General question out of curiosity - Who discovered that SK12FRX can be used for Hifi ?

[Lionx]

hey Lionx,

as far as i observed, it does a fantastic job for most of the regular music.
It handles most of the latest telugu, tamil, and hindi songs well, unless they are very fast beat with too many instruments.
The moment I play anything like Linkin park, Aerosmith, Greenday etc etc.... some degree of clarity is missing in HF.

Just for a try, Im going to club it with a compression driver HF100 from Faitalpro.
I may try Phase plug experiment also later on.

by the way ... Can you give few more details on JE labs design please .....

Please go ahead and let us know the effect of adding the compression driver to this. Below is the link for JE labs design,

http://jelabsarch.blogspot.com/2012/06/open-baffle.html

 

[Sumanta]

I have incorporated another famous DIY FR, 8" Boston HiQ to this OB for tackling the HF issue which is crossed at 6khz (first order). Now I enjoy the sweet mids from FRX and the HF finesse from the HiQ. A silk dome tweeter with matching sensitivity might give a better performance which I am going to try next after the Jean Hiraga amp build.

Interesting combination of FRX with 8" HiQ for high. Can you share photos please. I think with the later add ons of a tweeter, you can go for a 4 way speaker. Hi-Q drivers are excellent for female voices. I used this driver for wider mid range in my last OB. It was doing great but lacking might of a 12" being a little smaller at 8".

Unless you couple it with an OB Bass driver, you will not get the complete pleasure out of it. This of course stands for a 2 way OB setup. A super tweeter facing upward may do wonders..... (Though I would like to mount it coaxially at the centre of the Ahuja if the dimensions of the tweeter permit )

I would like you all to try Ripole design for bass reproduction if you are thinking of using Ahuja drivers as they lack a good combination of low Fs and high Qts. I chose high Qt driver and use Ripole design to lower the Fs.
If you use Piezzo tweeters of Ahujas, you can make them co-axial with SR12 FRX. They sound good to my ears. My first OB had those tweeters point up and that had superb wide spaced imaging!

 

[Lionx]

I would like you all to try Ripole design for bass reproduction if you are thinking of using Ahuja drivers as they lack a good combination of low Fs and high Qts. I chose high Qt driver and use Ripole design to lower the Fs.
If you use Piezzo tweeters of Ahujas, you can make them co-axial with SR12 FRX. They sound good to my ears. My first OB had those tweeters point up and that had superb wide spaced imaging!

Can you post a pic of your OB with the Ahuja Tweets as I am also thinking to pair it with my FRX which can replace the HiQ.

Interesting combination of FRX with 8" HiQ for high. Can you share photos please. I think with the later add ons of a tweeter, you can go for a 4 way speaker. Hi-Q drivers are excellent for female voices. I used this driver for wider mid range in my last OB. It was doing great but lacking might of a 12" being a little smaller at 8".

This is just a test fit to check the combo, HiQ lags in the sensitivity hence it's been overpowered by the FRX, will have to add a resistor to match the signals. I just tried to place the HiQs at ear level.

 

[Naveenbnc]

I would like you all to try Ripole design for bass reproduction if you are thinking of using Ahuja drivers as they lack a good combination of low Fs and high Qts. I chose high Qt driver and use Ripole design to lower the Fs.
If you use Piezzo tweeters of Ahujas, you can make them co-axial with SR12 FRX. They sound good to my ears. My first OB had those tweeters point up and that had superb wide spaced imaging!

By any chance is it Dipole you are saying ? Or Ripole is some other concept ....

 

[drkrack]

Ahuja full range is the king of midrange. The oldies of Bollywood sound much better, the foot tapping and hard rock seems to make it uncomfortable.


This is the Song which I've never heard it much better than in Ahuja full range speakers. Not even the very premium speakers or Headphones do it better in comparison to Ahuja in reproduction. Listen to it if you have Ahuja FR.

 

[Sumanta]

By any chance is it Dipole you are saying ? Or Ripole is some other concept ....

They are folded dipole, patented by Ridathler. Search by Ripole, you will get plenty of links to read through. My Ripole design is the lower module of the photo there. Ripole design partly pressurized exit air, hence it might colour sound in some listener's ears. I was fine. I kept Ripole busy for 180 Hz downwards.
My SR-15 had Fs of 45, which I believe lowered to at least 35 Hz. I used to use the same driver in an simple OB, where some lows were missing. They were played quite well in Ripole. It is a smart compromise in design for small rooms.

 

[Sumanta]

Sumanta, Nice to see you chime here after quite a while. I have another extended range driver, Alnico 12” R&A with rather deep cones with the centre that look like a whirlpool so I am thinking of coaxially mounting the Jensen Alnico tweeters that I have. The combo will have DSR in the vicinity of 4 ohms and my new SE tube amps with 4 ohm taps will easy handle them. I will experiment with different caps and cross at around 8k - 10k and tune by ears....

Thanks, I am a bit away from DIY now. Good sounds, I am sure now, can be achieved in many ways, hence I am quite relaxed now.
I found vertically aligned tweeter gave me higher and wider imaging and coaxial gave me more depth. I liked both.

Ahuja FR is a nice driver, which I suggest others to try if they have interest in OB setups. But pardon me, I have never laid my hands on one. My hands are full of FRDs already and I am yet to even sound a few of them for the first time.

I do intend to try PPSL bass some day but not ripole.

I am going to steal some from your stock.
What is PPSL?
We each have our own liking. There's no dead end or a fountainhead. I shared my impression and liking for both plain OB and Ripole one.

 

[Sumanta]

This is just a test fit to check the combo, HiQ lags in the sensitivity hence it's been overpowered by the FRX, will have to add a resistor to match the signals. I just tried to place the HiQs at ear level.
View attachment 31388

I feel Ahuja Piezzo tweeters will be enough here. Use two APT-001 per speaker, put them at the back, facing roof.
May be it is the perspective error of this photo, otherwise, I feel the main baffle is towed outwards. If it is so, may I know why is it so?

 

[Lionx]

I feel Ahuja Piezzo tweeters will be enough here. Use two APT-001 per speaker, put them at the back, facing roof.
May be it is the perspective error of this photo, otherwise, I feel the main baffle is towed outwards. If it is so, may I know why is it so?

My baffle design has very limited space for upward projection, anyways I will give it a try with one tweeter.

It must be the angle of the pic, the baffle is projection is straight angled at 80degree to top for bass.

 

[Naveenbnc]

Ahuja full range is the king of midrange. The oldies of Bollywood sound much better, the foot tapping and hard rock seems to make it uncomfortable.


This is the Song which I've never heard it much better than in Ahuja full range speakers. Not even the very premium speakers or Headphones do it better in comparison to Ahuja in reproduction. Listen to it if you have Ahuja FR.

finally you came in
For some songs its absolutely a super driver. Just like the song you shared.
A few more songs that sounded awesome with Ahuja FR driver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiIAb-80JlM&index=6&list=PLwEThhA-rbPsKAd2EkK4SL-uXE2QT6KQU&t=0s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rvjd-f2XDHE&list=PLwEThhA-rbPvCxomdpb7KkYkE9REbWhqZ&t=0s&index=14

Some of these sounded great with a sub on !!

 

[Sumanta]

Sure you are welcome to try them. PPSL is push pull slot loaded arrangement of dual woofers to do OB bass duty. Cancels the distortion by the virtue of the design itself. Digs deeper than the drivers Fs itself.

No trial, just capture them, sort of hijacking .
Well, they are slot loaded after all. I am not sure how distortion will be cancelled by the design. Is it because of opposite direction of movement cancelling vibration? does that cancel distortion of cone? I need to read more. Orion has push pull OB bass but not slot loaded.
Thanks in advance for these enlightenment. Please share some more data if you have them handy.

 

[Naveenbnc]

The post is about Ahuja full range so it’s a bit inappropriate to discus OB integrations of sub bass drivers but I could not resist sharing this. However these designs compliments all FRD OB designs with bass reproduction options.

It’s by Nelson Pass and can be made with just 8” bass drivers with incredible results. I would love to make this some day. Iwai woofers may be tried. Here is the link:

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/diy/0911/slot_loaded_open_baffle_speaker.htm

An excellent read on different dipole woofer designs:

https://www.hifizine.com/2012/12/subwoofer-origami/

Enjoy reading them. And happy learning !

any info from any direction is welcome ...thanks lot for sharing !!!

 

[Lionx]

I feel Ahuja Piezzo tweeters will be enough here. Use two APT-001 per speaker, put them at the back, facing roof.
May be it is the perspective error of this photo, otherwise, I feel the main baffle is towed outwards. If it is so, may I know why is it so?

Can you suggest how to connect those tweets with FRX, parallel or series. I bought 2 of those APT-001s and would like to test it tonight.

 

[Sumanta]

Can you suggest how to connect those tweets with FRX, parallel or series. I bought 2 of those APT-001s and would like to test it tonight.

Sorry in extreme for the delay.
What is the result?

 

[Lionx]

Sorry in extreme for the delay.
What is the result?

I am not able to judge whether it's the right direction, guess I would have liked the dome tweets than piezo for their sound signature.

 

[SIDEWINDER18X]

A customized 12 inch full ranger made out of American or European parts in mid budget range can out perform the Ahuja.

 

[Sumanta]

I am not able to judge whether it's the right direction, guess I would have liked the dome tweets than piezo for their sound signature.

Ooh that is fine. It's every individual's choice/preferences or taste. I am fine with piezzo.
I was interested to know whether a tweeter replaced the 8inch driver or not.
I do not know but, whether you can get a ~97dB dome tweeter. I haven't searched for tweeter with this criteria ever.

 

[Naveenbnc]

Hi all...is there any better FR than SK12FRX without being too expensive??

Basically I am using SK12FRX as my center channel, mounted on a baffle.
I am unable to figure out what can be an upgrade from this?
Did I reach a dead end here ??
(of course in audio there is no dead end, possibilities are endless... but im unable to thing of one)
If possible, a smaller driver .... may be 8" or even smaller ....

Any suggestions please ....

 

[Naveenbnc]

You surely have a “Fast” DIY upgrade bug !!!!!

i am not buying any highly expensive drivers ... so every month i can spare a little money for diy.
Secondly.... at this moment im not bothering about painting, and other aesthetics .... (kills lot of time)

 

[Naveenbnc]

You surely have a “Fast” DIY upgrade bug !!!!!

basically i am expecting improvement in two areas
1. narrow sweet spot (phase plug will solve... i will do it)
2. Little more bass from center channel .... this one I am not sure if its worth adding a small bass driver to center channel (my avr should be able to drive without a power amp)

If there is any other driver that can cover these two... I will simply replace the driver ....

Vocals and highs .... they are great as of now !!!