X-Statik Driver Upgrade if price no object!

omega · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 03:45 am »

Quote from: Danny on 22 Apr 2011, 12:57 am

It is true that the drivers and cabinet design will dictate the crossover. You can't start with the crossover and work around it to get anywhere. Even designing digital crossovers requires drivers and cabinet design first.

I do have a colleague working on a true digital crossover solution using the best quality parts and DAC's available. It would cost a consumer about $6,000 for the set up. It will just flat out cost that much for that many channels of high quality output.

Regarding the X-Statik. The tweeter is right up there with the best domes on the market. There is really nothing you can do that will be a clear step up. At that level the caps make a bigger difference than the difference between various top level tweeters.

The woofers will be really tough to beat for that application with anything off the shelf.

It sounds like what you are really looking for is the X-Optima and X-Otica designs that are in the works. Stay tuned.

Good points! I am not sure why audiophiles in US are not catching the "Going Active" bug, Australians are all over it. I believe here we are finally catching up to computer audio.

I think speaker designers should now provide crossover bypass switch like Salk Sound is doing. All preamp should have digital and analog input with room correction. One should have an options to buy a speaker with no crossover and just a config file.

It is awesome that you have something in the works. Once I am done with this experiment I'll sell the setup to buy an X-Optima

S Clark · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 04:10 am »

Since you cannot alter the box, you will have to use surface mount drivers, and I don't know of any that surpass the custom Peerless that are already in the X-Statik. So back to your initial inquiry "wanted to upgrade the drivers to something like scan speak or other low distortion driver. If price is no object, what are my choices?", basically the answer is that I don't know of any choices. Sorry I can't be of any help.

persisting1 · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 09:42 am »

Quote

It sounds like what you are really looking for is the X-Optima and X-Otica designs that are in the works. Stay tuned.

Need more info

Will these be the same speakers you designed for av123 years ago, or a whole new beast?

Sorry for threadjacking.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 01:42 pm »

Quote

Need more info

I don't want to give away too much until all the testing and development work is complete. It will be open baffle and it will build on and be likened to a step or two up from the X-Statik. Okay in some cases a serious step up.

Quote

Will these be the same speakers you designed for av123 years ago, or a whole new beast?

It is something new of my own design but will carry the name sake of earlier promised designs that were never made. It will be a bit of closure and fulfillment in a way to make happen what almost never was.

se-riously · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 04:17 pm »

Quote from: Danny on 22 Apr 2011, 01:42 pm

It will be open baffle and it will build on and be likened to a step or two up from the X-Statik. Okay in some cases a serious step up.

I thought that was the OB series.

corndog71 · « **Reply #25 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 06:54 pm »

Ah, yes. The X-Optima was an awesome dream.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #26 on:** 22 Apr 2011, 07:20 pm »

Quote from: se-riously on 22 Apr 2011, 04:17 pm

I thought that was the OB series.

My OB series kits (OB-5 and OB-7) use the Neo tweeter and top level crossover parts.

Quote from: corndog71 on 22 Apr 2011, 06:54 pm

Ah, yes. The X-Optima was an awesome dream.

Hey I still have those test boxes and all the drivers for them.

So if someone wanted to take them off my hands and use them for a all digital test bed or something... that would be pretty cool.

I never went forward with them because I felt like they really needed a higher Q woofer for that free air application that would allow them to play a little lower and have better free air power handling. And the higher Q woofers were never made. But if someone had something else covering the bottom end then they'd be great.

omega · « **Reply #27 on:** 23 Apr 2011, 11:11 pm »

Quote from: Danny on 22 Apr 2011, 07:20 pm

My OB series kits (OB-5 and OB-7) use the Neo tweeter and top level crossover parts.

Hey I still have those test boxes and all the drivers for them.

So if someone wanted to take them off my hands and use them for a all digital test bed or something... that would be pretty cool.

I never went forward with them because I felt like they really needed a higher Q woofer for that free air application that would allow them to play a little lower and have better free air power handling. And the higher Q woofers were never made. But if someone had something else covering the bottom end then they'd be great.

Danny,
Can I fit Neo Tweeter in X-Statik?

Danny Richie · « **Reply #28 on:** 24 Apr 2011, 12:06 am »

Quote from: omega on 23 Apr 2011, 11:11 pm

Danny,
Can I fit Neo Tweeter in X-Statik?

No.

But the tweeter used in those is one of the best dome tweeters on the market. So you are not exactly getting a bad tweeter in those things.

drewm · « **Reply #29 on:** 26 Apr 2011, 02:45 am »

I guess I don't really understand this thread. If you're looking for a near cost no object OB speaker, why not look at Danny's superV prebuilt by one of the woodworkers on this forum? This would be a much better speaker than anything you could modify the x-static to be.

I'm pretty the money you could recover selling the x-static and associated gear would easily cover the build costs.

omega · « **Reply #30 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 07:35 pm »

Quote from: drewm on 26 Apr 2011, 02:45 am

I guess I don't really understand this thread. If you're looking for a near cost no object OB speaker, why not look at Danny's superV prebuilt by one of the woodworkers on this forum? This would be a much better speaker than anything you could modify the x-static to be.

I'm pretty the money you could recover selling the x-static and associated gear would easily cover the build costs.

I am not sure if I'll like the sound! I have to go through the same sequence of setting the speaker and playing with the crossover setting, driver correction etc. in the end it will be a marginal improvement at best.

persisting1 · « **Reply #31 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 07:37 pm »

Quote from: omega on 27 Apr 2011, 07:35 pm

I am not sure if I'll like the sound! I have to go through the same sequence of setting the speaker and playing with the crossover setting, driver correction etc. in the end it will be a marginal improvement at best.

Is this what Danny has stated?

omega · « **Reply #32 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 07:43 pm »

Quote from: persisting1 on 27 Apr 2011, 07:37 pm

Is this what Danny has stated?

Yes! I took his advice and not shopping for drivers anymore. I'll wait for capital audio fest. and Rocky mountain audio fest. to evaluate more speakers.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #33 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 07:47 pm »

Quote

I'll wait for capital audio fest. and Rocky mountain audio fest. to evaluate more speakers.

Looks like I will be at both of those.

jn316 · « **Reply #34 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 08:11 pm »

The above comments make it sound like Danny said that the Super V would only be a marginal improvent over the X-Statik, or even a modified X-Statik.

I'm assuming that that is not what was meant.

cujobob · « **Reply #35 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 08:22 pm »

Danny has said the Super Vs. are some of the best speakers available previously... and I don't believe he's said this of the X-Statiks. The X-Statiks are a good design built to a pricepoint (and are a good bargain at that pricepoint IMHO). The crossover can be upgraded and No Rez can be added, but not much else can really take this design up a notch. It won't give extreme dynamics, SPL, or constant directivity. The Super V is an improvement in those regards.

Danny Richie · « **Reply #36 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 08:43 pm »

Quote from: cujobob on 27 Apr 2011, 08:22 pm

Danny has said the Super Vs. are some of the best speakers available previously... and I don't believe he's said this of the X-Statiks. The X-Statiks are a good design built to a pricepoint (and are a good bargain at that pricepoint IMHO). The crossover can be upgraded and No Rez can be added, but not much else can really take this design up a notch. It won't give extreme dynamics, SPL, or constant directivity. The Super V is an improvement in those regards.

I am not sure where the Danny said comments came from but what cujobob just stated is exactly right.

jn316 · « **Reply #37 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 10:58 pm »

Quote from: Danny on 27 Apr 2011, 08:43 pm

I am not sure where the Danny said comments came from but what cujobob just stated is exactly right.

That's what I thought.

Having heard both, to compare the two are very much apples and oranges as far as performance goes...and yes, the Super V is superior.

nickd · « **Reply #38 on:** 27 Apr 2011, 11:27 pm »

I bought a used pair of X statik's in October for 600 bucks

and installed them at my son's house in Evans Colorado I had just visited Danny Friday at RMAF and spent some time in his room with the super V. The Super V is world class!! BTW

That said, the X statik is amazing too. You could upgrade the caps to Sonicap or if you've got the cash Dueland caps

might even be better. But unless you have serious up stream equipment, source and cables I don't know if you would hear a big difference. Adding a very fast sub like Dannys servo 12 or even a pair of them will help a great deal. A lot of sound stage information comes from sub bass but you need a fast sub that plays deep 18-25 hz to get that info. A pair of servo 12's in some tight cabinets will add some missing music to your rig. Up grade the caps, add some no rez and be blown away.

You have to spend serious money or build super V's to get to the next level.

sfdoddsy · « **Reply #39 on:** 10 May 2011, 10:42 am »

Interesting discussion.

Personally, I'm on the original poster's side. I've done something similar with my speakers.

I think you could improve the performance of the X-Statik by upgrading the mids and tweeter and doing an appropriate crossover. If not, what is the point of spending more on drivers for any speaker?

Off the top of my head, Accuton or Seas Excel come to mind for the mids, and the Millenium for the tweeter.

The sticking point would seem to be in the bass. I'm firmly of the opinion, and Danny's success with the V series appear to bear this out, that the real strength of open baffle designs lies in the nether regions. The lower you can go as a dipole the better.

So I'd be sorely tempted to pop the back off the bass section and run it OB. Alas, obviously a pair of 6.5s won't be able to handle any real depth, but you might be able to get them down to 80hz or so and then cross to a pair of Danny's OB subs.

Acoustic Elegance make a suitable driver for this, and it looks like you could even add a third one below the others.

Naturally you'd have to do some dipole roll-off EQing, and EQ out the dipole peak and U-Frame resonance, but that isn't that hard to do these days if you go all active.

Whether the cost involved in all this compared to just buying a pair of V1s or V2s makes it good value is another question.

I suspect not at $250+ per driver x 6 per speaker plus subs, but I'm sure the result would sound much better than the stock X-Statik.