The Grande Utopia Project

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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    Next up is wiring the bass network and changing the cap. Resistors and the 168uf in the midrange

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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    Foam the mids' baskets.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    I really don't want to lead you on... That's probably not going to happen 😜
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Gardenstater
    Gardenstater Posts: 4,455
    That mid does look like it is already designed so as to minimize reflections back at the cone, even though the spokes are wide, because of the angle of them and the absence of a lip around the spider between the spokes. :)
    George / NJ

    Polk 7B main speakers, std. mods+ (1979, orig owner)
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    iFi nano iDSD DAC
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    Custom Steve Wilson 1m UPOCC Interconnect
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    Custom Ribbon Speaker Cables, 5ft long, 4N Copper, 14awg, ultra low inductance
    Custom Vibration Isolation Speaker Stands and Sub Platform
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  • xschop
    xschop Posts: 5,000
    Understand, the foam gets a little pricey.
    Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists.
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,144
    VR3 wrote: »
    I really don't want to lead you on... That's probably not going to happen 😜
    Crazy talk. Next, you're going to say you won't even be Dynamat'ing them ;)

    Seriously, though, are those red pucks on the woofer individual magnets?
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    edited December 2023
    So.... no mids in these pictures. That is the 10" woofer and the 15" subwoofer.

    The 15" has 16 neodymium magnets and is a real tank at over 40 pounds!

    No foam or dynamat!

    Edit: I *might* consider dynamat
    Post edited by VR3 on
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    Made some room last night!

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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,412
    HEAVY DUTY !
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,933
    That rust can't be good.
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,004
    It may not be rust. Could be that the electrolytes have seeped out over time. This is an older speaker, so there is that...

    Tom
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,933
    edited December 2023
    Upon closer inspection it does look like leakage:
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    edited December 2023
    New wiring team for the bass network and this officially preps them to be a 4 way active loudspeaker!

    Next to install the remainder of the parts

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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    Getting closer!

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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,270
    Well you have a 3 day weekend..."getter done"... :p
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    Haha yeah right, quality daughter time ahead! I might be able to squeeze in some late night work though! 😅
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,144
    VR3 wrote: »
    New wiring team for the bass network and this officially preps them to be a 4 way active loudspeaker!
    Do you mean 'active', as in 'powered'? Sorry if I missed that earlier.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,392
    jdjohn wrote: »
    VR3 wrote: »
    I really don't want to lead you on... That's probably not going to happen 😜
    Crazy talk. Next, you're going to say you won't even be Dynamat'ing them ;)

    Seriously, though, are those red pucks on the woofer individual magnets?

    Phase plugs are in the works...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    edited December 2023
    So the main push behind this build was because I was absolutely consumed with this idea of what it would look like if the Grande could be a 4 way active loudspeaker... I mean like... consumed just mulling it over back and forth. Eventually I was just like... eff it! I took that idea, the user swappable resistors, etc and essentially decided to fully rewire, fully mod AND make them a 4 way active loudspeaker.

    So in maybe 30 minutes... disconnect some wires, relocate some jumpers... the grande will be capable of fully bypassing the internal crossover and ready to be hooked up to an external active crossover and 8 channel of amplification...

    The only missing piece will be the new binding post array, I will need 16 x WBT posts (8 per side)... that is a hefty investment. (the existing WBT posts have some corrosion on them)

    I dont have the immediate goal to try active, I just wanted to see what that looked like in reality and have the option when I am so inclined in the future.

    I can of course go partially active/passive. Running the bass fully active would be an easy achievement to accomplish!

    Anyways... this has been a brain racking project... between thoughts, design, building, tear down, etc... easily hundreds, maybe a thousand plus hours invested! lol
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,144
    Ah, so active crossover, not active/powered speaker.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    Correct, active crossover capable. Many years away! But I like the idea its capable!
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    jdjohn wrote: »
    VR3 wrote: »
    I really don't want to lead you on... That's probably not going to happen 😜
    Crazy talk. Next, you're going to say you won't even be Dynamat'ing them ;)

    Seriously, though, are those red pucks on the woofer individual magnets?

    Phase plugs are in the works...

    lol, zero benefit of phase plugs on subwoofers.

    The mids already have phase plugs though :-D
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Viking64
    Viking64 Posts: 7,043
    My plugs don't phase me.

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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,144
    Viking64 wrote: »
    My plugs don't phase me.
    Looks very natural...you do you.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,270
    Looks painful... :#:#:#
    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    edited December 2023
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    Post edited by VR3 on
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    Bass resistors installed and wired up!

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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,412
    Probably should sweep out the Cheetos crumbs.... :D
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
    The cheetohs add texture brother!

    The next part is mounting the 168uf midrange cap cluster... Already 3 hours into the design and still working out the details, will be tough
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,610
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    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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