how does one go about assembling a system that can qualify to be listed in the category,"ALL OUT ASSAULT." One way is to read up on a few years of "recommended components" lists from the high end magazines and venture out, with a fat wallet, to visit a few premium audio salons. By just BUYING the top products on the lists, you'll certainly make the audio salons happy , and hopefully, even you may be satisfied by owning the best money can buy. Having years of personal experience in owning many types of excellent audio gear adds a level of surety that only experience can add. Going through this process often enough, you may come to the conclusion that you may never get "THE MIXTURE " that you've been looking for. As the saying goes,"If you want it done right, do it yourself". There is also a saying that tells us, "Do what you do best ,and leave the rest to others." Time has also taught me the importance of another saying, "Do what you think is best." This submission i am presenting is based on preferences I have developed since I built my first piece of audio gear back in 1955 . Back then you could build just about everything in the audio chain yourself. Technology is just a bit more complicated in this day and age, but nevertheless, I feel the possibility still exists to build what you cannot buy, at least in the field of loudspeakers. The following system concepts are those I adhered to when i decided to start this project . Now to begin.-- Restraints of size, cost , or time would not enter into the equation. The room should always comes first, and mine did. Determine the size room you want, and design it along sound acoustic principles. Electronics; Having owned solid state amps for 20 years, along with the power requirements of the system i had in mind , there was no other choice . Solid state ,discrete topology, pure Class A analogue design throughout the entire audio chain. Crossovers; electronic crossovers were employed throughout due to the flexibility needed in designing and building a loudspeaker system that might sail into uncharted waters. All 7 channels would be bass restricted below 60 hz, via the processor , with the subs handling everything below. Electronic equalization; multichannel parametrics operating below 300 hz would be employed on all 8 channels to augment the reduction or elimination of low frequency room resonances not fully addressed by the use of acoustic panels , traps, and diffusers. Loudspeaker design; 3 front towers, identical 9 ft - 4 inch line sources in a horizontal D'Appolito array, four side and rear surround towers, 7 ft- 4 inch line sources in left and right mirror image configuration. Drivers; 15 inch metal cone -high excursion drivers for the subs. Front channels; 7 inch kevlar cone dynamics for mid bass, planar dipole for the midrange, leaf tweeters for the dipole highs. Surround towers; 8 inch kevlar cone drivers for the mid bass, 5 1/2 kevlar cones for the midrange, Revelator domes for the highs. All dynamic drivers, except for the subs, sourced from the same manufacturer to maintain a coherent sonic sign, ature. Drivers and electronics identical to the four surround towers would be in place when processing becomes available for the rear center channel, an 8.1 system configuration. All the dynamic drivers within the system to be in their own separate, sealed enclosures. Baffles for all the dynamic drivers, except the subs , to be either 1 1/2 or 2 inch thick high gloss, black, cast polymer. [ The amount of time I logged from start to finish for construction of the loudspeakers only, amounted to a bit over 5400 man hours spread over 3 years of time. ] Interconnects; XLR type balanced cables used exclusively from the processor through to the 12 stereo amplifiers that are used to drive the 7.1 system; after all, balanced interconnects are what's used to record everything we listen to. Fine tuning of acoustic treatment and and installation of the decorative woodwork trim in the room would be performed after ETF measurements were taken when the complete system was in place , and up and running. At this point in time, both the trim and acoustic treatment are being completed. Upgrades; The 135 inch, widescreen formatted, Stewart electroscreen is to be replaced with a 155 inch, letterbox formatted, Microperf with side electromasking. The Sanyo PLV 70 will then be replaced with a Runco or Vidikron projector with the Cinewide and Autoscope lens features. The last upgrade will be more enjoyment and less work.
this 7.1 processor sends all signals to the amplification chain via balanced interconnects
Krell Krell DVD Standard
full featured , progressive scan dvd player
Krell sacd standard
plays 2 channel and multi channel sacd's
Krell FPB-200
two fpb 200 amps handle the leaf tweeter banks in the three front channels
Krell FPB-300
four fpb 300 amps handle the 4 surround towers. one fpb handles the rear center channel in the eventual 8.1 system
Krell FPB-600
Three fpb 600 amps handle the mid bass and mid range sections of the three front channels. two fpb 600 amps handle the two sub woofer channels
Krell KBX
four KBX 3 way mono electronic crossovers, and two kbx 2 way stereo electronic crossovers.handle frequency division within the system.
Krell Krell Link Controller
Three krell link controllers are used to synchronize remote control operations where multiple amplifiers are used in various situations(stereo, ht 5.1, 7.1 etc)
Krell KPE Reference
solid state phono head amp
Rives Audio PARC, & PARC PLUS
3 Parametric analog room correction equalizers tame room anomolies on all 8 channels in 3 chosen bands per channel
DOMINION VIRGINA POWER 26KVA LINE XFORMER
Audiophiles that have neighbors with noisy appliances have one of 2 choices; put up with it or use power conditioners that clean the power . Since we had a current demand that made power conditioners out of the question, 12 Krell fpb amps , plus source components, the best solution was to have our own line transformer installed by virginia power. When the quality of the power source was considered, this was the only choice.
American Power Conversion APC Smart UPS 2200VA USB
This conditioner/ battery back up is utilized to maintain the coherance of the operation of the sequenced krell link system with the hts 7.1 controller, the 12 fpb amps in the system, along with the various signal devices in the event of a power outage. We typically have at least 6 or more power outages in virginia durring the course of a year. two-6 outlet conditioners are used in the system protecting all signal and control components
APC APC Smart UPS 1100 UPS
one ups on the krell links- one ups on the PVL 75 projector
Personally designed and built Four- 7ft,4in surround towers,
These mirror image line sources each contain 6 scan speak 8 inch kevlar cone bass drivers operating from 60 to 500 hz thru a krell kbx xover @12 bd per octave. 6 scan speak 5 in kevlar cone mid drivers operating from 500 to 3500 hz @ 12 bd per octave. 6 scan speak revelator tweeters from 3500 hz and up @ 12 db per octave- passive xover between the mids and tweeters. a fpb 300 drives each tower thru a krell kbx xover. all drivers are mounted in their separate sealed enclosures. The mirror image baffles are hi gloss black cast polymer weighing 175 lbs and were manufactured by the author.
Personally designed and built, 3 identical front channels
3 way , 9 ft 4 inch line sources configured with a horizontal d'appolito array. Each tower contains the following drivers; 24 scan speak 7 inch kevlar cone mid bass drivers each in their own sealed baffle. 4 Bohlander Graebner rd-50 planar mid range drivers operating in a dipolar configuration, and 40 panasonic eas 10 th-400a leaf tweeters, 30 facing to the front and 10 facing rearward,wired out of phase for dipolar radiation
Personally designed and built, 3 way rear center channel
This horizontal d'appolito array speaker is identical to the 4 surround line arrays with the exception that it is in a horizontal configuration at the rear of the room 8 feet above the floor . It will be put into service when processing is available for an 8.1 surround configuration
Personally designed and built, Sub woofer towers
The two mirror image sub towers EACH contain 8- 15 in high excursion, metal cone drivers sourced from tc sounds. a krell fpb 600 is used to drive each tower with 4 woofers driven by each side of the amplifiers. the sub towers handle all the information below 60 hz for the 3 front and 4 surround towers. The 60 hz crossover frequency and 24 db slope is provided by the krell hts 7.1 processor.
Sota Millennia
vacum table with electronic speed control
triplainar 12 inch series vII
latest version of this legendary tonearm
Shelter 90X
Shelter's top of the line moving coil cartridge
Stewart Tech screen 130 microperf
The 135 inch , widescreen formatted , Stewart electroscreen is triggered by the krell hts 7.1 controller
Sanyo PLV 75 projector
2200 ansi lumen, widescreen , hi def lcd projector
Pioneer Elite CD CLV laser disc player
This model was the last, reference level, laser disc player manufactuted by pioneer befor the death knell of that format.
Direct TV HD DVR HR 10-250
DSS Hi Def receiver-DVR directly feeding the sanyo hi def projector via the digital -DVI input
Thompson DRD 486DH
Two - dss receivers facilitate simoutaneous viewing and recording of different channels
TIVO Tivo series 2
Two -80 gig units, one each on the 2 dss channels for time shift and convenience viewing.
Pioneer DVR 510 H
Two- 80 gig dvr recorders for archiving programs from the two tivo series 2 dvr's
Belden-neutrik Belden 8014 Quad star-2
this tripple shielded, mogami type, rubber coverd cable terminated with neutrik's best xlr connectors carry all the signals, in ballanced mode, from the processor right thru to the 11 krell amps.driving the system.
Luminous audio digital -optical interconnects
digital sources are connected to the hts 7.1 using the above commectors.
Luminous Audio Silver reference
This 8 ga silver litz wire is used to connect the speakers to their respective amplifiers. Since the amps are located directly at the speakers they drive, the lengths are generally less than two feet. terminations are all cardas premiun lugs. speaker binding posts are those used by krell on their fpb amps
carol cable and wire 10-3 neoprene coverd power cord
all the amps are fed with 10-3 copper supply cords terminated with wattgate iec plugs on one end and hubbel 30 amp, 4 prong, 220 volt twist-lock plugs on the supply end.
I have Park equalizers for 10 channels; two front subs, left, right and center front, left and right side and rear surrounds and a rear center surround channel. Sinci I use Krell electronic crossovers on everything, I use the Park eqs below 60 HZ on the subs, from 60 to 200 HZ on the three front channels and below 500 hz on the five surround channels. All the mid and HF ranges are unaffected by the Park eqs. I have no problem with the performance they deliver and would not hesitate to recommend them. I must say that using them with active crossovers does offer a significant advantage.
I only hope that some day I can build a home system that awesome. I could setup my live PA rig in my house..... but the cops would come for sure. Cheers, your my hero
I just moved to a new apartment, with a smaller audio/video room, which is a problem with my Dunlavy SC-VIs speakers. The room is (in meters) 5.2m(d)x4m(w)x2.77m(h). The front and back walls are treated so the mids and highs are exceptional. The measured frequency response of the speakers in this room are within +- 3db for frequencies above 120hz, the sound engineer was amased by the sound and the measurements. However, it has a 10db room mode at 31hz and 5db at 62hz. I used to have a TACT, but I don't find it transparent enought, so I am not using it anymore. The RGPG sonex plate type II only goes down to 40hz so it won't solve this problem. I am considering purchasing the Rives Audio Parc. Do you think it is completely transparent above 350hz, what is your oppinion about it? Thanks,
Tape is first by far, master tapes or master dupes when you find good ones. The Tape Project got me started and now listen to tape more than anything else. Building a library is slow and expensive but I have the time . Also, playing with RTR machines is a blast as they can be tweaked much the same as a phono cartridge / arm combination.
Vinyl is next for me with SACD's close behind. I almost never play CD's anymore and it's a shame as I have a good number of great titles.
I'm in Virginia so I limit my business to east coast guys.
Ken - this is mindblowing. Your setup must sound better than a concert hall.
How would you rank the types of carriers of music (ie LP, CD, tape, SACD, DVD-A)? What carrier do you like the most? What carrier sounds the best on your system? I find the sonic differnce between CD and SACD (DSD) very significant in favor of SACD and am quite saddened that SACD releases seem to be limited now only to classical music.
PS - Do you do business with Medway Plastics out in Long Beach, CA? I know these guys well.
To start out, the sound is much better than I ever would've expected. It didn't surprise me because I didn't cut corners to obtain great sound. After all, we can purchase almost any audio product on audiogon for about half off. If it is a quality built item it will offer performance that cannot be attained from a retail product. That is the advantage of being an Audiogon subscriber. Is it unfair too audition at a retail dealer and buy on Audiogon? That is the free enterprise system. I almost never had the chance to hear what I was interested in at a dealer. You do your homework, visit the CES and roll the dice. If you don't like the best of what you hear, you need to Do IT Yourself. The amount of technical information out there will enable anyone with the will to do it! That was my choice.
I owned two of the four drivers I incorporated in the system before I decided to design and build my system. Speaking with the designers of all the drivers and doing my homework set my mind at ease.
It's amazing how helpful designers are when you ask their opinions and help. They affirm your best ideas and warn you of the pitfalls, then offer alternatives to help you attain your goals.
To make a long story short; line arrays eliminate ceiling and floor reflections that present problems with other speaker designs. designing a 3 way line source that incorporated a horizontal D'Apollito array was taboo when i thought of it. The thought was; you would have comb filter effects if you incorporated that configuration in a center channel speaker for video. ---My listening position from the speakers is 24 feet. Integration of the sonic cylinders of the line sources integrate well before that dimension. This dimension eliminated comb filtering effects unless you're doing the mambo while listening..* To finally answer your question; the sound is glorious; overkill power with the amps, active xovers, and drivers that loaf at SPL levels of 110 DB tells me that over design is the way to go, provided you have the room, budget and desire to do so.
I'm not dumb enough to listen at that level but it's good to know the system is loafing at 200 MPH.
The transformer installation was necessary only because I'm in an area where all the lots have only one 200 amp service. I bought this property 36 years ago when the only service to the property was 100 amps. Our home was the second built in the subdivision. Back then there was no air conditioning, things have changed!
I guess I'm one of the few people that raise their family in a homestead that won't be sold for a frivolous reason, such as flipping a house for $$$$. Since I bought this place 36 years ago I've added and added. A 4800 sq. ft shop, AKA " The Toy Factory," a 1900 sq. ft garage and a few others. We needed plenty of power and could only get another 300 amps from the xformer feeding our lots. Va Power installed a separate xformer to supply what we needed and put all our services on that xformer. No more noisy refers from our neighbors to affect our power.
Tony, thanks for the posting, you have no idea how good clean power is until you don't have it. I'm thankful that I have my own xformer.
Hi - ALL OUT ASSAULT NOTHING - This goes beyond that - I love checking out the virtual systems and I have visited your " Not exactly off the Shelf " system many times but I just discovered something that i missed before - I just realized that you had your Power company install your very own transformer - Holy Moly Batman that's incredible - As if several tons of speakers and an onslaught of Krell big boys wasn't enough - but your own transformer - has anyone ever heard of that before? That is just awesome - I can't imagine how all that sounds - probably pretty darn good I'd imagine - I bet at the right volume who could literally float on sound waves - I believe you hold the Audiogon "All out Assault" Heavy weight Championship - Hands down...TONY
The resultant sound was due to the experience in building my own speakers since 1956 and feedback from the designers of all the drivers I implemented in the systems.
The speakers have always performed to the n'th degree with cd and vinyl.
When "The Tape Project," offered their master tape dupes, things changed. I had already stopped buying CD's a year or so ago when I realized the sonic merits of vinyl. After hearing master tape dupes from TTP and others that offer the same ??????????, I've gotten hooked on tape!.., It's a whole new world that takes audio to a new level.
Hearing a copy from the MASTER TAPE from a "Power Station" recording, in the 80's of a top artist tells me, the cost of master tape dupes is more than worthwhile.
The system has taken on a new life, only because of the program material. Analog tape at 15 ips, will cost about $200 for a 45 minute performance plus or minus-----
Few audiophiles will have the chance to hear a true master tape on a system that will showcase the sound that the recording engineer heard: a big system in a properly designed room. It could be better than sex, unless you're married to my wife, Sue!
I am at a loss for words. This system is nothing short of amazing!! I can't even imagine a project of that scale. I would love to experience that with some good music.
It looks exactly as it did then. Once the system was up and running I diverged to other projects. The first was a turntable that I'll have up and running in about a month. I've put 2 years and $$$ into a machine that will weigh 1540 lbs and employ three arms. There are two Kuzma Air Lines, and a Dynavector DV 507 MK II.
The second is an RCM that might be finished before Christmas.
The third can be attributed to The Tape Project. I found a new life for my Ampex 351- 2 that I purchased new in 1958. The master tape dupes they offer eclipse everything I've heard this side of live!.
Very, very, VERY good cut/paste/perspective/skew/warp... surprised no one caught this before!
Obviously you have not met Ken :^).
He's a madman, we had the pleasure of hanging out at CES together. I assure you the project is as shown, no trickery except it's not really as small as it appears in the photos.
I know this from being a professional photographer.
Ultimate_audio, I hope your first post was simply an attempt at humor that didn't translate well. I've been to Kftool's house a number of times to enjoy his gracious hospitality and quite remarkable system. I assure you, the speakers and the rest of the system are exactly as reflected in the photos. A remarkable diy accomplishment by a true music lover. .
It is my sincere hope that your ability to evaluate the sonic qualities of loudspeakers greatly eclipses your ability to critique a photograph of the same.
I can understand that someone who is relegated to listening to MINI MONITORS may find it hard to believe that any woman would allow her husband to build a system as large as is shown in my photograph.
The computer skills needed to photoshop the picture, as you implied was done, are those I will never possess. I don't have the time to get that good on a computer.
While I probably should've included my wife alongside one of the 9 ft. 4 inch towers, just for perspective, it never occurred to me that it might be necessary. After spending more than 5400 man hours over a 2 1/2 year period of time constructing the speakers, the last thing I needed to do was to PHONY UP a photograph to convince anyone of the scale of the project.
I've sent a DVD containing over 700 Hi Rez photos taken over the construction period to the few Audiogon members that expressed interest in the project. Should you, Sir, wish to evaluate the more than 700 photos of my speaker project, not posted on Audiogon, for photographic accuracy I'll be happy to send them to you , with my compliments.
In the mean time, Sue and I will continue to enjoy the HOME BREW speaker system that has brought us so many hours of pleasure. Music reproduced on a well designed, large system in a 26,000 cubic foot, acoustically designed room re enforces the saying "Size does matter."
I feel fortunate in having a wife, personal ambition, pattern making and construction skills, facilities, and the time and money it took to have undertaken the project. The journey was every bit as enjoyable as the destination!!!
To Ultimate Audio; I trust that both you and your wife enjoy the musical sensation delivered by your mini monitors as much as do Sue and I on our DIY system. After all, when the music begins, the system should disappears. I know mine does.
If you're ever in Virginia, I suggest you stop by for a listen, you're more than welcome.
Seriously, though: AWESOME setup... thanks for the GREAT pix and sharing (wish my wife understood this, then I wouldn't be limited to mini-monitors on stands) :-(
Cheers to you, sir! You built those?! I am amazed, astonished, and inspired... Perhaps your speakers should be displayed among the giant rocks at Stonehenge! They make my NHT VT-2's look like little babies, comparatively. I just need a bigger house, I guess. Someday soon. Until then, have fun for all the rest of us. -Matt
It' great to find out that we have another potential member for the Richmond Audio Society. We meet 6 times a year and have a VINYL splinter group that meet as many times a month as our wives allow.<>*# Yeah right! We know who's in control.
I have many photos and info to post but never seem to find the time. Yesterday a good friend and RAS member brought his computer, Acoustisoft ETF software, measurement mike, sound card an knowledge over to see if we could integrate a GML mastering equalizer into the right and left front towers. When I set out to build the 9 ft- 4 inch line arrays I was figured I might need equalization. The set sounded and measured great without the 9500 but there is always that nth degree of enhancement.
After half a day , I realized this would be a time consuming project and purchased the Acoustisoft software last night. I then realized it only works on a Pc, I have a Mac. Another computer to learn and buy isn't appealing.
By the way, we have a deterrent for any member bringing RAP music. We lock them up in my shed for 24 hours, listening to a tape of my neighbors 7 year old learning chop sticks, on a Yamaha digital piano!
If I had to point to the biggest sonic breakthrough for me in the last year, it would be"The Tape Project." I heard it at the CES last year. One to one dubs of master tapes, recorded from the mike feeds the recording engineers heard. No compression, limiting, or any of the <>* that we hear by the time we buy the final product. I subscribed to their offerings, played the first tape on my Ampex 351-2. That was 4 months ago and since then , I've added 8 studio reel to reel machines to my stack of gear. Unfortunately, Saint Mary can count, a problem I'll deal with after a trinket or two and a good bottle of wine. Until you hear a master tape, you just don't know what unadulterated music sounds like--- not including live music.
My wife Mary Sue, is affectionately known to the members of the RAS, as "Saint Mary." She knew what she was in for before she married me! When I play my music, she retires to the other end of the house , to her computer.
