[Danny Richie]

I think I am through tweaking. They sound incredible.

They were supposed to be the surround channel speakers for the OB-5 and OB-7 models. But these are incredible as left and right main speakers.

The boxes are 36" tall, 7" wide, and 13.5" deep.

Here are some pics of the prototypes during assembly. This one is from the top looking down through the boxes. They are braced and lined with No Rez.



Here is a shot from the bottom side. Note that the crossover will have its own separate air space in the bottom that will be easily accessed with a removable bottom panel.



The hole in the back side is for the binding post cup. There are a pair of 2" ports on the back side too. They're just above the binding post cup.

Here they are bare and before the vertical sides were rounded off with the router.



An assembled shot...



They'll eventually have a nice base on the bottom to give it stability and some of our new Brass spikes. 



The two woofers are both M-130's and are 8 ohms, but there is a crossover between the two of them. Only the front woofer plays up to the crossover point at 1,800Hz. The crossover between the two woofers is a first order crossover set at a very low frequency range. This led to the realization of something very clever.

What measures flat with these speakers is not necessarily what you get as an in room response. The 180 dispersion of the lower frequency ranges can load rooms a little differently than most speakers and cause a little bit more room gain in some rooms. What measured flat with the mic at a meter or a meter and a half was actually a little bottom heavy in my room. So that first order crossover (big cap bundle) on the front woofer used to pull the lows off of it is made up of several different smaller values. By adjusting the values on the front woofer you can adjust how much bottom end that it will be allowed to play and how much it can overlap onto the rear woofer. This allows the speaker to be easily dialed into any room. If you need more bottom end than increase the cap value. If you need less then decrease the cap value. It worked great in my room.

You guys are not going to believe how these sound. For a small speaker, they sound huge. Imaging is pin point but big. vocals are not limited to ear level. It allows the vocalist to appear to be standing in front of you. Not all is high though. Everything appears to be well placed. The music fills the room. It doesn't just sound like it is all in front of you playing from a set of speakers. These are as transparent as the larger OB-5 and OB-7 models. These things play live music in a way that makes it feel live. They are fast. They are clean. They sound powerful, and they are a blast to listen to. Vocals especially are really, really clean and real. They really make standard types of speakers sound two dimensional.

Veneer is on the way.

I'll get this pair finished up and take them to the RMAF. These are a must hear speaker. Paired with a sub I feel confident putting them up against ANY speaker in ANY price range.

The network uses one cap in the tweeter circuit, so it will be a Sonicap. The kit price for these will be $449. It will include everything.

[Hank]

Lookin' good!  And, I can imagine, no, I have seen, in various customers' room situations that they have to live with, via physical constraints, or the dreaded WAF factor, the these would be the answer.

Okay, how about my M-165X cabinet?  I'm ready to slice and dice, but need the drivers' recess OD/depth, through-hole diameter and baffle locations.  Ready to get it done.

And, think about tilting them back just a tad, via floor spike adjustments.

[phoenix_rising]

I think I am through tweaking. They sound incredible.
 

Will there eventually be a version that uses the new XBL woofer ?

[Danny Richie]

Okay, how about my M-165X cabinet?  I'm ready to slice and dice, but need the drivers' recess OD/depth, through-hole diameter and baffle locations.  Ready to get it done.

I'll PM the measurements to you.

Will there eventually be a version that uses the new XBL woofer ?

I'll look into when I they arrive, but the response curve does not favor this type of loading. The response curve of the XBL drivers mirror images a baffle step loss, but in this application there is no baffle step loss. They are listened to in the off axis. I'll have to see if I can make it work.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Hi Danny:

I see these are the same drivers as in the OB but with a 7" baffle.

If one was to use a 7" baffle on the OB 5's, would that throw out the frequency response much? One could widen the bass enclosures if the 8" baffle is more for the bass cabs.

I still like the OB design better. I would rather have the drivers facing me for more punch.

I take that they do not make the OB series sound 2-dimensional by comparison, correct?

Rocket_OB5_Ronny

[Danny Richie]

If one was to use a 7" baffle on the OB 5's, would that throw out the frequency response much? One could widen the bass enclosures if the 8" baffle is more for the bass cabs.

It might cause a resistor change in the notch filter.

I still like the OB design better. I would rather have the drivers facing me for more punch.

Actually, the direction that they're facing doesn't change anything in that regard.

I take that they do not make the OB series sound 2-dimensional by comparison, correct?

This is true. The OB series speakers are three dimensional as well, but you can kind of expect that from a larger open baffle design. It's a real surprise to get it from a small floor standing speaker with the woofers in a box.

[klh]

Very nice ! Are these ported (it doesn't appear so in the photos)? At what point would you recommend crossing them over to a subwoofer? Will you design a center channel to go with them?

[Danny Richie]

These are rear ported. From above...

There are a pair of 2" ports on the back side too. They're just above the binding post cup.

I have my sub set at 40Hz and it integrated really well.

There will be a center channel shortly using a pair of the M-130/16's and a Neo 3 in a sealed box. One of my customers has already sent me the box.  Now I just need to design a network for it.

[klh]

Completely missed that .  This will be one hell of a system for the cost.

The fact that the low end response can be dialed into each and every room will be of real importance given the fact that they will be used as surrounds. They can be placed as close to or as far from a wall as needed. If necessary, can the ports be put on the front at the same height? I wonder how that would affect the airiness of their sound. I don't think it will matter since the frequencies coming out of the port are so low... they should be non-directional.

[gprro]

If run as full range fronts with heavy home theater tracks, is there a risk of overdriving or bottoming the woofs?

[Danny Richie]

If necessary, can the ports be put on the front at the same height?

You could put them on the front or either side if you wanted.

don't think it will matter since the frequencies coming out of the port are so low... they should be non-directional.

You are correct.

If run as full range fronts with heavy home theater tracks, is there a risk of overdriving or bottoming the woofs?

I see no issue with running them full range. I always do. You won't hurt them. They won't bottom out either. They have a bumped back plate. If you overdrive them to the extreme then the voice coil will start to exceed the gap and then the BL will fall off. In other words beyond X-max they lose motor strength.

[TomS]

Since I have all four AV1-RS's installed as sides/rears and sounding great in my home theater now, how well would the O-3's as L/R and maybe the new center work together with them for A/V duty, given the difference in tweeters?

Tom

[phoenix_rising]

You could put them on the front or either side if you wanted.

I take it this means you could mount the tweeter at the side as well as the ports then the box could sit almost flush with a wall and only protrude around 8" ?

Are there going to be grills suplied for the tops in the kit ?

[Danny Richie]

I take it this means you could mount the tweeter at the side as well as the ports then the box could sit almost flush with a wall and only protrude around 8" ?

You could mount the tweeter on the side so long as you mount it right under the front driver so as to maintain proper phase, but it would also cause added surface reflections from the now wider front baffle.

But more importantly than that, you wouldn't want to place these right up against a wall. The response was designed to be smooth and accurate without near by surface reflections. Placing the speaker right up next to a wall would drastically alter the response and cause some major dips and peaks.

Are there going to be grills suplied for the tops in the kit ?

Currently, no. Besides it is easier to dust the woofers than to dust grills. 

[Danny Richie]

Since I have all four AV1-RS's installed as sides/rears and sounding great in my home theater now, how well would the O-3's as L/R and maybe the new center work together with them for A/V duty, given the difference in tweeters?

I think it to be more important that the woofers match than the tweeters. They actually match quite well. They have the same tonal balance and neutral sound to them. Rear channels get a completely different signal anyway. It is more important that your front three speakers match.

[Doublej]

Can one (i.e. you) easily modify the crossover to allow for placement near a wall? One of the challenges for us New Englanders is the away from the wall often equates to the middle of the room.

[Danny Richie]

If you have to place the speaker right on the wall then I would go for an A/V-1RS first.

Second, I'd go for an A/V-0 and try to keep it at least a foot out from the wall and I'd treat the wall.

A third consideration is that you can set the speakers right up on the wall for casual listening or when not listening, but pull it out from the wall when getting into a movie or going critical listening. They don't weight much and are easy to move.

[Occam]

You guys are not going to believe how these sound. For a small speaker, they sound huge. Imaging is pin point but big. vocals are not limited to ear level.

Quite believable given the radiation topology; similar to Linkwitz's Pluto and Olsher's C.B.A.E. approach.
Your's seems the most elegant, and potentially offers a tremendously satisfying imaging and soundstaging experience with reasonable extention. An added benefit could well be lower perceived distortion, as harmonics from the mid/woofer tend to radiate axially. Your design works with the typical room, rather than in conflict.

Kudos,
Paul

PS - anyway for the NY AudioRave to hear this design?

[mlpoteet]

Hi Danny -

About how far from the rear and side walls would you recommend placing the O-3 if they are used for LR main speakers?  Given the size of my room and it's layout, this may impact whether I go for the O-3 or the AV-O.  Thanks.

mark

[Danny Richie]

Thanks Paul,

PS - anyway for the NY AudioRave to hear this design?

Yea, you guys need to build a pair.    Order a kit and I'll cover the freight if you will show them off, and give feedback.

About how far from the rear and side walls would you recommend placing the O-3 if they are used for LR main speakers?

I am going to recommend that as main speakers they really need to be a least 3 feet from any wall.

Check this out. It is must reading. It's Siegfried Linkwitz commentary on the Pluto and how it compares to his Orion. http://www.linkwitzlab.com/Pluto/intro.htm

I am noticing the same attributes with the A/V-0 and the O-3.