a fan of the Baby Labs.

Frugal Horn Mk3

I’d opine that those would work fine in your room, but due to the small size they might need more than the average damping. Both the FE103 SOL & FF105wk would work,

Alpair 12P vrs Alpair 10P in Pensils (efficiency not ideal for SET

Real world efficiency is pretty much the same… how small is your SET. As long as you aren’t playing really loud even a small SET will likely suffice, Of greater importance is how well behaved it is when it clips — and SETs are usually very good.

dave
 
Thanks guys. Yes I’ve made a pair of Woden Shrike (pictured above) and am midway through a Falcon build, as you know. I’m eager to hear the differences in the drivers when compared in the same type of enclosure. It’s just so much fun that it’s got me wondering about what else is possible. Strange that the satisfying sound of the Shrikes, especially when played with a 300B set, made me restless.

So far the Sol has been more pleasing to me than the 105, so I’m also wondering what enclosure would extract the best performance — I guess most finesse — from the Sol.

Re efficiency: I have a breadboard and a stash of about 60 tubes, so I try a different SET circuit every couple of months or so. They are usually in the neighborhood of 6-8 watts, though some tubes are good for 2-3 watts and I’d really like to try them.

My main concern with a driver like A7.3 is the 85db efficiency, but in this small room it’s probably doable. I did find a post on the Bottlehead forum where someone was using a 2A3 SET to good effect with Pensil 7.3, so people do it.

Alpair 5.2/FF85WK — I also would like more bass extension (with finesse, not “slam” or “punch” or whatever), so I’m wary of going even smaller than 4”, but those are intriguing nonetheless.
 
Jeff -while I'm no longer using my small (8'6" wid x20' long) basement man-cave - it's now a home office / storage room - I can attest that the A7.3 in Pensils and Bottlehead Paramours, SE EL34/6CA7, or EL84 "El Cheapo" work very well. Of course I never listened much past mid 80dB levels.
I've repeatedly remarked that "given appropriate floor space", I'd recommend any of the FH family for the appropriate driver size - but judging from your photo and dimensions give for the room, I think that's something lacking here.

As to which enclosure would deliver the "best" performance from the 103SOLs, I'd opine probably the Woden Vampyr - they certainly very well with the FF105WK - although the optimal listening distance might also be an issue in your room
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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We only ever used the SOL in FH3. I hadn’t thot of Vampyr-V, but Chris is probably right, it would extract maximum bass. Most finese is likely from the trapezoid mFonken105 (adjusted for SOL) as the tear-drop approximation in the horizontal plane give the lowest diffraction. One trades off bass extension and the need for stands. vrs the other 2 choices.

I have to test our SOLs, they came back from a loan-out with 1 reportably damaged, but in most of the cases we have had of that it turned out to be something else. An outstanding driver… they should take what they learned from this driver an dapply it to the regular FE103.

dave
 
As for listening distance, I can pull the chair back from the speakers 10 feet conveniently and even more if needed. But if that's still too close for FH3 (I know David thinks it's OK) then I'll stay closer to the Pensil/Fonken range.

So I gather Pensil 10P or 12P would be ill advised?

What about the Alpair 7P? It gets almost no mention on this site and is not listed in your designs, so I imagine that says something about it.
 
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I've been thinking some more about this and found an image of the trapezoidal mFonken SOL (apparently made of a space-age material?). Would it be possible to make these out of wood with a miter saw, table saw, and straight bar clamps?

I imagine there would be some really tricky glue-ups with all those pieces fitting at fine angles.

Would a flat-pack be available?

638870d1507279677-minionken-fonken-picture-gallery-mfonken103sol-3dprinted-jpg


And secondly, what about a floorstanding onken-style enclosure for FF165WK or FE166En (like the 167)? Too big for the room?

Fonken-167-trio.jpg
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
Paid Member
Yes, the mMar-KenT/mFonkenT as was done with a 3D printer is usually executed in wood. It is of a size for the FF105wk, FE103 SOL, or Alpair 6.2p.

Chris is off to the Grand Canyon today, so is not likely to check in on construction, but i expect that you have sufficient tools for this kind of construction.

The trapezoid versions are the hardest to make, the rectangular ones with the FE167e are easier. In those floor standers the bottom third or so is filled with sand.

FE166e wants to be in a horn but there are FF165wk (or Alpair 10p) versions that could be built into that format (but about half the height would be a void). At least pair of the floorstanders were built with a rear firing woofer, using the newer drivers you’d have a bit more volume to work with.

These kind of enclosures are available for Fostex FF85wk/105wk/125wk/165wk. The FF225wk set has not yet made much progress but fit into the same ones as the Alpair 12pw. Also Alpair 5.2/6.2/7.3/10/3/10p/12p as well as a number of less extensive plans for select Audio Nirva, Dayton Point Source, Tangband, Eminence, Voxativ, and more.

Custom versions are also possible if the drivers are suitable.

Full details here:planet10-hifi miniOnken Plan-Set Subscriptions

dave
 
Actually in an airport lounge at the moment
Wouldn’t do the sand thing again - only so many Physio / chiro
appointments a year covered by our extended medical;)

In a small room, I’d go for something like an A7.3 or Pluvia7 in Pensils - easy builds, and no ballasting required
 
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Since starting this thread more than a year ago, I've made a pair of Falcons for FF105WK (very capable), CGR for FE103Sol (superb), and trapezoidal mFonken (superber) for the same. I recently got a good deal for a pair of Alpair 10P on eBay, and am considering which enclosures to build for them in the room described at the top of the thread.

About how much more low frequency extension would a trapezoidal Mar-Ken for Alpair 10P deliver than the mFonken103SolT? I prefer the clarity and finesse of the traps but am curious to hear the low-end capability of a Pensil or FHXL.
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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The FHXL with A10p hits 25 Hz F10 IIRC, the Fonken with SOL has F10 in the high 50s. That is a whole octave. And the larger driver with larger xMax can move considerably more air.

The miniOnkens are noted for their elegant, natural reproduction of bass, you might find the 2 mentioned have a different take on reproduction down there. But i have not heard anyone complain about the bass of A10p in FHXL, even Mark himself who was stunned at how much bottom we get out of FHXL (he was here at the same time we rolled out the 1st FHXL).

dave
 
Dave- it’s been more than a couple of years now, but when we demoed those for Mark, were they powered by one of my tube amps -likely the Tubelab Simple P/P (EL84)?
I’m repeating myself by agreeing with your assessment that the A10/XL combo is probably the bass king of the assorted enclosures in which I’ve heard either version of the driver. Mind you with a very similar footprint - but taller by a fair margin - the Woden Silbury would probably squeeze even more juice from the citrus.
 
Thanks, guys. This is for the small room (8' W x 18.5' L x 9.25' H, with speakers on the 8' wall) outlined at the top of the thread. Wasn't sure if FHXL or Silbury would work in that space. I haven't been to the Woden website in a while and just noticed the Poplar, which could also be a possibility: Woden Design | Poplar. Has anyone heard the Poplar?

I'm mainly wondering about like-for-like -- how much lower would the trapezoidal Mar-Ken for A10P go than the traps I built for FE103Sol?
 
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