Brines Acoustics T7-A7

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JLM

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Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« on: 14 Jan 2016, 12:54 am »
Has anyone heard this speaker (in either it's original form or the post June 2015 version)?

Link:  BrineAcoustics.com

The T7-A7 uses a Mark Audio A7 driver in a small transmission line.  It seems to click many of my speaker boxes for desktop, or in-room use with/without a sub.

Specifications:  16.5" x 7" x 8.25"; 88 dB/w/m; F3 = 65 Hz; F10 = 35 Hz

Prices: $25 plans; $195 pre-cut panels; $845 fully finished

TIA

Guy 13

Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #1 on: 14 Jan 2016, 01:28 am »
Has anyone heard this speaker (in either it's original form or the post June 2015 version)?

Link:  BrineAcoustics.com

The T7-A7 uses a Mark Audio A7 driver in a small transmission line.  It seems to click many of my speaker boxes for desktop, or in-room use with/without a sub.

Specifications:  16.5" x 7" x 8.25"; 88 dB/w/m; F3 = 65 Hz; F10 = 35 Hz

Prices: $25 plans; $195 pre-cut panels; $845 fully finished

TIA

Hi JLM,
never heard it with my own ears.
The sensivity seems quite low,
how many WPC would you suggest - recommend to drive those ?

Guy 13

sebrof

Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #2 on: 14 Jan 2016, 02:43 am »
Has anyone heard this speaker (in either it's original form or the post June 2015 version)?

Link:  BrineAcoustics.com

The T7-A7 uses a Mark Audio A7 driver in a small transmission line.  It seems to click many of my speaker boxes for desktop, or in-room use with/without a sub.

Specifications:  16.5" x 7" x 8.25"; 88 dB/w/m; F3 = 65 Hz; F10 = 35 Hz

Prices: $25 plans; $195 pre-cut panels; $845 fully finished

TIA
http://www.brinesacoustics.com/

I've heard his speakers several years ago at the Lone Star Audio Fest, not sure which model. Sounded good to me.

gab

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Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #3 on: 14 Jan 2016, 03:18 am »
Has anyone heard this speaker (in either it's original form or the post June 2015 version)?

Link:  BrineAcoustics.com

The T7-A7 uses a Mark Audio A7 driver in a small transmission line.  It seems to click many of my speaker boxes for desktop, or in-room use with/without a sub.

Specifications:  16.5" x 7" x 8.25"; 88 dB/w/m; F3 = 65 Hz; F10 = 35 Hz

Prices: $25 plans; $195 pre-cut panels; $845 fully finished

TIA

Yes - heard it at LSAF. I bought plans and am in the process of building a set of cabinets (but I am slow). I plan to use for my desktop when I finish it later this winter.

gab

JLM

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Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #4 on: 14 Jan 2016, 11:42 am »
Hi JLM,
never heard it with my own ears.
The sensivity seems quite low,
how many WPC would you suggest - recommend to drive those ?

Guy 13

88 dB/w/m is considered average for most speakers, but low for typical single driver speakers.  Note that smaller extended range drivers do tend to have lower efficiency (darn those pesky laws of physics).  According to what I found online they are rated to handle 20 watts, nominal (whatever that means).  But 20 watts into two speakers in a smaller room should be able to reach 100 dB (pretty darn loud) and of course a subwoofer should allow for louder.

I met Mark Fenlon at the 2015 Axpona Show, a very pleasant/classy guy.

JLM

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Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #5 on: 14 Jan 2016, 11:43 am »
Yes - heard it at LSAF. I bought plans and am in the process of building a set of cabinets (but I am slow). I plan to use for my desktop when I finish it later this winter.

gab

Please share your impressions of what you heard at the show and post a review when done/broken-in.

Bob_Brines

Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #6 on: 15 Jan 2016, 03:32 am »
I suppose it is a bit of a biased opinion, but the T7-A7 with the A7.3's is my current favorite speaker. I've tried all of the Mark Audio 7cm drivers in these speakers -- A7.3, A7(P)1, CHR-70.3, CHN-70.1 and the new P7.1. I find that the distortion signature centered on 600Hz that seems to be present in all of Mark's paper cones distracting. Must be me though, the bulk of the MA users seem to prefer paper to metal.

The T7-A7 should would well as a desktop, which i gather is Jim's intended use. It starts to roll off significantly below 60Hz, but has sufficient Xmax to allow some bass boost. But then again, your ears will trick you into thinking that the speakers go an octave deeper than they really do.

I use mine as tops for sat/sub. Currently I have them crossed at 250Hz to sealed Dayton RSS315HF-4's. Harsch style XO -- BW4 on the Dayton's, Bessel 2 on the MA's. XO and DSP with a minDSP nanoDIGI, Crown XLS1500 on the Dayton's and Yuan Jing TDA3116D2 on the MA's. Easily to 100dB 20-15kHz 8ft back.

OT: My HT (sort of) is more pure single driver. I am using MA A10.3's in MLTL's full range with a Peerless 840146 for LFE. Powered by a Yamaha RX-V665. For music, I run it "pure direct" and touch up the FR with a bit of computer DSP.

Bob

Brad

Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #7 on: 15 Jan 2016, 01:44 pm »
Hey Bob,

Good to see you on AC.  Are you going to bring this current iteration to LSAF this year?
This one sounds interesting to me.

Brad in Houston

Bob_Brines

Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #8 on: 16 Jan 2016, 02:41 am »
I may bring a pair of T7-A7's to LSAF this year. Every time I come, I bring less stuff. Too hard to do demos of multiple speakers. I suspect that I will only bring one pair, but I think that they will be of general interest.

The new speakers are 2-way MLTL's with the XO in the 200-300Hz range. Audax HM210C0-8's and Seas 10F-8424G00-8's. Of course, my personal set will be crossed and EQ'd with DSP. If I ever sell a pair, I expect that I will have to come up with a passive XO. So, I'll try to have that done by LSAF so I can demo the difference.

Background: When this sub-forum was started, I suggested that the subject matter should include 2- and 3-ways where the XO(s) are outside the telephone band. I was shouted down. Got to remain pure to single driver speakers. So I pretty much went away. I check here when Google Search tells me to.

There is no such thing as a single-driver full-range (20-20kHz) speaker. One end or both of the FR spectrum has to be compromised. A driver larger than 12cm is going to loose too much top end and a driver smaller than 18cm will have no real (40Hz) bass. I have been into low XO 2-ways for several years now. I have had both H-baffles and sealed stereo subs at LSAF. This is my solution -- Big woofer and small wide-range driver on top.

Bob

JLM

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Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #9 on: 16 Jan 2016, 01:08 pm »
Good to see you here Bob. 

I agree with your driver/frequency range compromise assessment and of your big woofer/small extended range driver solution, thus my interest in the T7-A7 (with possible subwoofer(s)).  Must confess, thanks to a suggestion by Duke LeJeune I've been running one Dayton Audio soft dome tweeter per speaker in James Romeyn's Late Ceiling Splash concept (parallel to as you know your M18-F200 speakers, laying naked on the floor with a 1 uF cap behind the speakers pointing straight up) to help flesh out the highs a bit and solidify/enlarge the soundstage.  I consider this a tweak more than a fundamental abandonment of the purist path.

But I've have always questioned the 20 - 20,000 Hz mantra.  I suspect it was developed when bigger amps necessary to drive woofers to the 20 Hz range became available and became a marketing cliche.  60 years ago 80 - 8,000 Hz was accepted as full range (if you doubt that 80 Hz limit, hang around those SET/small single driver fans to see how easy folks can become conditioned to lack of bass).  Regardless, unamplified music below 28 Hz belongs to pipe organ alone and 10,000 Hz is the limit for all but a handful of instruments.  You're welcomed to believe in the need to hear higher harmonics beyond 20,000 Hz, but the recording industry ignores it and anyway where would that need stop?

The world is full of compromises.  In hunting for the best speaker, the individual must choose the compromises that best suits his/her tastes.
« Last Edit: 18 Jan 2016, 11:48 am by JLM »

planet10

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Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #10 on: 20 Jan 2016, 09:36 pm »
The sensivity seems quite low,
how many WPC would you suggest - recommend to drive those ?

I haven't heard this particular speaker of Bob's, but have heard lots of A7.3 (like Bob, my favourite, but not by much). For desktop use i'd recommend minimum 2-4w, for use in a room 10w. How much you need depends on how high you turn the wick, how big the room, how close you are, what you listen too, and how benign the amp clips.

We have used these with 2A3 SE in my big room, and until you start pushing the volume, it was very good. I am currently using 6w PASS ACA monobloks which work fine with anything i have in the room (many speakers).

dave

gab

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Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #11 on: 11 Feb 2016, 11:22 pm »

The T7-A7 should would well as a desktop, which i gather is Jim's intended use. It starts to roll off significantly below 60Hz, but has sufficient Xmax to allow some bass boost. But then again, your ears will trick you into thinking that the speakers go an octave deeper than they really do.


They work VERY well on the desktop! I finished these yesterday so they are still breaking in. Bobs comment about how low they sound is true. I am using a SMSL SA-36A pro amp to drive them from my computer.

An excellent design Bob! Easy to build and great imaging and depth. Thank you very much for this design.

gab

Bob_Brines

Re: Brines Acoustics T7-A7
« Reply #12 on: 15 Feb 2016, 03:31 am »
 :)

Bob