When I got home last nite I fired up the system to see how the Selah XT-8 arrays compare to everything I heard at RMAF. No, even if they offered me an even trade I wouldn't be interested. The XT-8's (mine are ported) seem to have more authoritative bass, and the Fountek ribbons are much better at the higher frequencies than the single drivers. I would say the drivers they're using are comparable to the CSS 4.5" single drivers in my MLTL bipoles - clean sound with none of the peakiness I hear with Fostex drivers, but lacking some of the "air" I hear with a good ribbon or dome tweeter. A two way array seems to offer the best bang for your buck.

Thanks for the details. The IDS25 array would be a good DIY'er for a novice speaker builder who could marry inexpensive drivers with an equalizer and yield good results. It could be DIY built using 3" Hi Vi or Aura drivers for less than $1000 plus the boxes and say $300 for an equalizer. But for $18,900 per pair this comnmercial speaker isn't a player for most people.

As you report, your Selah Audio line array that you built beats the IDS25 at both ends of the band. Plus it costs a lot less money.

Jim

I've been in Kearney, NE a 100 times as we have our annual meetings there and also have a lab down the road in Hastings. If I'd have known that Amber Waves mega-amp was there I'd have checked it out. Do you have to turn it on and adjust it by remote control?

My room was the one probably closest to the Roger Russel system, and since it was a line source the sound propagated very well indeed (something I wasn't overly appreciative of under the circumstances!).

Vocals were very nicely rendered. I thought the top end a bit more rolled-off than normal from my vantage point (typically standing in the hall at the open doorway). The bass was a bit heavy, but that's probably an EQ setting issue. Dynamics seemed very good.

Based on my limited awareness of what it takes to get a flat top end from a line array and deep bass from drivers with a resonant frequency well above cutoff, they must be cranking in a lot of boost at both ends of the spectrum. Power handling was given as 250 watts, which is 10 watts per little full-range driver. They looked like metal cone Tang Bands to my uneducated eye, but that's just a guess.

I would say the Russels were definitely among the better systems, but then as you know I like a line-source speaker that does a good job from well off-axis!

I think that approach is very viable application of the line source concept. Whether it's better than a good two way, I dunno. I sure liked what I heard from one of your designs at MWAF a few years ago.

Think of it as a fairly expensive speaker that's helping to "get the word out" about line arrays.

Duke

On the first page of his show pictures, the sixth through eighth pictures are of one of my rooms, and the ninth is of my other room (that's Lori alongside the speaker).

Duke

Looking forward to the Dallas show next year!

Duke

Glad to see that you had a chance to showoff your new speakers. I'm sure that they sounded very nice.

Thanks for your impressions on the IDS25. I have received a couple of requests from guys who want to build a similar design as a DIY project. Several people were impressed with this full range driver array but the $18,900 is too much for them. A similar set of arrays with small drivers from Hi-Vi or Aura can be realized for $1000 or so.

The IDS25 uses the Tymphany Peerless V-line (or just Vifa) TG9FSD10-08 3.5" full range (at least to 15,000 Hz) drivers. These drivers are listed as discontinued/obsolete on the Tymphany website.

Yeah I like what a line array does to the room. Dynamics without coloration are great.

Jim

I am a big fan of yours and Rick Craigs and appreciate all that you guys have done and shared over the last few years, especially as of late as you have both helped me quite a bit in advancing my knowledge in this hobby.

Having said that, I spent all three days at RMAF, listened to every system there! I went to hear line arrays, horns, wave guides and ribbons since I can't afford to buy/build example of all of them myself. I initially liked the IDS25, as they immediately overcame my skepticism regarding lobing issues, at least so I thought. There was still something not quite natural about their upper range to me, and though this is highly subjective, what I thought was slightly less subjective was the fact that their soundstage was Jurasic Park like on just about everything. I have visited Rick in his home and like his arrays very much, and though the soundstage was definitely different than I am used to with my AudioPhysic Tempo IIs, I found them much more agreeable than the IDS25. The IDS25, no doubt, has monster dynamics and a very clean sound, though I would agree that the EQ is clearly heavy to achieve what I heard, and that even at both ends of the spectrum, I would argue that there is something going on there that makes for a somewhat artificial sounding listening experience. Most male and female vocals however, with much of there energy probably not found in the range of the heavy EQ, were scary good and had an amazing presence, but again I felt like I was under attack by amazonians most of the time. Percussion was to die for however, and the only thing in the same leage from that regard was probably the Wilson Max 2 and other over-the-top rooms that did nothing but show just how stupidly self-indulgent this hobby can become.

Regards,

Greg Jensen

Stopped by your room a couple of times but each time there were others in there and I didn't want to interrupt the conversation. I wanted to introduce myself and thank you for your candid posts about the the speakers, drivers, and waveguide you are using. I thought your stuff sounded great and you guys were doing a very good job of making everyone feel welcome and just focus on listening to music and having fun. Many of the rooms, especially yours, felt snob free and made the trip out there worth it for me. Others, and only just a few, left me cold and wishing I hadn't bothered to even walk in there room. Thanks again bringing your wares to RMAF and for sharing on forums such as this.

Regards,

Greg Jensen