Site Links
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
In this Discussion
Please review the site Rules, Terms of Service, and Privacy Policy at your convenience. Rules, TOS, Privacy
Get familiar with the reaction system: Introducing the Reaction System
Comments
May I suggest you make a post in the "Introduce yourself" thread and tell us about yourself? We're a pretty tight group on this board and it's more fun to converse and help each other when we know more than a screen name.
http://speakerdesignworks.com/Halcyon_5.html
The Mark Audio Driver in the Halcyons is one of the better full range drivers that seem to do everything mostly right and there are a great many designs out there doing so. In this design it is a version of FAST (Full range Bass Augmented design). The Alpair 10P has slightly less bass extension so FAST design is a good choice, whereas the 10M has good bass response, especially in transmission lines and there are designs incorporating that if you want to stay single driver full range only
All full ranges are part of the philosophy that you need to subscribe to - No, they don't have a tweeter, and will beam but toed in, on axis, if the driver doesn't go into break up mode and can play high enough it should be good. Stay in the sweet spot and decide if Full Rangers are for you.
https://www.aperionaudio.com/blogs/aperion-audio-blog/an-introduction-of-the-super-tweeter-speaker
Thanks for all the advice. Most appreciated.
A premade crossover almost never works, and neither will this, would suggest if you want to add in highs, buy a 100$ usb mic, download some free software, buy a pair of 50$ tweeters and bug someone to help you with a crossover.
Though i doubt you will be missing anything listening on axis - only when you start comparing to other competent designs in A/B testing and listening very critically, you might find some difference. if super tweeters do airy highs, full rangers do spooky vocals, take your pick... Like everyone said in here, Curt knows what he is doing and wouldn't release a design if it wasn't good - i heard both the Halycons and his singularity design another full ranger, and both are wonderful. Each speaker, each design and each type has its own strengths and weakness - there is no perfect speaker, hence the abundance of designs....!!!
Also, what got you to select the Halcyons? what do you like about it?
In my experience, crossing a 'super'tweeter to a FR driver high enough to make sense (rather than just using a good midwoofer) is difficult to get right. Certainly not just a matter of top mounting a tweeter and throwing a cap on it for good results.
If I were to build a near-wall speaker from Curt, I'd take a good look at these instead:
http://speakerdesignworks.com/SB6pakproject_1.html
I send a video of my "listening room" to Jim Holtz and a few others, who, basically said move to a new house or use casters on the speakers to pull them out when you want to hear something properly. So, I need something that can be flushed up pretty close to the wall.
The fact that the Halcyons are almost 2 feet deep is good, because it puts the faces a little forward without looking like the speakers are sitting out in space. Assuming that volume contributes to SPL and bass is all good.
Also, I have less than a foot of width to work with, but height not really a limitation.
And, I'm the only one in the house who cares about the audio, and I have my chair, so a requirement for "on-axis" listening doesn't seem like much of a problem. I'm speculating here.
Finally, I would like some SPL and some bass, so bookshelves seem like a less attractive option. Plus, putting them on stands is a non-starter.
How do those reasons add up? Am I blinded by something important?
Thanks again for the quality feedback and advice.
When in doubt just ask!
As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say, ‘it’s always somthin’ –which is what makes speaker building an interesting balance between an art and a science.
As with many planar speakers, full rangers will roll-off quicker off-axis than a small dome tweeter, but they do avoid the issues of dealing with nasty crossover affects.
The fun thing about going to the DIY events is getting to see and hear the different speaker approaches, the downside is what to do with the previous 3 sets of speakers in the basement you’ve made in your quest for incorporating what you’ve liked from the last event...
Go for what subjectively pleases your ears.
So, this leads me back to the Halcyons again because:
a) I can't hear anything over 10k anyway, and the Halcyons reportedly have plenty of bass, which I can hear
b) my biggest gripe when listening to my stereos is that I want the human voices to be clearer
So when you (ani_101) say "spooky vocals", and I assume that means in a good way, then maybe I should give full range a shot (?)
I'm getting a sense that some of the more experienced audiophiles on this site are trying to warn me against full range because I really don't know what I'm getting myself into. And maybe I should start more conventionally first while learning more about what my real tastes are. Absolutely true. I'm trying to reason myself into a decision which would possibly be dead simple if I had examples to play with.
But since I have no examples to play with, I'm seeking your advice, and I deeply appreciate everyone's generosity so far.
BTW, the Madisound site says the Uluwatu driver kit is unavailable. I've asked for more info, Anything to do with the fact that a set of Ululates requires (12) SB13PFC25-08 5" Paper Cone Woofers?
Depending on how close you are to Craig and a trip to Fort Wayne Indiana this Spring you could listen and compare a number of speaker types for yourself. You could probably buy a pair as well
I have some extra boxes for the Dayton Rs100 and a pretty good sounding "crossover". I plan on building better boxes for the components I have but if you want the boxes let me kbow and they are yours.
They don't meet any of your requirements for a final build but they would be a simple way to get taste of full range goodness. With minimal cost/time investment.