Visit to Audiophile Bill to hear his horns project

[pjwd]

The terminology around this stuff varies a bit. Personally I think of any system that splits the audio signal so as to allow one channel of amplification to drive just one driver as being “active”.

I think the "active" refers to the crossover component rather than multiamp . This is a good explanation by an anti passive line level guy

PLLXO Crossovers

ESP - Is a passive line level crossover (PLLXO) worth the effort?

sound-au.com

 

[iansr]

OK so by strict definition an active crossover is one that operates at line level and requires a power supply, but I think the advantages of an amp directly powering a driver are not to be underestimated.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

OK so by strict definition an active crossover is one that operates at line level and requires a power supply, but I think the advantages of an amp directly powering a driver are not to be underestimated.

Agree with your latter point, Ian. I don’t think there is much dispute that direct coupling of a suitable amp directly to the driver isn’t a useful property and can often lead to lower distortion and better performance outright.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

A short wait whilst my new field coil supply was made for me - arrived today yay. Looks really well made and I like the industrial design look. I have tested it already this evening on the motors and it works absolutely perfectly and accurately with the voltage specs I requested.

It looks like this weekend will see me install for the first time so exciting times ahead. Here is a pic in case you were interested:

 

[Argonaut]

Here is a pic in case you were interested:

Not remotely in the slightest I look forward to your considerations Bill, have fun.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Not remotely in the slightest I look forward to your considerations Bill, have fun.

Thank you. Well I hope to learn something at the very least. Could of course be a total flop lol. Let’s see.

 

[spiritofmusic]

It's not gonna be a flop, Bill.

 

[the sound of Tao]

A short wait whilst my new field coil supply was made for me - arrived today yay. Looks really well made and I like the industrial design look. I have tested it already this evening on the motors and it works absolutely perfectly and accurately with the voltage specs I requested.

It looks like this weekend will see me install for the first time so exciting times ahead. Here is a pic in case you were interested:

View attachment 94260

Very lovely bit of kit Bill… that’s great, hope it’s does the trick.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Very lovely bit of kit Bill… that’s great, hope it’s does the trick.

Thanks Graham. It has taken a long while to get this all up and running but I am finally at the last hurdle.

The whole gasket operation was something I hadn’t planned for so that slowed me up.

 

[the sound of Tao]

Thanks Graham. It has taken a long while to get this all up and running but I am finally at the last hurdle.

The whole gasket operation was something I hadn’t planned for so that slowed me up.

It’s an epic task you’ve taken on with crafting the whole beast from ground up. Hats off to you Bill. Looking forward to your thoughts on implementing your field coils. They are fascinating things.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

It’s an epic task you’ve taken on with crafting the whole beast from ground up. Hats off to you Bill. Looking forward to your thoughts on implementing your field coils. They are fascinating things.

Did you make any of your own updates? I know you were considering undertaking similar field coil madness at one point?

 

[the sound of Tao]

Did you make any of your own updates? I know you were considering undertaking similar field coil madness at one point?

My focus has fallen to other madnesses at work and home for the last few months. I am still going to move forwards at the next break but unsure whether to perhaps focus on getting the slotted subs under way next or going with a build on a flh. I do tend to underestimate what I have to do and then completely overestimate myself lol. I’m not rushing though as I’m still enjoying the process and the planning is a good part of that. Your experiences are influential in this and even though my approach is leaning towards being modular and my scope is more modest what you find from your field coil explore will also factor in for me in the direction in driver choice.

 

[adyc]

A short wait whilst my new field coil supply was made for me - arrived today yay. Looks really well made and I like the industrial design look. I have tested it already this evening on the motors and it works absolutely perfectly and accurately with the voltage specs I requested.

It looks like this weekend will see me install for the first time so exciting times ahead. Here is a pic in case you were interested:

View attachment 94260

Is this field coil supply tube or SS?

 

[pjwd]

A short wait whilst my new field coil supply was made for me - arrived today yay. Looks really well made and I like the industrial design look. I have tested it already this evening on the motors and it works absolutely perfectly and accurately with the voltage specs I requested.

It looks like this weekend will see me install for the first time so exciting times ahead. Here is a pic in case you were interested:

View attachment 94260

Bill
That is a very cool early modern vibe .. is the case a one off or an off the shelf
The one downside with feild coils are the options for eternal fiddling .. my mate with WVL chicagoes has gone down a few rabbit holes .. but the results are fantastic ... looking forward to the reporting
Cheers
Phil

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Is this field coil supply tube or SS?

Hi,

This is a very nicely made variable solid state supply to start me off. Depending how this goes, I can see an all out Tungar in my system. I didn’t want to commit too much budget on it (yet) in case it doesn’t work out.

Below you will see internals:

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Bill
That is a very cool early modern vibe .. is the case a one off or an off the shelf
The one downside with feild coils are the options for eternal fiddling .. my mate with WVL chicagoes has gone down a few rabbit holes .. but the results are fantastic ... looking forward to the reporting
Cheers
Phil

Hi Phil,

I assume the case is off the shelf because the price was so good for it. Yes a level of discipline is required to not drive oneself insane with tweaks. I did the same with my field coil supply to my DaVa cartridge - but truth is I was very happy with the regular supply just that I managed to get quite a lot more performance with the tweaks.

 

[bonzo75]

My focus has fallen to other madnesses at work and home for the last few months

How does this compare to the focus on madness here on forum

 

[the sound of Tao]

How does this compare to the focus on madness here on forum

Ked in this sport madness is largely in the eye of the beholder

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Meanwhile back in the workshop of the obsessed is another design I am working on. Back loaded horn with front waveguide.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Been running tests this evening using mono in one channel. Mainly getting a feel for where things might land here and testing the field coil motors.

For those of you interested. This cabinet is quite a special build in that it uses tone woods (spruce), is very lightweight, but also very rigid (with bracing). Inside, all manner of wood working madness has been employed to avoid standing waves. The build is also fairly advanced in that there is no screws or nails permitted in any part of the build anywhere at any location. Traditional joinery is used for everything such as tenons, mortise, rabbets, slots, dowels etc. This was done not only as a test of skill but also because I am building this in the ethos of an instrument rather akin to Ocellia Caliope approach namely don’t try to cancel all resonances and make a dead cabinet. Bracing and other key parts are in solid maple. The waveguide is a solid spalted beech blank. Here is the other channel - big fan of spalted beech but know not everyone’s cuppa:


Oh and for fun I could resist a nod to Shun Mook so included a motif on top also designed to breakup vibrations but on the underside is a specific feature to break up standing waves. The Mpingo disc lies at the precise location of highest resonant energy.