Q. In simple terms the Selah that you like and use as your reference are 4K$ in kit form. To a guy looking to spend 4K$; there are vast possibilities of some great speakers. The comparisons you made were with much less expensive offerings. Out of curiousity I just wondered whether you had any thoughts about comparing examples of kits in that same price range and how they stacked up in terms of sound quality. I like the array presentation; but in the 4K$ range it would be a difficult descision for me. I wondered how you felt about that.

A. You pay a substantial premium for a line array because the number of drivers is a large multiple of the number in a comparable quality two or three way point soruce speaker. Here's an example of two speakers that use the same quality drivers: The $515 Selah Audio SA-1, a two-way using the Viva XT woofer and a Fountek ribbon tweeter, versus the $3,650 XT-8, using eight Vifa XT woofers and eight Fountek ribbon tweeters (the XT-8 uses the larger $118 tweeter versus the smaller $88 tweeter used in the SA-1, but theyre the same quality).

I was willing to pay the line array premium because I like the sound and sensitivity of line arrays and happen to have an understanding and indulgent wife. Johnathan Valine described another array, the Epiphany 12/12 in TAS this way: "At their best, the Epiphanies make most other speakers sound the way the world looks through one eye---relatively flat and dimensionless. They are the aural equivalents of binocular vision". I agree - line arrays are in a different league from point source speakers.

Your question asked about my impressions of point source speakers kits in the same price range as the XT-8. I can't respond because I don't know of any three- or even four-way point source kits in that price range.

If, like most people, I had a smaller budget for buying a speaker kit, I could have gotten a world class quality speaker for quite a bit less. For example, the $2,450 Selah RC-4 four-way uses some of the best drivers available (Seas Excel) woofers and midrange plus your choice of a Fountek ribbon or a Hyquphon dome tweeter) and includes an integral powered subwoofer. It's comparable to the $20K Joseph Audio Pearl, except the Pearl doesn't include a powered sub. The bottom line is if you buy a kit, line array or point source, and build the enclosures yourself you get a speaker for a small fraction of the equivalent cost of a brand name mainstream retail speaker. Even if you buy the non mainstream speaker completely assembled, finished, and shipped to your door you still pay less than half of the equivalent mainstream speaker.

I used Selah Audio examples because that's what I have and am most familiar with, but there are several other manufacturers of kits who offer comparable value for the money. For example, GR Research plans to introduce a nine woofer seven foot line array kit that will sell in the low $2K's. This speaker will also be offered by AV123 completed for $4K. WOW! RAW Acoustics, Pi Speakers, plus some others I'm not familiar with also offer very good value in their kits.

Here are some links:

http://www.selahaudio.com/
http://www.gr-research.com/
http://www.rawacoustics.com/
http://www.pispeakers.com/

Yes line arrays with premium drivers cost a premium price but you'll never know how well they sound until you listen to them. The Selah Audio designs use very good drivers--Vifa or Seas cones and Fountek true ribbons. Now you can build lower cost line arrays with lower cost woofers and planar tweeters but you may not realize the optimal sound that you might desire.

As you likely realize, a near field line array offers at least 10 dB more sensitivity, dynamic range, power handling than a point source speaker. Hence, it is no contest if you wish for a replica of live concert hall experience. You'll never get close with a point source but a line array would be your ticket to success.

My recent near field array using 12 Creative Sound Solutions WR125S mid-woofers and 9 Aurum Cantus G3i-130 ribbons per side runs $4300 for the drivers from CSS. I'm using a fancy digital crossover so you'll have to add in its cost to the mix. The sound? Impressive.

Bottom line is that going with a line array made with quality drivers provides to me the nearest to ultimate sound as you can get. A comparable commercial line array would be easily 10 times the cost of these kits. While you can enjoy line arrays which cost less money, a premium array will slay the competition.

Jim

My query is that with its use multiple point sources to create the huge sound stage does it lose out on its musical coherency when compared to full range driver...

Both of you have listened to many speakers from both types any comments. There must be a downside(ie musical output) to Line array speakers besides the price point..

However, with all that said, the soundstage of a line array isn't imprecise at all. On small scale recordings done in intimate surroundings, like a jazz trio or a solo singer, you do hear the individual voices and instruments where they're supposed to be. They're just positioned more within three dimensions instead of two.

However, with all that said, the soundstage of a line array isn't imprecise at all. On small scale recordings done in intimate surroundings, like a jazz trio or a solo singer, you do hear the individual voices and instruments where they're supposed to be. They're just positioned more within three dimensions instead of two.

You mentioned dynamics and scale of sound as two characteristics of line arrays, two characteristics that I highly value in a set of speakers. For myself, I was able to find it in a two-way approach similar to PI-speakers (i.e. high efficiency, high power handling pro woofer and compression driver with horns). Since you have experience with both of these approaches, how would you compare the dynamics and presence of arrays vs high-eff 2-ways?

I've also notices that premium arrays typically employ drivers that are low/mid sensitivity and, when used as singles, are relatively low in dynamics. The line array format appears to improve on these otherwise smooth, flat and neutral drivers by bringing dynamics and scale to the table. Do you have any experience or thoughts on starting with drivers that already high sensitivity and dynamic in an array?

Gar.