LS-6 and OB-7 speaker comparison...

Danny Richie · « **Reply #20 on:** 4 Dec 2006, 03:22 am »

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What is the composition of the woofer cone?

Well, it's paper of coarse.

brj · « **Reply #21 on:** 4 Dec 2006, 03:51 am »

I'll second that the LS-6 bass is very fast - much faster than what I recall from two separate auditions of the Alpha LS arrays. I spent approximately 3 hours this afternoon listening to the LS-6 prototype tonight in arthurs' exceptional system (using all sorts of music) and was very impressed. The dynamics especially were first class. If your living situation allows you to consider a line-array sized speaker, I'd definitely recommend giving the LS speakers an audition.

The LS-6 is a truly excellent speaker, Danny - I look forward to hearing the even more sensitive LS-9 prototypes! (And if you give me a call this time, I can even help you carry them up Art's stairs!

)

Hank · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Dec 2006, 03:53 am »

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Well, it's paper of coarse.

WHAT?? Not the exotic foreskin of the Tibetan Yak that you've been seeking?

EProvenzano · « **Reply #23 on:** 4 Dec 2006, 04:06 am »

Very funny guys...

I was simply checking to make sure it was something other than poly.

Thanks for the info.

Daygloworange · « **Reply #24 on:** 4 Dec 2006, 05:08 am »

Quote from: Hank on 4 Dec 2006, 03:53 am

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Well, it's paper of coarse.
WHAT?? Not the exotic foreskin of the Tibetan Yak that you've been seeking?

He had that pounded down very thin, and used it in the Neo3 . It's too scarce to be used for woofers.

Cheers

Hank · « **Reply #25 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 04:52 am »

Yeah, my Tibetan contact said the Dali Lama has raised the YF prices 500%!!

Money corrupts the uncorruptable

Daygloworange · « **Reply #26 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 05:01 am »

Well as luck would have it, I got the chance to finally hear a set of line arrays. I've been as curious as everyone else as to what these things sound like compared to the more common configurations. They were not Danny's LS 6's however, but were McIntosh XRT2K's.

These are 7' tall and feature 6 12"aluminum woofers, 64 2" inverted titanium dome midrange drivers, 40 3/4" titanium dome tweeters. They are sealed box design. Anechoic frequency response, 16Hz to 45Khz. They are 80k for the pair.

I had a really good critical listening session with some material that I'm familiar with, so that was helpful to really focus on the characteristics of these line arrays.

Danny's description as to the things to expect are as good a description as I think one could give without writing a book.

It was really neat to finally hear a line array. You might think that the listening chair should be equipped with seat belts when you sit in front of 7' tall speakers being driven by 2000 watts of amplification. But it's not a sonic assault at all, although I'm sure they could be obscenely loud.

At normal listening levels, if you had your eyes closed, you would never guess that they were 7' tall. They do disappear into the room.

Just for the record, I was not left dissapointed when I came back to listen to the OB 5's. My next pair will probably be the OB 7's. I think the additional 2 woofers in a sealed box coupled with active 12' woofers is going to be as close to a line array as I'm ever going to want. The mid range of the OB 5/7's are really unique, and the highs of the Neo3 are stellar.

I'm glad I got to hear the line arrays, as the question was nagging at me a bit. While arrays may have more of certain elements, the OB 5's are not really lacking at all. I think even more of them now. They are real overachievers, and a real bargoon to boot. If the arrays are 9 out of 10, then the OB's are easily 9/10 of the arrays.

I'm that pleased with this speaker. And can hardly wait to upgrade my front end feeding them.

Cheers

texasphile · « **Reply #27 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 07:43 am »

I just went to the McIntosh website and looked at pictures of the XRT2K. Wow, I didn't know that you could put so many tweeters in one space! It looked like they needed to be lined up on either side of a wall with the faces pointed towards each other. Then, Indiana Jones would have to race through them in hopes that the tweeter domes don't come popping off the speaker and decapitate him or something. If I did the math correctly, there are 208 possible tweeter domes being shot out at Mr. Jones per pair. Yoikes!

Anyway, I hope that the sound integrated well with that many drivers, 220, per pair. Knowing McIntosh, I would think so.

Regards,
Chris

Daygloworange · « **Reply #28 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 03:10 pm »

Yeah, they are crazy looking things. All about excess. But beautifully finished nonetheless. It was a complete McIntosh system driving them. They are tri-amped I believe, with like 2000 watts of power.

Yes they sounded good. I didn't bring along my favorite CD's

which I wish I had. But did listen to some stuff I was familiar with.

But honestly, coming home to my set-up was not a dissapointment. Actually I was very pleased, as I will be upgrading my front end in my system and probably building the OB 7's next. That will probably be it for me. A minimalist front end, modded SB3 and amp ( haven't begun narrowing that down yet ) and the OB7's. That'll be it for me.

Until I hear those open baffle line arrays that Danny has in the works.

Yikes!

Cheers

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #29 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 04:09 pm »

Thanks Day for the LS comparison.

Did you listen to dynamic music on the Mc's? Did the Mc's pull ahead there.

I'll bet they did not have any more detail than the OB's, or image better.

Don't buy an amp until you hear McAlister's mono's. Trust me.

Oh, and here are the $132,000.00 puppies the OB's almost equal for $795.00.

Interesting crossover points the Mc' use, 250 hz, and 1.5k verses the OB 5's at 220 hz and 1.8 k. Each Mc monster weighs 450 lbs verses the OB's 65 lbs. Which would you rather toe in, or move around. Notice the woofs behind the mid/tweeter array. Below 90 hz that would be o.k. but above that I don't think it's a good idea. How fast are those 12' woofs going to be against the 5 inchers in the OB's, not very.

One guy can buy the Mc's and spend$250,000.00 on a system and set it up wrong, and another do the OB's and system for $5,000.00 and set it up great. Who is going to have the better sound?

At a certain point is becomes less about gear and way more on proper set up.

See, my OB 5 review is not some wacked out, emotional, overstated hyperbole.

Rocket_Ronny

Buzz38 · « **Reply #30 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 06:13 pm »

Danny... My room is 16'5" x 26'5". Do you have any shots of your room so I can get my head around treating it? Do you have any thoughts you care to tell us on differences between the RS1K's and the LS series. Which would you prefer in my size room for music and HT? RS1K or LS6/9? Thanks for your time.

Daygloworange · « **Reply #31 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 06:38 pm »

Rocket_Ronny,

I'm cautious about describing something. It's all to easy to go on and on, especially when you're excited about something new. Having said that, I really love these OB 5's. I still have and love my AV/3's. I will not be getting rid of them.

But my description of the OB 5's being 9/10's of the experience of the line arrays is what I feel, not an exaggeration. The OB 5's are definitely overachievers, coupled with Danny's PR sub. It's a full range experience.

The OB's don't lack anywhere. Yes the arrays have more dynamics and are more punchy and immediate. ( look at the number of drivers we're talkin about here ) But I still don't consider the OB's markedly inferior. The midrange is definitely on par to the arrays, no worries there. That was the thing I was most impressed with when I came back and listened to the OB's.

Because of my situation with my OB 5's going to someone else, and everything that I've experienced with them and the comparison to the arrays, I will take it up a notch and go with the OB 7's. That's it for me. The trade off of the much smaller size is an important factor for me. I'm not going to miss the little bit they might give up to the line arrays. I can more than live with it.

The OB's kill in the midrange most everything I've ever heard. The Neo3 is amazing as well when I think of what it was up against in the McIntosh line arrays.

When you consider that the cost of the OB's is a fraction of what amplification alone costs to drive the Mc's, it's a definite no brainer.

In short, I'm one very happy customer. If you've heard and liked GR's past stuff, I can't see someone not being thrilled with these OB's.

Cheers

Midnite Mick · « **Reply #32 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 10:55 pm »

I have been following these threads as Danny's products really interest me...incredible prices too (don't tell him I said that or he may raise them

). Not knowing your associated gear but I wonder how the OB's would sound on the expensive Mac gear. They may even sound closer to the Mac speakers..just on a smaller scale.

Just my thoughts.

Thanks,
Mike

Danny Richie · « **Reply #33 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 11:09 pm »

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Not knowing your associated gear but I wonder how the OB's would sound on the expensive Mac gear.

We play them on a lot better gear than that down here.

arthurs · « **Reply #34 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 11:24 pm »

Daygloworange · « **Reply #35 on:** 5 Dec 2006, 11:58 pm »

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I have been following these threads as Danny's products really interest me...incredible prices too (don't tell him I said that or he may raise them ). Not knowing your associated gear but I wonder how the OB's would sound on the expensive Mac gear. They may even sound closer to the Mac speakers..just on a smaller scale.

My current set up is this:

Adcom GFP-345 pre-amp
ATI 1202 power amp
NAD 513 CDP
Interconnects: WireWorks Gold Series by Ariza Technology
Speaker wire: Thundercable 12 Ga. OFC
Speakers: GR Research AV/3's and OB 5's and GR Research PR sub w/ Apex Sr. Plate amp

Not an award winning front end, by no means. And I'm not unhappy about the sound.I do like my amp, it's pretty good. But I will be upgading everything. Danny's OB's are more than enough for me, and I will optimise my front end around those and the PR sub.

If you can audition the OB's you'll see. I can't promise you they are what you are looking for. But I've listened to lots of speakers before I bought my first set of speakers from Danny, the AV/3. Then moved up to the OB 5's. Next will be the OB 7's. After I spoke with Danny, I felt confident I was going to like the AV/3's, and did. Ditto on the OB 5's. If you read his descriptions, and feel that these are qualities you like, I feel quite safe in saying you'll be more than pleased.

I could easily have just bought and built the LS-6's. But after comparing what I heard from the McIntosh line arrays with the mondo amp set up to what I hear at home, I'm really, really thrilled in knowing that once my front end gets optimised, I will be a totally happy camper. The OB 5's I think are fantastic. The OB 7's, a notch above, the line arrays, a notch above that.

The 7's will do me just fine.

Cheers

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #36 on:** 6 Dec 2006, 12:18 am »

Day:

Why not go for the LS6? Not much bigger really than the OB7's. Cost more though.

If I could work it in my situation I would be a LS6 man.

Still waiting for my email Day. That must mean it truly is a military secret.

Rocket_Ronny

Daygloworange · « **Reply #37 on:** 6 Dec 2006, 01:08 am »

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Why not go for the LS6? Not much bigger really than the OB7's. Cost more though.

Ronny,

Simply because I could live with the difference in sound between the line arrays and the OB's. The OB7's I plan on building will be no bigger than the OB 5's. I will be putting the additional 2 woofers that are on top, on the lower portion of the baffle. They will look just like my OB 5's, except with 2 additional woofers. I already have Danny's PR sub with a plate amp. So I'll have the sub as a satellite, and the OB7's without the 12" woofers. I also don't have a room large enough to distance my listening position optimally for the LS6's.

I've spoken to Danny already and because the OB 7 has the woofers in a sealed box, the volume of the lower cab is smaller than the OB 5's ported cab. I'd like to avoid a tall speaker. But I'll have lower distortion and better dynamics because of the added 2 woofers, and all the low end extension I could ever want from the PR sub.

I'll be a happy camper all round.

Cheers

Daygloworange · « **Reply #38 on:** 6 Dec 2006, 01:36 am »

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They may even sound closer to the Mac speakers..just on a smaller scale.

They don't sound smaller. I was as surprised as this as anybody else. The midrange region is as full and detailed as the line arrays. The highs either. The Neo3 is killer good. Seriously.

I've said it before, but it's worth mentioning. The OB 5's don't sound like they look. And with the sub, they sound like even more speaker.

At normal or slightly spirited listening levels, the difference would be marginal. If you think the prices of the kits are attractive, when you hear it you'll be shocked at the value. Honestly.

Quote

We play them on a lot better gear than that down here.

Yeah, yeah....that's all we hear. Everything is bigger in Texas...

Cheers

Loftprojection · « **Reply #39 on:** 6 Dec 2006, 02:01 am »

Quote from: Daygloworange on 5 Dec 2006, 11:58 pm

My current set up is this:

Speakers: GR Research AV/3's and OB 5's and GR Research PR sub w/ Apex Sr. Plate amp

Hello Daygloworange, this is not the same subject as this thread but since it's been going on a long time about these new OBs I thought it would not be too rude to ask my questions!

I just finished my first set from Danny a few days ago, they are in burnin now. I have the AV/1rs rear, AV/3s center and AV/3 as main for music. I just saw that not only do you have the AV/3 but also the sub from Danny. I was just thinking now that I've completed my AV/3 maybe I could get this sub. But then I listened to my AV/3 last night and man do they have a nice bass for music, they go pretty low and don't sound boom boom at all. So for you, do you feel the sub adds quite a bit of quality to the sound combined to your AV/3 or maybe you use it only for movies? Or are you a bass nut kind of person?

Also, since I've already highjacked the thread, could I ask a bit more! On a scale of 1 to 10 instead of all the audiophile words, how would you rate your AV/3 and your OB/5 on bass, mid, voice and highs?

Many thanks and don't hesitate to say so if I'm asking too much!