Mini Line Array

[MPM]

During this down time from work I, like many of us, have some free time on my hands. I've always like the look of the mini line array like the Nonsuch4 by the now gone Seventh Veil Speakers. I completely understand now what the articles said about the Nonsuch4. These things are pretty good sounding with nothing more than wiring them in parallel/series to get an 8 ohm load for the amp. I used some Fountek fe87 3" I had bought years ago to do such a project. I recycled an old speaker cabinet by cutting out the front baffle and leaving enough room to screw the line array to it. The cabinet has a 2" port 4.5" long. Once again I am totally surprised by how good this one speaker sounds as my center channel speaker. It obviously didn't sound to good in a horizontal position but was short enough to stand vertically in front of the home theater amp below the tv. No filters/crossover of any type. I have enough of the fe87's to build to floor standing speakers and a proper cabinet for the center channel. My wife even commented that the new center channel replacement sounds pretty good. More to come with some proper cabinets later for proper stereo testing with a dedicated subwoofer.

Mini Line Array kinda

Another kinda Mini Line Array

Not sure why the links are doing this. Something with google photos I guess. The link works for me.

 

[planet10]

A line array really needs to be floor to ceiling to be called a line array.

Ni this case the drivers are small enuff that, if you get far enuff away, they act as a long, skinny oval.

If you want to take it further, or have issues with combing (likely not an issue if you are far enuff away) this might be helpful: http://www.planet10-hifi.com/downloads/Quad-Driver-Wiring.pdf

Glad you like them :^)

Your pictures are hiddn behind your Google logo=in, attach them to the forum.

dave

 

[MPM]

Thanks Planet. Been following your projects for years. Appreciate your input.

I sit about 11 feet from the speakers up front. Noticed no comb filtering, even though I know it exist. Eventually I'd like do a floor to ceiling array like the IDS-25 and many others here on the forum.

I'll work on the pic links. Thanks again.

 

[dtaylo3]

Link is not working. Look at the Parts Express kit of a curved array.

 

[Jim Griffin]

The curved array kit from Parts Express is this one:

Epique CBT24K Line Array Speaker Kit Pair

My journey to a better CBT24 version is detailed:

My New Line Array--It's a Modified CBT24

Straight line array stuff is documented in my link at:

ArraySpeakers Forum - New Home for 'Near Field Line Array White Paper' - Jim Griffin, April 19, 2008 at 00:47:55


Jim

 

[bradleypnw]

Horizontal center channel placement is sort of bogus. I sent all my movie audio to my left speaker in mono and watched a movie. Soon enough, I perceived the sound as coming from my TV screen. No different from a center channel located in the center.

When I thought about it and tried to located the sound source I could hear it on the left. But when our brains are focused on the movie we don't notice the source location.

 

[norman bates]

yea, read an article.

your perception of sound quality in a movie nose dives once you turn the picture off.

The visual processing uses up a lot of ram that your brain has.

 

[bradleypnw]

yea, read an article.

your perception of sound quality in a movie nose dives once you turn the picture off.

The visual processing uses up a lot of ram that your brain has.

Floyd Toole said as people age their processing decreases and it might be better to turn off the stereo and listen in mono through the center channel because listeners rate intelligibility highest in movie settings.

I think the other alternative was to substantially reduce the volume in the stereo channels. Does not apply to kids.

I tried Toole's suggestion by sending mono to my left speaker. That's when I realized I wasn't even locating on the speaker while watching the movie. AS far as I was concerned, the voices were coming from the TV screen.

 

[norman bates]

I mean the sound is worse when no picture.

 

[bradleypnw]

I'd guess our ability to criticize audio is diminished when our brains are taxed by the movie. I know my ability to locate the audio source was diminished. I could only locate the speaker if I stopped concentrating on the movie and started concentrating on the audio location.

In reality, we probably don't need a high quality center channel and we don't need it to be located directly beneath the screen. Some people even locate speakers behind an 'acoustically transparent' projection screen. I'll bet that's mostly wasted effort.

I've read arguments that say the center channel is the primary sound source so you need a really good center channel. That's nice, except for the fact our brains are taxed out while watching a movie so sound quality isn't as important.

 

[MPM]

Jim Griffin - I've read your papers. Your kinda famous in our audio world. Thanks for the reply. The parts express line array kits are nice.

norman and bradley - I've come to the conclusion that my mini line array might actually suck, but when viewing tv it sounds better. My wife tells me all the time I can't multi-task. This is probably another example. Damn she's smart.

 

[norman bates]

suck how ?

Your vertical will be extremely limited, probably fails the sit / stand test but horizontally you have dispersion of a 3" driver (more than enough for a couch at 11', 3" can do couch wide at 7' I'm told).

You have the combined cone area of a single 6" ?

And you probably don't have baffle step either............

Crossing it at the receiver say 150-200hz will allow louder listening levels.

 

[bradleypnw]

I've come to the conclusion that my mini line array might actually suck, but when viewing tv it sounds better. My wife tells me all the time I can't multi-task. This is probably another example. Damn she's smart.

Your wife is a good woman. She's liberating you from the tyranny of doing too many things.

 

[Jim Griffin]

MPM,

The key to success for your line array project is get your wife on your side. Cultivate her acceptance by playing some of her favorite tunes and shows. You can see what my living room looks like with my Modified CBT24 arrays and two subs. Photos are here:

Modified CBT24 - Google Photos

If my wife did not like their sound, I likely could not have the pleasure of hearing the arrays each day.

Jim

 

[norman bates]

True

 

[MPM]

suck how ?

Just generalizing when you consider the speakers have much working against them when you think about the physics of how it works. But I still like the sound well enough that I bought some more wood today. I'm going to do three identical speakers for my home theater. I don't have to return to work till May 4th so why not.

 

[MPM]

MPM,

The key to success for your line array project is get your wife on your side. Cultivate her acceptance by playing some of her favorite tunes and shows. You can see what my living room looks like with my Modified CBT24 arrays and two subs. Photos are here:

Modified CBT24 - Google Photos

If my wife did not like their sound, I likely could not have the pleasure of hearing the arrays each day.

Jim

I'll have to show my wife your speakers. She is OK with small towers as long as they sound good.

 

[MPM]

Your wife is a good woman. She's liberating you from the tyranny of doing too many things.

She's pretty good. I affectionally call her the War and Finance Department. I've just finished the major part of my car stereo build and she admits it sounds pretty good. Hopefully that same sentiment will continue with the home theater speakers.