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Open Baffle Epiphany!

852 - Fs @85 Hz
903 - Fs @53 Hz

Quote from a user that has experience with both: "The ‘903, with 33 Hz(!) lower Fs simply keeps better control in the low frequencies where the ‘852 starts to distort."

My baffles are 24" wide right now.


903 picture taken from internet.
Zenith 903 magnet.jpg
 
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rogerfederer said:
of course, that is where the H-frames come in:)
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:

I understand, but was just trying to give perspective on why (so far) I'm not feeling the need for bass help in my setup and use.
I have experience with 15A's and they wouldn't add anything beneficial in this case, drivers (or subwoofers) that go lower would be needed.
 
Genov said:
Wow! How does it sound?
Click to expand...

I agree.

The Jensen's had been sitting on the floor in between the baffles for a couple weeks.
They sound so good on their own I was thinking about using them separately with a tweeter and finally decided to go ahead and use them with the Zeniths as I originally planned on doing when I bought them. What they were adding when I was using the 2 pairs together is certainly better mounted on the baffles.
I'm very happy at this point and don't think I will do any more except finish up the baffles with bracing, legs, and stain.
 
Genov said:
Cool! Are you biamped, or single amp with crossover?
Click to expand...

Currently paralleled no filter.
Unfortunately the Jensen's are the same sensitivity as the Zenith so single amped with just a coil in parallel will probably drop the output of the 15's too much (2 dBs?).
With them on the baffle I need to experiment some more, likely end up bi-amping as I was doing before with just a low pass on the Jensen.
 
opnly bafld said:
Currently paralleled no filter.
Unfortunately the Jensen's are the same sensitivity as the Zenith so single amped with just a coil in parallel will probably drop the output of the 15's too much (2 dBs?).
With them on the baffle I need to experiment some more, likely end up bi-amping as I was doing before with just a low pass on the Jensen.
Click to expand...

Added a coil to the Jensen's, still in parallel with the Zenith's, seems to be working fine.
 
Genov said:
Awesome! What value inductor are you using?
Click to expand...

Someone on another forum asked, so I will copy and paste.

It was just one I had, not like I tried several different values with this specific driver and this was the best.

I had just read that adding a coil drops sensitivity (amount depends on the wire gauge), so I was surprised the Jensen's are still (subjectively) providing the same bass boost as before. Main take away for me. I wanted to use a single amplifier if possible and thought I would need to bi-amp using the coil.
 
Anyone ever run a driver with no baffle at all?

Just a "driver only" suspended by some means or sitting propped up? Or perhaps a driver mounted to an open baffle, but the baffle is so small does not extend beyond the flange of the driver?

I have been doing this with high frequency drivers, mids, full range drivers crossed at 350hz or so.

It works pretty well.
 
I have had a set Acarion Alon IV speaker for about 40 yrs, a 12” box woofer, with a 5” midrange and a 1” tweeter in an open baffle. They are biamped with a pair of Benchmark AHB2 power amps

IMG_4597.jpegIMG_4603.jpeg
 
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z-adamson said:
Anyone ever run a driver with no baffle at all?

Just a "driver only" suspended by some means or sitting propped up? Or perhaps a driver mounted to an open baffle, but the baffle is so small does not extend beyond the flange of the driver?

I have been doing this with high frequency drivers, mids, full range drivers crossed at 350hz or so.

It works pretty well.
Click to expand...
I have ran several drivers like this mostly for testing. I just ran a test this eve. Using SEAS Exotic 8" FR drivers The issue I find is Bass and mid Bass suffer. I always run an H-Frame for Bass so I get away with it. BUT a Baffle always sounds better to me. I am not a fan of LARGE baffles though. Having a small room the sound wave off a large baffle is overwhelming and causes me fatigue
 
z-adamson said:
Anyone ever run a driver with no baffle at all?

Just a "driver only" suspended by some means or sitting propped up? Or perhaps a driver mounted to an open baffle, but the baffle is so small does not extend beyond the flange of the driver?

I have been doing this with high frequency drivers, mids, full range drivers crossed at 350hz or so.

It works pretty well.
Click to expand...
Yes. Waaay back in the day, in high school. I had a pair of Heathkit coaxial speakers that each fit nicely in a milk case. This was a temporary setup until I could build an enclosure. The drivers were similar to these:

1776363003942.png
Sounded ok. What did I know, I was just a 16 yo goofing around.
 
joespride said:
I have ran several drivers like this mostly for testing. I just ran a test this eve. Using SEAS Exotic 8" FR drivers The issue I find is Bass and mid Bass suffer. I always run an H-Frame for Bass so I get away with it. BUT a Baffle always sounds better to me. I am not a fan of LARGE baffles though. Having a small room the sound wave off a large baffle is overwhelming and causes me fatigue
Click to expand...
But in the context of high frequency drivers, are they just was well off with or without a baffle? Imagine a dipole, open back full range 4 or 5 inch driver. So there is a back wave. The crossover point is 350hz. So not much bass here.

Is a baffle going to change anything sonically or is the baffle just for convenience, stability, security (so the driver does not roll around etc.)?
 
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