Hi , I also found out that the more I learn, the less I know . if it makes any sense .
Designing audio speakers with the right drivers following just the right box volume , would surprisingly sound good!, but making them sound amazing, or " using the drivers full potential " takes some knowledge, searching, learning. I'm sure there are a lot of people here who know their stuff ! and can help, guide you.
- Bruno.
Designing audio speakers with the right drivers following just the right box volume , would surprisingly sound good!, but making them sound amazing, or " using the drivers full potential " takes some knowledge, searching, learning. I'm sure there are a lot of people here who know their stuff ! and can help, guide you.
- Bruno.
I've been in the same spot, but I feel Im getting closer. Only done a little but have plenty of scrap to build from. DSP has brought me closer. I dont think I will design a passive xover the next 5-10 years, but a few modifikations are needed, so probably cant help learning a bit from advice.
Enhancing crappy container finds is a very cheap if not free way of gaining knowledge. Some guy told me once to read, but that seams a bit drastic no?
Cheers!
Enhancing crappy container finds is a very cheap if not free way of gaining knowledge. Some guy told me once to read, but that seams a bit drastic no?
Cheers!
Reading and studying is only one component of gaining knowledge. That is why science courses includes lab work in addition to lectures. Of course, nowadays, computer simulations have progressed to a point where you can do a lot of experimenting on the computer. But, doing in things in real life is still the best learning experience. Nothing like the excitement (and fear) in hitting the on switch that programs the brain neural networks.
It's good to have heard it for yourself. Simulations often identify issues that don't matter. They often fail to identify issues that do matter. Simulators prevent people from building and hearing for themselves. The more you already know, the better...
So the bigger the shortcut, the more you might miss..
So the bigger the shortcut, the more you might miss..
Fair enough, they don't stop anyone. I've just noticed before and after certain simulators were created (eg speaker related), the doubts that befall some people who may have been ready to build, and the ensuing perfectionism that may result in a project looking less and less possible to complete.
I think they call that analysis paralysis.
I think they call that analysis paralysis.
with Karlson - type speakers - basics are known from bandpass box modeling. The front chamber shape and aspect matter and due to the angled baffle not all of the visual front chamber volume is active. Up close there can be subjective changes just from varying the area of the first few inches of aperture coming down from the top. (this does not show on measurements) - It could be helpful to make several sets of test "wings" - or at least swivel one set listening to the effect of going from a narrow top aperture gap to wider.
Karlson had the front deflecting/dividing shelf in K15- that feature was deleted in the smaller cabinets. (Karlson Twelve - Karlson Eight and X15) I do think it was on Karlson's K18 cabinet.
If I were making a K15 style and size cabinet I might use a curved upper reflector per Fig.6. of pateht 3540544, an internal K-tube with 1.4" compression driver, no front shelf and a few inches lees depth to the ront chamber. A rear shelf / lowpass filter may be useful and is adjusted "by ear" with dynamic content.
Diyaudio member "Suntiger" has a lot of experience with curved reflector with his Karlson experiments.
An offset driver Karlson such as GregB's "Karlsonator" can be pretty smooth and as XRK971 hs proven many times, something which can work small whereas just scaling K15 down below K8 size will require a helper woofer/subwoofer 2.1 setup. (not a bad thing as none of the orignal K's in stock tuning go to subwoofer territory)
Another offset driver K is TB46's "Karlflex" - can one achieve similar with just a rear chamber damping stub? )
A damped stub attached to the front chamber of a K-coupler: adds volume to the front chamber, smooths response, and soaks of some "echo" artifacts (deemed good by Mr. Karlson {"controlled ring"}and do sound good at times)
I have heard some speakers improve in a K vs direct radiator. There can be bad combinations which are awful.
I may be wrong but think room temperature has a bearing on how a speaker can "sound" (say an un-heated room in the winter)
Building a test K-coupler of desired size, etc. with removable parts would make sense - where one could experiment with: baffle tilt; reflector type; vent position, area and type; rear lowpass shelf type and area. (- the first Karlson aka "Karlsonette" 12 in 1955 hd a movable bar on its rear panel which was adjacent to the lowpass shelf and three positions to move, allowing some subtle tuning.
Karlson had the front deflecting/dividing shelf in K15- that feature was deleted in the smaller cabinets. (Karlson Twelve - Karlson Eight and X15) I do think it was on Karlson's K18 cabinet.
If I were making a K15 style and size cabinet I might use a curved upper reflector per Fig.6. of pateht 3540544, an internal K-tube with 1.4" compression driver, no front shelf and a few inches lees depth to the ront chamber. A rear shelf / lowpass filter may be useful and is adjusted "by ear" with dynamic content.
Diyaudio member "Suntiger" has a lot of experience with curved reflector with his Karlson experiments.
An offset driver Karlson such as GregB's "Karlsonator" can be pretty smooth and as XRK971 hs proven many times, something which can work small whereas just scaling K15 down below K8 size will require a helper woofer/subwoofer 2.1 setup. (not a bad thing as none of the orignal K's in stock tuning go to subwoofer territory)
Another offset driver K is TB46's "Karlflex" - can one achieve similar with just a rear chamber damping stub? )
A damped stub attached to the front chamber of a K-coupler: adds volume to the front chamber, smooths response, and soaks of some "echo" artifacts (deemed good by Mr. Karlson {"controlled ring"}and do sound good at times)
I have heard some speakers improve in a K vs direct radiator. There can be bad combinations which are awful.
I may be wrong but think room temperature has a bearing on how a speaker can "sound" (say an un-heated room in the winter)
Building a test K-coupler of desired size, etc. with removable parts would make sense - where one could experiment with: baffle tilt; reflector type; vent position, area and type; rear lowpass shelf type and area. (- the first Karlson aka "Karlsonette" 12 in 1955 hd a movable bar on its rear panel which was adjacent to the lowpass shelf and three positions to move, allowing some subtle tuning.
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XRK971's "XKi" K-variant offers exploration and new builds. It could be worth exploring NEXO's K-cut vent technique with its shelf vent to see if that can help fill in some areas of response. If your cabinet has a removable back panel then don't put your XKi shelf in by sims alone as all shelf vents tend to tune lower than simulation and you may miss your target tuning by 20 percent. (try to have impedance measurements)
Back to curved surfaces in a K - I think it might be interesting to take "Bondo" and curve the junction between the sides of the baffle board and the sidewalls of the cabinet.
With a tiny XKi made of foamcore, XRK971 curved the front panel and got improved sound quality.
Back to curved surfaces in a K - I think it might be interesting to take "Bondo" and curve the junction between the sides of the baffle board and the sidewalls of the cabinet.
With a tiny XKi made of foamcore, XRK971 curved the front panel and got improved sound quality.