A Study of DMLs as a Full Range Speaker

It worked, but I noticed something odd, the Thruster got hot, not warm, hot. I checked the other Thrusters in the system (left, right, and rear surrounds). None of these ran hot at all.
If you've got a multi-meter then check if your amp if feeding DC into that Thruster. The amp could be faulty (an OPD shorted to rail.)

Alternatively, and unlikely, is that the Zobel network on the amp output has failed, and the amp has gone unstable on that channel, and is feeding ultrasonic oscillations into the Thruster.
On a full-range system like this, both faults will cook your driver.
On a crossed-over multi-way system the DC fault would have cooked your woofer, and the unstable oscillations your tweeters.
 
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the answer.jpeg


When the voice coil can't move, where does the heat go?
And, for just 23$ how much quality would it have?

Chinese manufacturer's profit + Chinese transport cost + Chinese export tax + Chinese custom duty + air transport to the US + US import tax + Transport cost to Dayton within US + Dayton's profit + US Sales tax, etc, etc.
How much would it cost to produce that exciter? 1$? 1.50$?
So, what can you expect?
 
Not a direct answer :
  • Among the different threads I read on different forums, I remember posts about one specific exciter failure. Most probably on Talk Express DIY Flat Panel Speaker Love. I tried to find but with no success. Maybe somebody will have a better memory.
  • Acrylic is I think the less efficient material among the common materials
  • When you checked the output, is it the volumes setting or is it the voltage received? The idea behind my question is if a left or right channel receives X volts, how many volt on the central one?
Christian
The first of the Thrusters only failed under pretty extreme use. I own that that failure.
I had the second attached to a foam core panel when I tested it and it got hot.

Your thoughts on acrylic might be right, but I had the what appears to be overheating issue with the foam core panel.

With regard to what the Emotiva MC1 pre|processor does with respect to its "trim" settings, I don't know. I can ask Emotiva.

I've also asked Parts-Express about the hot Thruster and will report back to this thread.

@Andre Bellwood

If you've got a multi-meter then check if your amp if feeding DC into that Thruster. The amp could be faulty (an OPD shorted to rail.)

Alternatively, and unlikely, is that the Zobel network on the amp output has failed, and the amp has gone unstable on that channel, and is feeding ultrasonic oscillations into the Thruster.
On a full-range system like this, both faults will cook your driver.
On a crossed-over multi-way system the DC fault would have cooked your woofer, and the unstable oscillations your tweeters.

I do have a multi-meter, but I've now tested the Thruster using 2 different amplifiers, both of which work fine with DMLs driven by Thrusters other than the one with a Thruster attached to the foam core panel.

Still a mystery.
 
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I am not sure about your setup but often centre channels run 1-2bB higher than the side channels to improve speech intelligibility for movies. That plus running at very high volumes might have been enough to fry the centre exciter but not the others, especially if the amp was clipping.
 
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I am not sure about your setup but often centre channels run 1-2bB higher than the side channels to improve speech intelligibility for movies.
That comports with my experience.
That plus running at very high volumes might have been enough to fry the centre exciter but not the others, especially if the amp was clipping.

I run Hypex NCore NC122MP amplifier modules (125w into a 4 Ohm load) for all channels in this system. I don't think they get anywhere near to clipping.

With regard to blowing out the exciter, we played the volume of that film VERY LOUD. The film still sounded great when we switched to stereo.

All said, my mystery doesn't arise from burning out an exciter, it comes from the same model of exciter running very hot when running the same center channel signal at only moderate volumes with two different properly running amplifiers.

Odd.
 
All said, my mystery doesn't arise from burning out an exciter, it comes from the same model of exciter running very hot when running the same center channel signal at only moderate volumes with two different properly running amplifiers.
Aagas,
What about the DC resistance of the exciter? Is it still around 4 Ohms?
Christian
 
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Cheap exciter. Bad quality coil wire. Nowhere to get the heat out. Burning is to be expected. Magnets might be cracked too.
Everyone just listens for few minutes to get a graph and/or record a video, or a audio clip. No one listens for hours, even if they say so. Use this type of cheap (means low quality) exciters that's to be expected. So, when one tries to play at the party level, such accidents happen. How much is a quality full range 3" speaker? 200$? Tells why!
How much can one buy with 23$?
 
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aagas.
It is difficult to pinpoint faults with other people's systems when you do not know how they are set up.
what I would do is probably swap either the left of right channel speakers for the centre channel and play the same film and see if the centre channel still overdrives the new speaker.
If the new centre speaker is still being over driven then you will know it is not the exciter.
The left and right speakers usually xo to the subs , the centre channel could have a fuller wider frequency response?
Panel materials can vary in efficiency ,eps for instance, is a good 8 to 10db louder than most materials ,so you need to know how much lower you need for the same volume.
go from there.
Steve.
 
“Well, there's nothing much to learn from the oldsters here” 🤣 nice start and sums up what you are all about. I tried to write something fair, but you continually try to offend people and I would get banned if I said what I really would like to say.

Permanently ignored.

I’m out.
Yep, they banned me from posting for 2 weeks for doing just that. I can't believe everyone is not ignoring that person.
 
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I can't believe everyone is not ignoring that person.
I am, and I encourage everyone else to do so also. When I called out a political smear recently, the moderator removed my post and the smear, which they should have, but when that person belittled spedge and others, nothing is done. Rule #1 says no trolling. I firmly believe his posts quite frequently fall under the definition of trolling. I guess we just need to start hitting the "report" button every time he acts up.
 
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I have a setup of 4 x 40w dayton exciters
serial-parallel so on the terminals I still have 4 ohms what do you think is the best optimization I can buy to drive them well without frying them? what rms power?
The setup will handle 160W.
That means you can drive that single panel with a 320WRMS>4-ohm amp at full MUSIC power, ie the amp must not peak or clip at music peaks. Since Amps normally are specified in terms of stereo, you will be looking at a 640W amp.
 
I have been away for a week or so to lands end, with no wifi or mobile signal, just peace and quiet, and no forum noise😁
But I did have a couple of sleepless nights dreaming of exciter improvements 😕,when ideas do enter into your head it is difficult to turn them off😳
The upshot is I have some more testing to fit in, although it is supposedly going to get colder again, we shall see.
Steve.
 
Toddincabo.
what size panels do you have and what thickness.
my old 40cm 1cm thick panel is a bit battered about now days, I've done many experiments on it.
I do believe I have a 5mm hd 40cm square panel left somewhere.
Maybe I should give it a try, I ment to do this many years ago, but never quite got around to it.
I might do the same as I did to the 1cm panel to make it out of square.
Trumpets also sound so realistic as well, doesn't matter how loud the trumpet is , eps plays it with ease and realistically.
Nothing comes close.
Steve.
just came across this post to toddincabo, I will get this panel out today and put it were I can see it, this panel should reach 20k with ease, I hope ?
I will do the same as I did with the 1cm hd eps , it was a pity i ruined the other 5mm hd panel I had ,by gluing it to an Ali sheet 😩
This shouldn't take long to set up and test for a quick measurement.
Steve.
 
yes ok but according to you for the exciters in general
considering the various aspects and characteristics to avoid breaking or damage but at the same time have the highest possible power do I always stick to taking a 160 rms power amp or do I increase it a bit to avoid clipping? the exciters have to be considered exactly like a traditional loudspeaker or I have to consider the load (the panel) differently.Thanks
 
Thrill. Awe. Delight. They couldn't stop smiling. Both of them ordering exciters and scouting for panels.
Understood, nice. My neighbor buddy is a self proclaimed music connoisseur and wanted to hear my magic spray foam panels so he "thumbdrived" over his own selection of favorite random songs, some Stones, Clapton, various instrumental. I left him to it and a while later he was grinning away and gong on about the clarity and nuances and such, especially with the wind, wood and percussion tracks. He's sold! , couldn't believe how $25 and a few hours time could accomplish that.