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PostPosted: March 11th, 2016, 5:40 pm 
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No SAF, my dedicated listening room.

Now to the sound quality of the open baffle planar desktop mated to the 6x12 servo arrays. Music used to voice them started with Classical and Jazz recordings as follows:

Reference Recordings-Exotic Dances HRx
Reference Recordings-Crown Imperial HRx
Reference Recordings-Pomp & Pipes HDCD
Reference Recordings-Post Cards HDCD
Telarc- Fanfare For The Common Man -Aaron Copland
RCA Living Stereo – The Reiner Sound DSD
RCA Living Stereo – Beethoven Symphony 9, Fritz Reiner DSD
Dave Brubeck Quartet-Time Out CD
Julie London-Time For Love CD
Frank Sinatra –Various CD
Elvis Presley – for Avoosl CD
Mannheim Steamroller-Fresh Aire III CD
Rock and lots of it.

The first thing you notice is the sense of space around the instruments that I think of as the hallmark of open baffle speakers. Soundstage width and depth are very good and very dependent on the replay volume for the recording. No vocal sibilant emphasis on either female or male voices. Voices have body and room presence. This all helps suspend the sense of it being a recording.

The melding of the open baffle planars and H-Frame open baffle servo drivers are amazing. One important detail is to be able to time delay the planars to match up with the servo subs wavefront output. The one drawback is that mating a point source mid-tweeter array to the line array servo subs changes the sense of size of instruments. The good part is that the subs work up well into the vocal range to add some sense of scale to everything. You also have to be more on the sweet spot of the planars than a full line array.

After hearing the open baffle line array’s at Danny’s, it became obvious that some of the sense of ease of reproduction with line is missing with just the single planar midrange and tweeter. This takes away a small part of the overall reproduced experience, but not a huge part.

The servo subs are in a class by themselves. One thing about hearing a pipe organ in a large space is the sense of air movement. It comes from all over, not just one direction. The organ really is the venue. The organ low pedal notes from the Reference Recordings with the servo subs gives me that sensation at my listening chair. Does it give me the whole body resonance like the REFIII’s, no, but very good indeed. Drums are amazing in tracks like the Aaron Copeland. It creates the wall of sound the real instrument does in a large venue. Double bass has the growl and power you would hear in live settings out in the audience. It really is difficult to explain the sense of involvement when you have really good bass response. It all starts at the foundation and recordings with low frequency room noise are easily heard and felt.

Hope that gives everyone an idea of the sound quality of the open baffle planar desktop servo sub array setup in my room.


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PostPosted: March 11th, 2016, 5:51 pm 
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:thumbup: When can we come by to hear these amazing subs?


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PostPosted: March 11th, 2016, 5:58 pm 
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I am about 90 miles south of Gary.

There will be demos this spring or summer. Will keep folks posted.


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PostPosted: March 12th, 2016, 2:17 pm 
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I recently went to two live concerts, one at NOVA alex/schlesinger auditorium and GMU CFPA auditorium. It was quite instructive how when the bass drum was hit, the totally different sound/experience these two halls gave, NOVA just the lightest brush of the bass drum and you could feel it, whereas the CFPA the musician was whacking the hell out of the bass drum and it just didn't have near the sound or feel. Really goes to show how much the room itself adds/detracts from the sound/performance.


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PostPosted: March 12th, 2016, 2:47 pm 
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That is why I built a dedicated listening room with acoustic treatments.

You hear the recording as intended with minimized listening room addition to the sound.


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PostPosted: March 12th, 2016, 3:37 pm 
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randy warren wrote:
I recently went to two live concerts, one at NOVA alex/schlesinger auditorium and GMU CFPA auditorium. It was quite instructive how when the bass drum was hit, the totally different sound/experience these two halls gave, NOVA just the lightest brush of the bass drum and you could feel it, whereas the CFPA the musician was whacking the hell out of the bass drum and it just didn't have near the sound or feel. Really goes to show how much the room itself adds/detracts from the sound/performance.


Of all the things in a home audio chain, the room is usually your worst enemy.

Tom


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PostPosted: March 12th, 2016, 3:58 pm 
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Location: Parkville, Maryland
Just a note about acoustics and halls. The worst seats in the house are dress circle and orchestra seats down on the floor.

If you don't care to see the worts on the nose of cellist, then the best seats are the rear of the hall against the wall. Second best is anywhere in the hall up and against the wall

There you will be at the pressure zone and hear the live orchestra as it was meant to be heard. :violin:

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PostPosted: March 14th, 2016, 8:53 am 
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Location: Highland, MD
tomp wrote:
If you don't care to see the worts on the nose of cellist, then the best seats are the rear of the hall against the wall. Second best is anywhere in the hall up and against the wall

I'm with Walt: I went many seasons to BSO in the Myerhoff, and seats in the Grand Tier were wonderful - the bass drum there really had impact!

HAL, you did a great job with your review - I think I understood what you said, which impressed me: great wording. I wonder if you might consider bringing your speakers to the next Capital Audiofest? Hardly a treated room but it is certainly a DIY project!

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PostPosted: March 14th, 2016, 9:10 am 
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Guy,
I do not think so.

It took a lot to get them setup correctly in my place and at 250+lbs a side for just the subs, would take a truck to move, which I do not have. Until they have a finish, they are easily damaged as well as raw MDF.


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PostPosted: March 14th, 2016, 9:27 am 
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I am a bit puzzled why you recommend sitting against the wall. I have been in quite a few concert halls where against the wall can be a crappy, usually because of overhangs and odd configurations. Yes I am aware that there can be more bass against the back wall, even in a listening room, but a concert halls vary so much.

Personally, I prefer sitting in the front row of the highest level available (up with the Gods) slightly to the side where I can see the pianist's hands. The view is better and I perceive better treble that is not muffled by a host of heads sitting in front of me. I would agree with your comments about poor sound in the orchestral seats on the floor or at any upper level which is not the top level. I went to a lot of concerts in the Academy of Music in Philly and experienced the sound from quite a few different seats. It is a very 'dry' hall but the orchestra was incredibly loud, much louder than in the new Verizon Hall.

http://www.geoffreygoldbergphotography.com/gallery/academy-of-music-philadelphia-pa/

And yes, my eventual seats were in the front row looking down on the chandelier.

Of course sitting behind the orchestra is an interesting experience if not ideal. If you are seated behind the timpani you really get to hear it live.

ray


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