New horn speakers are in!
zingo
Posts: 11,258
I had to save and wait, but the new speakers are finally in the house! Dana and Kevin from Soniphase (a local horn speaker building company) helped me piece together an awesome new pair of speakers as I run everything 2-channel. The bass bins are cherry wood, patiented corner horns loaded with custom Eminence 15" woofers, and strong down to 35Hz. The mids are an Eminence PSD:3006 loaded in a patiented Smith horn, with a custom Eminence tweeter mounted under the mid. The crossover is mounted in the mid/high unit, and all the horns are wood and built right here in the Pacific Northwest.
Dana has been helping me tune the speakers now that they are in the room and very room dependant; as corner horns are with phase and such. I'm just about finished matching the levels of the highs/mids to the woofer, and the overall system sensitivity will be around 105db.
The corner horn bass is taking a little to get used to coming from direct radiating Klipschs, and a little less punchy then I expected. However, I haven't found any music yet that they can't handle or keep up with. Symphony music is amazing detailed with great dynamics, and no mud or compression of detail or instruments.
I'll post more pictures of the detailed parts and update as I continue to tune the speakers, but I can't be happier paired with the 6L6 integrated amp.
Dana has been helping me tune the speakers now that they are in the room and very room dependant; as corner horns are with phase and such. I'm just about finished matching the levels of the highs/mids to the woofer, and the overall system sensitivity will be around 105db.
The corner horn bass is taking a little to get used to coming from direct radiating Klipschs, and a little less punchy then I expected. However, I haven't found any music yet that they can't handle or keep up with. Symphony music is amazing detailed with great dynamics, and no mud or compression of detail or instruments.
I'll post more pictures of the detailed parts and update as I continue to tune the speakers, but I can't be happier paired with the 6L6 integrated amp.
Post edited by zingo on
Comments
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...the overall system sensitivity will be around 105db.
Wow!
They look great. Have fun gettin'em tuned up. Got any close up pics of the wood?2-Channel: PC > Schiit Eitr > Audio Research DAC-8 > Audio Research LS-26 > Pass Labs X-250.5 > Magnepan 3.7's
Living Room: PC > Marantz AV-7703 > Emotiva XPA-5 > Sonus Faber Liuto Towers, Sonus Faber Liuto Center, Sonus Faber Liuto Bookshelves > Dual SVS PC12-Pluses
Office: Phone/Tablet > AudioEngine B1 > McIntosh D100 > Bryston 4B-ST > Polk Audio LSiM-703's -
Looks great! Congrats!
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They definitely have panache...
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I'll take a better picture of the finish of the bass bins as they are awesome; dark stained and polished cherry. The tops horns are black, but it works with the overall look. I actually have tops that can go over the top horns also finished in cherry, that would make the speakers look similar to Klipschorns. However, they do make the speakers look a lot bigger, and stand taller.
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That's a fine looking set of speakers you have there. I bet the bass on them is thunderous with the 15's
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those look awesome Jake... congrats
After GTG party @ jake's
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Why are they mounted to the ceiling?? LOL!!
I love horns... -
On my PC the picture is correct, on my iPhone it's upside down. I have no idea...
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Wow! That's what I'm talking about. Full horn systems kick so much ****. At 105db sensitivity, it's time to look at some SET, especially those using DHT's ;-).
I think you'll enjoy the bass horn more than direct radiator. I also started with Klipsch's direct radiator bass (RF series and Cornwall) before getting the La Scala. Horn loaded bass is superior to my ears.
Thanks for sharing a pic. They look fantastic. Enjoy the new speakers and congrats! -
On my PC the picture is correct, on my iPhone it's upside down. I have no idea...
I'm on my iPad .. -
105 dB sensitivity :eek::eek: the speakers look amazing!
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At 105db sensitivity, it's time to look at some SET, especially those using DHT's ;-).
I found a semi-local guy who builds single-ended 6L6 amps that run a single 6L6 per channel, and a single 6922 for the input. Being that I really like my PP 6L6 amp now, I'm going to give that one a try. -
I think you'll enjoy the bass horn more than direct radiator. I also started with Klipsch's direct radiator bass (RF series and Cornwall) before getting the La Scala. Horn loaded bass is superior to my ears.
The bass is very different than the direct radiating, but I liked the sound of my uncle's Klipschorns, so thought I'd go for something similar; obviously better. The bass is funny because it's not as punchy as I would have hoped with pop music and similar, but it is impressively over powering when it comes to classical music and "real instruments". I was listening to Josh Groban this morning where he had a symphony behind him and the effect was awesome! His voice was clear and completely unaffected by the booming music going on behind him and vibrating the room. The things I love about the speakers top to bottom is that they never sound compressed, or stressed; they always sound very natural and effortless no matter the material or volume. -
Those are some really nice looking speakers. Bet vinyl sounds great with those tubes and horns.
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Very nice speakers,I love it your dog gets a prime spot right there with you.Dan
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Nice horns!!!
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The bass is very different than the direct radiating, but I liked the sound of my uncle's Klipschorns, so thought I'd go for something similar; obviously better. The bass is funny because it's not as punchy as I would have hoped with pop music and similar, but it is impressively over powering when it comes to classical music and "real instruments". I was listening to Josh Groban this morning where he had a symphony behind him and the effect was awesome! His voice was clear and completely unaffected by the booming music going on behind him and vibrating the room. The things I love about the speakers top to bottom is that they never sound compressed, or stressed; they always sound very natural and effortless no matter the material or volume.
That's what I love about big horns. No compression and sound is effortless.
I think the reason you're not getting as much punch with pop music is due to the extremely high efficiency. It makes everything much more revealing. So the compression used in most music can easily be heard with different materials. Good pop recordings should sound superb,
You're right about "real instruments". I find this is the area where horn loaded bass really shine. It's so much more robust and powerful. I'm on my second pair of horn loaded bass and love it. -
I respectfully disagree, it's more about the speaker's FR and interaction with the room than overall efficiency. Moving those coffins around a bit may help.I think the reason you're not getting as much punch with pop music is due to the extremely high efficiency.
I'm not negging high efficiency as it does have more positives than trade offs...if you have the space. I'm gunning for(real world) low to mid 90's for my next build."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
... SE 2A3... or, with 105 dB sensitivity, even SE 45 :-)
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^ ohhhh that's perty!
Congrats Jake! I bet those sound sweet!--Gary--
Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out. -
mhardy6647 wrote: »... SE 2A3... or, with 105 dB sensitivity, even 45.
I'm sure those would sound great, and no issue with too little power. Have you ever heard a SE 6L6? -
very cool stuff Zingo, good to see a little variety around here. I don't listen to horns very much but I'm sure they sound great!
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I respectfully disagree, it's more about the speaker's FR and interaction with the room than overall efficiency. Moving those coffins around a bit may help.
I'm not negging high efficiency as it does have more positives than trade offs...if you have the space. I'm gunning for(real world) low to mid 90's for my next build.
That's cool. Just something I noticed with my rig. I'm on my second pair of bass loaded horns and the typical commercial pop stuff just sounds too compressed. But good pop recordings like K.D. Lang sounds fantastic.
You're right, I wasn't thinking about room interaction when posting that. Zingo's room will have a big impact on overall sound because those bass horns uses the walls in his room as horn extensions like the Klipschorn. But judging by the pic, he does have a pretty good spot for them. Not easy to play around because he needs corners for them. -
Currently the woofers are running on motorboards with a 3" mouth. I have a second set of boards that have a 6" (I believe) mouth that I'm going to try. Dana thought that might add more punch to the bottom end. We will see...
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Cool. Keep us posted.
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Will do. I'm unsure how the wider mouths will effect the top end as it is supposed to raise it, but I'll have to see. The woofer is run up to 600Hz right now I believe, but obviously you don't know the effect until you try it.
Custom horns are way too much fun. :razz: -
I like horns a lot and you have something very special there. In many ways similar to the system in my sunroom. I made custom CNC mid horns based on a JBL 2397. Wood is 1" buginga and the fins are CNC aluminum.
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I like horns a lot and you have something very special there. In many ways similar to the system in my sunroom. I made custom CNC mid horns based on a JBL 2397. Wood is 1" buginga and the fins are CNC aluminum.
I think that little pic you posted is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't you have some massive horns in your living room not to mention high end audio gear in every room in your house. I think your bathroom rig is probably better than what I will achieve in my lifetime lol -
polkfarmboy wrote: »I think that little pic you posted is just the tip of the iceberg. Don't you have some massive horns in your living room not to mention high end audio gear in every room in your house. I think your bathroom rig is probably better than what I will achieve in my lifetime lol
The picture posted shows horns similar to Jake's Soniphase. Both three way systems using horns for mids and highs. I have a conventional bass bin while he is using a corner loaded folded bass horn. His mid horn varies a little from mine as the fins on his run the full length of the horn and the horn does not flare in the vertical plane. A horn system like this will be very open, airy, a bit forward and a lot of depth. It will be very articulate with speed and a "real" sound, like you're there.
