Zilch's AK Design Collaborative - Econowave Speaker

[Russellc]

OK....I gotta say Holy Crap!

I've been listening to these things for a while now and it just get's better and better.

I just hooked them up to my little 6AQ5 VOM integrated I recapped last fall. I threw in Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and I'm completely blown away.

Already considering another pair. The Valencia's and Chorus II's may be heading out the door.


Thanks for helping this junkie with his latest "fix" of audio addiction:thmbsp:

Ah, my four favorite words: "I told you so"! hope you enjoy them:thmbsp:
As for a container for the wave and crossover, look at the post Zilch is talking about, where he uses the .5 cu ft curved boxes. Very attractive package for the E'wave.



Russellc

 

[Russellc]

Some wise old man once said, "A woman is just a woman, but a good cigar's a smoke!"

The front baffle is glued into routed channels in each side, plus supported by braces on each side. The back will be fit into the routed sides, each side braced just like the front baffle, and then all internal seams will be epoxy filled. These babies won't have air leaks.

The stands are still to be cut and assembled. And then my woodworking with mesquite will end. That stuff is hard.

President clinton found a way to combine both.....but it led to trouble!

russellc

 

[Clmrt]

I'm officially set up in passive bi-amp mode. Tubes on top and SS below. After it's all balanced out and sounding good, it's funny how little sound seems to come from the top when you kill the bass amp.

Anyway, no listening impressions yet, got the old stop on the floor from wifey...

 

[djnagle]

Hey Clmrt, I have the same set up. I experienced the same thing with little sound coming out the top with the bass muted. Sure does get rich quick when both amps a firing. Happy listening.

 

[GordonW]

http://www.madisound.com/catalog/PDF/25F-EW.pdf

They're in the database, and after correcting Mms in expert mode, BB6P confirms the stated performance in a small closed box, but suggests they'll play HUGELY better bass in 3.12 cuft vented tuned to 28.12 Hz, with F3 = 38.11 Hz and F6 = 29.62 Hz, one 3" duct, 5" long.

That says build towers and listen. They should be good to E'Wave's nominal 1.6 kHz crossover frequency, at least. Good find, Spectrum.... :yes:


Heh, heh.

Almost stupid good, huh? :thmbsp:

Holy cow! That should work VERY well. Hadn't thought about an A25 woofer, in an Ewave.

As Zilch said... a tall tower... anything from 2.75 cubic feet up to 3.5 should work great. I'd be inclined to make it just a tad wider than an A25 (maybe 13" or 14" wide), to get a little more baffle support... then let it rip!

Regards,
Gordon.

 

[Zilch]

After it's all balanced out and sounding good, it's funny how little sound seems to come from the top when you kill the bass amp.

Yup, more stuff only speakergeeks know, also how much getting that little bit right really, REALLY matters....

Holy cow! That should work VERY well. Hadn't thought about an A25 woofer, in an Ewave.

My A25 and A25XL study is here:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=162000

I am again astounded by how Jack and I got essentially the same results a year apart, measuring different units via different methods, in Berkeley vs. Phoenix.

It's only via modeling that their "deepest" secrets are revealed. :thmbsp:

As Zilch said... a tall tower... anything from 2.75 cubic feet up to 3.5 should work great. I'd be inclined to make it just a tad wider than an A25 (maybe 13" or 14" wide), to get a little more baffle support... then let it rip!

How 'bout you build up a pair, Gordon, and let us know how well they work?

[We'd be very proud to add you to the "Official E'Waver" list.... ]

 

[onepixel]

Hey Zilch,

Can you please give me your opinion on this?
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2392109&posted=1#post2392109


Carl

 

[Spectrum77]

Chalk this bloke up for another"I told you bloody so!" E-Wave on high rotation here in Ye Olde Nippon.

Holy cow! That should work VERY well. Hadn't thought about an A25 woofer, in an Ewave.

As Zilch said... a tall tower... anything from 2.75 cubic feet up to 3.5 should work great. I'd be inclined to make it just a tad wider than an A25 (maybe 13" or 14" wide), to get a little more baffle support... then let it rip!

Regards,
Gordon.

The motivation was to take the A25 woofer that already images well (and to me, does mids particularly well) and mate that with the excellent imaging I've experienced with the E-Wave. In Kegger's E/W build thread I commented more than once how imaging with the HPM-100 woofer-E/W combo somehow reminded me of the Dynacos.
To what extent the characteristics of the A25 is due to the speaker system as a whole, my lack of experience can't guess. Over this weekend I'll try the E/W with the A25 in situ. Again, as a beginner I'm unsure of how to rig the test in relation to the existing X/O. My intuition tells me to use the HF as is and firstly bypass the LF and run the woofer full-range (listen), then use the LF of the X/O, substituting C100 with 15 uF, 12uF, 8.2uF and evaluate.
If all goes well, I'll look at building the towers in the dimensions you suggested- thanks for the numbers, the calculation programmes still confuse the hell outta me!

 

[Zilch]

Can you please give me your opinion on this?

Done, Carl.

I appreciate you asking.... :thmbsp:

Over this weekend I'll try the E/W with the A25 in situ. Again, as a beginner I'm unsure of how to rig the test in relation to the existing X/O.

Pete B links to the A25 schematic in other threads here. If the woofer is running without a lowpass, just connect the standard E'Wave lowpass to the input terminals. Otherwise, bypass whatever's in there and connect it direct to the woofer only.

The calcs suggest that there's WAY better bass available from that woofer in a different alignment. That may not come without other issues, but it certainly looks to be worth a try.... :yes:

Edit:

 

[onepixel]

Done, Carl.

I appreciate you asking.... :thmbsp:

Cool... this is why "I" haven't built any speakers.... yet.

 

[Cosmos]

OK....I gotta say Holy Crap!

I've been listening to these things for a while now and it just get's better and better.

They are freaky good, aren't they? The cost/benefit ratio is through the roof.

Anybody who hasn't built a set yet and has even the slightest interest to tinker, is missing out.

 

[castlesteve]

They are freaky good, aren't they? The cost/benefit ratio is through the roof.

Anybody who hasn't built a set yet and has even the slightest interest to tinker, is missing out.

I`m convinced. I have a pair of JBL 2225s on the way and i`ll be ordering the other components tomorrow. Does anyone have suggestions for the volume i should be looking at for the bass bins? I`m thinking around 5 cu ft or so. Sealed or ported? I want to start cutting panels next week while i`m feeling enthusiastic.
Steve.

 

[Zilch]

Does anyone have suggestions for the volume i should be looking at for the bass bins? I`m thinking around 5 cu ft or so. Sealed or ported?

Check out the JBL 4507 aka 4647 cabinet, 5 cuft with four ports providing adjustable tuning from 40 Hz downward.

Use "Search this Forum" for more info.

If that doesn't get you what you need, ask back here; a bunch of us E'Wavers have them and can furnish the details for you.... :yes:

 

[Zilch]

MegaWave:

NO stacking!

[Bite me, 511B weenies.... ]

 

[MartinQ]

Mega Whaaa?

... and that waveguide is PT part # ...........?????!

(8]

 

[skywave-rider]

no stacking!

[bite me, 511b weenies.... ]

omfg!!!

 

[Zilch]

... and that waveguide is PT part # ...........?????!

Vertically asymmetric (20° + 30° x 90°) "Second-generation Optimized Aperture™" mega-PT ("Progressive Transition™") waveguide, 30" W x 15" H, available in both 1" 2374 (126-00177-00) thread-on and 1.5" 2384 (126-00177-01) bolt-on throat variants.

OR, just buy a 139 dB max SPL system complete:

http://www.jblpro.com/catalog/support/getfile.aspx?docid=810&doctype=3

[You'll have to add subs, tho.... :yes: ]

omfg!!!

Heh, heh.

[The whingeing can stop, now.... ]

 

[Kegger]

Uhhm, uhh,..................I want!

 

[Kegger]

I`m convinced. I have a pair of JBL 2225s on the way and i`ll be ordering the other components tomorrow. Does anyone have suggestions for the volume i should be looking at for the bass bins? I`m thinking around 5 cu ft or so. Sealed or ported? I want to start cutting panels next week while i`m feeling enthusiastic.
Steve.

Yep as Zilch said,

5 cubic feet tuned to 40hz,,

If your into trying something, I posted a low pass xover a couple pages back I'm
working with for the 2225 on Ewave.

 

[Zilch]

Uhhm, uhh,..................I want!

One, two,

YOU know what to do.... :thmbsp: