Anti diffraction rings (for tweeters)

Clipdat

Trey, you could try making a mini starburst/zig-zag pattern like Wilson does and see how that affects the sound.



http://parts.wilsonaudio.com/duette-1-2-tweeter-diffraction-pad/

VR3

I thought about it, then I thought about lawsuits hahahah

Thanks for the write up @JayCee!

JayCee

Clipdat wrote: »

Trey, you could try making a mini starburst/zig-zag pattern like Wilson does and see how that affects the sound.

Interesting you brought this up. Watched Darko's review of the TuneTot a few days ago and the thought crossed my mind. Also found the mid driver interesting. Has a "turbine" design similar to the new Legend's, but less pronounced.

https://youtu.be/8fg9UKBP1Gw

VR3

Nah they use the scanspeak revelator which has grooves cut into the woofer

JayCee

VR3 wrote: »

I thought about it

Doesn't mean you can't "experiment" in-house.

Clipdat

I really wish I had a large listening space like Darko. Sigh.

drumminman

Worked out the issue with Velcro not sticking: I was attempting to use both the hook pad and the loop pad instead of hook only. Pads installed, review to come in the next day or so.

JayCee

Glad it worked out. In my case, when I used some scrap Velcro and before the dots, I couldn't get the hook to grab the felt. With the dots, I was able to get the adhesive to mate. Will try just the hooks, again, when the new felt arrives. Look forward to reading your conclusion with the 2.3's.

VR3

That's very odd, the picture frame hook tabs work great

JayCee

I didn't use those. It was a heavy-duty version with much wider hooks. I didn't remember I had the picture frame ones until you posted them.

Gardenstater

I got these from Ollie's, 9 pairs for $0.59 maybe a year or two ago. Why didn't I buy more of them? Anyway, I like the strength of the adhesive and the 3/4" square shape and the hooks latch on just fine.

Gardenstater

Clipdat wrote: »

Trey, you could try making a mini starburst/zig-zag pattern like Wilson does and see how that affects the sound.



http://parts.wilsonaudio.com/duette-1-2-tweeter-diffraction-pad/

I think that is just a gimmick. When looking at 2" thick Acoustical Foam Squares, I found out that the ones with the sawtooth or pyramidal textured surfaces do not have as good of an NRC rating as do the solid 2" ones.

VR3

The only* thing that crossed my mind about making the triangles/star pattern would be to reduce any type of "loading" that may happen from having a circle/oval. The pads though are absorbing versus reinforcing so I dont see why that would be a real concern?

JayCee

After touring Polk's skunk works and seeing the advanced testing, etc. they do with driver tech, I'd assume Wilson would be state-of-the-art and more inclined to believe the design is a combination of parameters within the overall design of the speaker. OTOH, marketing is, well, marketing and often the art of illusion?

VR3

It is hard to say, their earlier designs were simple punched out squared slightly larger than the tweeter, similar to what we did here.

VR3

..

VR3

Can even make it where it will fit within grills

Gardenstater

Feel free to laugh but I am experimenting with rounded cabinet edges. These are gift wrap inner rolls cut in half and slit down their lengths. The paper seems to be wax coated so I hit it all over with some medium grit sandpaper followed by a sticky tape type clothes lint roller and then a single piece of scotch tape on the side of the speaker is sufficient to hold it in place. Too soon to say a lot but my initial impression is the speakers just disappeared a little bit more and imaging got better. Listening to Patricia Barber "A Distortion of Love" in hi rez

Edit - Now listening to David Gilmour "Live At Pompeii".....enough was enough. Where are my speakers? I lost them.

VR3

Kind of looks cool, grab some dowels and cut them in half! Attach to the sides!

JayCee

Gardenstater wrote: »

@JayCee Dire Straits "Critical Private Investigations".......WOW! Super airy and deep deep soundstage. Unfortunately I never heard it before, but still!

The more detailed your system becomes....you'll hear Knopfler breathing @ 4:36 w/a realism that's either "just there" or much more subtle and well defined. The sound effects (cat, glass breaking, etc) and xylophone(?) are cool and, when resolved, are a part of the deepness you describe. Makes you think they're off in the distance and add to the imagery of the PI story. On a system with a really "black" background, the music builds out of nowhere. From the same album, "Telegraph Road" is another great track.

xschop

Does getting rid of the frame pegs help? I modded mine and installed flat neodymium magnets in the baffle and the grills. Took a while to do it, and don't remember what the difference in sound was lol. They hold the grills very solid though and easy on/off.

gudnoyez

gp4jesus

I PM’d Trey (photo) diagrams to cut diffraction panels for my CSi A6 and RTi A7s about an hour ago.

gudnoyez

So once I seen Trey using those 3M Velcro Command Strips, I didnt even bother with the package of low profile dots. I know the backs are very sticky and would be a pita to get the left behind residue off the baffles. I know with the Comand strips you can pull them off with the pull strip leaving absolutely no residue behind.

I'm pretty sure there will be no taking these off I like the results I'm hearing with these on. I put on some Albums that although they sound great have a little top end sizzle. Billy Squires Dont say No at times had some of that top end sizzle on a few tracks. The Supertramp Breakfast In America Mofi SACD while it's definitely the best sounding copy of several LP's and CD'S I have of it. It tended to have a little top end sizzle on the Gone Hollywood, and Child Of Vision tracks, I'm happy to say what I Iistend to did not sound as aggressive at louder volumes with these Pads on

I did listen to the same recordings prior to applying the felt diffraction pads and definitely can notice a subtle improvement so I'm happy. I usually am not a grill off kind of a guy except for the times when a long listening session is planned. I have the grills are back on and the difference is still noticable. I will leave the grills off more often. I find it kind of cool how minor changes do make a difference. So I'm enjoying the new bling on my 2.3tl's. Im pretty sure these would improve my RTIA's the A9's and CSIA6 could use some to try out. Thanks for doing these Trey.

VR3

Thanks for the feedback! Glad you are enjoying them.

I feel the long prints on these make a big difference versus 3 or 4 smaller prints.

VR3

gp4jesus wrote: »

I PM’d Trey (photo) diagrams to cut diffraction panels for my CSi A6 and RTi A7s about an hour ago.

Hey Tony,
I didn't receive any photos if you could resend please

Thank you

motorstereo

JayCee wrote: »

Gardenstater wrote: »

@JayCee Dire Straits "Critical Private Investigations".......WOW! Super airy and deep deep soundstage. Unfortunately I never heard it before, but still!

The more detailed your system becomes....you'll hear Knopfler breathing @ 4:36 w/a realism that's either "just there" or much more subtle and well defined. The sound effects (cat, glass breaking, etc) and xylophone(?) are cool and, when resolved, are a part of the deepness you describe. Makes you think they're off in the distance and add to the imagery of the PI story. On a system with a really "black" background, the music builds out of nowhere. From the same album, "Telegraph Road" is another great track.

Agreed; Telegraph Road is an amazing song on the big SDA's. I was listening to it earlier this week and Knopfler's guitar sounded for all the world like it was coming from a room treatment 3' to the left of the left speaker. I've never gotten rock solid side imaging quite like that.

Gardenstater

This is how I punch the holes out for the screw heads on the Peerless Diffraction Pad, in case anyone is interested. If you get them located right you don't even need the velcro lol. I did a better job on this one, for the L speaker. Practice makes perfect. Magnet screw holes are a 40mm x 40mm on square centrally located. Attachment screw holes are 100mm x 60mm rectangular centrally located. 1/4" thin wall brass tubing sharpened inside and out worked fine for the punch. Tapered reamer and/or conical dremel grinding point works for inside. Bench grinder for outside.



I too am finding that albums like Breakfast in America that used to be almost too sizzle-noxious to listen to are now much tamed. Must be that albums that are mixed too hot have the most propensity to cause diffractions. Sounding good especially with the rounded corners.

I think that some 4" dia. thick walled paper tubes (because it is low mass density) or maybe even pool noodles cut in half and covered with some of the Anti-Diffraction material would be pretty ideal. The corners could be mitered for a nice finished look. May be a bit difficult to bend to that radius, but I would try using 3M spray adhesive on both sides.

Gardenstater

A friend just sent me this photo of the very thick Anti-Diffraction mat'l on his Spicas. They left lots of lateral clearance around the tweeter but again, the material is way way thicker.

Gardenstater

xschop wrote: »

Does getting rid of the frame pegs help? I modded mine and installed flat neodymium magnets in the baffle and the grills. Took a while to do it, and don't remember what the difference in sound was lol. They hold the grills very solid though and easy on/off.

@VR3 Perhaps you could make some small donuts from the anti-diffraction material, if there are any areas that would be wasted material. It couldn't hoit and we audiophiles are a neurotic lot. My grille pegs protrude exactly 1/2" but are rounded at the end, so maybe only one donut per would be needed.