EJJordan Eikona based speakers

JLM · « **on:** 4 Jun 2016, 12:40 pm »

Just when you thought Ted Jordan went away/retired perhaps up comes a reportedly improved version of the iconic JX92S driver: the Eikona (versions 1 and now 2). As always take all of Ted's specifications with a grain of salt: 4 inch nominal diameter; 86 dB/w/m at 6 ohms; Fs = 43 Hz; Xmax = 10 mm; Qts = 0.36; Vas = 11 liters; power handling = 50 watts continuous/100 watts max. Best price I could quickly find was $225 USD each.

After decades of superlatives heaped on the JX92S, these of course are even more highly lauded. And "amazingly" these contra-flex aluminum alloy coned drivers work even better in some of the old JX92S cabinets. Found them with small ported veneered flat pak cabinets for $770/pair out of the UK.

I've heard the JX92S a couple of times many years ago, but wasn't impressed enough to pursue. But a respected friend heard the v1 and thought they were a good blend between Mark Audio drivers and Lowther level of detail (without the midrange honk).

Any thoughts?

poseidonsvoice · « **Reply #1 on:** 4 Jun 2016, 12:56 pm »

There is a nice thread on diyaudio. Fun little driver it seems as long as it's used within its limits.

Anand.

JLM · « **Reply #2 on:** 4 Jun 2016, 04:38 pm »

Thanks for the link.

These really do seem promising.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #3 on:** 4 Jun 2016, 04:57 pm »

I tried the JX92S in a few different enclosures and with the right amplification, they could sing. IMO, they were not suitable with flea amps, but there was a reason why they were so popular. I had some enclosures fabricated out of stainless steel based on some specs I received from Jim Griffen at DIY audio. Man those had a very neutral midrange, free of coloration. The bottom end was very tight and tuneful with more extension than one might reasonably expect from such a small speaker. I should have kept them. The person who bought them thought they were superior to his Rogers LS3/5a.

JLM · « **Reply #4 on:** 5 Jun 2016, 12:26 am »

So what's the right amplification? Currently I'm running Channel Island Audio D-100s (100 watt modded Hypex class D mono-blocks).

If class D isn't right, hopefully something like a Dayen Ampino would fit the bill.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #5 on:** 5 Jun 2016, 12:35 am »

I'm sure your amps would work just fine. 100 watts is more than enough.

Dmason · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Jun 2016, 05:12 pm »

Ive been curious about these Eikonas for some time.. although, having heard the little JX92, which did not appeal to my ears, however several friends with gold ears love them...

I have ordered a pair of Eikonas. they seem perfect, except for the lack of Alnico magnet, but high resolution drivers with well produced music doesnt need any extras in my opinion. Does have a phase plug, which is in my opinion a bigger asset than composition of magnet.

The well known, and perfected pipe design is easy to make in an hour, and promises an F6 of 27Hz. Pretty full range to me.

Jeff, I think your amps would be perfect. Good Class "D" sounds great with wide band drivers. Looks to me that Solid Scrape might be the preferred mode here. Im using for desktop speakers the little Serene Audio Talisman, which has a Fountek metal 3" driver which appears to be coated with a ceramic or latex treatment to reduce ringing. It has one of those TI TPA3116 amps, and boy can they sound good. So in my view the Eikona in the pipe alignment with a tasty SS amp like yours would sound fantastic. Ted Jordan has been around forever. His original Goodmans inventions are well regarded to this day and some regard them more highly than the top shelf models called Tannoy.

MJK · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Jun 2016, 06:58 pm »

Quote

The well known, and perfected pipe design is easy to make in an hour, and promises an F6 of 27Hz.

Can you point me towards this design? I am not sure I am familiar with it. I have been exploring a few designs for this driver and it is an interesting change from the older JX92S which I have used in the past and still own.

Thanks,

Martin

Dmason · « **Reply #8 on:** 6 Jun 2016, 08:36 pm »

Hi Martin..

Look on the speaker design page www.ejjordan.co.uk

I've twice read that the original "VTL" purports to work "even better," with the Eikona. I am inclined toward the wide baffle. User anecdotes are uniformly impressive.

MJK · « **Reply #9 on:** 6 Jun 2016, 11:38 pm »

In my opinion the VTL enclosure was not that great of a design for the JX92S, it was a rule of thumb design to the best of my knowledge. The ML TL designs calculated for the JX92S driver by Mark Dikovics (formally Jordan USA) were really very good.

That being said, the Eikona driver is quite a bit different from the older JX92S and just stuffing it into one of these older enclosure designs in my opinion is not an improvement/upgrade. I have simulated these two designs (VTL and ML TL) with both drivers and the Eikona does not work as well as the older JX92S.

I am sure that the Eikona is a great driver and it really warrants a new enclosure design optimized to bring out the best performance.

JLM · « **Reply #10 on:** 7 Jun 2016, 12:30 am »

Quote from: MJK on 6 Jun 2016, 11:38 pm

In my opinion the VTL enclosure was not that great of a design for the JX92S, it was a rule of thumb design to the best of my knowledge. The ML TL designs calculated for the JX92S driver by Mark Dikovics (formally Jordan USA) were really very good.

That being said, the Eikona driver is quite a bit different from the older JX92S and just stuffing it into one of these older enclosure designs in my opinion is not an improvement/upgrade. I have simulated these two designs (VTL and ML TL) with both drivers and the Eikona does not work as well as the older JX92S.

I am sure that the Eikona is a great driver and it really warrants a new enclosure design optimized to bring out the best performance.

+1

Jim G · « **Reply #11 on:** 11 Jun 2016, 02:23 am »

Last year in a thread on the DIYaudio forum we had a good discussion on Jordan Eikona enclosures. I offered three MLTL variants with different lengths for consideration. Read this thread for this discussion:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/265994-jordan-eikona-2-designs.html

One of the three MLTLs that I designed could be a solution for an exceptional speaker.

Jim Griffin

MJK · « **Reply #12 on:** 11 Jun 2016, 02:22 pm »

Quote from: Jim G on 11 Jun 2016, 02:23 am

One of the three MLTLs that I designed could be a solution for an exceptional speaker.

I agree. The calculated SPL responses look excellent.

Dmason · « **Reply #13 on:** 13 Jun 2016, 11:45 pm »

Jim G · « **Reply #14 on:** 14 Jun 2016, 01:55 am »

I'm with Martin King (MJK) on the VTL design.

My JX92S ML TLs still serve as my daily listening speakers after 10 years of use. Others followed my successful design via postings on DIYAudio. The Eikona ML TL design promises to have the same listening satisfaction.

Jim Griffin

Dmason · « **Reply #15 on:** 14 Jun 2016, 03:38 pm »

And far easier to build.... The 40" seems an easy bullseye winner. Thanks for your efforts Jim.

JLM · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Jun 2016, 12:29 am »

Quote from: Dmason on 14 Jun 2016, 03:38 pm

And far easier to build.... The 40" seems an easy bullseye winner. Thanks for your efforts Jim.

+1

Jim, your instructions say to use full 0.75 Lb/cu.ft. stuffing from the top down to 3 inches below the driver. Where is the 3 inches measured from?

Also Jim, your stated F3 = 24 Hz for the 40 inch cabinet option, but the response graphs don't seem to support that. What line (red or dashed blue are you using)?

TIA

Russell Dawkins · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Jun 2016, 01:20 am »

There is something very appealing to me about the notion of a small single driver system with a wide bandwidth even with the knowledge that dynamic capability is of necessity slightly limited.
That, plus I also like the idea of supporting Ted Jordan, who has put so much thought into creating this very driver. I could well imagine it being a speaker that I could live with forever, and I think that's Ted's intent.
I do wish that a 12 or 16Ω version was available, though, to allow paralleling them and keeping the overall impedance more reasonable.

Jim G · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Jun 2016, 03:02 am »

I answered JLM's questions on another forum but for the sake of completeness the answers are:

The red line in the SPL response in my reply on the DIYaudio forum that I mentioned earlier. I read a 24 Hz F3 point for the 40 inches long version.

The stuffing goes from the inside of the top of the box to 3 inches below the bottom of the driver frame in the enclosure.

Jim

Jim G · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Jun 2016, 03:27 am »

Russell Dawkins,

If you are a real fan of the Eikona drivers, you could use two drivers in a doubled size enclosure on each side of the soundstage. If you aim one driver forward in the enclosure and aim the other driver backward with the drivers fed in-phase, you would have a bipolar radiation pattern. Connect the two drivers in series for your 16 ohms preference.

With this configuration you double the power handling capability of the speaker. With a bipolar connection you have broad in-room coverage as overall radiation will be nearly omnidirectional over much of the frequency band.

For completeness in this discussion bipolar radiation is when the drivers are fed in-phase. Dipolar radiation occurs when the two drivers are fed out-of phase. Dipolar radiation is most commonly implemented with a single open back driver and the front radiation is naturally out of phase with the rear radiation.

Jim