[Hank]

I think Hank was thinking out loud about using these new ones in an open baffle array?

  Yes I was.  Too expensive for a line array.  They may compare with Seas and Scan-Speak in performance, given Danny's expertise, but I would never even consider the 2 "S" brands for a line array, given their cost.  My point was that at $100 each, DIY-ers, at least me, could not afford Danny's new driver for line arrays.  That aside, I'm sure they will make for top-shelf 2-ways and perhaps MTM's.

[pureiso]

  Yes I was.  Too expensive for a line array.  They may compare with Seas and Scan-Speak in performance, given Danny's expertise, but I would never even consider the 2 "S" brands for a line array, given their cost.  My point was that at $100 each, DIY-ers, at least me, could not afford Danny's new driver for line arrays.  That aside, I'm sure they will make for top-shelf 2-ways and perhaps MTM's.

Paired with a BG Tweeter, these are going to rock.  In my humble opinion, the woofer was the only thing holding back the N kits from being true top tier.  I will still say the original woofers were no slouch though, but these should be interesting to see...

Count me in for the first go around if Danny does the tour again.

[gregfisk]

OK Danny, now I understand what you meant by "not practical" 

I think I remember you saying something about too much surface area around the speaker is a bad thing? I'm wondering if I can make the boxes wider so they're not so deep and still not compromise the sound? The problem is if I build one sealed mtm box and a subwoofer box that's exactly what it's going to look like no matter how I put them together.

One more question, if I built the speaker box's different than what you design the crossover for is that going to be a problem?

[Danny Richie]

I think I remember you saying something about too much surface area around the speaker is a bad thing?

Yep, that is a bad thing.

One more question, if I built the speaker box's different than what you design the crossover for is that going to be a problem?

If you change the surface area much then it can.

Just a thought for you. Image a MTM upper section and a single side firing servo sub. It would be a little bit like my old A/V-4: http://gr-research.com/av-4.aspx

[gregfisk]

Yep, that is a bad thing.

If you change the surface area much then it can.

Just a thought for you. Image a MTM upper section and a single side firing servo sub. It would be a little bit like my old A/V-4: http://gr-research.com/av-4.aspx

Yeah, I understand what your talking about, I was just trying to design something outside the box so to speak.

How wide do you think I could get away with making the face of the box's for the midwoofers?

And Danny, Thank You for answering all of my questions.

[Danny Richie]

Yeah, I understand what your talking about, I was just trying to design something outside the box so to speak.

How wide do you think I could get away with making the face of the box's for the midwoofers?

And Danny, Thank You for answering all of my questions.

The wider you make it the bigger the radius you'll need on the front baffle to compensate. So 9" wide and a 1" radius on the sides or 8.5" wide and a 3/4" radius on the sides, etc...

[gregfisk]

The wider you make it the bigger the radius you'll need on the front baffle to compensate. So 9" wide and a 1" radius on the sides or 8.5" wide and a 3/4" radius on the sides, etc...

Thanks Danny, I wasn't thinking about the fact that the midwoofers are "sharing" the airspace. Back to the drawing board for me.

Maybe by the time you get your tweeters, and a crossover designed, I will have come up with something that works

Or, maybe I will build a tower as you have suggested, I know that will work

[jeffh]

Just a thought for you. Image a MTM upper section and a single side firing servo sub. It would be a little bit like my old A/V-4: http://gr-research.com/av-4.aspx

Danny, The N3 has always been on my list to build, but I am very interested in this.  Any more information you can provide? Time frame?  I assume this would this be a step up over the N3?

[Danny Richie]

Danny, The N3 has always been on my list to build, but I am very interested in this.  Any more information you can provide? Time frame?  I assume this would this be a step up over the N3?

That speaker is just something in discussion right now. If I have enough people interested in a powered three way design like that then I can make it happen.

[Coldfusion]

they certainly look beautiful.

they be awesome in a black cabinet, especially if the cab had copper accents.

[gregfisk]

they certainly look beautiful.

they be awesome in a black cabinet, especially if the cab had copper accents.

The color that would look great with the new drivers is a high gloss black with metallic copper speckles.

[Trismos]

How about a MTM OB kit that I can stack on my dual 12" servos?

[Jonathon Janusz]

Danny, this might be a dumb question but. . .

Regarding the new tweeters, are the cutout dimensions for them the same as any of your current tweeters (GR/Peerless/Neo)?  Just asking out loud as a thought to folks who could reuse an existing cabinet to upgrade to a kit using the new drivers, considering (unless I'm mistaken) the new woofer matches dimensionally with the M165?

Trismos, I think you will be in luck, as (again) if I'm remembering right, one of the kits Danny had mentioned was one using the new drivers with a stack of three 8" servo OB subs; this would give you a "kit" of the top section complete that you could then add to your existing subs instead of using the 8" servos?

[Trismos]

Trismos, I think you will be in luck, as (again) if I'm remembering right, one of the kits Danny had mentioned was one using the new drivers with a stack of three 8" servo OB subs; this would give you a "kit" of the top section complete that you could then add to your existing subs instead of using the 8" servos?

Works for me!!

[Danny Richie]

Danny, this might be a dumb question but. . .

Regarding the new tweeters, are the cutout dimensions for them the same as any of your current tweeters (GR/Peerless/Neo)?  Just asking out loud as a thought to folks who could reuse an existing cabinet to upgrade to a kit using the new drivers, considering (unless I'm mistaken) the new woofer matches dimensionally with the M165?

Trismos, I think you will be in luck, as (again) if I'm remembering right, one of the kits Danny had mentioned was one using the new drivers with a stack of three 8" servo OB subs; this would give you a "kit" of the top section complete that you could then add to your existing subs instead of using the 8" servos?

The tweeters used in the X-Otica and X-Optima use a wave guide so they are much bigger in diameter.

[gregfisk]

Hey Danny, can you tell us what are the first kits your are going to make up and what the time frame is?

I am ready for new high efficiency speakers and I realize what you have in mind might not work for my application but I would like to know so I can make a decision.

[Danny Richie]

Hey Danny, can you tell us what are the first kits your are going to make up and what the time frame is?

I am ready for new high efficiency speakers and I realize what you have in mind might not work for my application but I would like to know so I can make a decision.

X-Otica and X-Optima are first up. I have to finalize some wave guide production still for both of those and custom servo amps for the 8" servo subs might not be here until the first of the year. So X-Optima might be next. They won't have high sensitivity though. And the X-Otica will have about 91db sensitivity. 

I still have Super-V's kits in stock. 

[Ed VB]

Hi Danny

Here is my current setup with the two 15" Rythmik subs under the AV2's and a center AV2 below the Panny 65VT30 that is extended about 6 feet from the corner wall. The Surround are two AV2's and a single AV1 for the rear.

I would like to go up a level with a change to the front and center speakers and leaving the AV2's for the surrounds and and changing the AV1 to a AV2 for the rear surround.

Will one of your new designs work for this configuration as a MTM for the fronts and something a little different for the center? I have a Parasound HCA-1205A amp and a Marantz AV7005 as a Pre-Pro. Any help for the best bang for the buck is appreciated.

Danny

One option was a pair of X-Statik kits and and a X-Voce for the center.

The front of the front AV-2"s are already three feet from the wall.

Could I combine a X-Voce and have a modified design of your X-Otica , X-Optima or X-Pro to work with the two Rythmik sub's? The front of the center AV-2  is 4' from the corner at this time.

I would still want to mount them on top of the sub's but I have 4 attach points to make a isolated mount that could move the front of the baffle plate of the new speakers up to 1' in front of the sub cabinet.

The tweeters would need to be at the same height as current ones in the AV-2's but the servo drivers of the new X model could be mounted on top instead of on the bottom if that would work.

Would something like this work and would the new front's match tonally with the X-Voce as the center?

Just thinking of all the options as I do not mind building to go up a few notches from the AV-2's but still have it blend well with the AV-2's I still will be using as the surround speakers.

The other option are two N3's and a N3s? They would be mounted the same as the current AV-2's

With the electronics I am using now what do you feel would be the the best option given the  my room and the location of the speakers. I have plenty of height so that would not be a problem. The SPL would have to match or be slightly higher that the AV-2's though.
I currently have the Parasound at 140 watts RMS at 8 ohms driving them.

[Danny Richie]

Could I combine a X-Voce and have a modified design of your X-Otica , X-Optima or X-Pro to work with the two Rythmik sub's? The front of the center AV-2  is 4' from the corner at this time.

Those X Series models have not been built yet.

Would something like this work and would the new front's match tonally with the X-Voce as the center?

If you are thinking of just using an open baffle section over your subs and letting your subs play up to the open baffle drivers then no, that will not work. Your subs will never play that high.

And again the best performance will be had if you can get those subs away from your main speakers.

The other option are two N3's and a N3s? They would be mounted the same as the current AV-2's

That's a good plan also to go with N3's, but again they will sound much better if moved away from the subs. And the full floor standing version of the N3 plays down much lower making integration with the subs much easier.

With the electronics I am using now what do you feel would be the the best option given the  my room and the location of the speakers. I have plenty of height so that would not be a problem. The SPL would have to match or be slightly higher that the AV-2's though.

For the price point that you told me that you wanted to stay under, I would still recommend X-Statik's and a X-Voce for your room.

[Ed VB]

Thanks Danny

 That helps a lot with what I want to do in the near future.