So far I gathered a pair of K-402 horns, Crites 15" drivers, and most of the wood I'll need to build out a pair of multi-entry horns based on Chris A's work. The last major purchase I need to make is the compression drivers. I would love to use TAD-4002's but they have become unobtainable (with original Beryllium) from what I can find... That said, I think I've narrowed it down to 3 choices:
RADIAN 950BE PB
BMS 4592ND
Celestion AXi2050
Which would you guys recommend? Anything I'm missing one that should be on my short list? I need to cover roughly ~475hz - 20Khz...
If it matters, my center channel will be Bill's "1/2 of a 3D printed wave-guide" using a B&C 250 CD.. it will be active not passive however. Also I do not care that I would need an additional channel of amplification with the BMS option in order to avoid the reportedly crappy passive crossover that is available. Goal is end-game speakers so cost (within reason) can be ignored.
Second question is related to how to make all this look nice? I'm going to be cutting (giant) holes in my wall to mount all this in-wall. They will be located about 1/3rd of the way from the side walls (so NOT in corners). I know that I need to toe-in the speakers towards my MLP and in my mind I'm struggling to picture how to do this in a way that doesn't look like somebody just stuck a giant speaker in a hole-in-the-wall at an angle! If I were competent at 3D design I'd try to draw something up so they have a more built-in look but alas I am not (it's on my list). I will definitely be building grills for the horns. If you haven't guessed I have a wife ;-)
Anyone got any ideas of how to integrate the angled box into the wall is some sort of elegant way?
RADIAN 950BE PB
BMS 4592ND
Celestion AXi2050
Which would you guys recommend? Anything I'm missing one that should be on my short list? I need to cover roughly ~475hz - 20Khz...
If it matters, my center channel will be Bill's "1/2 of a 3D printed wave-guide" using a B&C 250 CD.. it will be active not passive however. Also I do not care that I would need an additional channel of amplification with the BMS option in order to avoid the reportedly crappy passive crossover that is available. Goal is end-game speakers so cost (within reason) can be ignored.
Second question is related to how to make all this look nice? I'm going to be cutting (giant) holes in my wall to mount all this in-wall. They will be located about 1/3rd of the way from the side walls (so NOT in corners). I know that I need to toe-in the speakers towards my MLP and in my mind I'm struggling to picture how to do this in a way that doesn't look like somebody just stuck a giant speaker in a hole-in-the-wall at an angle! If I were competent at 3D design I'd try to draw something up so they have a more built-in look but alas I am not (it's on my list). I will definitely be building grills for the horns. If you haven't guessed I have a wife ;-)
Anyone got any ideas of how to integrate the angled box into the wall is some sort of elegant way?
I use the BMS 4592ND and it is an incredible driver, smooth, Detailed and sublime in the midrange.
Ok scratch the question about CDs... I just found two TD-4002's with Beryllium diaphragms for a pretty decent deal!
This should be very good, be sure to share pictures. There is also the https://www.bcspeakers.com/en/products/coaxials-hf/2-0/8/dcx462-8 , after market truextent Be diaphragms for JBL 4" drivers, also the ND4015Be https://audioxpress.com/article/test-bench-eighteen-sound-nd4015be-beryllium-compression-driver I'm not sure how low a crossover frequency you will need but some of these have relativly high recomended crossovers so may not be suitable.
I have been listening to my K402 MEHs based on the work of Chris A for over a year.
I am using the Celestions and I think they are very fine.
I have a pair of JBL 2441s with the Truextent diaphragms and it was not a contest.
The TAD 4002s are very fine but the amount of high frequency boost required with the K402 and the low end response of the Celestions make me wonder if you might regret putting those drivers under so much stress - replacement diaphragms would probably cost more than you are paying for the drivers.
The Celestions make for a smoother crossover region. I do not run mine that low but my slope is less steep.
Using the incredible xilica Solara DSP - it is nice having as many PEQs as you want. The thing is cheap when you consider what it can do. Mine has the digital input and I run the AES EBU output from a MUTEC MC3+USB directly into the processor.
The sound is quite incredible.
You should be extremely pleased with your system. Every night I listen to this and I am amazed every time by what it does.
Instead of gigantic subwoofers I have incorporated RYTHMIK 15 inches drivers into the base for my gigantic MEH satellites. I use four of the RYTHMIKS in each corner of the room. Obviously the one's in the back do not have MEH satellites atop. They load and release bass energy very quickly.
You will probably find that the low end response of the K402 MEH is rather hard to put to use. You will need a subwoofer that can go to 80 to 90 Hz. I have the first octave very attenuated.
If the WILSON AUDIO Chronosynclastics sound appreciably better I would be very impressed. My speakers do take up lots more room I guess - I have never seen anything but pictures of those.
I am using the Celestions and I think they are very fine.
I have a pair of JBL 2441s with the Truextent diaphragms and it was not a contest.
The TAD 4002s are very fine but the amount of high frequency boost required with the K402 and the low end response of the Celestions make me wonder if you might regret putting those drivers under so much stress - replacement diaphragms would probably cost more than you are paying for the drivers.
The Celestions make for a smoother crossover region. I do not run mine that low but my slope is less steep.
Using the incredible xilica Solara DSP - it is nice having as many PEQs as you want. The thing is cheap when you consider what it can do. Mine has the digital input and I run the AES EBU output from a MUTEC MC3+USB directly into the processor.
The sound is quite incredible.
You should be extremely pleased with your system. Every night I listen to this and I am amazed every time by what it does.
Instead of gigantic subwoofers I have incorporated RYTHMIK 15 inches drivers into the base for my gigantic MEH satellites. I use four of the RYTHMIKS in each corner of the room. Obviously the one's in the back do not have MEH satellites atop. They load and release bass energy very quickly.
You will probably find that the low end response of the K402 MEH is rather hard to put to use. You will need a subwoofer that can go to 80 to 90 Hz. I have the first octave very attenuated.
If the WILSON AUDIO Chronosynclastics sound appreciably better I would be very impressed. My speakers do take up lots more room I guess - I have never seen anything but pictures of those.
Not my 'idea' as virtually everything audio speaker related was worked out early on by the pioneers, so me and others 'practiced in the art' (gotta love patent 'speak' 😉) are just 'standing on the shoulders of others', making it an 'easy-peasy' way to make a DSL tapped horn (TH) or search corner horns in patents for a slew of designs from back in the mono, early stereo days or vented horns like I did that's now referred to as a Voigt pipe/horn or ML (mass loaded/vented) TQWT/horn on DIYaudio.