Open Baffle Epiphany!
- Thread starter cptnCanada
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Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
I set the crossover by ear but my Ashly dial reads around 80 Hz.
cipriano
Well-Known Member
Okay, so I received my Zenith 49CZ852's back from Bud Purvine today and I thought I would show them off. 
The sound is amazing without any helper drivers. Very clear, sweet and dramatic (without being overbearing). My ears like coherence, mid-range, and beautiful timbre. These babies deliver all that and more. The baffles were a flatpak that Randy at Caintuck Audio was nice enough to cut for me. Sapele hardwood front baffles with a linseed and beeswax finish. In the close-up you can see Buds "stealth" application of the eNAbl dots.
All in, these were a bit more than a set of Audio Nirvana 12" at $348 would have been, but if I wanted the alnico versions of the AN's it would go up to $900 and then the eNAbl costs on top of that. Ouch! So if you can find a pair of these for around $100 you are getting a real find on some vintage Alnico goodness. Yeah, prices have come up, but they are still a great deal. Listening to Stars of The Lid right now!
The sound is amazing without any helper drivers. Very clear, sweet and dramatic (without being overbearing). My ears like coherence, mid-range, and beautiful timbre. These babies deliver all that and more. The baffles were a flatpak that Randy at Caintuck Audio was nice enough to cut for me. Sapele hardwood front baffles with a linseed and beeswax finish. In the close-up you can see Buds "stealth" application of the eNAbl dots.All in, these were a bit more than a set of Audio Nirvana 12" at $348 would have been, but if I wanted the alnico versions of the AN's it would go up to $900 and then the eNAbl costs on top of that. Ouch! So if you can find a pair of these for around $100 you are getting a real find on some vintage Alnico goodness. Yeah, prices have come up, but they are still a great deal. Listening to Stars of The Lid right now!
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Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Okay, so I received my Zenith 49CZ852's back from Bud Purvine today and I thought I would show them off.
All in, these were a bit more than a set of Audio Nirvana 12" at $348 would have been, but if I wanted the alnico versions of the AN's it would go up to $900 and then the eNAbl costs on top of that. Ouch! So if you can find a pair of these for around $100 you are getting a real find on some vintage Alnico goodness. Yeah, prices have come up, but they are still a great deal. Listening to Stars of The Lid right now!
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Those look great cipriano and I know they sound excellent. You could easily at some point add a single Alpha in a matching baffle which could be placed between these two. I think Randy does that.
Sadly the Zenith 49CZ8** series has jumped in price since we started raving over them here and on other forums. I still think the least expensive route is to find a Zenith tube console at a thrift shop or on CL sell the amp and cobramatic TT but keep the drivers.
Just finished reading this thread today. I so wish I had read it a couple or so years ago! After listening to a pair of back loaded horns I built for several years, I read a little about open baffles. The idea caught my attention. I decided to remove a pair of 7" x 5" drivers from a vintage Grundig console I had and put them on a test baffle. To say I was blown away would be an understatement. Later I tried some larger ovals from an RCA console that a family member was going to send to the dump. Same excitement. Eventually I ruined the larger RCA ovals by trying a Mod Podge. I had not ever tried coating drivers before and don't plan to do it to a driver that a care about again unless I come to believe I know what I am doing. I even tried some different sizes and shapes of test baffles.
Then, I decided that I would like to do a budget baffle, but a good one. Not just a quick test baffle. I got on some forum (I don't remember anymore) and started getting some ideas. Then, probably because of my dumb questions, someone suggested that I should not attempt to build an open baffle if I don't know what I am doing. It really bummed me out. I went back to listening to my back loaded horns which I had spent years tweaking, as well as making room treatments for my room.
On my birthday my kids gave me enough money to buy a pair of Eminence 12LTA's. My plan is to build a pair of Alpha H-Frames. For now I am just playing with the 12LTA's by themselves. I will have questions. I want to make them as good as I can for the buck. By reading this thread I have found that I have much in common with many of you. I look forward to being in the fun.
Then, I decided that I would like to do a budget baffle, but a good one. Not just a quick test baffle. I got on some forum (I don't remember anymore) and started getting some ideas. Then, probably because of my dumb questions, someone suggested that I should not attempt to build an open baffle if I don't know what I am doing. It really bummed me out. I went back to listening to my back loaded horns which I had spent years tweaking, as well as making room treatments for my room.
On my birthday my kids gave me enough money to buy a pair of Eminence 12LTA's. My plan is to build a pair of Alpha H-Frames. For now I am just playing with the 12LTA's by themselves. I will have questions. I want to make them as good as I can for the buck. By reading this thread I have found that I have much in common with many of you. I look forward to being in the fun.
cipriano
Well-Known Member
That guy sounds like a real jewel.
His motto would be "All attitude, No audio".edit: sweet diffusers!
Yeah, very nice to have a very friendly forum like this one! Some are not, unfortunately. Thank you.That guy sounds like a real jewel.
edit: sweet diffusers!
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Grundig ovals sound amazing in OB's or should I say NB's
I have been thinking I will have to break out my pair again. My first goal is to get the Alphas, build the H-Frames and mate them with the 12LTAs.Grundig ovals sound amazing in OB's or should I say NB's
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Here are the Grundig naked baffles pictured above. In another AK thread I got blasted when I called them "high end sound without the bling". I was also lectured by some know-it-all who claims ovals are no good.
Poultrygeist, or anyone, Here is my first question. If I want to build a pair of H-Frames with Eminence 15 Alphas to mate with my 12 LTA's (and perhaps try other drivers in the future). And, I plan to start by powering my 12 LTAs with my Flea Power SET amps as I am doing now. Would you recommend getting a Yung SD 100 or 200, or get the $79 Behringer and then powering the Alpha's with another old amp I have around here. I have also read about the FMods, which would be the least expensive route I think. Or, do you have other recommendations (i.e. saving up for an Ashley etc.)?
I have a couple vintage receivers on hand and a Cary Audio Rocket 88. I could sell the Rocket 88 for enough to build a really nice OB set up, but I have held off because it was sort of a gift a friend gave me when he was my employer and didn't have money to pay me. When I compared my SETs to the Cary on my Fostex 208 horns, I much preferred the SETs. A couple days ago I compared the two on the 12 LTAs and it was more a matter of which flavor you prefer. Since nobody else in the family is into audio, I will probably sell something to finish my OBs. I do have a thousand LPs or so that I could also lighten up on. But, that would take me a little while.
I have a couple vintage receivers on hand and a Cary Audio Rocket 88. I could sell the Rocket 88 for enough to build a really nice OB set up, but I have held off because it was sort of a gift a friend gave me when he was my employer and didn't have money to pay me. When I compared my SETs to the Cary on my Fostex 208 horns, I much preferred the SETs. A couple days ago I compared the two on the 12 LTAs and it was more a matter of which flavor you prefer. Since nobody else in the family is into audio, I will probably sell something to finish my OBs. I do have a thousand LPs or so that I could also lighten up on. But, that would take me a little while.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
The Yung SD100 is on sale for $80 and it's almost too powerful for the H-frame Alphas but it's so useful and invaluable as a sub amp ( my two bucket subs love the Yung SD100 ). The $79 Behringer is very flexible. I use it to filter the highs from my Alphas as well as it's sub controls ( gain and separate crossover ) for a Dayton sealed sub in the same system. Since you have an amp you can use with the Alphas the Behringer is a good choice. You will have to buy XLR to RCA cables but they're inexpensive and of good quality at monoprice.
I drive two of these 5 gallon bucket subs with the SD100 to augment the Alphas. The Alphas cover most of the bass down to about 40hz.
I drive two of these 5 gallon bucket subs with the SD100 to augment the Alphas. The Alphas cover most of the bass down to about 40hz.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
I heard them at Horn Fest a few years ago and they blew us away. I don't have any details but the builder goes by Greenvalve. You can check out his blog.
Thank you PG!!! Sounds like I could go with either one at first, and may want both in the future. Nice to know the Yung SD100 is plenty too.
This is where playing with The Edge by Tovlan got me. I don't know what I am doing, but I do know that it does not take the room or anything else into account. Just the baffle. I don't know if I should rely on it or copy a rectangle that has been proven. I made these out of a bed headboard that someone threw away. I made them so that they can stand upright on there own with the driver at the top. However, a couple nights ago I discovered that I get a much better balance (more bass) hung upside down on some stools. I tried them with the driver touching the floor
and it also sounded better than the original way I made them. But, for whatever reason, I preferred them in this position with the driver about 3 inches off the ground. If I were to completely go with where I got with The Edge, they would have been a perfect oval with the driver tight at either end. However, I had to lop off the bottom for a simple "L" shape stand solution.
and it also sounded better than the original way I made them. But, for whatever reason, I preferred them in this position with the driver about 3 inches off the ground. If I were to completely go with where I got with The Edge, they would have been a perfect oval with the driver tight at either end. However, I had to lop off the bottom for a simple "L" shape stand solution.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
You're doing the right thing by experimenting. It's all about what sounds good to you rather than someone else's iron clad rules. Baffle construction and size seemed less important once I heard how glorious Greenvalve's no baffles sounded.
