yairf
Trade: Teddy Pardo Audio
Hi pinkfishers
Haven't visited this place for a long while.
This is just a summary of my long journey into a new DIY front, one which is probably never going to end: I have discovered the potential of "activating" speakers (i.e. going active...), and decided to take on this concept from a different, rather unusual angle.
It all started a couple of years ago when I have done a project for a friend, modifying his 32.5 / 140 (see a "brief" summary here).
After some additional minor works, such as adding a remote control to the 32.5, I went further, adding another 140 (equally modded), and replacing the passive xover of his SBL with an active one.
Both of us just couldn't believe the difference - it was huge!
I then decided to take on a new journey myself, and decided to go for a "hyperactive" speaker of my own. I am not a speaker designer and I know little about this subject, so I went off the beaten road of complex xover design, and took my chances with this little gadget from down under. This device acts as an ADC, DAC, preamp, active xover and room correction in one box, using proprietary DSP algorithms.
The DEQX unit allows its user to fine tune every single parameter in the system behaviour, including gain, frequency response, phase characteristics, even group delay (!), all with a user-friendly GUI software, running on a PC. The filtering is done by a DSP inside. The DEQX includes microphone for speaker and room measurements.
The speaker is a conventional 3-way layout, consisting of twin 8" woofers, 7" mid unit and a 1" tweeter. I bought the enclosure ready-made from a friend who is an avid speaker builder. The drive units are all Vifa, as recommended and provided by my friend: tweeters are Aluminum dome (Vifa Classic), mid units are wood-fiber XT18 type, and bass are 4 x specially made 8" units, from the "Classic" range. The enclosure was hardened using sheets of 2mm lead, and bracing rods. The two bastards weigh about 60Kg+ each...
For the amplification, I can basically use whatever I like, as it is so easy to do parameter matching. As a proof of concept, I assembled two mono-blocks based on modified Hypex UCD-400AD units and hooked them to the tweeters. The next two will drive the bass units, eventually I'm planning for a six-pack of UCD-400s. Right now, I have SET tube amps driving the midrange units, but this could change every day now...
The first stage of putting the system together includes speaker measurement, which is used to determine the xover slopes, and frequency/phase/group-delay corrections. The measurement is based on a principle similar to MLS, which cancels the effect of room reflections during the measurement. The next stage includes measurements in the listening room, to determine special equalization required for overcoming standing waves in the room.
I will follow this post with some piccies...
Cheers
Yair
Haven't visited this place for a long while.
This is just a summary of my long journey into a new DIY front, one which is probably never going to end: I have discovered the potential of "activating" speakers (i.e. going active...), and decided to take on this concept from a different, rather unusual angle.
It all started a couple of years ago when I have done a project for a friend, modifying his 32.5 / 140 (see a "brief" summary here).
After some additional minor works, such as adding a remote control to the 32.5, I went further, adding another 140 (equally modded), and replacing the passive xover of his SBL with an active one.
Both of us just couldn't believe the difference - it was huge!
I then decided to take on a new journey myself, and decided to go for a "hyperactive" speaker of my own. I am not a speaker designer and I know little about this subject, so I went off the beaten road of complex xover design, and took my chances with this little gadget from down under. This device acts as an ADC, DAC, preamp, active xover and room correction in one box, using proprietary DSP algorithms.
The DEQX unit allows its user to fine tune every single parameter in the system behaviour, including gain, frequency response, phase characteristics, even group delay (!), all with a user-friendly GUI software, running on a PC. The filtering is done by a DSP inside. The DEQX includes microphone for speaker and room measurements.
The speaker is a conventional 3-way layout, consisting of twin 8" woofers, 7" mid unit and a 1" tweeter. I bought the enclosure ready-made from a friend who is an avid speaker builder. The drive units are all Vifa, as recommended and provided by my friend: tweeters are Aluminum dome (Vifa Classic), mid units are wood-fiber XT18 type, and bass are 4 x specially made 8" units, from the "Classic" range. The enclosure was hardened using sheets of 2mm lead, and bracing rods. The two bastards weigh about 60Kg+ each...
For the amplification, I can basically use whatever I like, as it is so easy to do parameter matching. As a proof of concept, I assembled two mono-blocks based on modified Hypex UCD-400AD units and hooked them to the tweeters. The next two will drive the bass units, eventually I'm planning for a six-pack of UCD-400s. Right now, I have SET tube amps driving the midrange units, but this could change every day now...
The first stage of putting the system together includes speaker measurement, which is used to determine the xover slopes, and frequency/phase/group-delay corrections. The measurement is based on a principle similar to MLS, which cancels the effect of room reflections during the measurement. The next stage includes measurements in the listening room, to determine special equalization required for overcoming standing waves in the room.
I will follow this post with some piccies...
Cheers
Yair