Phase Plug design for MW65xx

That's interesting and maybe you can get an idea of the flatness of the backplate where it interfaces with the magnet. I wonder how much more magnetic flux you can get if you had it flatter and an adjustable collar/heatsink that allows a no adhesive assembly that allows centering and future disassembly.

xschop wrote: »

This is the way to do it correctly.

Yeah, and couldn't hurt to do a #10-32 threaded blind hole in the pole piece for removable phase plugs while one was at it? Could also be a disassembly aid in the future.

xschop knows about my side post for my 5(B) mod/upgrade project, but I want to interject here for everyone following his work:

Phase plug opinion and methods

I'm really, really pleased with the midwoofers he modified for me (they're fancy, with removable plugs and a drilled out pole piece).

Listening with and without plugs, plus with and without the modified pole piece, in comparison to my spare mid, there is, to my ear, a definite improvement in clarity. I've heard no negative result on my 5(B).

Switching out to plugless, after hours of listening, I could hear a difference. Switching out left and right plugs, same thing.

Example of what I hear

Listening position is a little cluttered (the 1C are too close to them), but wow. I am not a horn guy, but the detail of the guy's breath in the notes is fantastic.

https://youtu.be/uO5isb99wCA

On other tracks, my oldest daughter was confused that it wasn't the 1C and the 5(B) running at the same time.

Interesting bonus opinion

She prefers the song Bubbles on the 5(B). She says it sounds more realistic, like there's a giant table in front of her, and some of the 'balls' spill out of the speakers on the left and right as others bounce down across the soundstage towards her.

https://youtu.be/4CuJqtNdcJU

Imaging

In a slightly different arrangement, with the 5(B) 10 inches forward and 10 inches in, I did an imaging experiment.

I mapped out where sounds were, and how they projected themselves.

I did this on the 1C and 5(B).

Purpose?

To see if the imaging was affected negatively by the plugs in the 5(B), and then how a plugged 5(B) compared to the plugged 1C.

The only other SDA attempt I know of experienced a negative (smearing, loss of detail?). All the stereo plug modders appear to experience the opposite.

- Overall, my 5(B) were clearer and felt more precise w/ plugs than without.

- When mapping music in the room by ear, there wasn't a noticeable change in the direction and location of sounds, but they were clearer and more defined, less diffuse, with plugs.

- Location of sounds were largely consistent between both speakers (with and without plugs) on the 5(B)). The 1C went to the walls, while the 5(B) extended slightly past their outside edges. Some sounds came forward of the speaker plane, just like the 1C, but not to the enveloping extent, distance, nor force of the larger speaker (to be expected).