March 2018

 

If you Google "Open Baffle Speakers", plenty of results will pop up.

If you then try “Infinite Baffle” search, limited information is available. Therefore, with the superior, but very hard to implement infinite baffle, which is often limited to sub woofer use and usually implemented with single manifold. A single IB bring uneven in room response like a single subwoofer placed in a corner will do. Not perfect either.

 

Infinite baffle requires very rigid wall and and mass loading is essential. A real structural concrete wall is the only option to get the required rigidity and harvest the very best of the IB design. Not easy to implement at all and this cause most people to never fully implement a real "no-compromise" IB system.

 

On the other spectrum side, if you Google "Full Horn System" big fanatic horn results are abundant, with maniacs from all over the globe calling horns “their best compromise".

TAD, big JBL’s and Avangarde make this land their own, with only a select few doing it right.

Some Japanese maniacs use huge horn speakers in very small rooms. (Google "Kendrick JBL" for some examples)

People even design bass horns for their attic or crawl spaces, and you’ll often see very low WAF systems being crafted from this “special” crowd.

 

Its obvious the popularity of horn design in undeniable, European audiophile seem more inclined into horn than your average North-American specimen.

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Having lived with several direct radiator (HiFi style), electrostatic, open baffle, infinite baffle and horns for a while now, I know the horn system is pretty much what works best for me in the range above 50 Hz. While in Trenton, Ontario my main system can easily reach 120 dB, with very good dynamics and is flat from 7 Hz to ~25 kHz. Quite the feat… I must say.

Every time I listen to a non-horn system or I try other speakers (non horn) in my 2nd system, all I want to do is put horns back, as I miss the dynamic, especially the dynamic at lower SPL which most systems can't come close to reproducing.

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High efficiency also allows use of smaller mono-block amplifiers, and permits designing them in ways that larger power amplifiers can't achieve.

No SET (or tube) are in the plans, Solid State are king IMHO.

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The biggest problem is that horns are extremely limited in bandwidth (3.5 octaves at the most, with 2.5 octaves if very best result are expected)

This calls for complicated systems with 3-way systems just scratching the surface. A 4-way system should really the minimum used if you want to keep very low bass as part of the reproduction.

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My next system will probably be a 5-way set up, with independent DSP and amplification for each sub-woofer.

Plenty of channels will be used because of the 10 Hz - 45 Hz sub-woofers group will require independent processing.

 

Here’s my idea:  

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• 5 Hz - 45 Hz: six 18" sealed subwoofers with separate dsp/amplifiers per channel. 

• 45 Hz – 200 Hz (A): Fane 15XS running the bottom of the bass bin with DSP for extra SPL . 

• 45 Hz -550 Hz (B): Fane 15XS running the top of the bass bin with DSP crossing to the JMLC. 

• 550 Hz – 6500 Hz:  JMLC horns running a 4" compression driver (Radian 760PB to be replaced).  

• 6500 Hz - 25 kHz:  Beyma CP22, or any new exciting bullet tweeter of the day.

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Yes… this means a total of 14 speakers will be playing, with each channel having its own DSP slot and independent active amplifier.

The MOTU 1248 will likely be used for the speakers and one mini DSP 4x10HD will be used for the six 18" subwoofers.

Note: Six subwoofers may grow to eight, depending on the new house’s room size/requirements.

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June 2018

I ordered a pair of Radian 950PB

This will permit lower crossover points on the 340 Hz Azurahorn, than the 3" dome on the Radian 760PB can handle, greatly facilitating transition to the bass bin. 

 

Alternate options could be: (significant change and somehow my take of the classic JBL4350)

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• 5 Hz – 45 Hz: 6x 18" sealed subwoofer with separate dsp/amplifier per channel. 

• 45 Hz – 250 Hz: Dual Fane 15XS running in parallel. 

• 250 Hz – 1300 Hz: DIY 6" Tractrix front horn with cone mid-range. (based on the B&C 8pe21)

• 1.3 kHz – 20 kHz: 1" throat compression driver running in tractrix horn. (Radian 475PB would be a contender)

• UHF tweeter added to the system, maybe the B&C DE35.

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July 2018

The house I’m now moving into is a temporary rental, where I’ll be staying less than a year.

The JBL4350 inspired set up will likely be the next in line as I won't invest the energy in a huge set up in a transition home, where I’m going to be living for less than 12 months. In the interim, and for testing purposes, I purchased a 2" short horn for the Radian 760PB 

I’ll use the dual Fane 15XS for now in the 40 Hz – 250 Hz range. (+ 18" subwoofer as usual) 

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I’ll actively study the bass horn option, as well as a possible bass array concept.

I’m thinking of buying four more Fane 15XS’s to get higher efficiency on the bass bin (ie: four per side instead of dual) Not cheap just to try out...

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August 2019

There’s been quite some changes. More information to come, as I still have few projects on the go.

I currently have 10 subwoofers and soon to be 12. Once the extra subwoofers are active, I'll be 4.12 (5.1 without center channel and 12 sub woofers instead of one )