HI Dayne,
Thanks for your questions; all good ones.
I was pondering a couple of the AKSA speaker issues. . .
1. With the AKSonics, can they handle the full power of a 100W AKSA? I don't recall what the AKSA puts out into 4 ohms, but it seems like it could be a problem with the AKSonics. Maybe I misunderstood something about the AKSonic rating.
The 100W AKSA generates close to 200W into 4R, and the AKSonics, being a M08 woofer, will not cope with this. The driver is nominally capable of 150W continuous, and by this I'm assuming 75W RMS. So, the 55W is fine with AKSonics, the 100W is fine too, but if you turn up the wick to the bitter end you can expect to blow your drivers. There is absolutely no limitation on the tweeter; it will cope with about 150W rms, with short term 10mS bursts to 950W without breaking. Its resonant frequency is 1100Hz, but the 3rd order crossover is at 2,600Hz, so it is not pushed at LF.
2. I've always wondered about speakers with angled baffles. Don't they sound different from different listening distances? The farther away (or lower) you sit, the greater the angle off-axis. What's the motivation in the angle, other than helping prevent standing waves? Something about baffle step compensation (what is that, actually?).
They don't sound so much different as louder or softer. Imaging is scarcely affected as they are particularly non-directional. But the angle is canted at only about 4 degrees, so you'd have to sit a long way away to notice the drop in amplitude. In any case, the wavefront from a speaker is in theory spherical, so the inverse square law of energy density applies and correspondingly, the vertical and horizontal coverage of the driver increases with distance. In practice the beaming/lobing phenomenon you refer to is fairly understated with larger drivers operating below 2.5KHz, as this one is.
The AKSonic tweeter (also used in the AKSenter) is particularly non-directional, because of its ring/nipple structure. Generally it's the tweeter you need to worry about, as they tend to beam from about 3KHz up. The XT25G is exceptional in this regard, and the high frequencies do not drop off when you move off-axis.
3. Could you build the AKSonics with flush sides and a 0.5"/15mm radius on the baffle edges, or would that change the characteristics too much?
You could do this, and I doubt it would make too much sonic difference, except that you'd need to reposition the rear panel in slightly to maintain the same cabinet volume. Eminently doable, but a design alteration you make at your own risk.
4. Does anyone have pictures of their AKSonics without grills?
Can anyone help here please?
5. Will the AKSenters handle the same power as the AKSonics?
Yes, no problem at all. Each driver is rated to 75W continuous, so two together should see the same power capacity as the AKSonics.
6. Are the AKSenters also appropriate for surrounds?
My own feeling is no, as they are designed for speech only, and shallow imaging to give a perception that all sound comes from behind the actors on the screen. You need more bass response for surrounds; I'd be inclined to use AKSonics there, too.
Hope this explains things reasonably well, Dayne. Damn good questions!
Cheers,
Hugh
