Visit to Audiophile Bill to hear his horns project

[Zeotrope]

Surge, you don't wanna be showing this stuff to Bill. He has a bad tendency to eat, sleep and dream all of this.

Bill, totally open to your feedback. One thing I’m wondering about is if the vibrations from the upper bass are making their way to the midrange. You can feel them through the metal frame.
However, the RCA drivers are very solid, heavy, and robust. I have opened and serviced them.
And Jeff Jackson used a metal frame for his $300K(?) flagship horns:

 

[spiritofmusic]

$300k for the horns in the lowest photo? Not his more complete version w the big butterfly literal barn door-sized baffles?

 

[Zeotrope]

$300k for the horns in the lowest photo? Not his more complete version w the big butterfly literal barn door-sized baffles?

Don’t quote me on the price, but it was something like that…well into the 6-figures. Probably worth it, since Jeff is a rare master. Only other horns that come close are the $1M Vox Olympian.

 

[bonzo75]

Don’t quote me on the price, but it was something like that…well into the 6-figures. Probably worth it, since Jeff is a rare master. Only other horns that come close are the $1M Vox Olympian.

Vox is 400k. Have you heard either Jeff's or the vox?

 

[Zeotrope]

Vox is 400k. Have you heard either Jeff's or the vox?

If you get the full Vox setup, with the bass units, it’s close to $1M, retail.

I have not heard the Vox but have heard Jeff’s horns with the big wooden baffle.

 

[cal3713]

If you get the full Vox setup, with the bass units, it’s close to $1M, retail.

I have not heard the Vox but have heard Jeff’s horns with the big wooden baffle.

I'll take yours instead, thanks.

 

[bonzo75]

If you get the full Vox setup, with the bass units, it’s close to $1M, retail.

I have not heard the Vox but have heard Jeff’s horns with the big wooden baffle.

Did you hear Jeff's with the type 50 amps?

 

[Zeotrope]

I'll take yours instead, thanks.

Thanks! The good news is that you can get these built, like I did, for a lot less!

 

[Zeotrope]

Did you hear Jeff's with the type 50 amps?

You mean his amps?
It was the wall amp that’s pictured above. The problem was it was in a store in Soho NYC, not ideal for listening. I’m sure anything Jeff creates sounds great, in the right environment.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Surge, do those huge wooden baffles on Jeffrey's Wheel Fi horns house open baffle subs? Or are they just a variation on acoustic wave guides?
Is Jeffrey's ?$300k? package for these horns w baffles, or the baffle-less horns in the metal frame stands?

 

[Zeotrope]

Surge, do those huge wooden baffles on Jeffrey's Wheel Fi horns house open baffle subs? Or are they just a variation on acoustic wave guides?
Is Jeffrey's ?$300k? package for these horns w baffles, or the baffle-less horns in the metal frame stands?

I have no idea, sorry. As I recall, there are no subs behind them. The lower horn provided all of the bass. But don’t quote me on it.

 

[dcathro]

Thanks! The good news is that you can get these built, like I did, for a lot less!

If you are prepared to take the time and effort, and tap into the right expertise, you can build your own for about 1/10th of what you might pay for commercial.

 

[cal3713]

If you are prepared to take the time and effort, and tap into the right expertise, you can build your own for about 1/10th of what you might pay for commercial.

Indeed, this is clearly the way to go.

Especially with the ability to use something like a minidsp to dial in crossover slopes and points before committing to a hardware solution... or just copying existing designs that people so kindly share in order to improve music for everyone else. Thanks everyone for sharing their expertise.

 

[Folsom]

The cross-over is 1st order, with David Slage(sp?) auto-formers to adjust the high and mid-levels, to better tune the speakers to the room.

View attachment 80921

Also note that the angle of the RCA midrange can be adjusted, as can the position of the tweeters, to achieve time-alignment at the listening position. Very important!

One of those inductors need to be rotated 90* so the fields are interaction as much as possible.

 

[cal3713]

One of those inductors need to be rotated 90* so the fields are interaction as much as possible.

As little as possible??

 

[Folsom]

As little as possible??

Crossover 101, you don't want the fields interacting of inductors. In order to avoid this you don't have their fields congruent with each other. I'd rotate the small so it's standing up so the field will be perpendicular, and not counter or additive to the same motion.

 

[cal3713]

Crossover 101, you don't want the fields interacting of inductors. In order to avoid this you don't have their fields congruent with each other. I'd rotate the small so it's standing up so the field will be perpendicular, and not counter or additive to the same motion.

A useful picture, thanks.

(And I'll note that my above comment was just to fix your typo from "as much as possible").

 

[Zeotrope]

Crossover 101, you don't want the fields interacting of inductors. In order to avoid this you don't have their fields congruent with each other. I'd rotate the small so it's standing up so the field will be perpendicular, and not counter or additive to the same motion.

Thank you! Not sure how this escaped Josh’s eye! Appreciate it!

 

[Walnut Horns]

Bill, totally open to your feedback. One thing I’m wondering about is if the vibrations from the upper bass are making their way to the midrange. You can feel them through the metal frame.
However, the RCA drivers are very solid, heavy, and robust. I have opened and serviced them.
And Jeff Jackson used a metal frame for his $300K(?) flagship horns:

These are my horns and they are definitely not $300K, but they do use a field coil midrange driver. Since I do not have room for the butterfly wing baffles in my installation, Jeffrey built me folded baffle subs each with an 18" driver that blend seamlessly with the horns. Otherwise, they're identical to Jeffrey's large horns. Jeffrey's butterfly wings are open baffle and I believe each wing has two 18' drivers for a total of eight. I have heard his system multiple times in two locations (once as recently as two weeks ago) and it's by far the best system I have ever heard on any type of music. The amp on the wall uses GM70s in a SET configuration and weighs 200 lbs. It's magnificent.

 

[Zeotrope]

These are my horns and they are definitely not $300K, but they do use a field coil midrange driver. Since I do not have room for the butterfly wing baffles in my installation, Jeffrey built me folded baffle subs each with an 18" driver that blend seamlessly with the horns. Otherwise, they're identical to Jeffrey's large horns. Jeffrey's butterfly wings are open baffle and I believe each wing has two 18' drivers for a total of eight. I have heard his system multiple times in two locations (once as recently as two weeks ago) and it's by far the best system I have ever heard on any type of music. The amp on the wall uses GM70s in a SET configuration and weighs 200 lbs. It's magnificent.

Which ones are yours?