[Russell Dawkins]

Does anyone know what did happen to Dan Mason?

[Bob in St. Louis]

Does anyone know what did happen to Dan Mason?

DMason - Last Active: 23 Jun 2010, 11:22 PM 

EDIT: His last post was - 2 Sep 2008

[-Richard-]

Hi Russel ~

Dan Mason's health went through a major crises around 3 years ago... Dan is a doctor and worked in a hospital which may have exposed him to pathogens. His strength was severely weakened so that he was no longer able to care for himself. He needed help and went back to his family in Canada, where his mother could give him care.

We were in regular correspondence and then suddenly his communication ended. I was alarmed but I felt that I did not want to penetrate his privacy if he needed that at the time.

I never heard from him again. Naturally, I was very deeply affected by that. I never actually met Dan, although we lived only about 2 hours away from each other. But once our friendship was struck, as a direct result of our posts on AC, we were in constant contact through phone calls, emails and of course AC posts.

Dan is an extraordinarily intelligent person and an extraordinarily talented music lover. He was an accomplished pianist trained in the classical tradition, he was in a successful rock band, is a very successful doctor and his writing is truly scintillating... inspired, with a wonderfully energized and colorful prose that could easily have been successful translated to the novel form.

He was also an impeccable researcher... for example when he was interested in commercial speakers for a few years before he discovered the magic of Open Baffle speakers, he easily went through over 20 pairs of highly rated speakers just to hear what they did for the music.

Every time we were involved in parallel research on something to do with audio, Dan went deeper, with a much greater range and overview of what we were studying than I was able to accomplish in the same time... which I always marveled at and admired.

I miss him. He was a very good friend and thoroughly interesting person. He made audio exciting.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[Bob in St. Louis]

I miss him. He was a very good friend and thoroughly interesting person. He made audio exciting.

I never met Dan, never chatted with him on the phone, an email, or a forum.
Dan does not know who I am, but what he's done in the past several years has shaped my listening "habits" forever.

I wish him the best.

Bob

[mcgsxr]

I currently live about an hour from where I think he came back to, and initially we were in close contact, but I never did make it out to meet him.

Clearly Dan had a big impact on me, and the direction my system took.

[dummy]

Richard... although a latecomer to this thread, i fell indebted to people like you, Dan, and many others who contributed their thoughts and ideas in propagating this thread for so many years.   

I am struggling with my B200 at this time (no bass), having said that i am enjoying the clarity of music which is unheard of before.    i don't want to try bi-amp, nor do i want to go with any cross over, passive or active at this time.   I am experimenting with baffle dimensions  and its been fun.

If not for all of you who made this thread possible, I would have gone the "commercial" speaker trail, and be led (or misled) by marketing hype, deceiving ad,..etc.   Thank you.

Sorry to hear what happened to Dan.   I wish him well.

Warmest regards, CK

[kyrill]

Hi CK ~

The thread that started it all... and where is the irrepressible and irreplaceable Dr. Dan Mason... he was very ill and moved back to Canada for some family care... I hope he is still with us. We miss you Dan and your sparkling beautifully voiced pros that had more texture and insights than any other writer on AC.

You helped to open a new world of listening and gave many of us permission to build our own Open Baffle speakers... many many people jumped into the Open Baffle experience thanks to you, who would have otherwise simply taken the (expensive) commercial speaker route. And because of that we learned how to listen. We learned how to penetrate and see-through the hype of print or e-commercial magazines.

CT, I am now using the Dayton Audio PS220-8 8" Point Source Full-Range Neo Drive speakers... phew!! what a long-winded name!!

There is no comparison on my OB's... the B200's sound dull by comparison. They are cheaper and sound incredibly open, highly detailed and very musical.

You can read a little bit about my experience with them on the second page of OB threads here on the Open Baffle forum... under the title:

Replacing B200's with Dayton Audio PS220-8 8" Point Source Full-Range Neo Drive

Good Luck... and thanks for bringing the Gravity Well Of A Dark Star back to life. It was fun to live there while Dan was still writing and the sparks were flying and our enthusiasm was racing with the moon.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

Yep I agree with that Richard
The B200 sounds like that compared to..
but that was the same like difference I had before and after I used Ennemoser's lacquer. The B200 with the lacquer lost all this  relative " dullness"  and sounded much more open and transparent.  So my advice would be if you have B200 buy the smallest bottle with 2 friends. You can easily do 6x B200 or more with 1 small bottle. But you cannot and will not go back.
One warning though. If already untreated your setup is on the " bright side"  I wont do it. this "brightness"  will be more shown as the speakers become more sensitive  to input and to itself.
Also a pair of B200 per speaker will sound much better too especially in the highs and with OB more bass

I was and still am thinking of the Dayton's but then the B200 sound already that good, but if I change  they will get this lacquer too on the Daytons as well, their effect is on all drivers . 

PS Richard. One of the strengths of the B200 is its paper cone for musicality
The Ps-220 has an aluminum cone? Does it sound ehh really musical next to its openness. transparency and so on?

[mcgsxr]

Dummy, what are your baffle dimensions, size of room, musical preference and other gear in the system?

I have setup b200's in a smaller room with OK bass, so it can be done, but as a bass junkie, I always need to biamp, even with conventional setups, subs are a requirement for me.

[JohnR]

Bass junkies... try moving the subs closer (and re-eq if needed).

[-Richard-]

Hi dummy ~

Thank you for sharing your very kind thoughts with me and everyone who has contributed to this thread and all the important threads about OB's on AC.

There is an amplifier designer near me who asked me to bring my simple B200 OB's to his home... he wanted to hear them. I was interested in his amps at the time. This is many years ago. This first pair of baffles only used one B200 per baffle. We hooked up his amp to them. He made a point of expressing his observation of how little bass there was... although he was truly amazed at the transparency, detail and life-like qualities of the music reproduction.

Then I hooked-up my 6 watt Single Ended Pentode Stereo amplifier which had bass and treble controls on it. I turned up the bass control and there in his home the full spectrum of the music, including a powerful bass, flowed from the B200 OB's.

This amplifier designer was stunned. Anyone who has a tube integrated amplifier with bass and treble controls and who is interested in designing their own OB's using the B200's can try this simple experiment. If the bass control is effective, the B200's can take the extra excursion that will generate all of the bass they need to flush out the full spectrum of the music.

The compromise of course is that the bass may not have the kind of precision that can be achieved with a separate very sensitive bass driver. But it works quite well and most important if the amplifier is well-designed the B200 will deliver a coherent musical image throughout the frequency spectrum.

For a while I was having fun using my apple computer as a media source... using 2 small airport appliances (one near the computer, one next to another amp and attached using RCA cables) I sent the musical files to my amp and used the built-in EQ that comes with the apple to augment the bass... much like a tone control. I found that the airport appliances softened the musical edges somewhat so while it was a very good learning experience in what using EQ can do to "shape" the musical signal, I found my cheap Pioneer CD player much more dynamic and richer in detail... and yes, warmth.

One can well ask... why did they stop making bass and treble controls on integrated amplifiers? They really do work very effectively within their design parameters. They may add a bit of distortion that can be measured... but is that really important considering how all-over effective they are and what an elegant solution they represent compared to multiple appliances designed to do the same thing only at a much higher cost and with considerably more complication?

Now I use a 12" bass driver (2-way design) that matches the sensitivity (97db) of my new Dayton 8" driver with a simple coiled crossover and it works surprising well. Personally I don't like separate subs although I did try them in the past and was always disappointed in their performance.

Hi kyrill ~

It sounds like you found the magic elixir that can bring the B200 to a higher level of performance. Bravo!!! The new Dayton driver I am using (Dayton Audio PS220-8 8" Point Source Full-Range Neo Drive speakers) is surprising fast and has a whizzer cone and built-in phase plug. It reminded me of several driver designs that I always lusted after but could not afford. It probably has a rise in the upper frequencies, which Scorpio pointed out, is like the B200's. The B200's are quite good drivers as well. The Dayton's are still breaking-in. A good cheap alternative to the B200's and a very effective entry point to designing one's own DIY Open Baffle speakers. They are $100 each... now that is reasonable!!

It has been years since I first began working with OB's... yet every time I play music that is well recorded both Deborah and I are startled by how good the OB's sound.

What I need now is a more transparent CD player to capture a more life-like portrayal of instruments like the violin... yes... I know that everyone has gone to digital files stored on hard drives... very sensible. I am a bit lazy... still poping-in CD's. Still, the future is here... I have to look more closely into the alternatives.

Any inexpensive and easy to implement suggestions anyone?

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[opnly bafld]

One of the strengths of the B200 is its paper cone for musicality
The Ps-220 has an aluminum cone?

From Parts Express product page:
"Kevlar reinforced paper cone is lightweight yet rigid and well controlled."

Lin

[dummy]

Mark...  my room is 13'x16'.   baffles 10' apart, listening position ~9.5' from baffle front.

Baffle measures 43"h x17"w, B200 right at the middle (width wise) with center 10" from the top edge (the speaker too near to the top edge, i suspect).    I have some cosmetics restrictions from my lovely wife (who doesn't? smile).

i experimented with some wings last night.    Bass improved but no there yet.   i am thinking of moving the speaker 10" down so it gets closer to the floor.

You gonna laugh at my set up.    All gears are DYI, i know they are not up to the standard and need to be upgraded to get better.    I figure i start with the speaker (fueled by this thread).

Any suggestions welcome.   I am a new to this stuff....

[bjarnetv]

just chiming in to share my experiences after building some b200 OB speakers for my office a month ago.



i experimented a bit with the baffle size using carboard before building the final speaker, and decided the b200 sounded a bit thin with a minimal baffle, but to closed in with lagre wings, so i decided to go somewhere in between.



i based my filter on the visaton nobox filter, but the woofer is crossed over with a 8,2mh coil and a 200uf cap.
i later added an adjustable l-pad to the b200, since it played a bit to loud compared to the eminence alpha.
the sound is good, but obviousy not as good as my quad esl63 with dipole woofers 

personally i couldn't stand the sound of these drivers without a bsc filter, and i could never live without an extra woofer to help out the low end.

right now i have them hanging from the ceiling of my office, and while its not exactly acoustically perfect, it sounds pretty good 



-bjarne

[dummy]

ok... tried some wings..  Bass improved but still relatively weak.

Guess the next thing i am going to try is add a 12" bass driver and go the 2way passive xover approach.

Richard.. curious if you had tried any 12" bass driver successfully with the B200?

Thanks, CK

[-Richard-]

Hi CK ~

I am using the Eminence Alpha 15A bass driver that Erling once recommended. Although he now feels that there is a much better bass driver for a 2-way with using the B200 (or my Dayton Audio PS220-8 8") that if I remember correctly was designed for an infinite baffle so it probably has excellent bass retrieval, is tight and is fast. I have sent Erling a private email and hopefully he will get back to me soon (or he may see this thread) and we should know the driver he is recommending.

I am also very very interested to try that driver... Erling has a way of being extraordinarily right about these things.

There is no doubt, however, CK, that the Alpha 15A does the magic you are looking for. In my simple 2-way set up (one 8" wide-range driver, driven full-range and the 15" bass driver cut off with a gentle 6db slope using a simple coiled inductor at around 250Hz... I think) the sound is seamless... it is a perfect blending that I can not detect as coming from 2 different speakers... the Alpha and the Dayton blend perfectly to deliver an astoundingly coherent and convincing musical presentation... that will sound, if you have a well-designed amplifier (I highly recommend tubes... triode circuitry if you know what to get) incredibly alive, transparent, holographic, clear, with rich sonic textures and a highly saturated tonal palette. This is absolutely there if you are willing to have a little bit of patience and are willing to find the right auxiliary equipment that will help your drivers to sing to their full potential.

I purchased it from parts express, they are selling it for $65:  http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=290-407&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=eminence%20alpha-15a&utm_campaign=G_MFG_DEF_Products_Exact&utm_group=290-407_Exact&9gtype=search&9gkw=eminence%20alpha-15a&9gad=6853578913.1

cheapest price: $52:   http://www.hotdealshop.com/html/productOverviewNew.aspx?prdId=23397FR071511

I experimented with wings before I finally settled on a simple flat baffle. I listened very carefully and found that wings when applied in any mass that could begin to reinforce the bass, smeared the tight clarity of the bass that is one of many amazing qualities of the Open Baffle paradigm. I was not happy about achieving more bass at the expense of clarity and a tight detailed presentation. Besides neither Deborah nor I feel the need for exaggerated bass... the type of music we listen to (every kind of voice, mostly small instrumental ensemble, or small orchestra) achieves its magic with tonal color and heightened sense of texture and a palpable sense of "presence". Many DIY designers on this forum use 2 bass drivers... and I can see that as a valid solution depending on room size and musical tastes. But I find that 1 15" bass driver is perfect for the musical gestalt that is convincing without being exaggerated.

Your "problem" with the bass will be happily solved with the addition of 1 well-executed 15" bass driver (assuming your amp is not deficient in reproducing the bass)... you may want to make sure your baffle is resting on the floor to get the maximum of reinforcement from that coupling.

Please keep in touch and let us know how things are working out... and let's see if Erling can remember the 15" driver that I think may be an even better match than the Alpha for your B200's. If they are not too expensive I think I will try them and report back to our community what I am hearing.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[-Richard-]

Erling has just written me and I will publish part of his email which contains the information you may be interested in CK... I know I am.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

Hi Richard,

Most certainly I recommended the Acoustic Elegance IB15. It is however a question if it is available. John Janowitz has promised to bring them back but he is apparently awaiting pre-orders.

It was (and should be if coming back) however an amazing element for the price as could be witnessed by these measurements: http://sites.google.com/site/drivervault/driver-measurements/15/ae-speakers-ib15 .

All the best ~ Erling

[-Richard-]

There is an issue with the Acoustic Elegance IB15, that I should have checked. It appears to be not very sensitive at 87db... that is probably much too slow compared with the B200 and Dayton PS220-8's 97db sensitivity. Perhaps Erling and others can chime in here and make sense out of what appears to me to be not a very good match.


IB15 8ohm
Fs: 16Hz
Qms: 6.8
Vas: 439L
Cms: .45mm/N
Mms: 220g
Rms: 3.239kg/s
Xmax: 18.5mm
Xmech: 25mm
Sd: 830sqcm
Vd: 3.07L (p-p)
Qes: .78
Re: 5.5ohm
Le: .33mH
Bl: 12.49Tm
Pe: 500W
Qts: .7
1WSPL: 86dB
2.83V: 87.3dB

Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[dummy]

Hi CK ~

I am using the Eminence Alpha 15A bass driver that Erling once recommended. Although he now feels that there is a much better bass driver for a 2-way with using the B200 (or my Dayton Audio PS220-8 8") that if I remember correctly was designed for an infinite baffle so it probably has excellent bass retrieval, is tight and is fast. I have sent Erling a private email and hopefully he will get back to me soon (or he may see this thread) and we should know the driver he is recommending.

I am also very very interested to try that driver... Erling has a way of being extraordinarily right about these things.

There is no doubt, however, CK, that the Alpha 15A does the magic you are looking for. In my simple 2-way set up (one 8" wide-range driver, driven full-range and the 15" bass driver cut off with a gentle 6db slope using a simple coiled inductor at around 250Hz... I think) the sound is seamless... it is a perfect blending that I can not detect as coming from 2 different speakers... the Alpha and the Dayton blend perfectly to deliver an astoundingly coherent and convincing musical presentation... that will sound, if you have a well-designed amplifier (I highly recommend tubes... triode circuitry if you know what to get) incredibly alive, transparent, holographic, clear, with rich sonic textures and a highly saturated tonal palette. This is absolutely there if you are willing to have a little bit of patience and are willing to find the right auxiliary equipment that will help your drivers to sing to their full potential.

I purchased it from parts express, they are selling it for $65:  http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=290-407&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=eminence%20alpha-15a&utm_campaign=G_MFG_DEF_Products_Exact&utm_group=290-407_Exact&9gtype=search&9gkw=eminence%20alpha-15a&9gad=6853578913.1

cheapest price: $52:   http://www.hotdealshop.com/html/productOverviewNew.aspx?prdId=23397FR071511

I experimented with wings before I finally settled on a simple flat baffle. I listened very carefully and found that wings when applied in any mass that could begin to reinforce the bass, smeared the tight clarity of the bass that is one of many amazing qualities of the Open Baffle paradigm. I was not happy about achieving more bass at the expense of clarity and a tight detailed presentation. Besides neither Deborah nor I feel the need for exaggerated bass... the type of music we listen to (every kind of voice, mostly small instrumental ensemble, or small orchestra) achieves its magic with tonal color and heightened sense of texture and a palpable sense of "presence". Many DIY designers on this forum use 2 bass drivers... and I can see that as a valid solution depending on room size and musical tastes. But I find that 1 15" bass driver is perfect for the musical gestalt that is convincing without being exaggerated.

Your "problem" with the bass will be happily solved with the addition of 1 well-executed 15" bass driver (assuming your amp is not deficient in reproducing the bass)... you may want to make sure your baffle is resting on the floor to get the maximum of reinforcement from that coupling.

Please keep in touch and let us know how things are working out... and let's see if Erling can remember the 15" driver that I think may be an even better match than the Alpha for your B200's. If they are not too expensive I think I will try them and report back to our community what I am hearing.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

Richard... if you don't mind, may i ask the dimensions of your baffle (width x height), locations of the drivers on the baffle, and the crossover specs?   

It seems to me that my simplest path is to duplicate what you have (rather than re-inventing the wheel) so that i can get to a decent music level, from there i'll move on to tweak other parameters in my setup.

Thanks again Richard, you have been extremely helpful.

Warmest regards, CK

[-Richard-]

Hi CK ~

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner... I have been looking for a photo that I know is floating around in the Open Baffle forum of my baffles.

In any case, here are the measurements: height = 3 feet, width = 23,1/4", distance from bottom of 15" driver to base 3,1/2", distance from top of 8" driver to top of baffle 5,1/4", distance between drivers 4".

Does that make sense?

I am using 3/4" maple for all parts of the baffle... the bottom of the baffle is glued to a base that gives the baffle standing support... the top of the baffle is glued to a top piece that extends back past the front of the baffle and is 3,3/4" deep... there are very thin (width) "wings" that are only 4,1/4" wide that rest "inside" of the baffle width... and are angled so that they meet the top back edge of the top piece. The sides edges are rounded.

The 15" driver is screwed onto the back of the baffle and the cut out circular edges are rounded creating a modest wave-guide. The 8" driver is flush to the front of the baffle. 

Let me know if this helps or not.

With Warmest Regards ~ Richard

[-Richard-]

The side/back view: