[Poultrygeist]

I was fortunate to win a pair of DX3's on ebay and have been enjoying them all evening. At the moment I'm driving the Lowthers straight off a SET amp with a Dayton APA150 providing power and crossover for the double Alphas. The Lowthers are giving me great clarity and detail and the sound tops everything I've had before.

The flat baffles are 19 inches wide and I would have gone wider but I used what I had on hand. The Lowther cones are so light and thin they remind me of butterfly wings.

The rare earth magnets are not nearly as large and heavy as the Tang Band W8-1808. They are very powerful and have a warning not to be used by anyone wearing a pacemaker.

[Poultrygeist]

[Guy 13]

Hi Poultrygeist and all Audio Circle members.
Not the nicest and best (Acoustically) listening room.
However, I like your set up and speakers arrangement.
Please post more pictures when your system will have found
it's final destination in your house.

Guy 13

[Poultrygeist]

The cones pass light and are almost transparent.

[Poultrygeist]

Hi Guy,

The room treatments are disguised as paint cans and dog food bags.

My wife has already quizzed me on "what do you plan to get rid of to make room for those things?"

[Guy 13]

Hi Guy,

The room treatments are disguised as paint cans and dog food bags.

My wife has already quizzed me on "what do you plan to get rid of to make room for those things?"

Hi (Again) Poultrygeist and all Audio Circle members.
I am sure they sound good, but would not put them in my living room,
unless they where at least painting a color matching the furniture...
Maybe those speakers should stay where they are, after all, you already have room treatment
with all your paint cans as diffusers.

Guy 13

[this_is_vv]

The cones pass light and are almost transparent.

How's it against eminence beta and neo combination

[Poultrygeist]

How's it against eminence beta and neo combination

The DX3 has brilliant highs and a tweeter would be wasted on them. Not as large sounding as the Beta 12LTA but smoother, more refined, with crystal clear mids and the best detail I've heard. They may not portray the big guttural snarl of the tenor sax like the Betas but they give an incredible reproduction of the piano. Pianos can often come off a little dead but with the DX3 I feel I'm hearing all those little subtle nuances that linger in the air after the note is played. Perhaps I'm getting more of the real piano sound board effect.

At this point I'm not sure how the double Alphas on flat baffles perform compared to the single Alpha H-frames. I'm so distracted by the DX3 it's hard to focus on anything else. I'm not hearing any resonance from the baffle but I haven't needed to go beyond half volume on the 3 watt 2a3 yet.

Since my garage with it's concrete floor is not the best listening area I'll need to bring them inside to learn more. But I'd have to say based on what I've heard so far my search for the better driver may be over.

In MJK's recent build using the Lowther PM2C he says, "it will be difficult for upcoming speaker builds to perform at this level". I can certainly relate to that statement.

[richidoo]

PG, thanks for sharing your project. I have been thinking about trying some Tang Bands, but your comments and those of Nelson Pass and Scott F suggest the Lowthers have something special to offer.

Do you still have the Tang Bands? Can you describe the general sonic differences? Thank you!  I imagine the TB play lower due to longer excursion, and have maybe less detailed/refined sound than Lowthers?

I built a very similar looking OB a few years ago, even using the same shelf bracket legs! Mine had only one 12" woofer at the very bottom, leaving the entire mid section of the baffle unbraced. This made unacceptable resonance and midrange smearing when the woofer was playing. Yours has the extra woofer frame and larger woofers to brace the middle of the baffle so you'll have less resonance. You might try bracing the upper section to see if further improvement is possible because MDF is a bad sounding wood if left to ring.

[matevana]

Hi Guy,

My wife has already quizzed me on "what do you plan to get rid of to make room for those things?"

I'm guessing the response "You dear" would not go over too well? 

[Poultrygeist]

I'm guessing the response "You dear" would not go over too well? 

I got a good laugh out of that.

As for the Tang Bands they're not lit up like the Lowthers. More subdued and laid back in comparison but still refined compared to others. The TB's do have better bass but the highs are not as defined as the Lowthers.

Brushed top hats with just the Lowthers shimmer as well or better than what I've heard from planar tweets. The guy who sold me the Lowthers had them in enclosures and I don't think he would have sold them had he tried them in OB's.

David Dicks at Common Sense Audio sells Lowthers and in an email to me said he preferred the DX3 over the others but he also recommended his AN's because he said the Lowther surrounds ( very light foam ) don't last. With the rolled edge whizzer there's no more of the infamous Lowther shout which was a common issue in the 90's.

As much as I like the better looking TB's I'll probably have to end up selling them. It's hard to justify owning good drivers if you're not using them. 

[richidoo]

Thanks

[shooter]

I have used the DX4 on open baffle for several years, wonderful dynamic and transient response, but even with the rolled edge whizzer cones some brightness remains, you may want to include a tank circuit to tame it a bit in the future, have you heard the Lowther in a front loaded horns?
I plan to put mine in a Le Cleac'h horn in the future.

[Poultrygeist]

No I've not heard them in anything other than these OB's. I suspect they would sound excellent in horns. 

[Poultrygeist]

Completed OB's




]

[Poultrygeist]

Lowther flat baffle next to Tang Band H-frame

[Scott F.]

But I'd have to say based on what I've heard so far my search for the better driver may be over.

...until you hear a well implemented PM2A. Night and day difference...IMO of course


Happy building and welcome to the Lowther OB crowd

[-Richard-]

Hi Scott F. ~

I am very interested in your suggestion that the Lowther PM2A drivers will "make a night and day difference". I am looking for a wide-range driver that has the magic that can be released through the Open Baffle design. If you have some time, can you please tell us how you use it? I am very interested.

Thanks in advance for any insights you can share with us.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[Scott F.]

Hi Richard,

Grab a snack and something to drink and give this a read 

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1009/lowther_high_efficiency.htm

I wrote that a few years ago and have since, remodeled the listening room. Here is a better pic of my room.

[Poultrygeist]

...until you hear a well implemented PM2A. Night and day difference...IMO of course


Happy building and welcome to the Lowther OB crowd

For $1000 more the PM2A should sound better.