Back to Open Baffles..... with Pure Audio Project Trio 15 Voxativ

[sameer kumar]

Few years back ..I heard and read somewhere that Audiophiles who like full range single driver speakers’ sound also prefer Open Baffle sound……True its the same with me too. I got introduced to open baffle sound with Emerald Physics speakers and relished the sound for a very long time and four years back I was lured by Line magnetic 755 full range single driver field coil speakers sound.

its been wonderful listening period with field coil speakers and 300b SET amp till I came across review at Dagogo by Doug Schroeder……The review on Pure Audio Project OB speakers.From then on I spent more time on exploring Pure Audio Project than listening to music and almost stopped listening ….. and during that period even my fellow audiophiles at my city felt my absence in routine audio discussions.

After few email exchanges with Pure Audio Project …... I was bit nervous in taking decision as I have zero DIY skills to assemble the drivers, baffles, frames and the scary one ... X over.

At this point of time Mr. Ze’ev Schlik’s (Founder of PAP) counselling and reassuring words on the ease of assembly and the user friendly instructions made me to go for the final purchase…….and packets of various components landed at my places from different parts of the world...Voxativ AC 1.6 Full range drivers from Germany,Baffles from Sweden, Four PAP woofers & Verastarr internal speaker profiles from USA, Frames and footers from Israel and the X overs from yet another country ??? forgot

Finally The DIY experience began at a nervous note but with the help of my energetic son and the supplied assembly instructions we could complete the assembly except the X over in two hours …..and the X over assembly instructions were quite straight forward but to play safe I took the help of our forum member Mr. Raghunath … we all know about his skills and he could finish assembling both X overs in less than half hour..Many a thanks to him.

To begin with I drove the PAP Trio 15 Voxativs with a 8W 300B Line magnetic integrated Amp and it was a pleasant sound and took nearly 200hrs to feel the true Open Baffle sound……..it was fast,open,airy ,transparent sound signature with excellent bass ,wider soundstage.

In pursuit of getting better dynamics ,exploiting the four 15 inch drivers further on the bass region I have procured NUPRIME STA 9 Monoblocks and paired them with EXOGAL Comet DAC. Boy….that Duo of Exogal Comet & Nuprime STA 9s made OBs blew me away with improved Dynamic presentation …. and it was a wall of sound ….but after few months my addiction to SET sound made me to reshuffle the source and the amp all over again. Finally I am settled with the following source and amps.

LUMIN U1 (Network Transport/Streamer) upgraded from Modified Mac mini.
Ayon ‘Stratos’ Reference DAC Pre upgraded from Ayon Skylla II DAC.
Line Magnetic 503 PA Mono blocks upgraded from Nuprime STA 9 Monoblocks, Line Magnetic 300B integrated.

These upgrades made the earlier sound more fluidic,transparent and dimensional.

After these upgrades I am able to derive the best out of my Pure Audio Project Trios. Its really been a pure audio experience session after session. In fact its more listening and less working for the past few weeks .

In the whole process of changing the set up I got an opportunity to enjoy superb components which were really good but I could not accommodate them to get the sound of my choice. Here are those components…Convergent Audio Technology CAT Preamp, Mark Levinson 23.5 stereo amp, Nuprime STA 9 Monoblocks and EXOGAL Comet DAC.

I wish to convey my special thanks to ever dependable forum member Mr.Raghunath for assembling the X overs and I also thank forum members Sidvee, Nikhil and Prem for offering suggestions to refine the sound.



Cheers

 

[sameer kumar]

Congratulations for great OB setup !!! Coincidentally we both are Samir (just an i in my case instead of ee) and am an OB lover too though I “DIY” mine. Zeev is a nice guy and even helpful to DIYers though my DIY efforts have been through my own hunches and beliefs.

Thank you Samir...I regularly follow your posts on FB Groups

 

[srinisundar]

Congratulation of your OB Setup. Definitely OB is different league and who owned it will know the same and it is difficult to look back the Box type of speakers if we are used to this...

 

[JayaRaa]

Congratulations on a fine set up. Exogal Comet Dac is very good indeed. Maybe the synergy was not achieved with the nuprime power amps.

 

[sameer kumar]

Congratulations on a fine set up. Exogal Comet Dac is very good indeed. Maybe the synergy was not achieved with the nuprime power amps.

No Jay , It was very good. Nuprimes had superb control over 15inch Driver. Last 5 years I got used tube SET sound which made me reshuffle the DAC and Amp.

I still reccommend the combo of Exogal and Nuprimes.

 

[Nikhil]

Hi Sameer,

Congratulations on the new setup! PAP is a great sounding speaker.
You have gone to a lot of trouble to get great gear alongside.

Line Magnetic is getting a name all over as fantastic amps - those 503a monos must be really something with the PAP open baffles. Looking forward to listening to the Ayon Stratos as well - hard to change to any other source once you get taste for the Ayon sound. The Skylla was really good so wondering what the Stratos must be sounding like.

But more than anything it's good to have you back listening to music.

Regards.

.

 

[Kannan]

Congratulations Samerrji. DIY is indeed a fulfilling experience. Kudos to your son and other forum members for all the help they offered.

By the way the whole setup, the room all look absolutely top class.

 

[sameer kumar]

By the way the whole setup, the room all look absolutely top class.

Thank you for your complements

 

[sameer kumar]

Hi Sameer,

Congratulations on the new setup! PAP is a great sounding speaker.
You have gone to a lot of trouble to get great gear alongside.

Line Magnetic is getting a name all over as fantastic amps - those 503a monos must be really something with the PAP open baffles. Looking forward to listening to the Ayon Stratos as well - hard to change to any other source once you get taste for the Ayon sound. The Skylla was really good so wondering what the Stratos must be sounding like.

But more than anything it's good to have you back listening to music.

Regards.

.

Thank you Nikhil.....Lets meet over a listening session at my place.

 

[sameer kumar]

Its indeed a beautiful, large, open room. Perfect for OB audio nirvana !

Yes Samir,

 

[rikhav]

For a layman like me can you guys who have contributed to the thread and specially Sameer describe what is the basic difference in sound in boxed vs ob speakers
I know hearing it yourself is the best way but I don't know anyone who owns OB speakers
Thanks in advance
Basically pros and cons of both deisgns
I am looking for user perspective, else google Baba is always of help

 

[Sumanta]

Great view, setup, system and synchronization (as I read through the story). Congratulations!

I have two questions -
1) Are those PAPs placed more than 3 feet from the front wall?
2) Have you listened your system without those sound absorbing shields? If yes, what are the differences. If not, can you try them please!

Hyderabad is slowly getting more important to me.

 

[Nikhil]

For a layman like me can you guys who have contributed to the thread and specially Sameer describe what is the basic difference in sound in boxed vs ob speakers

Open baffle speakers have no box coloration due to there being no box enclosure.
The drivers are mounted directly on the baffle

The sound signature is clean and fast. The lean sound requires some bass reinforcement in many of the DIY designs but the PAP is a very interesting take on the OB concept with an 8" Voxative full range driver and two 15" Eminence bass drivers. Needs lots of power and high quality power to sound its best.


.

 

[prem]

Nikhil, am not sure if they need a lot of power. At shows they run it with a 4 watt 2A3 amp

 

[sameer kumar]

For a layman like me can you guys who have contributed to the thread and specially Sameer describe what is the basic difference in sound in boxed vs ob speakers
I know hearing it yourself is the best way but I don't know anyone who owns OB speakers
Thanks in advance
Basically pros and cons of both deisgns
I am looking for user perspective, else google Baba is always of help

Hi Rikhav,,

I am good listener....never bothered on specs...before any purchase I follow my favourite reviewers and audition extensively and purchase that gear.

If I like a particular component then I refine it further by upgrading the same product...it has worked for me so far..
I got hooked to OB sound 7 years back when I visited ARN banglore .
Instantl liked the sound as it was very clean ,open without a bass overhang. Bass overhang was the particular issue which I used experience with my old BE 718 speakers. Just to overcome that I switched over to OBs.

I also used to attend my friends rock band practice sessions at a garage regularly. I felt that live listening experience in a closed garage and OB listening experience are very close...which is a sound of my ears choice....

I never had any fixation on choosing a gear....I had a similar feel when I listened line magnetic 755 field coil speakers and went with them.

For me box speakers or OB speakers no differences .. .. if they are in to my sound zone I try get them...

My focus ...more on midrange ..less on Bass ..open sound with wider soundstage.
It's my perspective...

These are the speakers which I liked..

Manger P1
ATC SCM 40 Mk2, ATC 19,20
Living Voice IBX
Devore nines.

I just tried to express myself to your question...It's not a straight answer I guess

 

[prem]

Very well put Sameer. OB, Single Drivers, 2 way, Horns. They can all sound good. It’s all in the implementation. I agree with you that what’s more important is knowing what you want as a listener.

 

[rikhav]

Hi Sameer
Agreed not a straight answer but sort of an answer related to real world
I basically got the point what you trying to make and I guess such a mindset towards audio is sort of a short cut to musical nirvana in relative terms
Don bother about specs. Dig deep into a component whose sound you like
Thanks

@Nikhil, thanks for the technical explanation

 

[Sumanta]

The sound signature is clean and fast. The lean sound requires some bass reinforcement in many of the DIY designs but the PAP is a very interesting take on the OB concept with an 8" Voxative full range driver and two 15" Eminence bass drivers. Needs lots of power and high quality power to sound its best. .

I think the trick probably is in the big difference of SPL between collective SPL of 15" drivers and the 8" one to have the bass. The baffle definitely help too. And in total these speakers can run on very low power as Prem said.

 

[sameer kumar]

Great view, setup, system and synchronization (as I read through the story). Congratulations!

I have two questions -
1) Are those PAPs placed more than 3 feet from the front wall?
2) Have you listened your system without those sound absorbing shields? If yes, what are the differences. If not, can you try them please!

Hyderabad is slowly getting more important to me.

Hi....They are placed 4.75 ft from front wall.
Your observation is spot on..I have already removed 4panels and the sound has become more airy ,open and highs extended further.

Currently the panels are optimum to my listening preferences. I listen to acoustic guitar over lengthy periods. If I listen with less panels then I feel fatigued after 4 or five hours.

Other way with just two panels it sounds way better but I can't listen through the day ....especially during weekend extended sessions.

I am moving to a new house ...there I am restricted to use less panels to comply house interiors....Planning to try diffusers behind speakers...

I didn't use any panels with Emersld Physics CS3 but PAP vocativ presentation on acoustic guitar and trumpet is a bit tough on your ears beyond 4hours......

However I try removing them and share my observations of OBs in a bare room.

 

[Hari Iyer]

Good setup. Are the sound absorbing panels required at the front wall? This could prevent the figure 8 diople to be weak? Also the room contribution is minimal in an OB due to this dipole pattern. Curious to know.