 Pi-eyed [message #82963] |
Thu, 30 June 2016 18:53  |
/SleepingVillage/
Messages: 3
Registered: June 2016
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Esquire |
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Pi-eyed and eared? 
Hello Pi Speaker fans, and Hi to Wayne, the man behind the design. I've recently completed my 4 Pi build and thought I'd share a bit of the process, as well as my thoughts on these amazing speakers.
After much research and contemplating which speakers to either buy or build, I ended up settling on Wayne's 4 Pi design for a few reasons; I wanted something highly efficient, 8 ohms, and something suitable for high volume heavy rock and metal. I wanted speakers that I could use with a low power OTL amp, or any other amp of my choosing.
I found a nice deal on the JBL 2226 woofers so I pulled the trigger and ordered the crossovers and horn waveguides from Wayne; I then proceeded to acquire the DE250 drivers as per the design. I decided to give the waveguide and woofers a countersunk look by simply making the front baffle double thickness, mounting everything to the face of the inner baffle and then routering the outer baffle to fit over everything. I also modified the cabinet design a touch more with a double-thick rear wall as well. These things weigh a ton, but are solid as a rock with the recommended inner bracing.
I decided to cover them with countertop laminate as opposed to veneer so they would be durable and safe from scratching or other damage. Though it is not cheap and increased my total build cost by over $300, I think it was well worth it. It allowed me to get the look that I had envisioned, which is part of the fun in doing projects like this.. to see if I can make it look as good or better than I can imagine it:-)
I've only had them done for a day or so and one listening session but I can say with confidence that my mind is sufficiently blown. Totally and fully. I figured they'd sound quite good but they sound even better than I'd imagined. They're the best sounding speakers I've ever heard, though I admit I've only heard a handful of decent speakers. I do know that I've never heard such punch in the midbass range, it's stunning all the way up on the volume, to levels that no human should endure for too long. It's just that it sounds so good I want to turn it up and up and not stop listening. I'm still in awe, to be quite honest.
The low end is damn good enough for me, though I'm using 4 bucket subs with a Behringer NU3000DSP iNUKE amp; two flanking the mains and two behind my couch in the middle of the 16 by 23 room. I plan to experiment a bit more with placement but I'm content with this for now. These bucket subs rule, if you guys haven't heard about them. You can find the plans at the Transcendent Sound site and at The Horn Shoppe, which is the site of the man who shared the design.
The highs are crisp and as clear as anything I've heard, without being too bright. My old speakers sounded great but were a little too bright for my tastes and could be fatiguing at high levels with some CDs and/or records.
The rest of my system (if anyone cares) consists of The Masterpiece preamp from Transcendent Sound (simply amazing and highly recommended) the phone preamp also from TS (incredible value), a done-up Michell GyroDec with a Grado Sonata Reference cart, Cambridge Azur 640C with a DIY tube output stage and other mods,Grant Fidelity A-348 amp with KT77, CV181-Z, and late 1950's Amperex Bugle Boy 12ax7 in the pre.. with some other tubes if I feel the need to roll:-)
Pics..
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| Re: Pi-eyed [message #82972 is a reply to message #82963] |
Fri, 01 July 2016 21:29  |
/SleepingVillage/
Messages: 3
Registered: June 2016
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Esquire |
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| johnnycamp5 wrote on Thu, 30 June 2016 19:39 | Those look very cool.
Very unique, I would not have believed that a coarse grain, imitation wood, countertop veneer would come out to look so neat 
Good job!
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Thanks, man. If I hadn't mentioned it was countertop laminate, would you have known? To me, the stuff has a natural look and doesn't look like plastic, but it might be difficult to judge through a picture.
| compaddict wrote on Thu, 30 June 2016 22:18 | Very nice work. Love the iNuke for subs too.
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Thank you. They're great amps as far as I can see. The DSP is such a versatile function and allows for a lot of tweaking and refining of levels and whatnot. When running four subs, I think it's essential. Plenty of power, too.
| Wayne Parham wrote on Fri, 01 July 2016 08:42 |
Those speakers look fantastic!
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Thanks, Wayne, I couldn't have done it without you. The coolest part is that they sound even better than they look! I'm still in awe with these things..
Thanks for fixing my pics, BTW.
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