Good questions...
I have a few questions about these speakers-
What sort of power handling are we looking at? (and would that increase with a higher crossover point may be?)
My test show they should handle 30 watts of power if run full range. My 30 watt mono-block tube amps were letting them sing really well but they ran out of X-Max a few times. That was the first version with only .5mm of X-Max though. The new ones have 2.5mm of X-Max. So they should handle the full 30 watts full range okay. If the bottom were rolled off on them that should shoot up quite a bit.
What sort of dimensions would a ported box (and the port) be?
By the T/S parameters they sent with these they need an optimal ported box of .165 cubic feet. And they -3db at 68Hz. I modeled it down to .12 cubic feet and lifted the output slightly in the 120Hz to 400Hz range and made the roll off a little smoother and more gradual. It still hit a -3db of 78Hz.
I might also work on a small transmission line design.
What sort of dimensions might a sealed box be?
I am going to try some really narrow boxes that the inside measurements are 3.75" wide, 6" of depth, and 9" tall. I will try these with 1/2" MDF. I am a little unsure about lining them with No Rez. The foam is an inch thick on No Rez. I'll see what I can figure out and do some experimenting.
what is the smallest size of sealed box could these fit it?
These are fairly high Q so they need a little more air space than your typical 3". Optimal sealed is .146 cubic feet by the numbers, but looks good down to about .08 cubic feet or so.
Could that box be smaller if you ran a higher HF crossover?
Actually I have found they sound better in a larger box with the use of a filter to roll off the lows, but you could drop the size down some if filtered.
What sort of dimensions might the 130 driver and this combo be?
With the first samples I tried a side firing M130 in a separate box. What I didn't like was the delay that the inductor caused to the M-130 and that the polarity had to be reversed to avoid them being out of phase acoustically. I am going to continue to work on this idea.
As a centre channel, would this driver be up to task (or would an MMTMM ported combo with 5 of them make an effective/ useful/ nice flat option?)?
I was thinking of using three or five of them in a center channel with the center one being the only one playing full range. That would be awesome. A matching small floor standing version designed for close wall placement could be made to match it as well using a TMMMM type configuration. And the crossover point of coarse would be pretty low. Maybe in the 200Hz to 300Hz range with a gradual slope.
If you were going to sell these as a "lifestyle" set up, what sub/ subs would you recommend (assuming someone didnt want to spend the $600 odd on the 12" servo)?
Another good question that I have been thinking of myself. I am still thinking on it.
Would a pair of M165X's may be work as a pair of subs with these in a ported (or TL) box as a cheaper option (and may be a Dayton Sub amp?)?
I will figure something out.
