[mosconiac]

I finally got around to putting together my Madisound Recession Busters (Rev 1) to be used as surrounds in my upcoming HT build. The build was simple (as to be expected with a practically turn-key kit) and a lot of fun! I am VERY satisfied with the results. :R

I made the build process nearly trivial by using pre-fab Parts Express 0.25cf enclosures (does that disqualify me for DIY? :hide. I soldered all connections and used wool for stuffing for a nice little sealed enclosure. Unfortunately, the grill won't fit over a surface-mounted woofer (I'll need to trim both a smidge to get it to work).

Pros: cheap, easy to build, low cost, surprising sound quality, cheap, very nice midrange, superb imaging, & did I mention they were $59?

Cons: peculiar side-mounted tweeter terminals, no BSC so no "heft" to bass (surprise!) although it extends MUCH deeper than I would have ever guessed (40Hz?!?!), slightly thick male vocals, & slightly crisp highs

BTW, I was shocked by what I heard when I first lit them up. They were painfully harsh...thankfully that disappeared with a little burn-in. Give them a little time if you build a set!

Here's a completed speaker on some old Plateau stands that normally hold my ProAc Response 1SC's:
Please excuse the mess...I am in the early stages of HT construction & I haven't completed the baseboard or rerouted the old coax.

Frequency Responses:
Please note: These results are from an off-center seating position with the speakers backed up against the wall (to simulate wall-mounting) and with no equalization whatsoever. The RTA is displaying 3dB per step, centerline is 70dB.

Correlated Pink Noise (right-of-center seating position, both channels driven):

Uncorrelated Pink Noise (right-of-center seating position, both channels driven):

Correlated Pink Noise (right-of-center seating position, left channel driven):

Correlated Pink Noise (right-of-center seating position, right channel driven):

 

[mosconiac]

Well, I'm pretty impressed with these little guys. They aren't big rockers, but they try.

I'm impressed with their LF extension (let's be realistic though, they can't shake the walls). I'm getting down into the 40Hz region so I'm getting hellish room gain!

WinISD predicted they would get down to the high-80's in the basic 0.25cf sealed enclosure I'm using (which luckily places it around Qtc=0.7). I'm getting an extra octave of extension with the near-wall-mounting alignment!

The downside is they can't take much power. WinISD shows about 20W before they get out of bounds in excursion. Factor in a THX-style HPF and WinISD says I can get to 105W. I'm convinced these will do superb in the surrouind position.

 

[mosconiac]

I ran into a snag with the PE enclosures. Since the RB woofer is meant to be surface-mounted, it is sitting atop the baffle. The PE grill has a pretty thick shoulder on it, which conflicts with the woofer frame. Oooops. I'll need to trim the grill to fit (I don't want to buy a specialized router bit to rebate the woofer).