Most ultimate 2-way Loudspeaker in low material thickness ? - Kiso Acoustic "HB-1"
An envelope (box cabinet) without their own sound radiation are for me the best solution.
But this approach also sounds interesting (for me this is the second best approach):
perfect sonic transmission through rapid decay of the cabinet vibration
Same philosophy as in some British speakers like Harbeth.
Who have heard this loudspeaker ??
Thank you for comments.
Some URLs
HIFI komponente ...: Kiso Acoustic HB-1 (collection of pictures from the manufacturing process)
HB-1
http://www.stereophile.com/content/kiso-acoustic-hb-1
Lautsprecher Kiso Acoustic HB 1 - stereoplay (German)
Visita a Cosmos hi-fi y audición de las Kiso Acoustics HB-1 (espanol)
http://www.fastaudio.com/workspace/uploads/downloads/kiso-acoustic-hb-1.pdf
An envelope (box cabinet) without their own sound radiation are for me the best solution.
But this approach also sounds interesting (for me this is the second best approach):
perfect sonic transmission through rapid decay of the cabinet vibration
Same philosophy as in some British speakers like Harbeth.
Who have heard this loudspeaker ??
Thank you for comments.
Some URLs
HIFI komponente ...: Kiso Acoustic HB-1 (collection of pictures from the manufacturing process)
HB-1
http://www.stereophile.com/content/kiso-acoustic-hb-1
Lautsprecher Kiso Acoustic HB 1 - stereoplay (German)
Visita a Cosmos hi-fi y audición de las Kiso Acoustics HB-1 (espanol)
http://www.fastaudio.com/workspace/uploads/downloads/kiso-acoustic-hb-1.pdf
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Comments based solely on my box building experience, not having heard them. Results are everything.
Really pretty, but that recess and sharp edge around the tweeter would raise big red flags for me. I am a bit big on diffraction reduction though. I would also be worried about a company that spends so much time talking about their cabinet and not their drivers and crossover. All three are equally important and must work in harmony.
Anyway, use of light weight curved surfaces is a way you can control the various resonances. Tuning the sides like an instrument top seems like a very bad idea to me. Prototype yourself. Nifty to see the jig they mound the main box with. Looks like fine craftsmanship. See how simple the glue up jig is? Just sticks. Odd, port in the box bottom exiting into a slot in a sub-base. A lot of work.
Really pretty, but that recess and sharp edge around the tweeter would raise big red flags for me. I am a bit big on diffraction reduction though. I would also be worried about a company that spends so much time talking about their cabinet and not their drivers and crossover. All three are equally important and must work in harmony.
Anyway, use of light weight curved surfaces is a way you can control the various resonances. Tuning the sides like an instrument top seems like a very bad idea to me. Prototype yourself. Nifty to see the jig they mound the main box with. Looks like fine craftsmanship. See how simple the glue up jig is? Just sticks. Odd, port in the box bottom exiting into a slot in a sub-base. A lot of work.
Obeservations:
A) I've learned that "stereophile" traditionally prints an unreliable evaluation.. period.
B) those speakers are Tiny Little boxes. Are you 1m tall?
IMO distrust ANY speaker that requires a "stand' to make up for it's design inadequacies.
Amazed at the clearly Asian Market directed hi gloss finish.. telling, that..
C) Test out the Thin box erm 'resonant' amplifier'' for yourself by inserting a driver into an old Guitars' soundbox. Might be valid .. or not.
A) I've learned that "stereophile" traditionally prints an unreliable evaluation.. period.
B) those speakers are Tiny Little boxes. Are you 1m tall?
IMO distrust ANY speaker that requires a "stand' to make up for it's design inadequacies.
Amazed at the clearly Asian Market directed hi gloss finish.. telling, that..
C) Test out the Thin box erm 'resonant' amplifier'' for yourself by inserting a driver into an old Guitars' soundbox. Might be valid .. or not.
I know this is a SUPER old thread, but I have heard these remarkable gems of a speaker right next to B&W's flagship, along with a set of DYNAUDIO's and I can confirm that they produce a distinct and different sort of sound.
A 4" driver and a compression horn can do wonderful things. I spoke with the distributor while at the Hi-End show in Tokyo, and not only was I blown away, but so was the entire room! While they don't have the full blown impact of TAD's Ultra Heavy and HUGE floor standers that require immense power, these little guys are built by Takamine, A world renown Guitar manufacturer. They USE the resonance to create a larger sound than otherwise feasible.
They can only produce 50 or so a month. After the Mag9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Takamine was able to repair the original cabinets for a few owners. No two enclosures are the same. They are individually tuned for resonance.
Whilst it's true that major publications are biased for the most part, and rarely talk badly of any product being reviewed; I can confirm that they DO sound incredible, and you can get remarkable bass from a small driver when built with care. These people are not making a box, they are artisans!
Hope this brings some clarity about the Kiso Acoustic HB-1. I have recently heard rumblings about a HB-1X model.
A 4" driver and a compression horn can do wonderful things. I spoke with the distributor while at the Hi-End show in Tokyo, and not only was I blown away, but so was the entire room! While they don't have the full blown impact of TAD's Ultra Heavy and HUGE floor standers that require immense power, these little guys are built by Takamine, A world renown Guitar manufacturer. They USE the resonance to create a larger sound than otherwise feasible.
They can only produce 50 or so a month. After the Mag9 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, Takamine was able to repair the original cabinets for a few owners. No two enclosures are the same. They are individually tuned for resonance.
Whilst it's true that major publications are biased for the most part, and rarely talk badly of any product being reviewed; I can confirm that they DO sound incredible, and you can get remarkable bass from a small driver when built with care. These people are not making a box, they are artisans!
Hope this brings some clarity about the Kiso Acoustic HB-1. I have recently heard rumblings about a HB-1X model.
a little more information about Takamine, the makers of the Kiso Acoustic HB-1 used by the EAGLES for HOTEL CALIFORNIA:
Joe used a Fender Telecaster for his parts of the song and the solo. Don Felder played a Gibson Les Paul for the electric parts and solo and used a 12-string Takamine acoustic guitar with a DeArmond soundhole pickup that went through a Leslie rotating speaker to do the acoustic intro pieces that start out the song and continue throughout most of the song. I'm not sure what guitar Glenn Frey played on the song but I know it was probably a 12-string acoustic as well with a soundhole pickup probably or perhaps mic'd. Don Felder didn't use the white Gibson doubleneck EDS-1275 until they started playing the song live so he wouldn't have to switch between a 12-string acoustic and a Les Paul. The Doubleneck was set to have the 12-string neck go to one output jack going to a Leslie speaker and the 6-string neck going to his pedalboard then to his amp. Hope this helps!
Joe used a Fender Telecaster for his parts of the song and the solo. Don Felder played a Gibson Les Paul for the electric parts and solo and used a 12-string Takamine acoustic guitar with a DeArmond soundhole pickup that went through a Leslie rotating speaker to do the acoustic intro pieces that start out the song and continue throughout most of the song. I'm not sure what guitar Glenn Frey played on the song but I know it was probably a 12-string acoustic as well with a soundhole pickup probably or perhaps mic'd. Don Felder didn't use the white Gibson doubleneck EDS-1275 until they started playing the song live so he wouldn't have to switch between a 12-string acoustic and a Les Paul. The Doubleneck was set to have the 12-string neck go to one output jack going to a Leslie speaker and the 6-string neck going to his pedalboard then to his amp. Hope this helps!
You're not counting the very costly manufactured housing (check out first link by post #1)
check also out the costs for a strad - go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stradivarius
and read also post #5:
Thank you for this comment. Interesting observations.
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