Zilch's AK Design Collaborative - Econowave Speaker

The only other econo cd I want to experiment with is the Dayton D250P - unless of course, someone has worked that up already. It appears some have done a straight swap with the B&C but...

 

I thought this link needed added here. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/swap-meet/308422-fs-zilchlab-econowave-crossover-pcbs.html

 

Yes, good link. I got those from Wired who can be contacted right here on AK. I'll be buying more after the holidays.

 

For a total understanding of the E wave you must look on the Parts Express forum for Zilches last work with the PCD program along with help from that programs creator. It led to the "Deluxe" version of the cross over which had the compensation built in, without the obvious filter on the High Frequency unit. It concerned mainly the 152 waveguide and DE 250. I can recommend it absolutely!
Russellc

 

Have a look here. http://techtalk.parts-express.com/f...467-flex-your-pcd-mettle?t=215536&page=18

 

That's it, also of interest is Zilches earlier works on Lansing Heritage forums, "Down and Dirty 4430" and the "Babies" threads are the mothership of Econowave. See also the giant firestorm I touched off with Earl Geddes on DIY....no one believed the little horn top could perform so well. Zilch stepped in, as well as others and convinced Geddes to test the result with his advanced equipment. Zilch sent him the stuff to test, and to his great credit Geddes thoroughly tested the e wave....It performed just as Zilch knew it would.

E wave grew and grew, not just the bunches of pairs documented here, but basically world wide!

Zilches idea let everyone get in on the act for very little money, getting results he would refer to as "stupid good." From there he took it to fancier drivers, bigger drivers, smaller drivers, helper woofer setups, etc. Quite the legacy. Fun times.

Russellc

 

You're all great and I appreciate your presence here.

Yes sir - I have worked those up, just waiting to build cabinets. I have also read "Test your PCD Mettle" and both thread Q&D 4430 threads on LHF.

That all lead me to acquire, over time, eight LE14As, a pair of 2234s, four LE10s, two 2426s on 2344s, two 2417s on 2342s, two 2404s on baby cheeks, a pair of econowave standard tops and a pair of deluxe tops. I just finished putting the standard tops over LE14s.

The plan is to, first, build dual LE14s under the 2344s, then dual LE10s under the deluxe tops, all 4435 style. Cut into my last build and sub in the 2342s, and sub in the LE14H-1s that are on their way to me. I'll be building all the appropriate crossovers and will test and tune them. This will take all year with my schedule - but I hope I can come here and ask questions along the way.

 

I began my whole thing researching a diy 4430 monitor. I had all the JBL Drivers, and still have a pair of NOS 2344 but cheek horns, still in the box.

I found the Down and Dirty 4430 articles by Zilch, as well as his 4430 crossover clone pieces. I followed him over to the AK Ewave thread, and there you have it.

My current E wave is basically a 4430 clone, box size, tuning, woofer and woofer crossover + zobel network.

Top is a deluxe E wave crossover, tuned to match the bass half, with DE 250 and the QSL wave guide..QSE, whatever it is. While the 2344 horns were nice, the cheaper version is every bit as good.

They shine driven by the DIY Pass Class A amplification, which I recommend to all E wavers!

Russellc

 

Russell, I remember your presence in the beginning stages of Econowave. By all indications (my notes, dates of joining forums) I have been building these things for years too. The Deluxe top is a marvel of simplicity and sounds really, really good. I got all the "cheeky" bi-radials because, as good as the econowave variants i have built sound, I'm addicted to the big dispersion the cheeks provide. I'm usually moving around when listening and with the cheeks, I'm never out of the pattern, vertically or horizontally, in a big room.

After I build the projects that I listed above, the pinnacle will be 4435s.

 

Yes, I was E wave #4. It's been a been a while, I can't remember if the butt cheeks are constant directivity or not, I believe they were. The original JBL wave guides used in Econowave were, as are the later used QSL units.
Visitors are amazed at the way image stays good way off center. This is what constant directivity is about! Edges around speaker boxes don't effect imaging like they do with standard type speakers using dome tweets.

JBL did a ton of research in this area, the 4430 family of monitors were sussed out way beyond the call of duty.

When he came out with the Down and Dirty thread, the old guard at Lansing Heritage sight were pissed off deluxe at Zilches "insolence " and disrepect...such a likeable guy...they finally compromised and that began the "DIY" forum on Lansing Heritage...Zilch was a smart cookie and knew which giants shoulders to ride on, and unselfishly shared with us heathens.

Russellc

 

I followed all those threads closely and, obviously, still do. I have read almost every (yes, every) thread on LHF and recall all of what you are referring to.

I have 4500 words (24 pages) of notes just on THIS computer - the same or more on another that I was using back when I joined. It is still in service as my digital audio and video content device. I want to merge the two documents and see what I have, but it appears to be the basis for a primer for speaker builds - albeit in shorthand. It is dynamic though. In other words, for instance, when I get another piece of test equipment it changes the game and adds to my knowledge base and the number of notes - and sadly, leads me to another project idea.

The bi-radial cheeks hold pattern almost all the way out to the tested (by JBL) extremes, you're right.

My first E waves were the standard top over a JBL 2226 which led to 4 Pi. I just kept kicking it up a notch. By the time I finish my 4435s I will have 6 pair of impressive speakers and not enough rooms in which to use them all. HAHA. First world problem. And you can never get your money back out of them - it's a "custom" speaker and shipping is ridiculous now.

BUT, it's a fun hobby and I really enjoy all the builds.

Zilch was a one-of-a-kind. I miss his constant curiosity and the heart of a teacher. That said, there are many others on here currently that use their own precious time to help us out, verify our findings or gently steer us back on the correct path. I could name many, but won't for fear of leaving someone out.

 

I built the OLA ewaves way back, curious if there is a drop in woofer that will replace original advent?
Thanks

 

It's been a while but I'm pretty sure that Zilch used a pair of 12" Dayton DC300 in a pair of my Chamfered Large Advent speakers--no changes needed to the standard Econowave crossover.

 

Chamfered???

 

Yep, Chamfered. This is an example of a Chamfer-edged OLA:



As opposed to my personal favorite, the Bullnose OLA:

 

I found a pair of the chamfered ones a while back. One was not in very good shape, veneer peeling, corners swelling, while the other was pretty nice. Was in the middle of building them up with the "odd" shaped horn that I had bought back when Zilch was experimenting with it, and custom PC boards I made that eliminated the space for the big inductor. (The stock one is just bolted to the inside of the box, so I decided to leave it where it was and just bring the wires over to the board.) Worked out great as I had scrap pieces of sensitized board that were too small to make a full size board anyway.

Anyway, my brother came by and I was showing him the finished one, and another project using the 6X12 waveguide that also had just one working. Next thing I know we are loading all four boxes into his little car...

A month later he calls me up and says they're all finished, so I go up to look at them. Nice!
One pair painted red, the other blue, and nice grilles to boot. I'm going to ask him if he needs a center soon, I found a Quadraflex at Urban Ore that now has a 6X12 in it that all the plastic veneer peeled off of...

 

4343 pictures of the "painted ladies" please.

 

Bump for my favorite thread

 

I still haven't engraved mine, do you remember what number mine are please?

 

I think the serial numbers are on the first page.