An open baffle to dwarf MJK´s

Rudolf · « **on:** 11 Nov 2006, 08:04 pm »

I went to a DIY loudspeaker fair in Germany today:
http://www.hifi-music-world.de/
Attendance was VERY good. I was there for 6 hours and didn´t manage to get into the room of "hobby hifi" magazine because it was too crowded all the time!
Of most interest for this forum might be this all Fostex (and all AlNiCo) system featured by the german Fostex import:

http://img297.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hpim8431fl1.jpg

Drivers are four F200A, two D1400/1405 (?) and that impressive FW800N.
Midrange/tweeter towers are BR, (sub)bass is delivered in an OB of almost 2x2 m (glass sides included).
The FW800N was like a Rolls-Royce: Power was simply "sufficient".
I once heard the old FW800 (without N) at a friends home, where he simply held the bare driver in his hands. I believe that was the sound JohninCR is looking for.

In another room these ESLs were playing:

While I still have issues with the bloated imaging of large ESL, I must confess that they are really hard to beat ( if not unbeatable) with regard to explosive transients and genuine drum rendition.

You might gather from my description that I really enjoyed the day. I did!

Rudolf

BTW: I met the forum member "scorpion" at the fair. Very nice guy! It´s always a pleasure to meet someone "in the flesh" that you got to know from some forum discussions.

And don´t ask me about that crazy black BR box on the right in the Fostex picture. I didnt hear it and don´t know any specs.

MJK · « **Reply #1 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 09:05 pm »

I am starting to feel very inadequate, his is bigger.

Martin

hurdy_gurdyman · « **Reply #2 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 09:44 pm »

Mine may not be as wide, but it sure is shorter!

Dave

Rudolf · « **Reply #3 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 10:07 pm »

C´mon guys, don´t feel depressed.

In the end it doesn´t matter, who´s got the largest, but who got the smartest!

Jokes aside: I strongly believe this large baffle size at the exhibition was for marketing first. And it nicely hid the assorted equipment behind. It would have been interesting to see the MT section done as OB too.

Here is a look at the back of the FW 800N:

http://img206.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hpim8432pn1.jpg

Quite small magnet, isn´t it?
So it does look impressive at first sight, but lacking somewhat in size when come under scrutiny.

Davey · « **Reply #4 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 10:10 pm »

Rudolf,

FYI. The Analysis speakers are not ESL's. They're planar/ribbon hybrids essentially identical to the old Apogee speakers.

Cheers,

Davey.

Rudolf · « **Reply #5 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 11:03 pm »

Sorry Davey,
you are definitely right. I´ve got that mixed up in my mind, because the planars in the next room at the show were ESL. And they were fantastic too.

Rudolf

JohninCR · « **Reply #6 on:** 11 Nov 2006, 11:45 pm »

Quote from: Rudolf on 11 Nov 2006, 08:04 pm

....I once heard the old FW800 (without N) at a friends home, where he simply held the bare driver in his hands. I believe that was the sound JohninCR is looking for.

That's right, but make it a pair of the 800's and a pair of pretty young ladies to hold them for me. aa

Rudolf · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 08:50 am »

Quote from: JohninCR on 11 Nov 2006, 11:45 pm

That's right, but make it a pair of the 800's and a pair of pretty young ladies to hold them for me. aa

Everything stripped to the bare essentials.

I begin to see the delights of audiophile minimalism.

Rudolf

Rudolf · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 01:27 pm »

Well, it seems that I grossly overrated the height of that Fostex baffle. I was just sooo impressed by that woofer. The guy leaning over the OB in the picture is tall, but he is NOT Dirk Nowitzki, so baffle height would be more like 1.6 m. MJK can feel adequate again.

As compensation for my error I show these OBs with modified Ciare CH250 and some unknown 15" woofers. When I was at the fair, those OBs were relegated to the hallway. So I haven´t heard them. But the guy who took the pics reports a very lively and balanced rendition. He was impressed that the sweet spot was almost nonexisent - regardless of the big FR driver.

Someone else´s comment: "A real bad construction. Sloppy baffle with an overprized and overrated FR. The built-in woofer was not yet connected. And the Ciare was shouting everything to pieces."

Pay attention to the toothpic working as a stabilizer for the whizzer cone:

There seems to be a ring of material (silicone/glue?) around the whizzer too. And some small transparent plastics discs which are barely visible.

ebag4 · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 03:25 pm »

Hi Rudolf:
I woud be very interested in any shots of the rear of the Ciare OB that you might have.

Thanks,
Ed

nodiak · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 Nov 2006, 04:46 pm »

hmm, maybe I should get back to working on my wine barrel ob's...

scorpion · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 Nov 2006, 01:38 am »

Hi Rudolf, Ebag4 and others,

Yes, very nice to meet you too, Rudolf, to talk with another of the forum friends.

The Ciares, which had two extra magnets mounted and some feltspots attached to their baskets and a toothpick in the whizzercone, sounded both horrible and very good. Horrible in the high end, but very good on another demo with drums and voices. The guy who demonstrated them didn't know of what material the baffles where made of.

My Ciares, notched at 2500 and 5000 and also Damar-treated, sound better on the whole I think, never played them in anything like those baffles though. The Ciare-elements absolutly has potential fullrange with careful tuning, I think.

/Erling

Rudolf · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 Nov 2006, 08:42 am »

Quote from: ebag4 on 12 Nov 2006, 03:25 pm

I would be very interested in any shots of the rear of the Ciare OB that you might have.

Finally found some. Here you go:

http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/6225/steinsw2gf3.jpg
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/1069/steinsw3jo0.jpg

Notice that the woofer actually wasn´t connected at all!