[Sirkevi]

Over the last year I have been playing with combination forward firing and omnipole speakers. Then after enough reading decided it was time to try open baffle so little by little I have converted my speakers to open baffle with omnipole speakers. I am running a TB W6-1721 and a hiquphon OW1 firing forward with 2 12 inch alphasonik subs in open baffle, and for the omnipoles i am running 2 W6-789E with a Dali vifa buy out tweeter. I was wondering if anyone else has tried something similar and what your thoughts were.

[Sirkevi]

This is what it started out as, this is where it is today

[Poultrygeist]

You must be single or your signifcant other is extremely open minded.

[Sirkevi]

No I am not single my wife loves music, but she doesn't hear all the changes in just enjoys the end result. But I used to have a set of mirage M1s in the living room with a slightly different combination of drivers in the original cabinets in a quadrafonic  set up. But not being able to afford something like the orions I decided to try something different all the drivers were purchased on sale except for the hiquphons.
Total driver cost was about $400 I got a adcom 4 channel amp and I all ready had a bryston 4b and a peavey 900. I also got a BBE DS 26 digital crossover used once at a electronics show for only 199.
 So far in total of buying equipment and trial and error of design it been almost 2 years.

[Poultrygeist]

I'm constantly battling with my wife as OB's take up lots of space.

I usually have to sell or dismantle something before I can bring anything new into the house.

Interesting builds you have there my friend.

[Sirkevi]

I guess the fact that all my guitars, amps and the rest of my pro gear is not set up helps.
 I know the subs are the weakest part of this setup and unfortunately as with most money is tight,
I would love to use gr research subs But that well have to wait. I still haven't got an out board dac every thing runs right off the computer. I have never heard the details in music like i have since I've
had these running. With the BBE Crossover I can Switch off the top or the front drivers and fine tune
them. With the omnis shut off the sound just doesn't fill the room the same, but this is all subjective as i dont have much for measuring equipment yet, I was hoping somebody else has tried something similar for some comparisons. The decals are both my daughter and my sons ideas on improving the lame attempt at wood working.   

[Sirkevi]

On these I just removed the back baffle on the subs to make a u baffle I left the insulation in like the Nao. I would like to make new baffles for them but was wondering if anybody has done comparisons
on u, w, open, or the stacked w that linkwitz is using now.

[Poultrygeist]

I built these OB's based on Martin J King's design and they've sold me on H-frames.

[Sirkevi]

Did you try these in another baffle before trying the h baffle and what did you notice as far as differences, both sound and crossover frequency. don't you wish we could all get together and take a listen to everybody's designs and speaker choices.

[Rudolf]

I would like to make new baffles for them but was wondering if anybody has done comparisons on u, w, open, or the stacked w that linkwitz is using now.

How about this for starters: http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=49940.0

Rudolf

[Poultrygeist]

I have "I" baffles, large folding wing baffles or U baffles, flat baffles and no baffles but the bi-amp'ed Alphas in H-frames are my favorites. I drive the H-frames with two solid state Dayton APA150's with built in XO controls while the Tang Band/super tweet tops run wide open with Bottlehead 2a3 Paramours. The super horn tweets I recapped with different values and deadened the pod.

[el`Ol]

experimental open back upfiring system

semi-upfiring system (also with Hiquphon tweeter)

[Sirkevi]

Its nice to someone else on the same the same wavelength, I would like to hear your thoughts on these types of designs.
 After doing some more reading and playing with edge I have a possible design any input is welcome.

[Poultrygeist]

Reminds me of the hammerheads we catch off the pier at Myrtle Beach.

[Sirkevi]

Yah there a bit strange. When I first thought about this design I wanted to try some of the tb high efficiency drivers but they jumped so high in price that I started looking at others and was interested in the W6-1721 when it went on sale 2 for $45 so i snagged them and after trying other drivers that i had kicking around I decided to try the other tb stuff because of the omni pole they needed to be a little higher efficiency to keep up with the front firing but this leads to a odd shaped top with it centered I was calling them t tops, but after fiddling around with them moving them over and lining up the tweeter and putting a small edge piece on the top really helps to solidify the imaging. If you ever feel the need to through out your tbs you can through them this way  

[Poultrygeist]

I bought the TBs a few years ago and agonized over paying $125 each. Now they cost $250 each.

Have you seen the L Cao alnico's sold on ebay? They're drop dead gorgeous and cost less than the TBs. Nelson Pass says good things about his.

[Sirkevi]

They definitely look interesting unfortunately till money flies into my pocket ill start with this, it doesn't show on the picture but I was going to make a seperate baffle for the front an top baffle that slides over the h frame and this could easily be changed out later.

[Sirkevi]

I think this is one of the easiest ways to separate the baffle completely from the subs.

[el`Ol]

The construction is a bit open for my taste. I like the "dipole airiness" carefully dosed.

[Sirkevi]

I am not sure I understand "The construction is a bit open for my taste", the subs sit underneath this just keeps the two baffles separate to reduce resonance in the upper baffle.

I thought this was a pretty slick idea rather than magnet mounting the drivers to the upper baffle.