Audio advice and discussions with audiophiles and professionals. Free discussion forums, open to all and frequented by industry experts. Ask questions and get advice on stereos, speakers, hi-end amplifiers, pre-amps, home theater, tube hi-fi, turntables, vinyl, tweaks, music, films, video, DVDs and more.
From what I have heard, the Pi 7 models appear to be very well liked. I have a medium sized room (~20'x15') that I would like to build a pair for. The problem is which pair. Size is always an issue, but the corners are fairly empty now, so any of the 7's would fit if I wanted to use the space. I have the option between using the solid state reciever I currently own (Outlaw 1050) and building nicer 7's or buying a SET (favoring the Zen) and building the Theater 7's. From a sound quality perspective, which do people think will be better, the SET with the Theater 7's or my Outlaw with the more expensive 7's (ex: Professional JBL)? The price of either is fairly similar, since I already have the Outlaw, but would have to buy the SET. The perk of the Professional 7's is their smaller size and that they are supposed to sound better and from looking at the JBL specs, they look pretty nice. And I could upgrade to a better amp later if I so chose. The SET and theater's would be a bit cheaper now and would be a more unique combo, since I've only had solid state amps before and only built conventional speakers. Thanks, Ian
Re: Suggestions for which Pi 7's to build
I will respond first. Take this with a grain of salt because I do not own either speaker.... but if I was making the decision that you are talking about I would go with the Theater 7. I will probably next build the Theater 4, Theater 7 or the 10 folded horn. I would like to build a folded horn (just because), but one reason is so that I do not have to use them in a corner if I choose not to. Also, I really do not need a profesional grade speaker, I will be useing them for simple home use. The Theater 7 corner will give you more sensivity, more bass extension and plenty of db's for home use. They are also cheaper and will allow you to try out that SET that you are talking about. Once you try the SET with a speaker like the Pi's it may just open up a whole new world for you. Hi sen speakers really shine with tube gear.
My vote is for the Professional or Audiophile Series seven π's. The Theater Series seven π's are great too, and especially if you plan to run the Zen. That little amp is pretty picky about its load, but there are lots and lots of happy Zen and π speaker owners.
More details on the "Audiophile" series 7?
I have read a bit about the 3-way Audiophile Series 7's and was very interested, but I couldn't find much information about the design or pricing for the kit. Also, what amps would you recommend, if I was to upgrade in the future? I'm sure both speakers are good choices, but I may favor Wayne's suggestions since he's probably listened to more of them than anyone out there. I did have a concern about my room. I realized that there is a 2ft deep by 3ft 'bay' along the main wall I was going to put the speakers. The side walls are plenty long, but this main wall only has 42" from corner to the start of the cutout. Will this have a drastic effect on the sound quality of the corner horns? It is above your minimum of 36", so I imagine it is workable? -Ian
Re: More details on the "Audiophile" series 7
Kits are available for the Professional Series seven π cornerhorns, but not for the Audiophile Series seven π. It started as a custom design that was based on earlier models. I'd be happy to send you the plans, if you're interested. There's a photo of a pair that Bill Martinelli built in the post called "Raw, Stark and unrefined... more of the same."<br(.*)
Can you send me the plans for the Sevens - Pro and Theater
Can you send me the plans for both the Pro and Theater models? I'll probably go with the Pros, due to your suggestion and the significantly smaller cabinets, but I'd like to check both out. After considering the options, I'm going to stick with the simpler 2-ways for now, and I can always change the xover and add a midrange(maybe an Edgar horn?) in the future. -Ian (iswett@yahoo.com)