Here's another interesting OB/hybrid system I'm currently looking at.
http://www.geocities.com/kreskovs/NaO.html
The Nao woofer approach looks very promising, I might do up one later on.
http://www.geocities.com/kreskovs/NaO.html
The Nao woofer approach looks very promising, I might do up one later on.
I found the best way to mount the drivers on an open baffle (taking advantage of the fact that you are not having to work with a closed box) is to mount them from the rear.
This means that you can hide the fixing holes and in fact do away with the need for screws or bolts.
If you have not seen this already, it is shown here .
Not flush mounting can offer some improvement in frequency response. This is maint due to the loss of the driver face plate being mounted on the baffle making way for diffraction. However I have just gone open baffle (see this sounds wonderful.... for details) and as this was just a test to see how it sounded I didnt bother to flush mount.
Not flush mounted it measured fine and sounds superb. Open baffle are certainly superior to cabinet designs when it comes to openess and smoothness, clarity and downright enjoyability.
Some speakers with boxes dont sound coloured or boxy. This is until you hear an open baffle.
Lets us hear how it turns out Is this going to be active or passive? appologies if you have already mentioned this above.
Matt
P.S. excellent choice of tweeter
Not flush mounted it measured fine and sounds superb. Open baffle are certainly superior to cabinet designs when it comes to openess and smoothness, clarity and downright enjoyability.
Some speakers with boxes dont sound coloured or boxy. This is until you hear an open baffle.
Lets us hear how it turns out Is this going to be active or passive? appologies if you have already mentioned this above.
Matt
P.S. excellent choice of tweeter
The big day is coming closer, I just painted the first layer on my baffles. Unfortunately, for various reasons I wasn´t able to use the CNC router to cut the holes for my drivers but I have other ideas up my sleeve to compensate for this.
Well, I guess I have to power these beasts with something, right?
What about a pair of 813 DHT SE monoblocks (about 25W) for mids and highs and a pair of 35W balanced SE mosfet monoblocks for the woofers?
The bass amps are halfway finished and I´m collecting parts and for the 813´s.
Until everything´s finished I´ll use a pair of Mini-Aleph monos for the woofers and various SE tube amps for the rest.
I have a feeling that these speakers will be quite limited in the bass region, so maybe I´ll have to put my four cheap, high Qts 12" woofers to use...
At least it would be a good reason to build more amps
Well, I guess I have to power these beasts with something, right?
What about a pair of 813 DHT SE monoblocks (about 25W) for mids and highs and a pair of 35W balanced SE mosfet monoblocks for the woofers?
The bass amps are halfway finished and I´m collecting parts and for the 813´s.
Until everything´s finished I´ll use a pair of Mini-Aleph monos for the woofers and various SE tube amps for the rest.
I have a feeling that these speakers will be quite limited in the bass region, so maybe I´ll have to put my four cheap, high Qts 12" woofers to use...
At least it would be a good reason to build more amps
I've become OB'd in the past couple of months and doubt that I could ever go back to a box. I've been experimenting only with arrays using ultra cheap TV speakers, but getting sound that staggers everyone who hears them (not audiophiles), but I'm pleased anyway.
A few questions:
Rear driver mounting: Wouldn't this affect dispersion and off axis response with all but the thinnest baffles?
Swept back wings vs flat baffles: Is there any advantage to flat baffles other than a shallow depth? I already ran into a big cavity resonance, but that was quickly remedied with the skill saw taking 2" off of one wing. On my cardboard test baffles I like the sides folded back for a slight imaging improvement, plus it works wonders for stability.
With the huge sound improvement, less cabinet construction, increased efficiency, less weight for shipping, etc., why haven't the big manufacturers gone to OB's?
A few questions:
Rear driver mounting: Wouldn't this affect dispersion and off axis response with all but the thinnest baffles?
Swept back wings vs flat baffles: Is there any advantage to flat baffles other than a shallow depth? I already ran into a big cavity resonance, but that was quickly remedied with the skill saw taking 2" off of one wing. On my cardboard test baffles I like the sides folded back for a slight imaging improvement, plus it works wonders for stability.
With the huge sound improvement, less cabinet construction, increased efficiency, less weight for shipping, etc., why haven't the big manufacturers gone to OB's?
I was wondering the same.I'm using old 10" full range Isophon drivers.Two for each channel in paralell (they are 16ohm).Don't know any specs of them but they are high Qts drivers.I mounted them on 70cm open baffle and they sound awsome.In terms of tonal balance there is enough of bass but I'm missing some lower bass.Initially I was thinking about wider baffle but I don't think 30-40cm wider baffle will make them go as low as I want.And it gets too wide
I tried to attach the wings as flat baffle and as folded.I liked folded better,so I was thinking of building folded OB.
It has advantage of being very wide.One can make the baffle that is practicly two meter wide.
PHY-HP has great plans of such baffle .
Did anyone actually tried this?
Here is the link
http://www.phy-hp.com/English/Communication_E/Com_E_Baffle_Plan.html
I like the idea of changable front driver panel.One can make great OB enclosure that will fit many diffrent drivers.Only make a new faceplate.
Bartek
Fuling said:
Good question!
I can understand that "ordinary people" don´t want these inefficient, hard to place beasts in their livingrooms but I think quite a few audiofiles wouldn´t mind
With swept back wings they're not such beasts and putting the back wave into play makes them more efficient, not less so. I've also found that room placement seems less crucial than other speakers.
Maybe that's only because I haven't gotten to the world class sound that the experts here get. At least not yet. I'm working the speaker end first since I have drivers and it's just wood and work from there (for me that's the fun stuff). I'll address perfecting the signal going to the speakers after I obtain the sound I want from the speakers.
My current project each speaker uses an Adire HE8.1 (good open and detailed sound but very lacking below about 200hz due to the low Qts) in the top and 4 6" TV drivers ($3 ea) in a W baffle on the bottom for bass support. My layout will fit in dimensions of H23" x W16" x D12" , although my project is much taller (31"). I already had the rare expensive hardwood for baffles already cut before I figured out what driver combination to use. While not flat, I have good bass down below 50hz that is worlds better sounding than the recommended ported box that rolls off below 80hz.
BTW, I just love the dipole "sound" and believe it is much truer to the original than any other type of speaker (at least those I have heard). They even faithfully reproduce the venue's sound. Rock sounds like the musicians are right there on a big stage, jazz sounds like you're in a small dampened club, etc. I am extremely greatful to everyone here and elsewhere on the net who have lead me to "find the light" of open baffles.
I even still use my first OB test baffle as a desktop speaker. It consists of 5 $1 drivers duct taped to a piece of posterboard with the styrofoam sandwiched in the middle (the stuff used by architects to make models). I just folded back the sides for stability and it makes a $6 speaker that sounds great with my sub for bass support.
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