| The Fredarrays are Up and Running [message #22419] |
Sun, 02 January 2005 11:43  |
FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (1st Degree) |
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After a long period of neglect I again got interested in completing these arrays, and at last they are up and running. I decided to complete them because Rick Craig is sending me an XT8 array kit, and building the enclosures will occupy my full time for the next month or two. My initial reaction to the Fredarray is very positive (just as any new mom believes her baby is the prettiest ever). The Silver Flute woofers sound very good, but can't say the same for the $20 Peerless horn loaded dome tweeter. It begins to fall off not too much above 10khz. I have a pair of Fountek JP3 ribbons which I plan to try in place of the Peerless domes. Stereophile would describe these speakers as "possibly the best speaker in the world", but only if I were in the speaker business and committed to a quarter million dollar ad campaign. Clearly they are not, but they do offer a lot of bang for the $400 I have invested in them. This would be a very worthwhile project for someone with a limited budget and the desire for a line array. If anyone in the Houston area would like to hear them just send me and email.
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| Re: The Fredarrays are Up and Running [message #22420 is a reply to message #22419] |
Sun, 02 January 2005 14:22  |
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Wayne Parham
Messages: 18783
Registered: January 2001
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Illuminati (33rd Degree) |
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Those are great looking speakers Fred, just awesome! It looks like you have a nice sheen on their finish coat. I really like 'em! I'll bet it's tough finding a tweeter that will both cross low enough and have the sensitivity required. Hopefully the ribbon will work better for you. Your speakers look excellent! Keep us posted on the upgrades.
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| Right About the Tweeters [message #22421 is a reply to message #22420] |
Sun, 02 January 2005 15:08 |
FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (1st Degree) |
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You are so right about finding the right tweeter. There are few tweeters that combine a reasonable price, good sound, 95dB or better sensitivity and the ability to cross over at about 2.5khz. The $22 Peerless tweeter is one of the cheapest but it sounds like most $20 tweeters, it's fairly directional, and it gives up at about 16khz. I also have a couple of the $14, 96dB MCM tweeters used in the Bottlehead Straight 8, but I didn't care for them too much in that speaker so I doubt I'll like them more in this one. Also, I suspect their resonant frequency is too high to cross over at 2.5khz. In the Straight 8 they are crossed over at about twice that frequency. The $50 Morel MDT-37 comes close with 93dB sensitivity, but a ten driver woofer array is a bit too sensitive for that. GR Researcg offers a $30 96dB dome that looks good on paper, but I haven't heard it. That's about the most I wanted to spend on tweeters for an economy array whose total cost is less than $400, but when Madisound offered a $60 closeout price on the Fountek ribbon I decided to break the piggy bank and go for it. I'll post some comments when I get around to building an appropriate crossover and try it in place of the Peerless tweeters.
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| Re: More on the Tweeter [message #22581 is a reply to message #22452] |
Mon, 11 April 2005 13:16 |
justinc
Messages: 32
Registered: May 2009
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Baron |
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fred do you notice much of a difference between your seated position and when you are standing much closer to the array. Im getting ready to start on mine and figured I would optimize the single tweeter to the same spl at the listening position. However for parties when people are standing around im wondering if the tweeter will be extremely bright when too close since it would end up needing to be 3-6db higher to sound right with the array of woofers at the listening position. Listening position will be about 10 feet. thanks justin
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| Re: More on the Tweeter [message #22582 is a reply to message #22581] |
Mon, 11 April 2005 13:35 |
FredT
Messages: 704
Registered: May 2009
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Illuminati (1st Degree) |
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The tweeter is somewhat directional, so as you walk closer to the speaker the relative level decreases by a greater amount than it would if your ear remained at the tweeter level. So for party listening the point source tweeter will remain in reasonably good balance and shouldn't be a problem. For serious listening from ten feet you will want to be sitting - the sound blance changes as you stand, probably because of the power tapering toward the ends of the array, and the overall effect is a slight loss of soundstage focus. It doesn't sound bad when you are standing ten feet away; it just doesn't sound as good as when you're sitting.
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| Re: The Fredarrays are Up and Running [message #67005 is a reply to message #66971] |
Mon, 11 April 2011 21:33 |
AudioFred
Messages: 377
Registered: May 2009
Location: Houston
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Illuminati (1st Degree) |
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| Fredasiong wrote on Sun, 10 April 2011 09:32 | Fred,
What is the possibility of listening to your line array? I lived in kingwood 59 north of bw 8.
Ty
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The possibility is very good if you're willing to drive to my house, which is off Eldridge Parkway, halfway between I-10 and 290. I still have the Selah Audio XT-8 arrays and the Art Arrays.
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