Home » Audio » Speaker » New Cheap Quasi Line Array
Another Thought [message #22864 is a reply to message #22863] Thu, 01 December 2005 06:23 Go to previous messageGo to next message
FredT is currently offline  FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
Illuminati (1st Degree)
As I re-read my "advice" post it occurred to me that some might conclude I was suggesting a line array built for under $1K wouldn't sound good. Not so. Even an array like the one I'm building with $3.99 woofers will sound better than much of the stuff you hear at Best Buy. The issue I was addressing is: At what price level is it better to build a non-array speaker using better quality drivers than you could afford to incorporate into a similarly priced line array?

Instead of talking in generalities I'll offer two examples of exceptional under-$1K two way monitor designs, the Selah Audio SA-1 and the Ellis Audio 1801B. The Selah kit incorporates a 7" Vifa XT series woofer and a Fountek ribbon tweeter and sells for $595 with deluxe crossover parts. The Ellis kit uses a 7" Seas Excel magnesium cone woofer and a Hypquphon dome tweeter with deluxe crossover parts and sells for $750. I have heard the Vifa/Fountek combination in another speaker and the difference between these drivers and all the under $30 drivers I have heard is HUGE / ENORMOUS /AWE INSPIRING. I have not heard the Seas/Hyquphon combination, but I would expect it to be even better.

So assuming I know I will be using a good quality 50 watt or greater tube amp or a 100 watt solid state (eliminating the need for a high sensitivity speaker), would a line array or one of the two monitor speakers offer better bass control, midrange clarity, soundstage, imaging, resolution, musicality, air, PRT, or whatever criteria I use to define "high end"? At the $600-$750 price point a quasi line array would offer greater sensitivity and dynamic range plus a larger soundstage, but I still believe either of the two monitor speakers (linked below) would be the better choice for my listening preferences.

http://www.selahaudio.com/id46.html

http://www.ellisaudio.com/1801.htm



Re: Another Thought [message #22878 is a reply to message #22864] Mon, 05 December 2005 16:45 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Renato is currently offline  Renato
Messages: 14
Registered: May 2009
Chancellor
Fred,

My english is too poor...but, I will try...

The questiion is, in my opinion a cheaper Line Array is better than
the simple speaker. I finished a LA with equivalent US$ 300,00 (see at
http://www.mrweb.com.br/fvm/laf2/) and this have a sound much bether
than a B&W DM series for example (US$ 800,00 in Brazil).

I will try make a Ribbon tweeter because in Brazil, do not have Ribbon
for sale and the cost for import is very high.

[]'s

Renato

Array driver response [message #22886 is a reply to message #22862] Fri, 09 December 2005 08:33 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Fitzmaurice is currently offline  Bill Fitzmaurice
Messages: 335
Registered: May 2009
Grand Master
When considering drivers for use in an array an often overlooked factor is that the response of a speaker utilizing multiple drivers is not necessarily linear with respect to the response of a single driver. In fact, as more drivers are added the system response becomes significantly flatter, especially in the upper frequencies. This is a result of the limitations of mutual coupling vis a vis the ka=.02 upper response frequency corner. The NSB presents a very good example of this. Because of the NSBs pronounced response spike at 7kHz many designers dismissed the driver out of hand as unsuitable for hi-fidelity applications. While that judgement was true with respect to one or two drivers, it was incorrect when applied to a line array of at least four drivers. As more drivers are added and the upper response frequency corner goes lower the response peaks and valleys flatten out quite nicely, starting at the high end of the spectrum, working their way down as more drive elements are added to the array. In the case of the NSB a six driver array exhibits no unusual spiking at 7kHz.

Re: New Cheap Quasi Line Array [message #22923 is a reply to message #22854] Thu, 19 January 2006 04:58 Go to previous message
scoolman is currently offline  scoolman
Messages: 1
Registered: May 2009
Esquire
Fred,

Any updates on this ineresting project?

Thanks

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