and the winner is....Me! [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

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3-LockBox
08-28-2006, 07:49 AM
1st place - Best Fullrange (single driver concept) under $100
....................*Puget Sound Audio Soceity*........................

These are 5.25" dual cone drivers (Ratshack) w/ 8" passive radiator (Dayton)
(the 5.25" ers are in a bipole configuration) Cabinets are 'rescued' Epicure 100s

OK, there were only five others in my catergory, but hey, I got some cool CDs

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k189/3-LockBox/DCP_0042-1.jpg

musicoverall
08-28-2006, 09:28 AM
Well, don't keep us in suspense! How do they sound? Frequency range? Etc Etc.

Troy
08-28-2006, 10:00 AM
I like the puppy sculpture. I hope that's your wife's . . .

3-LockBox
08-28-2006, 11:12 AM
Well, don't keep us in suspense! How do they sound? Frequency range? Etc Etc.

Well, they didn't suck worse than the others...they will post frequency graphs later, but I was told mine measured very flat. I treat the cones with damar varnish, which stiffens the the paper, cuts down on distortion in the as well as cutting out the peakiness of the mids. Its a great jazz and classical music speaker. Good with country and pop too, but they aren't going to replace a well designed two way. The judges used a mix of classical, jazz, folk, and adult contemporary (I heard Mark Knofler, Steely Dan, Dave Brubeck, I recognized a Vivaldi piece, and a lot of stuff I'd never own, like Irish folk, and some sort of sea-chanty stuff that was multi-part harmony male a capella). The frquency range listed on the drivers' specs are 50hz-14Khz, 92db efficiency. The judges at the contest were using a heavily modified Sony CD player and an un-godly expensive, and gorgeous, Genesis 60wpc tube ampilfier. (It just so happens that I've been playing a lot of Genesis lately; coincidence? I call it synergy :D)

This is one of those projects you do just to show what can be done, but these drivers are an endangered species to us common folk. There are companies over sees that make fullrange drivers, but they're very expensive. These Ratshack drivers are old, having purchased them when they went on clearence. Some of these drivers went a low as $2.97 each. Not the be all end all, but still, surprisingly good. Most people can't believe there's no tweeter. And, yes, they're way better than Bose, which isn't much of an accomplishment.

I was very much into the DIY world for a while, but realized years ago I wasn't really listening to music, I was listening to gear. So I decided to put the DIY thing on the back burner and venture out and see what this world offered music-wise. I started here, at RR. I've spent way more money on CDs than I ever did in the DIY speaker thing.