coolhandjjl

I bought Dave's Eliptrac 400 kit earlier in the year, but life keeps getting in the way of building them. I'll be bi-amping with a TDM active crossover, so at least I wont have to worry about a network. Faital Pro HF 140 or the B&C driver? Both are good, seems Dave and Al K like the B&C a bit better, but didn't say why. So I wonder how the Eliptrac 400/B&C compare against the Faital HF140/Faital LTH142 horn?

Thanks for the suggestions. I forgot about Madison Sound. I'll look them up. I am still a newbie at doing RTA, so those values I posted from my bin may change as I get better at doing proper readings. Still confused about the resistor wattage values. Some places I research tell me to go for the highest wattage the amp puts out (that would be a huge wirewound the size of an ear of corn for around $35) other sources indicate to go with smaller rated ones like the Erse wirewound ceramic ones at 25 watts. My purpose is not really pure hi-fi like the Klipsch, Cornscalas, etc. that folks have in a nice living room with dedicated listener seating, rather more of a hopped up PA that approaches hi-fi quality. Doubtful it will ever be in a room larger than 1000 sq ft.

All I have is a mic, RTA software, and a volt meter, but I don't have any test equipment to analyze complicated things like impedence. I can always proceed with the project w/o the notch filter and see if some simple EQing does the trick.

Excellent, thanks. I googled around and found DIYaudiovideo that has some on-line calculators to design a parallel notch filter to take a wide hump down a few dBs. Once I get a design figured out, I have to post it, it's going onto the woofer. I am attempting to drop 3 dB from approx 225Hz ~ 500Hz. The resistor called for in the notch filter calculator is roughly 2.5 ohms, but if I am putting several hundred watts into it, I may need help in figuring out how to gang up the resistors to accommodate the high wattage source. I was looking at Erse 25W wirewound in ceramic body resistors.

Can a crossover also attenuate a specific range of frequencies of a driver within the bandpass area its coverage?

Isn't that what Ronald Reagan did (to his hair [] ) ?

I just received a pair of Dave's Eliptrac 400 as the DIY kit. I'm planing on doing the two-way method using the DE85TN driver. I will be bi-amping using a TDM 24CX-2 Crossover (24db/octave) crossed at 500Hz. The sanding would make for a great winter project, so it may be a while before I report back with results.

Veneering is really pretty easy, would be easier than refinishing if there are no complex shapes involved. You can by rolls of cherry veneer at places like Menards that is easy to work with. If you are particular about getting the 'right grain', then shop at woodworker or cabinet maker supply places. Cherry veneer with a few coats of shellac would look quite nice and rich.

If I want to cross at 500, not a lot of non-titanium diaphragm drivers in the 1.4" range that go from 500 to 20K

Exactly what I wanted to hear, thanks! Still have your M2380's?

That EV is one cool looking horn. Reminds me of the Altec 511/811 with some dividers knocked out. It that cast metal? For my build, retro-like aesthetics are somewhat important. That's why I am having a hard time warming up to the Faital LTH142 Tractrix horn, it looks too modern. Bob indicates that it is a great horn for the HF200, but in my mind, the M2380 has a better 'looks cool' factor.

Thanks Don, I had a hunch it was some sort of generic curve. I'm still leaning towards using the M2380 as a just a mid and adding Bob's CT125 to make it a three way.

I've an active crossover that has a CD Horn Boost feature, graph attached. Is this enough to consider a M2380/Faital HF200 (or HF204) combo to cover everything from 500Hz and up to make my project as a two way design (I already have my bass bin), or are the M2380's doomed to be for midrange only in a threee way configuration?

That's all good to know. I have two potential ways to go for my tops it seems. It will be a bi-amp system with a TDM active crossover (24db slope 4th order LR design) crossed at 500Hz, and the amp driving the tops is an SAE A210 100wpc power amp. Method #1: Eliptrac horn with the Faital 200 or 204, gives me a two way speaker. Method #2: M2380 horn with Selenium D405 plus a CT125, givs me a three way speaker. ....what to do...what to do...

I plan to crossover at 500Hz, I realize this range puts quite a demand on the Faital HF driver. Rudy81, how much power are you running into your system?

The Faital Pro HF200 compression driver with a tractrix horn seems to get mentioned a lot for the high frequency component of a two-way system. I talked to the Faital US rep about the HF204 Compression Driver. The rep mentioned that any possibility of any metalic ringing from the HF200's Titanium diaphragm would be non-existant as the HF204 has a Ketone Polymer diaphragm. Smoother highs and mids is how the HF204 is being touted. Anyone using either the Faital 200 of 204? Thanks in advance!

I've got this Cornscala modified project that I began on a post on a while back. I have a pair of Bill Fitzmaurice designed bass bins, each with a pair of Eminence 3012LF woofers, designed to be crossed at 500Hz. I've decided to bi-amp. My low freq amp will be my SAE 2401, a mother of an amp at 350 wpc into 4 ohms. For the highs, I just picked up an SAE A201 at 100 wpc into 8 ohms. Originally, I was going to use his M2380 horn + the Selenium D405 phenolic mid compression driver, and his CT125 horn/phenolic compression driver assembly, and have him build the passive crossover for those. The I'd use whatever active crossover I could find to piece it all together with my bass bin. Now he has the Faital HF140 titanium compression driver which could make for a 2 way instead of a 3 way speaker. I think the the M2380 has a better 'cool looking' factor than the suggested tractrix horn, so I'd need my active crossover to have CD horn boost circtitry, some actually have that circuitry built in that adds about 10db starting at aroud 2Khz. Recalling what Bob Crites told me, the M2380 CD horn he sells needs such a boost, he usually designs it into the crossovers for those using that horn. So now my system will be just my bass bins, my two amps, an active crossover, and the M2380 with the Faital HF140. Anyone have experience with 2 way speakers, especially ones with titanium diaphrams? Right away, it is clear to me that there is no longer a passive crossover in the HF section, and now only one driver carrying the load from 500Hz to 20kHz. But what does this translate into sonically? I'm an old school 3 way guy, so this is uncharted territory for me.

Can't do a 402, too large for me [] I'd like to explore mid horns. There are members who make & sell them to other members? I could see something akin to Greg's Fc280 with a Baby Cheek screwed on top. Probably free stand them on top of my Bill Fitzmaurice bass bins. If I strike out, I can always do the M2380+CT125 thing and keep it a Plain Jane plastic top.

The black painted horns he offers are certainly more reasonably priced, they are labeled as tractrix design. They look more like CD design to me, but I'm no expert. I thought tractrix were those oval designed ones that looked like the mold was a glob of flubber.

No, I'm sorry, I meant the molded ABS plastic M2380 horns from Bob Crites, and trying to lay veneer inside it. Greg's LaVera wooden horn is $9000.00

I was looking at those LaVera Horns from Volti Audio. They look like a piece of fine art with a price to match! I haven't ordered my M2380 horns yet, but has anyone considered veneering the interior? Would that mess up the internal dimensions adversely affecting sound?

Thanks for all the great suggestions!

I'm not locked into the baby cheek horn. Since the APT 50 on the vintage style horn, Bob's CT-125, are already a proven combo, I can stick with that to keep it easier.

The K77 style may also be popular as it takes up the least amount of vertical space on the motor board. But those baby cheeks seem to be one of the more distinctive looking horns. I'm guessing there are many combinations that would work well. Funds are limited right now, so I'll have to spread out the purchases over a period of time. I did just buy from Bob a pair of the D405 mid drivers as my preference would be to use phenolic diaphram drivers, plus he seems to have the only inventory on those left on the planet. Later on, I'll get the M2380 horns, and the Eminence APT 50 HF drivers. Will the baby cheek horns work as well with the APT 50 as the K77 style horn? Bob stocks a baby cheek clone?

People who wanted more bass would go to the Cornwalls, but then missed the brilliant and open upper end the LaScala had. That's where the "Cornscala" design came from. Best of both worlds. Check out Bob Crites' web site. http://www.critesspeakers.com/cornscala.html