New Challenge = Best Bang for the Buck

While box speakers work to eliminate the back wave OB speakers embrace it. Much of the sonic advantage of OB's lies is that rich ambiance which comes from rear wall reflections.

If you attend live concerts, you know that music comes at you from all directions and not from a couple of boxes. The OB sound stage is more like attending that live concert. It is extremely open, wide, transparent, and with less negative room interaction and coloration.

Linkwitz says OB bass is more accurate than box bass. Bass notes are more defined but you'll get little in the way of slam since OB's don't pressurize the room.

That slightly delayed back wave results in a natural reverberation that can be intoxicating.

The closest way ( and it's not really all that close ) to duplicate some of the OB magic is to take box speakers outside, place them on stands facing the house and listen to them while seated with your back against the house wall. The bass will be limited but you'll hear a more open and less colored presentation.

OB sound is holographic, live, and notes seem to linger in mid air and as a matter of fact I named a pair of my OB's, "The Note Hangers".

While the Betsy's can hook you on the OB sound the next natural progression would be to augment those full range drivers with inexpensive high Qts pro woofers.

With the addition of woofers the baffle size can be drastically reduced which no doubt will increase WAF.

A tombstone version of the Betsy without woofers will be bass shy.
 
Thanks PG, I think you confirmed that I can't get by with small, tombstone OBs.

I wish I could find a simple enclosure, one like the Overnight Sensation boxes, to put the Betsy-K drivers in. I think a high-efficiency, full-range driver would be ideal for me. Anyone know where I can get a cheap cabinet? (I'm talking very cheap to come in under the wife threshold, since we are buying a house) Are the Betsy drivers 8-inches? I'd love to get a cheap cabinet like the Overnight Sensations and throw some Betsy K drivers in there.
 
Or you could get these probably the best ultra budget speakers on the market at $159.99 a pair... FB_IMG_1472009373177.jpg
 
Thanks Tbom25. Where can you get them for $159?

With a ~5in woofer, how much bass can they pump out compared to a 6.5 or 8" driver?
 
They go down to 64hz.....but their very nice within that range, and they get the mid-range and timing and rhythm right, and they image and soundstage like crazy they sound much bigger than they are. Me personally I've never preferred ultra budget 6.5 inch monitors and 8 inch 2 ways are not easy to crossover.... Here's the sight...

qacoustics.com
 
For a prebuilt full range single driver enclosure search Fostex cabinets on eBay.

These cabs meet the specs for specific Fostex drivers.

Madisound carries most of the Fostex line. Fostex drivers are efficient and tube friendly.

The Betsy K wants a BIB cabinet ( BIB = Big Is Better )
 
Here's a link to OB flat packs that aren't too large. This guy offers the standard Betsy in small baffles which is contrary to my experience but who knows he may be on to something. If he's the same fellow I met at Horn Fest a few years ago he seems to know his stuff.

http://www.caintuckaudio.com
 
Here's a link to OB flat packs that aren't too large. This guy offers the standard Betsy in small baffles which is contrary to my experience but who knows he may be on to something. If he's the same fellow I met at Horn Fest a few years ago he seems to know his stuff.

http://www.caintuckaudio.com

Thanks PG. It was that very site which you shared earlier that made me think that I could do a tombstone Betsy with good results. Now if that is not the case and a tombstone OB Betsy would be weak on the bass I don't even want to try. He has a lot of them for sale http://www.caintuckaudio.com/In_Stock.html and talks about them http://www.caintuckaudio.com/Betsy_Baffle_Questions.html

Now I'm not to sure how to evaluate if a tombstone OB Betsy would be worth doing or if I should keep looking for an enclosure for the Betsy-K. I guess what I am really trying to decide is if I could do better than my Infinity P363 speakers or if I should just relax and listen to them more. Any input from y'all?
 
Didn't realize you already have the Betsy-K. They're a better choice for an enclosure while the standard Betsy is spec'ed for OB's.
 
Sorry for any confusion, I don't have either drivers. I am just considering whether to buy some full-range drivers and make speakers or if my current speakers (infinity primus p363) would be better and I should just keep listening to those and save for other toys.
 
The Overnight Sensations would be an upgrade to the p363 and would sound nice with your TPA3116 but the complex crossovers could be a challenge unless you've done something similar.

You'll still need to move up to high efficiency speakers that will get the most from your flea watt SET amps. You'll be shocked to hear how good your SET amps will sound with the right speakers.
 
Really? I wouldn't guess that the Overnight Sensations could touch the p363 speakers. Physics wise with that small of an enclosure and a 4" driver, I don't understand. I guess I need to learn more about these and similar speakers.

The SET amps seem to do fine with the p363 speakers. They drive it more than my wife is comfortable with at least.
 
The p363 reminds me of my big Athena's and cost about the same. Nice sounding especially in HT but not nearly the clarity of the OS. You'd think the big woofers of the Athenas would hold a huge advantage in bass output but I can't say that was the case. I never forgot to switch on the sub with the Athenas but I do with the Overnight Sensations. The OS uses name brand high quality drivers which is not the case with most speakers in this price range.

358535-athena_asf22_and_asb22.jpg
 
.....and the Onkyo a9010 and QAcoustics 3020, the Onkyo a9010 takes you back to when modest budget integrated amps could boogie like no other, and the q acoustics 3020 is the best budget speaker under $400 on the market at $249 a pair it handily runs rings around the Wharfedale Diamond 220 ,Elac b5 &b6...and many other speakers that cost much moreView attachment 778755

I recently got the A9010 too, for my secondary system, and I love it. (As does WhatHiFi too apparently - they gave it 5 stars: http://www.whathifi.com/onkyo/9010/review)

I got the 9010 because I was really happy with the component that I think is another, more well-known bang-for-the-buck: The Onkyo C-7030 CD player. It's incredibly well-built for a $150 player, and has a very nice Wolfson DAC.

Pairing the A-9010 and C-7030 also provides some modest integration: When you turn on the 7030 with the remote, the A-9010 automatically turns on and switches to the correct input.

The other great thing about the A-9010 is that it has its own built-in Wolfson DAC, a motorized analogue volume control, and optical and coax digital inputs - so you can connect a Chromecast or any other streamer with a digital output to it and use the receiver's DAC. In my case, I have it connected to my TV's optical output. This allows me to stream from my Roku 3's HDMI port, into the TV's HDMI input, and then out the TV's optical output and into the Onkyo. With the Plex app installed on the Roku, it gives me a lossless way to wirelessly stream music from my computer in another part of the house right into the A-9010's DAC, and to use my TV and the Roku remote for super-easy navigation, selection of tracks, and so on.

I've paired the Onkyo components with the Pioneer BS22LR speakers mentioned above.

So not including the TV (since I would have that anyway), the whole shebang cost me less than $600:

C-7030: $150
A-9010: $270
Pioneer BS22LRs: $60 (on sale)
Roku 3: $80 (refurb)
 
Last edited:
Thanks all, I am still having a hard time understanding how this kit could have better sound than the Pioneer BS22 or the Polk Monitor 40, which are the same price.
 
Back
Top Bottom