| help spend my money on an array project [message #61275] |
Thu, 29 October 2009 17:47  |
jtwrace
Messages: 66
Registered: October 2009
Location: FL
|
Viscount |
|
|
I built a 3-way speaker using a Foutek 2.0 and Accuton C-79. I was so impressed when I just crossed the mid / tweeter to my subs that I started thinking about building an array of the same. This design would use 20 C-79 with 18 Founteks. With some talking with others and looking at measurements, I'm starting to question my thought. I've looked at the Accuton 220/T11 and then use the Newform Research R30 2x stacked per side.
My concern is that looking at the measuremnents, the 220 just doesn't seem as good as the C-79. I really don't want to loose the "magic" that I had with the C-79. So, what are your thoughts and recommendations? I have also contacted Audio Technology about some custom mids as well.
BTW-my thought is to use my 300w Class Mono Blocks on the mids and use a tube amp on the ribbons. I currently use two aluminum cabinet Rythmik Audio subs with an active Ashly 3.24CL crossover.
Thanks-
|
|
|
|
| Re: help spend my money on an array project [message #61276 is a reply to message #61275] |
Thu, 29 October 2009 22:26  |
Marlboro
Messages: 403
Registered: May 2009
|
Illuminati (1st Degree) |
|
|
Whoa! This is way outta my league. Just the cost of the raw speakers is going to be almost $8000. With that package you will probably want to put together cabinetry for another 2K, so your system will cost you $10K, not including your labor.
If it doesn't sound totally unreal, I can't imagine what would.
I hope that you are under the age of 40, since anyone over that doesn't have enough ear left to hear the difference.
Marlboro
|
|
|
|
|
|
| A WOOFER ARRAY? [message #61283 is a reply to message #61278] |
Fri, 30 October 2009 12:07 |
Marlboro
Messages: 403
Registered: May 2009
|
Illuminati (1st Degree) |
|
|
Money...!!
I was constrained in my design primarily by money. I couldn't spend more than $1500 total including all amplification, electronic crossovers, all speakers and all materials. My labor was free. I had one amp to start and two 12 inch 15 xmax poly prop woofers that currently list for $139 each. I had to buy everything else.
I bought each speaker first in one and listened critically to the extent that a then set of 54 year old ears can do. I spent a lot of time on ebay looking for the right amps and trying and sometimes failing to get what I wanted. I read every piece of information that I could find that pertained to any design part of the system, and then I put it all together on paper first. And then I started building.
It took me nearly 18 months to design, 4 months to buy the amps and crossovers on ebay, and an additional 6 months of spare time to build the system. From its inception to siting and listening it took more than two years.
But your material look like a splitting of hairs that I simply couldn't do. It looks like it should be TAKE ON ALL COMERS no matter what.
I wonder if you are doing this, and money is not an issue, that you don't make it a 4 way and include a line woofers to handle the 40-200hz range. I've been thinking of doing that myself to handle the 40-155 range which is currently handled by my dual 12 inch woofers. I would then use my 12 inchers for only very low bass and explosions in the range from 16-40. They would be true stereo subs.
Marlboro
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tangent.... [message #61291 is a reply to message #61275] |
Sat, 31 October 2009 11:27 |
Marlboro
Messages: 403
Registered: May 2009
|
Illuminati (1st Degree) |
|
|
JTW,
Lets assume that you move on to finding some professional builder to put this together for you, to spend your money for you.
But back to us who would never hire an independent builder because we accurately or fallaciously believe that we can always do it better ourselves for less money(I had a friend one time, best man at my wedding, who married an heiress, and fell into the trap that since he had all the money he could ever want that hiring someone would be easier and better than doing things himself---sometimes true, sometimes not.)
I'm wondering about the Accuton C-79's? Is there any place where an independent evaluation of these speakers has been made? They are essentially three inch domes made of ceramic, and from the data provided by them it seems that they have a quite a bit of ringing problem, and don't go lower than 400hz. I wonder if one might be better off with using Dayton RS-52. In a line array you could cross them at 450 and cut their flanges to cross pretty high.
They have an exceptionally flat frequency response, very very low distortion, and very little ringing at all.
Additionally, while there has been plenty of discussion here about the benefits of the fountek 2.0's by people who listen to them and certain people's preferences for them, I still wonder if using them when you have to cross below 4Khz where their performance drops, it might be preferable to use Bohlender Graebener Neo3 PDR's which are almost half the price, and have way better specs.
Additionally in using either the Accuton's or the RS52's, you will need a 4-way to make it viable. You need an array to cover the range from about 60hz to 500hz, with a set of stereo subwoofers covering the range of 16-60 or so. I'd go with the RSS210's, but if you can deal with a dropping frequency response below 80hz a line array of Visaton AL200's has a better distortion figure.
My problem is believing the data reports of manufacturers. I need some kind of independent testing to verify what they say. All manufacturers, whether of raw speakers or of completed speakers, tend to gloss over their deficiencies, and stress their strengths. Its part of marketing. So one of the benefits of being a DIYer is that you can sift through the marketing and find speakers that are the best, and the best is not always the highest price.
Marlboro
|
|
|
|
| Re: Tangent.... [message #61293 is a reply to message #61291] |
Sat, 31 October 2009 12:36 |
jtwrace
Messages: 66
Registered: October 2009
Location: FL
|
Viscount |
|
|
| Marlboro wrote on Sat, 31 October 2009 11:27 | JTW,
Lets assume that you move on to finding some professional builder to put this together for you, to spend your money for you.
But back to us who would never hire an independent builder because we accurately or fallaciously believe that we can always do it better ourselves for less money(I had a friend one time, best man at my wedding, who married an heiress, and fell into the trap that since he had all the money he could ever want that hiring someone would be easier and better than doing things himself---sometimes true, sometimes not.)
I'm wondering about the Accuton C-79's? Is there any place where an independent evaluation of these speakers has been made? They are essentially three inch domes made of ceramic, and from the data provided by them it seems that they have a quite a bit of ringing problem, and don't go lower than 400hz. I wonder if one might be better off with using Dayton RS-52. In a line array you could cross them at 450 and cut their flanges to cross pretty high.
They have an exceptionally flat frequency response, very very low distortion, and very little ringing at all.
Additionally, while there has been plenty of discussion here about the benefits of the fountek 2.0's by people who listen to them and certain people's preferences for them, I still wonder if using them when you have to cross below 4Khz where their performance drops, it might be preferable to use Bohlender Graebener Neo3 PDR's which are almost half the price, and have way better specs.
Additionally in using either the Accuton's or the RS52's, you will need a 4-way to make it viable. You need an array to cover the range from about 60hz to 500hz, with a set of stereo subwoofers covering the range of 16-60 or so. I'd go with the RSS210's, but if you can deal with a dropping frequency response below 80hz a line array of Visaton AL200's has a better distortion figure.
My problem is believing the data reports of manufacturers. I need some kind of independent testing to verify what they say. All manufacturers, whether of raw speakers or of completed speakers, tend to gloss over their deficiencies, and stress their strengths. Its part of marketing. So one of the benefits of being a DIYer is that you can sift through the marketing and find speakers that are the best, and the best is not always the highest price.
Marlboro
|
Thanks for your advice...you obviously haven't read my first post and the first sentence. I would say that you shouldn't judge anyones ability via a forum. You might be surprised.
Thanks for your help!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
Members
Search
Help
Register
Login
Get a T-Shirt!
