Updated 09/18/2002
Well, I probably should tell what my system consists of. Because I'm a musician and know what instruments sound like, I really wanted my living room system to more or less duplicate what I was used to hearing with real instruments. Huh, big talk--who doesn't?
One difference with my approach is that I also have a rack of sound processing equipment, including a guitar amplifier simulator and electronic drums, and routinely plug real live guitars into the rack. I know how these live guitars sound when amplified using regular guitar amps. Acoustic guitars also, for that Michael Hedges sound. I also have played real drums in a band, and I am familiar with what they sound like too.
Maintaining any semblance of live dynamics tends to totally swamp out conventional home hi-fi speakers. That's why I moved to an electronic crossover approach. Also, why I'm on speaking terms with pro-sound equipment.
My living room system is essentially a PA system. However....
I really spend most of my time listening to CDs through this system. It's just that I keep comparing the sound to live music--well, because its there. (And I can haul out the guitar amps and drums, if I forget.)
With that out of the way, the other main criteria for my system was to build it a piece at a time, with no one piece costing much more than $300, or so.
Also note: I have substituted a lot of different drivers and boxes into my system. The following is what I am currently using. Tomorrow, it might be something completely different. Or more likely, one component will be swapped for another.
I'm using a Vifa H26TG35-06 horn tweeter. I'm currently using a passive crossover that Madisound designed and built. (You can see it on the top of the box--I never mounted the crossover inside the box.) Using a passive crossover brings me down to a three way system. I was running 4 way (no passive crossover), but decided that the extra head room wasn't worth the complication of another crossover and power amp. YMMV.
2010-01-19 Note: the PR170X0 is no longer available. But Audax has drivers that serve the same purpose. See the Audax section of Madisound's on-line catalog and look for the "Audax Professional Midrange." They cover the same frequency range and still have the all-important approx. 99db efficiency. Vifa has at least one horn dome tweeter that has a sensitivity of 96 db. So you should be good to go.
Not too pretty and will eventually be replaced with decent looking enclosures. Someday.
Two RS power amps and Carvin crossover
Sitting on top of RS sub
I originally used my Liberty Instruments Audio Suite to set levels and to check for proper phase and frequency response, but I found, after a while, that the settings that I dialed in by ear also measured the best, so I haven't used the Audio Suite in a while. But it is really handy to have it for the times when you are driving yourself batty trying to dial in that last bit of realism. Sometimes an objective viewpoint is helpful. (However, if I hadn't done all those measurements, I wouldn't be so sanguine about the sound.)
In other words, a work in progress.
Wayne Larmon can be reached at wlarmon@scrounge.org
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