Open Baffle Epiphany!
- Thread starter cptnCanada
- Start date
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
No I could never come up with something like this. You can buy them on eBay and then you build your own case and add a power supply. This is what the naked amp looks like. No bigger than a pack of cigarettes.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
I'd consider a flat baffle 20 inches wide and tall enough so you can add one or maybe two Alpha 15A woofers on bottom. If you want a more complicated build go with the H-frame design. Use 3/4 MDF or plywood.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Recessed works and probably looks better. Gives a more finished look.My enthusiasm got the best of me, again. Got ahead of myself with a few new tools and put a 45 on the 2 - 10" holes. I was going to mount the full rangers from the front but since I have made these holes like this does it matter if there rear mounted. That chamfer was destined for the Woofers.
Couldn't find it on eBay- can you point me in the direction?No I could never come up with something like this. You can buy them on eBay and then you build your own case and add a power supply. This is what the naked amp looks like. No bigger than a pack of cigarettes.
GSS61
Super Member
Here's where I got mine... http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPA3116-Dig...275885?hash=item5d6ec3ac2d:g:djYAAOSwEzxYUf8K
It was $12 plus shipping when I bought it from that seller a few months ago. Here are some others who have the same board:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPA3116-Dig...092995?hash=item2124123203:g:GzwAAOSwVctY5g9R
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-24v-...267183?hash=item2a7eefbd2f:g:T5wAAOSwc-tY5iHi
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-12V-24v-...258121?hash=item33cbf67289:g:LT4AAOSwA29Y5ie6
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPA3116-Dig...401319?hash=item33cbf8a1e7:g:GzwAAOSwVctY5g9R
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TPA3116-Dig...286614?hash=item3adedf6956:g:JsIAAOSwpkFY5g9Z
If you search "TPA3116 subwoofer" and scan through the listings you'll spot this board with the two potentiometers
Thanks - I was trying "TPA3116 crossover" and couldn't see it.
It looks like the crossover output is variable between 10-180Hz, but I didn't see mention of the crossover slope. No big deal - it's certainly cheap enough to give it a try!
Thanks again!
Pete
mkane
Lunatic Member
not using an f mod using active so this goes upstream of the full range amp or where you show it. All my parts are here except for the AN speakers.
Looks like you've got it! The preamp feeds the active crossover input. Then the crossover drives the amp for the mains (from the high out) and the low out goes to the subwoofer amp.
Differences in amp gain will be likely and the efficiency of the drivers themselves, means you'll be playing with the crossover output levels to get a proper balance between the mains and the woofers. There is a tendency to set the woofers to loud which will show up as sluggish, plodding bass. A good way I've heard it said to set it is to start with the bass turned all the way down. Then slowly bring it up until you hear it.....then back it off just a tiny bit
That'll get you going anyway until you listen to some familiar music and can maybe fine tune from there.
Good luck with it, enjoy and report in....
EV3
Differences in amp gain will be likely and the efficiency of the drivers themselves, means you'll be playing with the crossover output levels to get a proper balance between the mains and the woofers. There is a tendency to set the woofers to loud which will show up as sluggish, plodding bass. A good way I've heard it said to set it is to start with the bass turned all the way down. Then slowly bring it up until you hear it.....then back it off just a tiny bit
That'll get you going anyway until you listen to some familiar music and can maybe fine tune from there.Good luck with it, enjoy and report in....
EV3
jelly_bean
Active Member
A good way I've heard it said to set it is to start with the bass turned all the way down. Then slowly bring it up until you hear it.....then back it off just a tiny bit
This is one of my favorite things about this open baffle system. I love fine tuning on the fly!
mkane
Lunatic Member
Thanks for that, just what I needed. Making some sawdust.
Wife's gonna **** when she see how tall these are and there's plenty of room for more speakers. Really though, I didn't set out for these to be so big. Honey there prototypes. Trim wood later if they past muster. Still need to brace the woofer. This is enjoyable.
Wife's gonna **** when she see how tall these are and there's plenty of room for more speakers. Really though, I didn't set out for these to be so big. Honey there prototypes. Trim wood later if they past muster. Still need to brace the woofer. This is enjoyable.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
I pulled the CX2310 active from storage to see if a TPA3116 could drive two H-frame Alphas. Well it sure can and I was shocked at how good it sounds. Still running the Zenith 49's full range with the Behringer used for crossover duty for the LF only.
The CX2310 is so versatile it has a separate sub control ( you can see it in the middle ) which I use with an 8" sealed sub and cascade off it's plate amp to a second plate amp powering two bucket sub. The bass weight of those 5 woofers playing together is impressive. With so much cone area to work with the bass comes through even at very low levels.
The CX2310 is so versatile it has a separate sub control ( you can see it in the middle ) which I use with an 8" sealed sub and cascade off it's plate amp to a second plate amp powering two bucket sub. The bass weight of those 5 woofers playing together is impressive. With so much cone area to work with the bass comes through even at very low levels.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
Along with the Behringer I'm using a TPA3116 to drive the two H-frame Alphas. Not many watts but lots of current.
Poultrygeist
Lunatic Member
A sub in a tuxedo
Now that's one classy bucket!
Now that's one classy bucket!
jelly_bean
Active Member
Update on the Beta 12lta H-frame: Over the last few days I decided to really get serious about the placement of my speakers and room treatments to see just how good I could get my small room. I settled on placing them out in the room 3' 2", 1'8" from the side walls, and 6'3" in between them. I sit 6' 7" away (after moving forward and backwards a hundred times to find the spot I liked best) and have the tweeters at ear level toed in with them crossing just behind my head.
I have diy broadband acoustic panels on the first and second sidewall reflections as well as two front wall corner bass traps (The rear end opens to the rest of the house). I have a giant sliding glass door on the front wall that I know is wreaking havoc on the sound. However, I will be hanging some very heavy "acoustic theater curtains" as they were labeled online on Monday or Tuesday in hopes that it might do just enough to tame some of the very high frequency harshness. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath, but anything is better than just that glass wall. I'd like to think I have a somewhat "live end dead end" room setup. Being in the room with the stereo it is noticeably quieter with far less echo than before, but it's not completely dead-which is good for open baffles. I guess you could say it sounds natural?
How does it sound?
I am absolutely astounded by how good it all sounds now. Imaging is FANTASTIC now. I have that illusion that there are sounds coming from outside the speakers as if there was no wall. I am finally getting the 3d sound I've only heard on other systems- that cost far more than my humble setup. I hear instruments in front of and behind the speakers on good recordings and I actually enjoy listening to my poorly recorded albums. The speakers just disappear. It's just plain fun to sit in here and listen. Even my wife sitting on the couch in the other room says it sounds like a live band is playing in there- that is no small feat to get that out of her.
I don't feel the need to get up and adjust the speaker every time I play another track. I can just sit and listen. Finally...
I have diy broadband acoustic panels on the first and second sidewall reflections as well as two front wall corner bass traps (The rear end opens to the rest of the house). I have a giant sliding glass door on the front wall that I know is wreaking havoc on the sound. However, I will be hanging some very heavy "acoustic theater curtains" as they were labeled online on Monday or Tuesday in hopes that it might do just enough to tame some of the very high frequency harshness. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath, but anything is better than just that glass wall. I'd like to think I have a somewhat "live end dead end" room setup. Being in the room with the stereo it is noticeably quieter with far less echo than before, but it's not completely dead-which is good for open baffles. I guess you could say it sounds natural?
How does it sound?
I am absolutely astounded by how good it all sounds now. Imaging is FANTASTIC now. I have that illusion that there are sounds coming from outside the speakers as if there was no wall. I am finally getting the 3d sound I've only heard on other systems- that cost far more than my humble setup. I hear instruments in front of and behind the speakers on good recordings and I actually enjoy listening to my poorly recorded albums. The speakers just disappear. It's just plain fun to sit in here and listen. Even my wife sitting on the couch in the other room says it sounds like a live band is playing in there- that is no small feat to get that out of her.
I don't feel the need to get up and adjust the speaker every time I play another track. I can just sit and listen. Finally...
