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Building a pair of Ergo IX micro-monitor speakers

Carl, apologies for a slight thread hijack..

James - you've previously mentioned the scanspeak 15W/8531K01 is identical in spec, only not shiny... Any idea if it is a suitable replacement? They're available for £120 delivered in the UK and madisound are out of stock of the 8530

was checking out pricing given the state of exchange rates at the moment.

also, any chance if I pm my email address some kind soul could email me the current bom? I've been trawling threads and havent come across it yet.

ta

James
 
Looking good Carl thus far. I think the stand would be better in reverse and rather than the plate at the bottom use a T shape. Only cos i have some metal ones like this ;)

Bloody great to see the fruit of others hard work being spread around the world, what a top community :)
 
trancera said:
Looking good Carl thus far. I think the stand would be better in reverse and rather than the plate at the bottom use a T shape. Only cos i have some metal ones like this ;)

Bloody great to see the fruit of others hard work being spread around the world, what a top community :)
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It's funny, I like the single leg in front and 2 PFMers have said they think the other way would be better. I asked my wife and she went for the other way - two legs in front. Guess which way they're likely to end up ;)

The Captain said:
great work Carl- for a 1st effort thats remarkable. More pics with stand t'other way?

oh and btw how do they sound?!
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I'll get more pics sorted soon, but I've no idea how they sound - I've not made the crossovers yet! Soon, so soon...
 
James Evans said:
James - you've previously mentioned the scanspeak 15W/8531K01 is identical in spec, only not shiny... Any idea if it is a suitable replacement? They're available for £120 delivered in the UK and madisound are out of stock of the 8530

also, any chance if I pm my email address some kind soul could email me the current bom? I've been trawling threads and havent come across it yet.
Click to expand...
Hi James,

Whether the 8531K01 is identical in FR or not, I can't be sure. The tymphany site suggests that they are, but I have my doubts. The doping used in the shiny version would create a different break-up response compared to the uncoated cone. That said, I much prefer the look of the uncoated cone.

I have taken the XO details off the DIY room because I'd like to go commercial and sell these little gems, instead of giving my IP away, for a change. However, if you'd like to have a go, PM me your e-mail details and I'll see what I can do for you. You'll have to swear to a lifetime of secrecy, and learn the Ergo handshake though ...

James
 
That shiny scanspeak is a nightmare here. We live in the Arizona desert and there's a perpetual thin smattering of dust that permeates everything no matter how hard you try to keep it out. The midwoofers are just ever-so-slightly tacky, and the dust sticks to them and is impossible to keep off, making them look unkempt and (to my mind) detracts from the wooden, leathery loveliness that is a pair of Ergo IXs.

I'm loathe to start trying to wipe it off :eek:
 
Carl,

The idea is you whack on a load of bass-heavy favs from time to time to shake the dust off. The 15W has an xmax of +/-6.5mm not without purpose. Alternatively, use a low-tack masking tape or pet-hair removal roller. Mine are a touch fluffy as well.

James
 
Ah, out with the Massive Attack and Thievery Corporation then :D I guess I'd better not try that without XOs... the tweeters may complain!
 
M4 for the tweeter, and M5 for the woofer. I don't know the equivalent imperial sizes.

James
 
Finally, I have the XOs built and hooked up in ... erm... "test mode" (ie. sitting on a stool between the speakers with wires temporarily soldered onto the XO boards). I'll sort some cases very soon, then I'll tidy them up and post some pics.

First impressions? Where's the bass!?!? None. Zip. I triple checked everything, but there was no bass. After checking my work, my thoughts went along the lines of:

1. The drivers need to run in; this is obviously true, but not to this extent.
2. The fibre I used to fill the speakers is crap (it's basically pillow stuffing). Possibly, but it wouldn't have this much effect.
3. The surround-sound amp I'm using (Kenwood VR-60RS) has some LF roll-off for the non-subwoofer outputs. This would make sense because the speakers it comes with are tiny and have 2" or 3" drivers.

Right enough, a quick check of the remote control unit turned up a "bass boost" button which, when pressed, brought bass levels back to what I feel is a more normal level. The front left/right outputs of the amp must be rolled off by default to ensure the tiny little surround speakers don't fart and distort when music is played through them. I can't wait to get my pre/power up and running... must get those 30-0-30 500VA trafos ordered ;)

Anyway, now that things are more balanced I'm getting later and later for work as I listen to loads of music. The speakers are audibly breaking in, and so far impressions are favourable - even through my SB3 and this piece-of-shit Kenwood amp :)
 
Carl,

Find yourself some fibreglass insulation (rockwool in USA), and put the fibrefill back in your pillow. No point scrimping on this essential (and cheap) component when you are using fancy caps and ultra-premium drivers.

James
 
James said:
Find yourself some fibreglass insulation (rockwool in USA), and put the fibrefill back in your pillow. No point scrimping on this essential (and cheap) component when you are using fancy caps and ultra-premium drivers.
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Rockwool is not fibreglass but made from spun volcanic lava in a process similar to spun candy floss. It is wholly superior, both acoustically and thermally, to fibreglass wool.
 
trancera said:
Is Rockwool not too dense then, it seems quite solid, for walls and such?
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There is a wide variety of densities available, from the squishy, useful in speaker filling, to the solid slab often used for floating floors and walls in recording studios and the like.
 
Sorry, my mistake. It's fibreglass batts that you want, Carl, and not spun volcanic lava.

James
 
I finally had a chance to finish off the Ergos, sort out the crossovers etc:

DSCF2503.jpg


The XOs are built on thin wood with a layer of leather on top to dampen vibrations. I was originally going to put them in Sapele boxes with clear perspex lids, but didn't have the materials. Instead, I put them into hobby boxes from RadioShack:

DSCF2506.jpg


I debated about how to join all the components up underneath; in the end I opted for twisting the component wires tightly together and adding a dash of solder to keep the connections solid. The ground wires were all soldered around a ring of copper that is actually one of the component legs bent into a circle. It's hard making neat joins with 12gauge cable!

DSCF2514.jpg


The input wire is 2-core Mogami 3103, and the output wire is 4-core Mogami 3104. The output wire leads to a Neutrik Speakon:

DSCF2515.jpg

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And of course, my babies:

DSCF2524.jpg

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I had hooked them up for a test run a few days ago, but I had used skinny generic cable between amp and XO. There is a clearly audible difference now that I'm using the Mogami: the bass is much deeper (not subtle), and the entire presentation is even more open and clear than it was. Think of the much over-used phrase of "lifting a veil". I surprised myself because I wasn't expecting much (if any) of a difference when switching to the Mogami wire, which is thick (12 gauge), low-inductance, low-capacitance stuff. I'm a convert!

So what about the music? Well, the sound of these little speakers is far from little. They sound huge. More importantly, they're incredibly coherent, balanced, and highly enjoyable. The treble performance is beautifully refined, sweet, and together with a crystal-clear midrange particularly shines on well-recorded female vocals and acoustic music. The overall impression I'm left with is that everything about these speakers just gels together in harmony, creating a really enjoyable performance with anything I chuck at them. Amazing stuff, and I feel so rewarded for all the hard work, time, and money I've invested in making them.

James: thank you for sharing your design, your help, guidance and patience. You should be very proud of your work and I see why you coined the phrase "organicity"!

Carl
 
Carl,
Some of the guys in the audio room, were complaining about too much treble, with the standard crossover. Did you adjust the crossover?
 
Yes, I looked at Paul's measurements and went for the 10-ohm resistor instead of the standard 8-ohm. This produces a nice flat response and combined with the ridiculously-priced Mundorf silver/oil caps, sounds bloody marvellous. James helped with other XO tweaks that brought the phase response back in line after changing components.

Once thing I've noticed is that the balance of the speakers has drifted over the past few days. They started bright, but that was actually because the mid/bass drivers weren't up to full performance and sounded very bass-light. Now that they've loosened up and the XOs have been corrected, the sound is very balanced. The real truth will tell once I've got my pre/power sorted (ad815 or starfish, and modded ncc200s or swordfish).
 
Glad to hear they're sounding good. I think you'll be shocked by the quality of the bass when you get them hooked up to a decent system.

My little kans are producing amazing bass (for Kans) with the Starfish.
 
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