First speakers - a little ambitious - curved array

**Mike P.** · **08-20-09, 01:53 PM**

Looks good! Rounding over the port will definitely help.

**JCD** · **08-22-09, 05:34 PM**

The combination looks really good.

Will you be painting them?

I also had a suggestion -- putting some mopads under the array. That should isolate the sub from the speaker.

But really, that just look so cool.

**soundemon** · **09-14-09, 09:27 AM**

Very cool! not what I'd pictured when I read the title!

**StereoClarity** · **09-14-09, 10:01 AM**

Very nice concept! I've always been intrigued by arrays. I agree with Jacen, isolating the arrays form the sub is a priority. You could use a spike system and integrate it into the top part of the sub. Rounding over the port exit will help as well.

Have you stuffed the enclosures at all? Did I miss that?

**Owen Bartley** · **09-15-09, 11:33 AM**

Grant, those are really cool looking speakers. In your redesign, I'd second the advice to move the drivers closer together, and to work on some bracing before you double up the thickness of the MDF walls. I don't think with such a small panel you'll have many problems, especially if it's well braced internally. They really do look awesome though. What are you thinking for finish?

**StereoClarity** · **09-15-09, 05:52 PM**

Quote:

Owen Bartley wrote:

In your redesign, I'd second the advice to move the drivers closer together

Third'd...lol

Getting them closer together will help reduce lobing.

**villain3g** · **09-15-09, 09:51 PM**

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I did stuff the both enclosures with polyfill. I don't know the exact amount. I know that there’s about the same amount in each. The subs also have some fill in addition to 1" foam on the inner cavity.

Right now the subs are far superior to the towers. After reading up further on line arrays, it looks like I've gone against the grain on the key concepts. My next attempt at a line array will be to have a two way setup. The lines must be longer to really get the benefits from the line. I'm also toying with the idea of active crossovers and bi-amping.

**StereoClarity** · **09-15-09, 11:21 PM**

Quote:

villain3g wrote:

Right now the subs are far superior to the towers.

Don't feel bad buddy. Those Peerless are hard to outclass! I have a pair of the 12" version of those subs and they are just plain beautiful. True and honest music.

**Endesereth** · **09-16-09, 08:33 PM**

Wow! nice job, how do they sound?

**villain3g** · **10-12-09, 08:44 PM**

They sound pretty good but with the spacing of the drivers, comb-filtering starts around 6khz. My plan is to place a Dayton PT2C-8 at the center of the array and cross it at 5khz. This should really clear things up in the upper octaves.

While I have little knowledge of speaker design, I have even less in crossover design. From what I've read, a fourth order crossover has a very steep slope. But I’m concerned about this "phase shift". What does that mean? Is it noticeable? Is there a way to negate this shift?

What do you all recommend?

**enigmaticEntity.** · **10-13-09, 05:22 AM**

Phase shift is very noticeable if it is of the wrong angle. Most cross overs are designed to have 180 or 360 degree phase shifts. In this way, the phase shifts can be eliminated by either swapping the polarity of the cables in the case of the 180 degree phase shift, or you can build a fourth order Linkwitz-Riley or Linear-Phase cross over, which have 360 degree phase shifts and therefore no re-wiring.

Linkwitz-Riley crossovers are the most popular.

http://www.ajdesigner.com/crossover/crossoverfourth.php

**villain3g** · **10-21-09, 05:47 PM**

Second iteration. Two-way, bi-amped, 24db passive crossover at 5khz, and curved for time alignment.

**yourgrandma** · **10-21-09, 07:11 PM**

Sweet. I love epic looking speakers. Good work on the cabinets. How are you going to mount the ribbon on the curves face? Seems like the perfect job for a mill.

**villain3g** · **10-21-09, 07:43 PM**

Thanks. Im thinking of making a jig for my plunge router. It will hug the sides and be flat on top with a lip for the router to follow. I don't know, we'll see. Epic... good word. I wanted something that looked different. Im not too sure on the finish yet though.

**villain3g** · **11-03-09, 09:17 PM**

I've got them running. I went with a straight baffle in the end. It seems to have a more consistent sound when moving through the listening area. The addition of the tweeters is the most significant. Where there was an annoying confusion in metal rock and complex orchestral pieces is now a pleasant accuracy. My only concern is if I'm actually getting down to the subs. Most likely not.

**ridecolby** · **11-04-09, 10:08 AM**

Great looking project. It is unfortunate that you had to go with a flat baffle because the curved one looked really cool. What is your plan for a center to match up with these? How about surrounds?

**ronbon** · **11-04-09, 01:35 PM**

Your arrays look to me very similar to the column speakers I have seen for p.a. work. They would be hung facing out and down to the back rows of an auditorium. The distance between the line of speakers created a phase distortion that tended to cancel the higher frequencies of the outer speakers in all but the direct line of fire of the array. This helped eliminate feed back during live performances. Maybe this is why the sound seems to come from inside your head. Either that, or you humming along:-)

Ron

**Yad** · **11-04-09, 05:30 PM**

Grant, how did you make a curved face panel ? Does usual MDF is flexible-enough ?

**villain3g** · **11-04-09, 08:02 PM**

I cut the sides with a jigsaw and sanded them together. The front was 1/4" hardboard but if I did it again I'd use 1/2" mdf.

**villain3g** · **11-04-09, 08:18 PM**

They definately don't have the same visual effect... Maybe I'll rig up the old enclosures to work for something. I've got these bi-amped and crossed at 5k.

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