Art arrays up and running
- Thread starter bear-hifi
- Start date
For those who aren't aware, the objective of this design was to build a pair of budget line arrays with better performance than those using $4 "buyout" drivers. I also wanted them to be simple to build from two sheets of mdf or plywood, sensitive enough to use with a low power amp, tube friendly, and not so big they would be vetoed by the typical wife. Oh, I almost forgot, I wanted them to sound good too
:thmbsp:
Parts Express is offering a very nice discount (about 25% below retail) to builders who order the complete "kit". This includes 16 Dayton classic 5.25" woofers, two Vifa DX25 tweeters, all crossover parts including a 15ga Jantzen air core inductor, Solen caps, and Dayton wirewound resistors, driver mounting screws, speaker terminals, quick disconnects, and 50 ft of 16ga speaker wire. With the discount the price is about $275 plus shipping for the parts needed to build a pair.
My biggest surprise with these speakers is how very good those Dayton classic midwoofers sound. These are $16 drivers (about $11 with the discount), and I was not expecting the midrange quality or bass slam that 16 of these little puppies give you. Given the ridiculously low cost to build a pair I hope some others will take the plunge too. I'm especially interested in feedback from anybody with crossover design experience who can do some testing and crossover revisions. I plan to take my pair to the Lone Star Audio Fest in May, a very informal non mainsteram show that everybody who likes unusual designs should attend.
http://www.lonestaraudiofest.com/
:thmbsp: Parts Express is offering a very nice discount (about 25% below retail) to builders who order the complete "kit". This includes 16 Dayton classic 5.25" woofers, two Vifa DX25 tweeters, all crossover parts including a 15ga Jantzen air core inductor, Solen caps, and Dayton wirewound resistors, driver mounting screws, speaker terminals, quick disconnects, and 50 ft of 16ga speaker wire. With the discount the price is about $275 plus shipping for the parts needed to build a pair.
My biggest surprise with these speakers is how very good those Dayton classic midwoofers sound. These are $16 drivers (about $11 with the discount), and I was not expecting the midrange quality or bass slam that 16 of these little puppies give you. Given the ridiculously low cost to build a pair I hope some others will take the plunge too. I'm especially interested in feedback from anybody with crossover design experience who can do some testing and crossover revisions. I plan to take my pair to the Lone Star Audio Fest in May, a very informal non mainsteram show that everybody who likes unusual designs should attend.
http://www.lonestaraudiofest.com/
avguytx
Lunatic Member
What would the optimum listening room size be for these? I have been trying to find a pair of Polk Audio SDA's but these appeal to me! I have all the woodworking tools to do this so the building part is a no-brainer. Very cool speakers...I would love to hear a pair. And you can't beat the cost!
kfa888 said:
They don't need a subwoofer - that was one of the considerations in the choice of drivers and the use of an adequately sized ported enclosure.
The enclosure is tuned to 48hz. According to my Radio Shack sound meter the in-room bass response is strong down to the 40hz warble tone on the Stereophile Test CD. Most importantly, the mid bass is strong and tight, and the eight woofers per side are capable of fairly high bass levels with little distortion.
avguytx said:
They don't require a large room. The only characteristic that makes them different from point source speakers is the listening distance should be about eight to ten feet from the front baffles. Any closer and you will hear some frequence response variation due to the different distances of the top and bottom woofers versus the middle ones from your ear. Like most other rear ported speakers they are happiest when pulled out from the back wall.
avguytx
Lunatic Member
fredt300b said:
That would be my dilemma. My 2-channel listening "area" is my office in my house which is only about 12 X 14 maybe and I would be maybe 8 feet from them. That is my problem with most ANY larger speaker I do....the distance. Now, when we build our new house next year (we're securing the land soon), then I am building a 2-channel ONLY room above the garage that will be set up with more space in mind for changing things around. For now, I am limited. But then again...a lot of us might be! I just like those speakers and would have a blast building them as well!
dnewma04
The Healer
How well does the point source tweeter integrate with the line array mid section? Was power tapering used? At was distance were measurements taken and how far back was the intended listening position? I'd be worried that the point source would only match the sensitivity of the line array in a very small area, the further you remove yourself from the speakers, the more the line arrays 3dB dropoff for every doubling of distance would differ from teh 6dB drop of the tweeter.
Just curious for those who have heard this speaker, I have always avoided point source tweets with arrays.
Just curious for those who have heard this speaker, I have always avoided point source tweets with arrays.
bear-hifi
Well-Known Member
dnewma04 said:
I hear no issues with the tweeter integrating with the mids and as of now I have them about 11 to 15 ft away... No dropoff at all... I would go over to the Audio Round Table and ask in the array section as the two folks that built the crossover hang out there. Just add a 1.5 ohm to the tweeter and use a good smooth cap for the tweeter section like Fred did...
http://audioroundtable.com/ArraySpeakers/
