Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Dayton (Parts Express) Titanic 12 Speakers by Garthman

Model:	Titanic 12
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	$149.80
Description:	12
Manufacturer URL:	Dayton (Parts Express)
Model Picture:	View

Review by Garthman ( A ) on February 21, 2004 at 07:19:01
IP Address: 69.3.171.95

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for the Titanic 12

This is a review for the Dayton (parts express) Titanic 10, which came highly recommended here at the asylum for my classical jazz listening. Now I choose the 10 inch version in spite of all the hullaballoo about not using small subs for a large room. By the way the room is a bit large at 27.5 x 23.5 but a bit lively with wood floors. It turned out that the 10 was all I needed for my musical taste, because I only wanted to add a little weight to my mains which are B&W CDM2. In fact I ended up dailing in the sub at 1/3 power level to exactly match the level of the mains.
First the complete kit version of this from Dayton is $349 delivered complete including 250 w amp, adjustable cone feet, driver and finished box (in black crinkle paint), blk grill cover, foam etc. It takes one hour to put this together. You screw in the feet , cut and glue the foam, install the amp (more on this) and bolt in the the driver into the T nuts installed. Let the spray glue dry for an hour or so at least so that the fumes dont rot out the driver in the enclosed design. You need to strip the wires from the amp and tin the ends so that the wires go neatly into the excellent spring loaded terminals of the speaker with good connectivity.
Integrating into the system is always a bear but in one day I got it right with the help of my neighbors old digital frequency counter and function generator. At 30hz where the sub is still at full output, the air leak comming from the back was almost as audible as the speaker output. I had to remove the amp and reinstall it pushing down hard with my hand all around before tightening the screws. This is because the recess routed out for the amp fits exactly!!!! This means that in my case when I pushed with my hand I might have been removing a smidgen of wood which kept the amp plate from seating all the way down. Phase adjustment proved the most difficult and is a minute adjustment which brings the loudest output at all frequencies where out of phase tones from the mains can cause cancellation waves. Take your time with this. I dailed in the crossover at 60 hz where the mains naturally roll of and the sub rolls out with a 6 db per octave electronic crossover.
Now the overall effect is definitely musical and not home theatre (yuch). There is no bass boom at any frequency by ear or measured by instrument. The roll off is from 29 hz to 24 where it is down to very little. The little sub is flat all the way to 30 though in my room where the sub is positioned away from any corner, three feet from the side wall and 11/2 feet from the rear wall. (the mains are out more). The music is warmer and the standing bass in jazz is palpable. The tympani is startling and tight. Don't expect your chest to pound, because the little sub just wont do it and neither does any music I listen to. Get the Titanic 12 or the 15 if you want that. At $349 out the door and delivered you have a small box at a bargain price which adds the last octave and a half that we are all missing with our audiophile little monitors.
My system: Ah Njoe Tjoeb 400 CD player, Jolida integrated mix tube amp 1501, B&W CDM2's bi-wired (better than my hand made all vifa based 2 ways now in storage). Regular semi cheap OFC 14 and 16 guage wire going everywhere.

Product Weakness: inexact routing of amp recess, black crinkle semi gloss finish (ok I guess), less than ideal somewhat cheap amp terminals.
Product Strengths: Musical, small footprint, visually minimal, quality components, super low price, high and low level inputs with high level outputs (for the mains if you lower yourself to go that way).

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Jolida tubed/ss integrated 1501
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Ah Njoe Tjoeb 400 tubed
Speakers:	B&W CDM2
Cables/Interconnects:	OFC 14 and 16 guage cheapies
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	jazz, classical
Room Size (LxWxH):	27.5 x 23.5 x 9
Room Comments/Treatments:	wood floor curtains, acoutic honeycomb designer blinds.
Time Period/Length of Audition:	2 days
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	inexact routing of amp recess, black crinkle semi gloss finish (ok I guess), less than ideal somewhat cheap amp terminals.
Product Strengths:	Musical, small footprint, visually minimal, quality components, super low price, high and low level inputs with high level outputs (for the mains if you lower yourself to go that way).