I have been working on adapting the OB Wedge Base to work with two 12" drivers instead of three 8" drivers. Since I'm going to be using them with LGK Wedgies, I wanted to keep the width as close to the 8" model as possible so they would still visually go well together.
To do this I only increased the width of the front panel by 1/2". I increased the depth of the sides by 4". This ended up with base units that were 1/2" wider at the front, 2" wider at the back and 4" deeper than the 8" Wedge Bases. The height stayed the same.
With these dimensions, everything fit, but just barely. The bottom of the driver magnets almost touch the NoRez. I'm not sure if more space is needed behind the magnets or not. I'm also unsure about adding NoRez to the top and bottom.
The cabinets have not been finished yet because I have not decided on which veneer to use. I'm planning on taking these to LASF this coming May and want to have something really stunning.
I'm thinking of using the same style plinth I have used on my N3TL's and the MTM Encores I built.
These need another coat of black gel stain then, since these are made out of MDF, I will seal them with epoxy for strength. I may remake the plinths later on in a different material and finish to match whatever veneer I use.
I have them wired up and playing. My initial impressions are very favorable. Everything Jay has said about the differences between dual 12's and triple 12's holds for the difference between triple 8's and dual 12's. While the 8's sound fantastic, the 12's have more weight. They do play deeper with more ease, 20Hz is more audible with PEQ off but turning PEQ on and boosting 20HZ brings it on par in my room.
Another difference between the 12's and the 8's is that, especially in a larger room, you can overdrive the 8's and clip the HX300 amps. This has been most noticeable when the SPL's go past 100dB at the listening position (6' to 9'). Not so with the 12's. I have had them hitting 106dB with the cannon shots on Telarc's 1812 Overture without flinching.
Another plus for the wedge design is that it is easy to scale to fit what you put on top. The LGK Wedgies are very narrow and these units have been built to work with that narrow foot print. However, if you wanted to put something larger on top, say the top MTM section of an NX-Otica, you could simply make the front wide enough to match.
Overall I am very pleased with the performance of the dual 12" Wedge bases. Not only do they play loud and with authority, they do soft and subtle very well also. One might think the 8's would have an advantage at lower listening levels but that has not turned out to be the case. It is hard to put into words, it's like the 12's just sound more effortless, more right than the 8's.
Mike
