Description

Ease, coherency, large staged sphere-like presentation, virtually unlimited full-range dynamics and a relatively natural tonality are some of the core traits pursued and achieved with the fully actively driven pro cinema speakers, Electro-Voice TS9040D LX, and tapped horn subwoofers. 

"Full-range" with a proviso; to some what is full-range covers down to or even below 10Hz at full click, but in my use of the term I "merely" refer to honest 20-25Hz, which my corner-loaded pair of tapped horn subs will be able to achieve up to +125dB's - at the listening position. I never use their full SPL envelope even when being "liberal" with the volume control, but that's the whole point behind ample headroom: it translates into absolute effortlessness at any desired volume, while also making you more comfortable at higher SPL's (but be sure to project your hearing and avoid extended exposure to higher SPL's). 

Some may ask: why actively driven pro cinema main speakers and tapped horn subwoofers in a home environment? To put it shortly, because well-implemented - which goes for all speaker categories - they can sound great and absolutely effortless at that, and at a price level that calls for one to self-scrutinize when comparing them to "high-end" speakers/subs costing a downright fortune. 

So, what's the catch? Mainly it boils down to looks, size - and prejudice. Even price, but I'll get to that later. Aesthetics are very important to many audiophiles, more so than many will admit, and very large pro cinema speakers with their typically black Duratex surface and rugged industrial looks don't appeal to audiophiles with interior decoration demands, be they self-inflicted or by their spouse. Even if it doesn't concern interior design audiophiles often want or expect their speakers to have a particular "audiophile" look, which typically translates into a slender and deep enclosure with smaller, inefficient drive units. Finish-wise high gloss lacquer surfaces with (concealed) wood or other beneath it, are very popular. That's HiFi speaker looks in a nutshell. 

Size is another, huge factor. Audiophiles at large would rather pay dearly for smaller high-end category speakers than have much larger, cheaper and less "fancy" looking alternatives with pro or DIY origins in their homes. Because high-end speakers of limited size are refined, cultivated, voiced-by-ear and naturally adapted to home environments, whereas large pro cinema speakers and horn-based subs are brutes, coarse and only about playing hellishly loud - right? Wrong. What's mostly incorrect are the assumptions aimed at the latter, while the former severely lacks dynamics, presence, scale, fullness and effortlessness of reproduction - something the latter has in spades AS WELL AS resolution, coherency and refinement - not least actively driven. It's about letting physics have their say, properly implemented, and cutting loose prejudices and vanity. 

Which leads me to: price. Audiophiles have been more or less breastfed with the notion that you get what you pay for, but I find that in reality it only partially applies - relatively at that. All things being equal a bigger speaker will cost more than a smaller, which goes without saying; more material equates into higher price. However, the relative part comes into play when comparing a large high-end speaker with a large pro cinema speaker. Even when the former is smaller than the latter, the former will be outrageously more expensive, but will it actually sound better to justify its higher price? I don't acknowledge sound perception as such being subjective, it's rather about the aspects of what we hear that we prioritize (not least seen through the prism of what's brought up in the paragraphs above). With that in mind my answer to whether an über-expensive, large and lower efficiency high-end speaker sounds better than a much cheaper and even larger pro cinema speaker, is a resounding NO. With care taken implementing pro cinema speakers and not least driving them actively, they will serve up a sound that in core aspects obliterates most any lower eff. high-end speakers. Actively driven they will at least equal if not better resolution, while having a typically clearer, fuller and more uninhibited presentation. Some pro cinema speakers may roll off at 17-18kHz, but let those quarrel about that who can't find more important issues to raise. 

To conclude re: price, many audiophiles find that speakers (and audio products in general) can be too cheap for them to consider a purchase, because they've been told higher price means better sound - irrespective of anything, really. Starring at industrial looking large pro cinema speakers that cost much less than a smaller high-end speaker would lead to a clear case of cognitive dissonance if an audiophile's preconceptions were tempted by being told or found out by his or her own (unbiased) hearing that the former performs equally, if different, or even better. That's what it is. 
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Room Details

Dimensions: 18’ × 14’  Medium
Ceiling: 8’


Components Toggle details

    • Synology NAS
    NAS-server
    • Asus Xonar AE
    Digital optical output, 24-bit/192kHz. Used in a DIY Windows 10 Pro 64-bit music server. JRiver MC30 playback software. Fidelizer Pro.
    • Blue Cheese Audio Roquefort
    DAC/Digital preamp.
    • Xilica XP-3060
    Digital crossover, 3 inputs and 6 outputs
    • MC² Audio T2000
    2 x 625W/8 ohm class A/B fully differential balanced studio amp, horizontally bi-amped over the EV MF/HF horns.
    • MC² Audio T1500
    2 x 1025W/4 ohm class A/B fully differential balanced studio amp, horizontally bi-amped over the EV bass section.
    • MC² Audio T2000
    2 x 625W/8 ohm class A/B fully differential balanced studio amp, driving the tapped horn subs.
    • Electro-Voice TS9040D LX
    2-way pro cinema speakers, actively driven. Electro-Voice DH1A 2" exit and 3" titanium diaphragm large format compression driver and DL15W woofer/mid. The DH1A is loaded with the large format EV HP9040 Constant Directivity horn, and is used from ~600Hz on up. LR6 slopes throughout. 
    • MicroWrecker Tapped horn
    Tapped horn subwoofer x 2, ~23Hz tune with 15" B&C 15TBX100 driver. 20 cubic feet volume per cab. 97dB sensitivity. Covering 20 to ~85Hz. BW6 HP and LR6 LP.
    • Mundorf Silver/gold
    XLR Interconnects, with Neutrik connectors. Teflon insulated 24 AWG 99% silver/1% gold solid-core conductor, braided. Fed between BCA DAC/preamp output and Xilica DSP input.
    • Mogami 2549
    XLR interconnects, with Neutrik connectors. Fed between Xilica DSP and MC² Audio T1500/T2000 amps running EV horns and EV bass bins respectively.
    • Mundorf Silver/gold
    EV HP9040 horn + DH1A compression driver speaker cable. 19 AWG silver/gold conductor cable, solid-core, with teflon insulation. Balanced, highly resolved - excellent "monitor" cable.
    • Cordial CLS 425
    EV TL606DW bass cab and subwoofer cable with Speakon connectors. 4 x 13 AWG stranded copper cable.
    • Cordial CMK Road 250
    XLR interconnects, with Neutrik connectors. Fed between Xilica and MC² Audio T2000 amp for subs duties.

Comments 12

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Owner
@asctim --

Pardon my late reply, and thanks for your remarks! What are the particulars of your horn/direct radiator/horn setup, and are you running it actively or passively? 
Prior to my current main speakers I used passively configured all-horns, Simon Mears Audio Uccello's, which are an homage really to Paul Klipsch's Belle model. They were lovely speakers in places, but the bass horn was too small and had some upper bass peaks (~125Hz region), which marred the overall presentation with a chesty coloration. However it was still a bass horn, and the bass and lower mids quality and that special, organic "twang"-feeling - apart from the peak resonans in the upper bass - was great. Lovely mids too. 
It goes to show though a front loaded bass horn must be non-truncated and load properly in its entire frequency range to uphold both sensitivity and smoothes of response, and that takes more size. Same goes with a midrange horn, ultimately. Large direct radiators instead, as you've found out yourself, are a nice compromise. High sensitivity dual 15" pro mid-woofers per channel, not least high-passed >80Hz, can be seriously imposing in a domestic environment when fired up, but what surprises me is how well-behaved they are up to the ~600Hz range where they're low-passed in my setup to the horns above. More important they, like a mid bass horn, energize the power region in a way that smaller, low eff. woofers simply cannot equal. It just sounds more real. 
Ultimately I'd go with a properly sized, non-truncated midbass horn for the simply reason that I find they sound even better in this region, compared to anything really. The smoothness, clarity, vibrancy, dynamics and natural warmth that can be achieved here is downright outstanding. Someday I'll go there again - properly, without size restrictions. 
I've chosen tapped horns for subs duties being that a non-truncated FLH down to 20-25Hz would be about twice the size of the TH's I have now - simply impractical. Less extension with a non-truncated FLH would do - say, with a tune in the 30-35Hz region. Most importantly, I find, is choosing high eff. sub solutions (>95dB's) to attain the most natural and effortless reproduction, and there's a variety of ways to achieve this. TH's have excursion minima at the tune, and that offers some advantages in the lower octaves in particular, while having, fundamentally, the characteristics of a FLH. 

phusis

Owner
[deleted]

phusis

Owner
@dadork  --
Pardon my late reply. Oh, I love my Belles SA30, so I can understand why you're very pleased with the SA100 - being they're so very much alike with one being class A and the other A/B. Apart from that they're virtually similar. These amps combine musicality and insight/honesty in quite a singular way, I find. What speakers do you use with the SA100?

phusis

Owner
Hello, Dan
Sorry for never getting back to you until now! Thanks, it's a powerful and, sorry to be immodest here, very well sounding setup - I certainly find so myself, and (audio-)friends of mine also. One mayn't expect pro cinema speakers to be a natural fit in a domestic environment, nor 20 cf. tapped horn subs for that matter, but overall the sound is actually very resolved, coherent and tonally quite accurate. 
I looked at your setup as well, and it looks to be an extremely musical system - kudos! At one point I may explore going analogue (i.e.: turntable) again, but that's not in my current plans. 

Regards,
Mikael

phusis

Owner
Hello friend :)

Only just saw you reply - must find out whether there's a notification feature to inform me of incoming posts.

Thanks for your input. I auditioned the Uccello's in Brighton, initially on a Pass First Watt Class-A solid state amp (can't remember the exact model), which sounded very good, and then later via a 300B tube based amp built by David Wright - even better sounding; more full, rounded, "gelassen" (German for relaxed, in a sense), and less mechanical - simply more natural, I'd say. With that in mind I'm certainly aware of the potential here, and an SET will enter my setup eventually for testing - no doubt!

Aah, OMA - I've visited his site many times already, a great inspiration in many ways. Just reading about and seeing pics of The Mill is a joy, as well as knowing about some of Mr. Weiss' past and doings. His blogs are interesting as well - I like reading them. I appreciate his thoughts and views, can't say I always agree on certain aspects, but fundamentally I find what he shares is important and essential. I've seen all videos on OMA as well - don't believe there are any I have missed!

Do you have any experience with Mr. Weiss' products - have you heard some of them? Sadly I haven't. Do you use horns and SET's yourself?

phusis