Monacor files

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I've been meaning to get this software for ages: Monacor CAAD-4.2 Loudspeaker Design Software Solution from Monacor PS41.34

Looks to me like Monacor have a database of FRD and ZMA files available. THis makes sense if they aren't really involved in the diy market, but more for professional designers. AFAIK, no-one at diyaudio has tried this yet. But they have some very useful drivers, IMO. Like that modern little polycone that replaces the old KEF B110.

I think Wilmslow Audio stock this software too. Sometimes nobody knows the answer until someone actually tries it! :)
 
I`ve used the SP6 100Pro, 108Pro, SPH170c, SPH100c, DT300, WG300 waveguide, SPH200TC, SPH300CTC, SPM205/8. They make good quality drivers, maybe slightly overpriced but performance is very good. Several places in the UK offer them.

Below is a 2-way bookshelf using the SP6 Pro drivers, a DT300 with WG300. I will not go into further details on this one as I plan on posting it here in greater details, measurements, crossover and the plans but am really short on time and will probably do this during Christmas.
 

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Very nice, Mario. Lot to like there. But really, without the filter, you are being coy.

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I am interested in Lojzek's idea of curve tracing. I frequently import these curves into that great Visaton simulation freebie Boxsim. If you have the frequency response, the impedance curve and know the diameter of the drive unit and what it is made of (and hence how well it is mechanically damped), you can frequently make a fairly good stab at a crossover that works. Almost without measurement. :)

Here's a couple of types of SEAS: The Art Of Sound Perfection drivers that look flat (well, maybe overdamped) and easy enough. These work with simple coil and cap crossovers. But you can do better.

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There is NO QUESTION that choosing drivers which are either flat or over-damped (bell-shaped FR) will make your life easier on crossover.

There is something you must know about ALL cone drivers. The cone-breakup is quite predictable. It comes in at 3kHz with 8" drivers, 5kHz with 6", and about 7kHz with 5" drivers. This is what sounds rough and bad. And must be dealt with.

If you are very clever, you can get frequency response, power response AND impedance flattish. Phase is a bit driver dependent. 8" and 5" two-ways tend to be easy. This is one of the great secrets of loudspeaker design IMO. It stems from some very theoretical mathematics. 2-Way Crossover Calculator / Designer

The circuits below are heavily dependent on impedance equalisation, which is easily calculated from the impedance curve. Bafflestep is an extra consideration. I just wall-mount and avoid THAT issue.
 

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Sweet looking enclosures of Mario's!

Steve, in regard to tracing software just google the web site name mentioned in post #4 and get yout copy of it. It is easy to use and you don't have to bother with 500 clicks as with SPL Tools to create the data samples. In short, you choose the graph to trace, trim it to right size in "Paint", load it to FPGraphTracer, set scale to lin or log, mark the frequency and spl levels using magnifying tool to align cursor with the actual lines representing and then test visually before you save it as frd or zma.
 
But really, without the filter, you are being coy.

True but not much time these days. Here are some of the measurements but I wll post the real project sometime in January (I hope time will allow) with full set of measurements and data. But for now, at least this might do something in between. Minimum impedance is 4R44 at 183Hz with phase at 9.03 degrees. Enclosure is around 13l effective volume with port tunning at 48Hz. The overall tunning is set for corner placement as there they went and to be used with a subwoofer (I`ll post a photo of it too). The measurements include gated and a 12db smoothed in room response (my room, not the recipients) about 1.4m away from any walls. Crossover (measured) is at around 2.05Khz LR2 with both drivers connected with normal polarity. Measured sensitivity at 2.83V was 92.1db +/- 0.3db accuracy in the 100Hz-14khz band. The dip at 1.4Khz I suspect as suspension related as it is present on Monacor`s own measurements. The carbon-fibre cone has a light resonanse but is really annoying on-axis hence the additional network to address it.

They can actually do without a sub but if in a corner, otherwise sound a bit thin. The guy wanted them asap but will hand me over one to complete the off-axis and impedance measurements in a more digestable format, I hope at the beginning of next year. I don`t like to comment on sound as this is very subjective but the owner likes them.
 

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Here`s the sub, Monacor SPH-300CTC in a heavily braced 52l ported enclosure with downfiring ports (3 of them) tuned to 26Hz. It is driven by a Monacor SAM-300D (rebranded chinese amp, Madisound sells them under the Yung brand). Finish on these was a challenge as roundover radius (purely cosmetic in this case) is 12.7mm only but I found a way to bend veneer without cracking it by putting a few strips of paper tape on the outer side where the bend is. The whole cinema is finished in venge veneer and has a few coats of ICA polyurethane coating, a professional did it, was not me.

But the whole point was really why Monacor units are not that popular with the DIY market, outside of Germany, I attribute it to poor distribution mostly, their loudspeaker units are pretty competitive, the SPH series work very well in really small enclosures and some of the speaker units have parameters ideal for cost efficient sealed or transmission line designs, or even band pass enclosures in cars. Companies like Monacor and Visaton are also getting lots of pressure from the newer Asia based designers, such as SB Acoustics, Wavecor, Dayton and even Fountek.
 

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