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Hello all,While I still love my Gallos I got the itch... What I'm after (in the order of priorities):
- High efficiency (over 95, nice impedance curve, etc.). 45/2A3 powered SET territory (currently eyeing the Paramour II or Welborne DRD 45 or 300B).
- Better bass. And I don't mean only bigger. One of the weaker points of the Gallos..
- Same (or better): excelent detail, highs, imaging/soundstage, dynamics.
- Same price range (< 3k)What I am currently looking at is the Bastanis Prometheus MkII but a first listening didn't convince me. Now I'm currently building a BLH for a Fostex 4 incher but...well, not same league.
Any hints/suggestions (ppl with extensive exposure to Gallos / prior owners. Thanks)
Florian
Follow Ups:
Fertin 20EX (with the new cones)+ open-baffle. Fieldcoil-Fullrange(27hz-20khz+) with no crossover could be your last speaker.
Keep it simple:Fieldcoil-Fullrange+low power amp= great sound.
You get the dynamic of fieldcoil,natural-detail sound,
low distortion of a quality driver and the musicality... The highs are
Q: How much are they?By the way ifyou claim that they go down
to 27Hz you really take the risk of getting
fired by Tom (aka The MAN!).
He might be right on that though...
About the Fertin 20EX Fs=27hz is with the carbone spider;with the fiberglass spider the Fs remains at 42Hz.
Now these specs I took from the Fertin price-list/spec sheet
published by Fertin.
To get the 27hz-20khz, you need to have the carbone spider and
the silver voice coil/cryog. The price around 2700US with shipping
to Canada and US.
They're working on putting this (casrbon spider) on their
15 and 18 inch woofer.
I ask specifically Jean-Marie Semblat about these spec. and he
stands behind his numbers. He says that the competition hasa lot of catching up.
I forgot: have a look at Fertin too.
Not heard but looks good.
Fertin ? If I understand it correctly that translates to Supravox for us europeans :)Thanks,
Peut-etre mon ami! sur leur site c'est fertin aussi.
Ciao.
Je sais. C'etait seulement une blague :)Seriously now: In my original post I said it should be less <2.5k. Spending 2.2k Euros _per_driver_ (PHY KM30, Fertin, Supravox, AER, whatever -- we are blessed with quite some choices here in Europe), sticking them in an OB and hope for the best doesn't sound like a smart first time project (read: with no freaking clue to what I'm actually doing)
OTOH this minimalist OB for testing 8 inchers sounds like fun: http://members.myactv.net/~je2a3/open.htm
2700US is for both drivers, of course; in Euros it would belike 1800euros + shipping: within your 2.5K budget.
sticking them in an OB and hope for the best doesn't sound like a smart first time project (read: with no freaking clue to what I'm actually doing)
It actually is a very good first time project since I'm sure
that ounce you hear them, you'll keep them.
Fertin has an easy open-baffle plan.
n/t
If you go with a Fostex you're trading a low efficiency chinless speaker for a higher efficiency chinless speaker. Why bother.Back loaded horns are horn loading in self defense for overdamped drivers like Lowthers. They're not intended to give better bass but to merely give SOME bass, they hope. They are bandaids for specific drivers and not something to be generally admired. Unless they're the size of a closet and are loaded with twin JBL 15s but that, as they say, is another story.
Go the whole hog with big woofers and compression drivers or save your time. Don't be like a silly girl at the beach sticking her toe in the water and going "ooooh-oooh", be a man and get some real big-hog high efficiency speakers; JBL 4430s or Altec Nineteens or something along those lines.
As a long-time user of FR drivers and also a fan of horns, I would emphasize the importance of room size/overall desired effect. Backloaded Lowthers and late-1950s British living rooms in attached housing go together like french fries and ketchup, just as do Avantgarde Trios and the cathedral-ceiling living rooms in 8000 square foot mansions in the Hamptons. As a Fertin EX20 user for over four years now, I can't conceive of any usefulness of a Fertin driver going to 27hz, as I have paired mine with two 15" woofers per side. However, for someone in a small thin-walled Paris apartment, maybe it is just the thing.You have to decide for yourself what path you want to take. Horns are big, complex and expensive, and it is all-but-impossible for a horn rig crossed around 1000hz with a passive crossover to match the freshniess and directness of a $30 Fostex FE103 in the midrange. However, some people don't want to spend their time listening to clock-radio speakers, either. Anyone who has had a steady diet of cone/box speakers should give a proper horn rig a try at some point.
Fertin20EX- Fs27 means that you get better bass than theold model 20EX especially in open-baffle; bass that could be pretty
acceptable in an average room.
For sure if you had 15 or 18inches woofer than
you not only increase the bass but you let the midrange a bit
of breathing room and increase the clarity and dynamic.
But then, you increase the cost and the complexity (crossover).
I've seen people who wanted to add 15 inches; but ounce they
heard the 20Ex by itself; they were satisfied with it.
It's a matter of choice. Bass is one thing; musicality, dynamic,
detail sound , livelyness is also important.
We're talking 2500$; better get a quality driver that will do
a great midrange and high frequenciy sound with acceptab bass.
Deep bass will cost you more $$$. My humble opinion.
Florian first i hope you have no problem
with being a man... and listening to fostexes.
According to what you seem to like
I would recommend also AER.
They are models with high Q that can
produce some bass.
Play them full range, they really play music
like nothing i have heard so far with an X-over
(= mud).
I am not talking about Tom's music
(see in this thread for his fake Elvis).
If you are desperate for some very low bass (?)
you can always add woofers/subwoofers. But you need
a room.
Now if you want some sono, i would recommend
to go pro (you will get some "live" sound
that "blows you away").
"Play them full range, they really play music
like nothing i have heard so far with an X-over
(= mud)."
Oh, that's a rich one. A real prescription for mud is playing bass, midrange and highs through the same small driver. It's called IM and Doppler. DJK likens it to the sound of someone gargling, I'd call it Listerine sound except Listerine cleans things, small single drivers dirty them.If you don't like Metal Elvis Vinnie you're WAY to refined. Have a good time with the gals on campus listening to your little girl with guitar music.
"If you don't like Metal Elvis Vinnie you're WAY to refined."Tom, i really appreciated MEV's show on the tube - thanks!
though i admit not having the sound on the PC.Ok always a bit the same with you...
I think that you misunderstand why some people can
listen to these FR stuff. Let me try to help you.Not having xo in the 200-20KHz is gorgeous for some kind
of music though can be not relevant for others.
Also FR work also pretty well with valves.
That is why you will find people really liking these FR
and trying to play them with low powered set amps,
The credo is that the simpler the better.
To an extent it is true but as you may wisely
argue: everything is a trade-off!It seems that you listen mainly to loud stuff with SS amps
(beuuhhhh...) so I understand that you are miles away
from the FRangers.By the way, i have no pb playing loud if i use
the DEQX with xo at 200Hz. But i cannot get the
refinement of just a TVC passive.
"It seems that you listen mainly to loud stuff with SS amps"No, I have 5 hi-fis; 2 run on tubes, 1 on conventional SS and 2 on chip amps. And one uses Fostex FX-120s.
Vincent I am sorry I dont agree with you.
First of all most front horn systems are Xoverless from 500 or 800 hz to 20k..ish (say 18k) Lowthers mud everything from 2k up and get to 13k..ish even with no Xover, the whizzer comes in where the shout starts. Fostexes sound very nice and cohesive but with no true detail on top. On the other hand K horns go from 400hz, some 2" compression drivers can run from 320hz up(Edgar horn). the new Orphean goes from 250hz, and Phenolic drivers can go down to 200hz. Goto and Ale have compression drivers from 100hz to 10k. No paper driver come even close to a compression driver in clarity and dynamics IMHO.
Second, Horn systems deliver ALL the music at very low volume levels, I never heard my system at such low volumes without missing anyhing.
I had Lowthers on open bafle Bazzilla type for over 2 years, yes with 15 inch woofers (Altec 416) and Beyma super tweeters...soundstage was all over the place and I was missing a lot of music from the source. (I also got addicted to the shout and am in therapy as we speak). Horns soundstage is better because of limited early reflections, The Avantgarde room at RMAF had scary soundstage extending in front of the speakers to an inch from your nose...real spooky!
The efficiency of horns lets you use mainly just the first watt, at that level almost any amp is linear and works in class A, I am a tube fan but I am sure SS first watt is just as good.
Now if you want good bass (not bloated one note mini woofers) get a huge cabinet with a good 15 incher...crisp,clean, dynamic, authorative, deep bass...no subwoofer comes even close unluckily but real estate becomes an issue.
So yes, if you want to get serious and stop playing around, be a man and get front loaded horns.
Wow... This thread did heated up things *rubs hands*Now on a serious note.
First, the caveat repeated: As I stated above, I have no experience whatsoever with front loaded horns, and my exposure to back loaded is limited to a very brief listening session of a BLH featuring a Fostex FE168Z Sigma (zHorn Heruka to be more precise) on not exactly high end gear.
Getting back to topic: If my understanding is correct, the whole BLH design revolves around that horn loading works ONLY in the first 3, maybe 3.5 octaves i.e. under or around 200 Hz (give or take) and does very little (ideally nothing) above that.
So yes, you could say that they are "band aides". OTOH I am not aware of any truely full range driver, whatever the cost range. So yes, you need an enclosure that helps with the low end of things. Now, if it is possible to achieve that via horn loading (with or without the help of wall/corner loading) and NOT have the bass booming is a totally different story
(Side note: I'm not a bass freak by any means. I only need that as a fundament for my music and that's why I need that -- whatever is there -- is clean and fast. Better less but good quality than more of lesser quality).
When it comes to front loading I did take a look at Oris horns (especially attractive since it's readily avail here in Europe). However, since I have very little experience with DIY they look a bit daunting (and pricey for a first step).
So "being a man" and get front loaded might be too big as a first step towards high eff for me :)
Hello Florian, as a MAN who likes mainly Barroque music, compression drivers from 500 or 800hz up is the best for classical music given their clarity and dinamics, and yes bass need to be clean to avoid some boomy bass mudding everything...we are talking start with a 2 way horn system and you can grow form there to a 3 or 4 way horn system. At the moment I have midbass horn from 170hz to 1k, a compression driver from 800hz and a supertweeter real high at 18k and very padded down (careful with those supertweeters, they are almost as dangerous as subwoofers) and huge 300 lt cabinets with altec 416 for bass...
If you want to simplify things these could be a good choice:
http://www.greatplainsaudio.com/2_way.htmlAll the Best
Thanks, quite informative.I precise a bit, I do not have lowthers
but AERs -- without whizzer or phase plug.I heard front horns with DX3. I disliked the very small
sweet point they had and there was by the way a lot
of distorsion in the lows due to the horn itself.
Bass integration with low pass filter was just terrible
with a boomy bass (due in my view to the xo).
That said, there may be better horns...
This is why i am reluctant in trying front horns
(there is also a total lack of time to play with them).Anyway i may try affordable compression drivers
one day.
"so I understand that you are miles away
from the FRangers."Tom has heard that stuff many times. I was there.
Trying the big Altecs next the others is the best way to know.
This one is fairly easy....I'm assuming you are looking for high eff. for "dynamic/jump" factor as well as eff.? If so that leaves out my first suggestion of a line array from Creative Sounds.
..That leaves me with my 2nd suggestion. It has that dynamic sound, is eff., AND has that wide dispersion character that the Gallo has:
(..the only catch is you'll have to make it yourself.)
Here is a better esthetic example (though using the inferior Fostex driver):
http://www.arduman.com/aa/Sayfalar/peder/peder.htm
Scott,You really hit the nail on the head wrt the reasons behind my quest for high eff: Going SET is one and (maybe even more important) getting the dynamics/jump factor.
Yes, I did take a look at Dick Olsher Basszilla. However, they looked a bit daunting as first speaker build... If that is not the case, I would more than happily stand corrected.
To respond to what others suggeted on this thread: Yes OBs do look very tempting (remember that the Bastanis Prometheus is an OB setup with a boxed subwoofer). Some projects that looked very intrested in that respect:
- Visaton NoBox, but in a bi-amping setup (unlike the original).
- B-D design Quasar MkII. Very, very intresting, but absolutely zero listening impressions to be gathered and/or possibility to listen to them.
- Hawthorne Iris with Auggie (sp?) woofers. Wasn't that impressed to get seriously intrested.
- Basszilla: Out of my league as a first time project ?
- Oris (not OB but front loaded horns). Way, way out of my league as a first project.To sum up:
* Yes, high eff for: 1) dynamics (first and foremost) and 2) SETs.
* Bass -- good quality, whatever there is
* Room -- yes, dedicated, 640x480x205cm (that's aprox 21 x 16 x 7 ft) in short wall setup (check the url in my profile).
. . . then maybe you're trying to change too many things at once. You might be surprised at how much volume you can get out of a 300B SET amp and a simple "medium" efficiency speaker in the room that you have. You might be so happy with SET sound that you don't feel the need to get a full concert level in your room. (I'm going to pay for that statement, I know . . . )
Your room is about the same size as mine. I would classify it as medium/small. You've done a beautiful job with your wall treatments but none of them really qualify as serious bass traps. Well, the two in the corner probably do. I only mention this because you seem very concerned with getting "concert level" sound and quality bass in a non concert size room. Better get some more traps installed where the ceiling meets the wall, where the walls meet the floor. It won't look as nice though as what you have already done though. Nice job!Just some food for thought. Maybe you should explore what is possible with SET before you go down the super high efficiency road. It might cost more than 3K but it could be cheaper in the long run too.
While I could be wrong.. I don't think the build will be terribly difficult. Basically its a box with a dual slot reflex "pipe" and some bracing. The top baffle is nothing more than a board with two "holes" for drivers. The Crossover should also be very easy to assemble. You could of course have someone else do the cabinets. Make sure though that the cabinets are using void free plywood (stay away from mdf).I've seen the other suggestions here - and while they may have some qualities that are superior ("tone" in particular for a field coil), I really don't think that ANY will have what you are looking for better than the Basszilla.
In essence it has:
1. High degree of "transparency";
2. Broad dispersion for excellent soundstaging similar to the Gallos;
3. Strong sense of "dynamics" and physical sensation while still being "fast" and "transparent" with good tonal character;
4. Good, though not great, low freq. extension.
5. Imaging that is moderately focused - NOT as focused as the Gallos, but better than most speakers, and likely as good or better image separation/distinction.It is *BIG* though and it still doesn't have substantial bass extension.. but then what does that is truly Hi. Eff. at a moderate cost? I don't think though that size will pose audible problems in your room (..though it might pose esthetic problems).
Additionally, consider that this design has been continuously evolving for many years now with drivers that are some of the best available, by some one that has been prof. reviewing for a very long time and as such has had access to some rather excellent equipment in that time.
Hi Florian,I suggest you contact inmate Kloss, aka John Kalinowski. He has a great deal of experience with a wide range of high efficiency systems, and designs and builds semi-custom and custom loudspeakers for a living. Everything I've heard from his customers suggests that his work is superb.
Below is a link to a review of one of his designs. Now this particular speaker isn't in your price range, but the review should give you an idea of the quality of his work. Based on what I know about the cost of the ultrahigh quality components he uses, his slice of the pie is very small. This particular speaker would be well over ten grand if distributed through conventional channels with customary markup. Frankly I don't see how he does it.
Be willing to trade off some of the efficiency you'd like if doing so would enable you to end up with alnico drivers.
You won't see John at the big trade shows schmoozing with the reviewers - he stays at home with his autistic speaker-builder son. So John doesn't have the opportunity to give his speakers the exposure they deserve, but he's one of the good guys in more ways than one.
Duke
ps - here's another link that shows other examples of John's work:
http://www.audiocraftersguild.com/Xtreme/xtreme.htm
Thanks for the kind words.Would love to hit a show someday maybe when Joes older and I can bring him along.Hes 7 and knows a horn from a wave guide ;) just jokin wish I did. He does perfer front horn systems he covers his ears for most others types says dady turn music off [his words] his hearing is dif from ours must be something that bothers him.For awhile I set him up with abbys he watched movies played vidio games with the abbys, when I played his music cds he said turn it off[not a man of words but thats exactly what he said].When I played same disc mins later on massive front horns he just danced.Only systems he will listen to music on now are front horns.If I took him to a show now he would just cover his ears.
But my ex-wife (still on good terms) is a special education teacher and has experience with autism. If I (we) could ever be of service please ask. She might be able to help in ways you might not of thought of or simply clue you into rights you aren't aware of. For example, your local school system would have to pay for a private school if it can’t meet his needs.
Over the years I have learned a bit and can say that the fact that you and your son are close and work together are very important. Some think the problem is one of sensory overload. Working on social skills and the ability to handle outside stimulus is good therapy. I work think taking him to a “show” would be very stressful unless he has a very mild case though.
Thanks for the offer but we are lucky to live in Dane county WI Joes in a few programs already and doing well.School is very helpful we also hire folks to work with him in our home.
Sounds like the Joe Test is pretty exacting! Maybe he is acutely aware of distortions that most of us are not conscious of, but that probably contribute to listening fatigue over the long haul. What a gift - the rest of us struggle with measurements and listening tests long enough that some sort of fatigue inevitably sets in, and you have access to an instant go/no-go guage! Seriously, I can see how Joe could play an extremely valuable role in developing a new design.Yeah, an audio show would probably be torture for him, unless he likes to wear earplugs. But I'd love to see the look on people's faces. You and Joe step into a room where the multimegabuck Ultimatic Extremo's are playing, and Joe quickly pulls out his earplugs and screws them in good and tight...
Best wishes to you and Joe and all of your family,
A close friend had the Gallos ref 3 , original Gallos reference are much better we compared side by side. The gallos ref3 sounded lifeless and mechanical, he has very good electronics and worked like hell to make them sound good eventually sold them a at a terrible loss because of all the little upgrades Gallo has done had made his 6 months old speakers obsolete....
Hi Florian,Have you ever tried a separate amp for the bass?
The ref 3, I listened to it once, did not fit my tastes - single drivers will spoil you - but I didn't find them bass shy (with the Gallo bass amp), if anything there was too much "fake bass" where the cellos sound more like double basses. Also the Gallos needed to be driven loud, I did not like them (to the degree that i liked them) at my lower preferred volume range.
Right now I have Abbys and I added a used 90's Alon sub (when subs were thought of a adding musical enjoyment, not adding to the depth to explosions) - the sub was important to adding heft to the Abbys lower range. My problem is that I'd like the sub to work the other way, get rid of the lowers extension rumble and blend better (I keep it set really low, it's not perfect but I would not take it out). The all-in-one box is great, but the size rules that out for me (not to mention expense, but I'm not mentioning it).
I have not heard the Bastanis Prometheus MkII, are they pro drivers? I don't know what they sound like - but my instinct would be to go with Fostex, or other real single drivers. But that's only based on my limited experience and the idea that you go for the best you can afford and then build..... so in my opinion you are going in the right direction.
See what you think about the clarity of the 4-inch fostex. You have a great amp, for my Abbys I did not feel that 3.5 watts allowed them to open up as much as they can. (Maybe I did not have the right 3.5 watts?) I would not sink money into an amp - specially a 45 SET - until you know what you want out of a speaker.
On the other hand I think we are headed to a hybrid two or three-way systems, so the Bastanis might be going in the right direction. It's the direction that Bruce Edgar is going in, for instance. Have you ever heard Horning hybrids?
Well, you might be several leagues beyond my thoughts, since what I said was kind of basic, but anyway, good luck,
Gregg
Greg,Thanks for the input. We are pretty much on the same page. That being said:
- I usually listen to concert hall levels -- which seems quite a bit higher then I've witnessed elsewhere. In my very simplistic mind an english horn, drum or (worse) a horn and "livingroom listening levels" are a contradiction. That's why I try to listen to a level that (I think) gives pianos/percution, brass, etc the "dynamic headroom" they need. And at those levels my Gallos really do sparkle. Moreover, my Supratek Chardonnay is really a chameleon that does wonders in that respect -- by controlling the gain of the preamp I can sink the volume and still get "realistic music" (*ahem*) comming out.
- Bass: I was tempted several times to power the second voice coil. Still, after reading all the reports and the very simple fact that it is still the same 10 incher we're talking about I'm not so sure about how much it will do to the _quality_ of the bass. Maybe it will add some slam, but at the price of some serious coloration (which you mention yourself). So, while I'm curious, I'm not holding my breath.
Again, bass is only a relatively small thing. What bothers me more is the efficiency that holds me moving into SET territory.- BLHs and hybrids: I'm with you all the way. BLHs have their drawbacks (there is no true full ranger); Hybrids seem to bust at the seams. Maybe there is a BLH that can get me there. Maybe smth like Prometheus (which uses a very customized Eminence 12 run full range, btw) that is better integrated. Who knows.
As I said -- unless someone comes with some suggestions -- I'm ready to take a first step with a Fostex BLH. And when I'll grow up (and ready to fork the money) a Prometheus :). Who knows...
Once again, many thanks for chiping in,
Florian
P.S. Duke: I never heard of John's speakers before but -- and I mean this with all due respect -- I am _very_, _very_ sceptic about forking 4 grant for a bottom ported enclosure for a Fostex 12 incher XOed to a tweeter smack bang in the middle of the presence region. I would at least build smth like Terry Cayin BiB (Bigger is Better) or some of the other similar designs floating around before even considering that...
If you want more efficiency, "performance" volume levels, and more bass than you get from the Gallo 10" woofer, then take Tom Brennan's advice, forget about fullrangers, and get yourself some compression drivers and 15" woofers. They are not too expensive, especially if you find some old stuff or prosound gear.I'd consider the Yorkville U215 unity series. Pretty spiffy and nicely priced around $3200 for a pair.
A very easy way to go would be a pair of 2" compression drivers such as the BMS coaxials or something by B&C. Pair them with some prosound horns -- you can get JBL 400hz horns for as little as $70. Or build one of the Acoustic Horn (Bill Woods) 300hz horn kits. Ask Dr. Edgar for some basshorn flatpack kits and ask a local woodworker to put them together if necessary. You could probably keep the total cost under $3000 and you'd have some kickass horns, that's for sure. Add a powered sub (Titan III kit from Parts Express $650 for example) to cover the lowest range.
There is something to be said for a plug-n-play solution, such as a classic Altec Valencia or a neighborhood Klipschorn or Cornwall from a garage sale.
I've had the original Ref 3s for a couple of years. Had the 4-ball-per-side Gallo Ultimates earlier (actually, using them in the back channels now because I can't face the prospect of shipping them). Despite the note above, the Ref 3s are MUCH better sounding than the original References, IMO.I've got mine on DIY stands from Stein Audio, raising them 6" off the ground and helping the bass substantially. But what really floored me was the effect of repositioning them. Toed in just a little (woofers facing out), the increased bass was amazing. BTW, I have the Gallo sub amp and recommend it. Between it and the toeing in, I have both tuneful bass and enough of it.
I'm driving them (except for the bottom octave, of course) with 12 wpc SET amps (845 output tubes and huge Magnequest trannies) in a really large room and have never felt a lack of oomph or authority. Good luck in your quest. Dave
Dave,Thanks for the tips.
I've spent a _lot_ (and I do mean A LOT) of time with positioning the Gallos and room treatment. As you can see in my room pics (check my profile) I prefer them with the woofers firing inwards, mostly because I felt that having them firing outwards lead to some lack of energy btw. the speakers. But I can think this is largely dependent on the room setup, so YMMV...
I've seen reports that raising them on stands does improve the bass. I will eventually get some plate amps and hook them to the second voice coil, eventually.
Still, as I mentioned above, my quest is mostly after a high eff speaker that basically retains the Gallos strength. While I've read reports about ppl using SETs with the Gallos I strongly doubt they can work with a 45 or 2A3 SET, or even a 300B one...
All in all, a dream come true would be (now) a Ref3 with bi-amping option...
I had been running mine with the woofers facing inward because I could not get the sound "right" the other way. Incidentally, they're 8' out from the rear wall and 5' out from the sides -- as I said, this is a big room, roughly 18 x 40' with a large "L" off one of the 40' sides.Anyway, some audiobuddies suggested positioning a pair of Room Tiunes I owned just outboard of the Ref 3s and parallel with them so that the woofers played slightly into them. This strengthened the soundstaging and focus and, I think, further helped the bass, in conjunction with the toeing-in.
One of these days I have to replace the existing photo in Inmate Systems so you can see what I'm talking about :-)
I grant that lower-powered SETs are not the ticket, but I know for a fact that some of the final pre-production testing of the Ref 3s was done with 10 wpc amps, solid state at that.
i have 2 other systems, one of them magnepan mgiiia's and the other klipsch lascalla's. then i have a pr of homemade fostex fe166 blh and all i can tell you is the bass is real, its awsome, you can feel it hear and know exactly what is going on with the music. i'm driving it with a fi x set amp either a 45 or 2a3 tube. it doesnt have the big soundstage as the magies, but it puts out a more detailed more acurate sound.i would try the small fostex's you built if you like what you hear go to the 206esr....dont add a tweeter and you wont need a sub. just pure music.
"i have 2 other systems, one of them magnepan mgiiia's and the other klipsch lascalla's. then i have a pr of homemade fostex fe166 blh and all i can tell you is the bass is real, its awsome,"
Maggies and LSs and you're gonna tell us about "awesome bass"; yeah, right. Christ, my little KRKs have better bass than those things. Though I have been thinking of buying some LaScalas for home defense but though we don't have to register guns in Kentucky we do have to register LaScalas and I don't want to show up on the government radar as being THAT anti-social.
Thanks for the tip.The BLH I am building is Rons Austin A126 for a (modded) Fostex FE126e (see fullrangedriver forum and my thread at diyaudio.com). The only other BLH I've listened to was a zHorn Heruka (sp?) with an FE168Sigma. I wasn't impressed at all -- bass was boomy and the last octave was MIA. Admitedly this was in an el cheapo system but I wouldn't call that a high ender by any stretch.
You got me on the tweeter: I was considering a madisound TA90A supertweeter with the accompanying XO (XOed at about 10k AFAIU) to help with the last octave...:)
Anyway, the A126 looks cool to build and budgeted accordingly for a first try :). If I like what I get I'll might very well go down this path (Lowther/PHY on BLH or OB, BassZilla, whatnot).
I'm a total newbie to BLH, OB and wide rangers but if any single driver in a BLH / OB -- or (most probably) a combo with a self powered sub and supertweeter -- can give me what the Gallos currently are _then_ I'll raise my hat and bow in respect. That's why the Prometheus looked like a very good candidate. But....
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Tin-eared audiofool and obsessed landscape fotografer.
http://community.webshots.com/user/jeffreybehr
:)
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Tin-eared audiofool and obsessed landscape fotografer.
http://community.webshots.com/user/jeffreybehr
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Tin-eared audiofool and obsessed landscape fotografer.
http://community.webshots.com/user/jeffreybehr
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