tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8689487740107692135.post5035758877776336770..comments2024-01-15T04:39:32.375-08:00Comments on Red Spade Audio: What really matters in audio - part 2Paul Spencerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07514836858344391753noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8689487740107692135.post-16311235056380409952011-03-03T23:43:56.465-08:002011-03-03T23:43:56.465-08:00Thanks Mike! I have no experience with bending wav...Thanks Mike! I have no experience with bending wave drivers, they do sound intriguing but I can't offer any real insight on them. I would need to hear them first. They do have an exotic appeal, that's about all I can say about them.<br /><br />If I had unlimited funds and wanted to put together a system that was as good as money could buy, I would commission a range of experts to design custom speakers and the room for them. I'd have in mind guys like Geddes, Linkwitz, Tom Danley and Dennis Erskine. The challenge could be that I would want them to do some things a little differently than they would prefer.<br /><br />Would it be passive, active, analgoue, digital? Good question. If funds were truly unlimited there would be no need to choose up front, but different versions could be tried. It's quite likely that I would investigate all three, perhaps a hybrid, and it's also likely that I would want some of the electronics to be designed. It's likely I would want fully active and it would be multi channel with a digital source and only one digital conversion in the chain. So that would mean the electronics in such a system would be custom made as well. That could be developed with DEQX.<br /><br />Where funds are unlimited, options are available I wouldn't normally consider. It could start with perhaps a Plasma super tweeter (they are exquisite). Then a compression driver - not an off the shelf unit necessarily as I feel most of them could be improved were they more commonly developed for high end audio. Then dedicated midrange drivers in a Synergy/Unity horn arrangement loading into foam loaded oblate spheroid elliptical waveguide. The drivers would need to be designed as the Unity mids are a little on the cheap side. Perhaps some Unity mids developed by Acoustic Elegance or even Seas. Then an open baffle array of low mids - again custom drivers similar to some AE speakers units. Then an array of custom woofers, with the lower bass covered by some built in bass horns in a multi sub arrangement based on Rythmik servo technology.<br /><br />The room would be a big part of the sound and although I'm not a huge believer in focusing too much on electronics, in such a system I would audition carefully each part. If I had the chance to create such an extreme system with no limits, it would be a full time job for a number of years with money being thrown in many directions and millions spent.<br /><br />If I was that kind of wealthy, I'd probably put on a big yearly audio event open to all audio enthusiasts.<br /><br />Having said all this, I enjoy the challenge of working within modest limits and designing the speakers and room myself. I'm slowly working towards creating a system that I expect will be spectacular. When people hear it, I believe it will challenge many audio beliefs. When you put together a sytem and spare no expense, everyone expects it to be exceptional, but some of these system also are disappointing in that many favourite recordings have their flaws exposed a little too much. However, when you put together a system with all the focus on the big issues, and skimp a little on the lesser issues like source and line components and amps, some people can't believe how good the result is. Many audiophiles are so entrenched in the view that everything has to be expensive, that they refuse to entertain the idea that you can get music out of a cheap DVD player.Paul Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07514836858344391753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8689487740107692135.post-72967432627806576292010-12-21T15:23:36.920-08:002010-12-21T15:23:36.920-08:00Hi Paul,
You have the best DIY audio site ever.
Wo...Hi Paul,<br />You have the best DIY audio site ever.<br />Would love to know your take on bending wave drivers like German Physiks, Manger, Walsh.<br /><br />If you had unlimited funds what kind of DIY speaker would you build? Would you use DSP in the mix<br /><br />I follow Linkwitz, Gedlee, Danny Ritchie and Derek Wilson (Overkill audio). They all have great ideas.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing your knowledge with all of us.<br /><br />MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com