Domes, domes and more domes!

Recently I have finished three new sets of speakers based on domes. Each has its own sound, yet they all sound wonderful. For a day, I put down my main open baffle speakers and tested them one by one. They were each optimized for flat response, yet there were subtle differences in sound. Perhaps due to the different phase, or off axis response? I believe each speaker sounds great. Whoever said domes do not sound good was just plain wrong. More dome based speakers to come.

Here are some pictures. Each got its own time on the woofers.

Besides the HiVi and Peerless based dome system, pictured on the woofers, I have two other dome based speakers. The one on the floor left is based on old Philips units. Tiny tweeter dome is silk based, and mid dome is paper based. I like this speaker a lot. The one on the floor right is based on Dayton soft domes, to which I removed protecting grill and front plate in order to place them closer to each other and the tweeter. Tweeter is small HiVi planar. They sound good too, but I prefer Philips based system.

bookshelfs

Some finished, some work in progress.

Full range with tweeter

Although full range speakers can measure almost flat on axis, they often beam of axis. They generally benefit from adding the tweeter. Ideally concentrically. Here are some examples.

Tang Band W5-1611SAF is 5" PP full range which according to the manufacturer has almost flat response from 100Hz to 20kHz. However, I find the driver to sound quite boring, lacking some detail and spark. How is this possible?

We do not only listen on axis. First arriving signal may be from the on axis flat response, but sound projected of axis bounces in the room and eventually reaches the listener few tens of milliseconds later. If this later arriving signal is significantly different, our brain does not like it.

This is how W5-1611SAF measured on its own. Please notice significant beaming.

I was not happy with the sound, so I added the tweeter. This is how it measures now. I like the sound and use the speakers in the bedroom system, together with the sub. Great sound. Pleasant, natural, non fatiguing.

Here is the whole system.

Another small system with betsy and tweeter

TC9FD MTM

Small bookshelf MTM with open back using Vifa TC9FD and tiny Dayton 3/4" dome tweeter ND20FD.

Sweet sound, highly recommended!

Of note, I use this speaker only from 150Hz and up, with woofer or subwoofer. I never load small fullrange with low frequencies. Distortion of small fullranges in general rises dramatically below 100Hz. This results in upper harmonics which were not present in the recording and only mask the true midrange and hights, muddying the sound.

the evolution of my ht sound

This is my current set up for the tv/3d projector

Audio signal goes to JC-2 preamp/signal selector, then thought the Behringer 31 band digital eq, analog active crossover at 150Hz, upper path is amplified by 10 watts JLH classA amp, lower pass is amplified by AKAI 70 watts chip amp. Bookshelf speakers are 6fe200 mid FaitalPRO, Selenium horn tweeter. Woofers are Pioneer lookalikes.
Still under construction.

I have replaced woofer with 15" Jamo in closed box and experimented with minidsp as active crossover and four 50 watts class d amps. Sounds ok so far.

Domes!

This is the third dome based system I made. This one is based on HiVi domes for tweeter and upper mid, and Peerless 5" dome for midbass. Temporarily powered by BA3FA/F4 combo. An old cassette deck and cd player provide the signal. Excellent sound.

https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/324951-hivi-domes.html

Main system update

As you can see, I have open baffle speakers. These are inspired by NOLA speakers, formerly ALON by Mr. Marchisotto, ex Dahlquist speaker designer. They are based on four Dayton reference series midwoofers per side, RS125 on open baffle, and planar HiVi tweeter. I preferred one tweeter to short array, as it is already vertically quite directional, being quite big. As before, this open baffle is crossed at ~150 Hz up. Woofers are JAMO open baffle 2x15" per side. All biamped.


My audio system currently consists of Jungson HDCD player Moon Harbor, SONY ST-555ES tuner, JVC TD-V66 cassette player, Technics DCC deck RS-DC10, Technics SL1200 turntable with Benz Micro Ace, turntable Pro-Ject Essential III with AT144Mlb, and diy turntable based on Akai direct drive, Tesla PU1001 arm and Signet cart, EAR-834p phono preamp, Hagerman Bugle phono preamp and Yamaha C-70 riaa preamp (only for turntable), diy signal selector, Behringer UltraCurve 31 digital equalizer, passive upper pass crossover, 150 Hz active crossover for woofers, ClassA amp Aleph J or F1J for mids and tweeter, 60 watt ClassAB plate amp for woofers. Other mid-tweeter amps include Vfet, First Watt M2, F3, penultimate JLH, F5, BA3FA/F4 combo, KT88 SE amp, Goldmund clone, various LM3886 chip amp iterations and so on. 

For headphone listening I am using Pioneer DV-300 as source of digital signal, Cirus Logic as DAC, Whammy or ACP+ as headphone amps. Previously it was B1 buffer as volume control and ACA as headphone amp. Another headphone amps are AMB Labs Alpha20, Kumisa headphone amp, Lehman Audio and Musical Fidelity. Headphones are HE1000, HE400i and Sennheiser HD600, 580 and 598.

RTR tape player RT-707 for tape digitalization using Sound Blaster Extigy external soundcard and Sony Sound Forge software.

Recently replaced HiVi planar with Dayton AMT tweeters. Smaller tweeters, less beaming, nice sound. 

Another update. New speakers on top are betsy wow from 150Hz to 900Hz, slim 8" planar from 900Hz to 9000Hz, and 3" planar foster from 9000Hz up. Open baffle, inspired by Infinity IRS-beta. Amazing sound. Very happy how they turned out. 

 

 

Less than one watt is plenty for the top open baffle speakers. So I am using either VFET, J2 or AN39 amp. Korg NuTube pre or SRPP 6N11 pre. Happy listening!