[bill13]

Update on what I'm doing with the 3" Audience A3 drivers -- my DIY '4+4' line array speaker configuration. Four A3 drivers on front, and four mounted on the rear of the cabinet.

Building two pair of '4+4' configurations, eight A3 drivers mounted in inexpensive Dayton rectangular 1/2 cu ft cabinets, for (1) bedroom TV system, & (2) for computer monitor system. Both small systems with Velodyne 'DD' subwoofers covering below say, 70Hz.
 
Yes, the cabinets are undersized for 8 each A3 drivers per 1/2 cu ft cabinet, but available room space dictates compromise.  But this design will compensate by using freq response contouring, etc.   

Originally considered saving money by building '2+2' speakers (use half as many A3 drivers) in Dayton 1/2 cu ft rectangular cabinets & with 6.5" passive radiator(s), like the picture of the Audience Clairaudient prototypes at the 2010 Show(?).

IMO, the sonically preferred '4+4' configuration offers a boost in acoustic radiation efficiency and power handling/lower distortion -- and also, the bass output might be higher quality (passive radiators, and vented alignments, shift phase, etc.). Rear-mounted array of drivers to help with BSC.

Plan is to try a very-different DIY quasi-aperiodic loading in my DIY '4+4' Dayton cabinets -- idea is to reduce low-frequency speaker impedance rise compared to typical sealed-cabinet loading of drivers.

Might also use a simple RC circuit at input to power amps for freq resp contouring (also, might add an RLC leg in passive ckt before the amp input for 8 kHz resonance suppression) -- this will be a custom arrangement compatible with my 'IcePower' based power amps.

IMO, IcePower, a 'class D' technology, sounds great with the A3s -- incidentally, Audience's class D amp reportedly sounded better than another amp in the recent March 2010, Stereophile-sponsored Florida Show.

BTW, I understand Audience Inc. has recently discontinued their original 16-ohm VC version of the A3, and in the future will be selling their dual-voice-coil version of the A3.

Reportedly, none of the A3 driver parameters will change when both VCs are series-connected to get 16 ohm impedance (I hope). So, will be adding ("mix 'n match") some of the new dual VC drivers in with my older 16-ohm A3s for DIY '4+4' speakers.

Bill

[PET-240]

How did this go?

Chuz

Drew

[bill13]

For Drew, and who might be interested:
See the photo just taken today, 29 March 2014.  Big speaker (tall A3 array) on left based on old Audience Inc. '16+16' with custom added RAAL 140-15D ribbon tweeter.  I've been using these modified '16+16' arrays as my main speakers for a couple of years now.   

On the right side of photo is DIY prototype compact speaker (with grill removed) using a pair of Audience A3 3" drivers for the mid range; an Accuton ceramic cone (Accuton 6.5'' PDF, Neodymium magnet, C173-6-096) for bass up to around 200 Hz, and a RAAL 70-10D ribbon (with the Amorphous core transformer) covering roughly above 3.5 kHz.  Still working on crossover (want shallow roll-off slopes).

IMO, Audience A3 drivers (at least the earlier 16 ohm versions) are really best suited as great mid range drivers from say 200 Hz up to as high as 5 or 6 kHz.

BTW, IMO, the BG Neo10 planar magnetic drivers can sound at least as good as A3 drivers in the mid range, but the big physical size can make acoustic crossover design difficult.

Bill
 
29 March 2014 

[bill13]

Forgot to mention:

I abandoned the "4+4' loudspeaker attempt (acoustic dispersion and bass performance shortcomings).  Later, experimented on a prototype with eight Audience A3s all on the front baffle - both were not adequate in the bass below say, 130 Hz - at least in the way I attempted to use them.  IMO, despite hyperbole from some reviewers and manufacturers the A3s are really best suited for 'mid range', say, 130 Hz to 6 kHz area.

I found that larger drivers apparently had less distortion with better bass extension than the small A3s (high fs) even when deployed in arrays (per my acoustic measurements, anyway).  Apparently, if the crossover from a larger size bass driver is low enough, and done right, say from 150 Hz and up, then the A3 driver really shines. 

RAAL ribbons for treble is superior to the A3's trebles - so I have found.

BTW, the compact speaker shown on the right in the previous photo uses a Parts Express Dayton curved 0.5 cu ft. cabinet (It was indeed a challenge to mount all the drivers on this limited cabinet front panel real-estate). 

Fortunately, grill cloth on a frame attached by neodymium magnets covers up the poor front panel workmanship sins.

Bill

[dublin78]

Hi Bill

This is very interesting. I have been keen to try these drivers for ages, but the odd peculiar report prevented me from doing so, and I went down a more traditional route.

Did you ever consider using DSP? If you are using a DAC, then placing a NanoDIGI from MINIDSP.COM in front would be easy, and the same price as a single A3 driver.

It is odd that your experiences are different from so many reviewers. I would pay more attention to a user, over a reviewer. Most of the more recent rave reviews were on designs incorporating the peerless passive radiators.

Thanks for sharing.