UPDATE 04-04-15, Single Driver Experiments

[DizRotus]

Bruce-

You win.

I know I have your address around here somewhere from when you relieved me of a h/k 430 receiver, but please do me a favor and send me your address by PM or email.

EDIT @ 11:20 PM EDT

I put the foam in a box. I wasn't sure how to pack a shipment of foam. Should I put some glassware in there too to give the foam something to protect?

[DizRotus]

My 23 y.o. son, and his somewhat older mother, preferred the sound of the pair with the egg crate foam panels to the pair with bare mdf inside. I agree. The sound is cleaner and crisper than the non-foam set. The bass is tighter and the highs seem better.

Comparing that pair to the rear horn enclosures produced similar results. While the rear horns appear to have slightly more output in the lowest frequencies, the bass is muddy compared to the BR enclosures.

mdeneen was right. The BR enclosure is better than the more complex rear horn. I'm not suggesting that these BR enclosures with RS 40-1197 drivers are the equal to mdeneen's Tekton speakers with real Fostex 103 drivers, but I do believe the similarities are greater than the differences. It would be interesting to compare them directly with the Tektons. It would also be interesting to try a Fostex 103 (now discontinued) in the BR and rear horn enclosures.

Clearly, the single driver concept is not for everyone or every style of music. That said, the imaging generated from a single driver in a good enclosure is well suited to jazz combos, solo vocalists and the like. Close your eyes and its spooky the way Diana Krall sounds like she's in the room.

After eliminating the enclosures with no foam, I placed the speakers with the foam and the older Taiwan drivers on top of the rear horns as shown for the A/B testing. The speaker on the floor is an un-foamed loser (the foam will be installed later), is not connected and was not part of the A/B test with the rear horns.

Also in the photo is the box now containing Marvel's foam squares.

Edited November 15, 2013 by DizRotus

[DizRotus]

The $20.97 (Amazon) Lepai chip amp plays the new speakers reasonably well. Volume was more than adequate and the sound was worth $20.97. Bass was good, but treble seemed shrill until using the tone controls, which can be defeated.

Has anyone else tried this tiny amp?

Edited November 15, 2013 by DizRotus

[DizRotus]

The finishing process is going very slowly. After sanding, applying Bondo and more sanding, several coats of latex primer have been applied. Sanding between coats of primer will produce a smooth surface suitable for spraying on the black finish coats.

The motivation is not helped by the fact that 2 of the 4 are operational, albeit unfinished.

The photo doesn't show the results of using my new router on the motorboards to recess the drivers and port tubes.

Edited November 15, 2013 by DizRotus

[DizRotus]

Also, the time devoted to completing the related "iPod" dock on steroids project prevents much time for the completion of these.

The "iPod" dock project convinced me to use machine screws and T-nuts throughout, rather than nuts, washers and/or wood screws. The Tekton wannabes will also get the same black metal grilles shown on the dock.

The single drivers and dock will be used to evaluate T-chip amps: Lepai TA2020, SMSL SA-S1 & SMSL SA-50.

Edited November 15, 2013 by DizRotus

[DizRotus]

Bump at the request of a forum member to allow easy access.

[DizRotus]

I just ordered a single Anarchy Tapped sub kit and woofer from DIY Sound Group, as described by CECAA850, Carl, at https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/138019-25hz-tapped-horn/

 

I'll probably regret not getting 2 at once.

 

Now I'll have to figure out a way to use a single sub to augment my single driver speakers. Some form of summed passive network and a bridged SMSL SA-50 perhaps. I suspect I'll eventually get a second kit.

 

Due to the new forum's data restrictions regarding attachments, the photos were deleted from earlier posts.

 

EDIT: 12/20/2015

 

Photos deleted to free up server space.

Edited December 20, 2015 by DizRotus

[mike stehr]

Now I'll have to figure out a way to use a single sub to augment my single driver speakers. Some form of summed passive network and a bridged SMSL SA-50 perhaps. I suspect I'll eventually get a second kit.

Maybe pick up a good quality active car crossover on the cheap.

[DizRotus]

UPDATE:

 

The single driver BR enclosures, similar to the now discontinued Tekton BR single drivers using Fostex FE103 drivers, are superior to the larger and more complicated rear horn enclosures (Fostex plans) used previously. Thanks to mdeneen for the suggestion.

 

 

Four of the six RS 40-1197 drivers (a gift from forum member Klipsch Guy in Alabama) are now in the modified BR enclosures from Parts Express. Two drivers (eBay scores) are in the boom box I built (see: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/144722-bluetooth-ipod-dock-on-steroids/)

While looking for a pair of real Fostex FE103s to compare with the RS 1174s, I “won” a single FE103 on eBay for $20. Since the BR enclosures are working their way into my small HT that is also going to be switchable to 2-channel for music, it occurred to me to use the single Fostex FE1103 as the center channel for the HT.

 

 

The photos show the enclosure after using a router to round-over of the corners and the application of Duratex. The paper cones of the RS 40-1197s are black, whereas the banana paper cone of the Fostex is cream colored, so I stretched some black speaker cloth across the back of the metal grille to prevent the light colored cone from showing.

 

 

The bass is handled by four 25hz tapped horn subs (see: https://community.klipsch.com/index.php?/topic/138019-25hz-tapped-horn/) driven by a pair of modified Dayton 240 plate amps. The treble is augmented by Eminence APT 50 (same as Crites125, but w/o EV style horns) super tweeters with baby cheeks horns. Adding the subs and tweets to “single drivers” becomes stone soup.

 

The four 25Hz TH subs are now powered by a single iNuke1000dsp (visible in the photo).  The two front 8 ohm subs are wired in parallel to the left channel for a 4 ohm load, and the same for the rear subs to the right channel.  I've yet to use REW and/or Audyssey to fine tune the small space.

 

EDIT: 12/20/2015

 

Photos deleted to free up server space.

Edited December 20, 2015 by DizRotus

[DizRotus]

Today I replaced the Radio Shack 40-1197 (Fostex FE-103 knockoffs) with NIB Fostex FE 103s scored on eBay. As the attached photo shows, I removed the grilles for now, incluing the one for the center speaker shown in the post above. At first I was concerned about the appearance of the tan banana paper cones against the black enclosures. SWMBO would laugh at me being concerned about the appearance of my basement space. After seeing the tan drivers in place, I kind of like the contrast.

Regarding performance, they sound very good, but so did the RS 40-1197s. For now I've disconnect the APT super tweeters visibile in the photo. After I've listened to the FE-103s for some time, I'll try adding the APTs to see what happens.

Now the three front speakers have the same drivers, which has the potential for sounding better than 2 RS 40-1197s and a single FE-103.

From the same eBay seller, I also purchased a NIB Tang Band 1139SG driver that will eventually go into another DIY 25Hz sub like those in the attached photo. Unfortunately, Erich at DIY Soundgroup no longer has the excellent flat-pack version, nor is he likely to get more soon, if at all. According to Erich, Tom Danley was granted a patent on the tapped horn, which makes the sale of tapped horn subs potentially an infringement,

 

EDIT: 12/20/2015

 

Photos deleted to free up server space.

Edited December 20, 2015 by DizRotus

[DizRotus]

Does anyone know the values of the components in notch filter used in the now discontinued Tekton 4.1?