Visit to Audiophile Bill to hear his horns project

[spiritofmusic]

Beaurocracy gone mad. Good luck on the future.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Hi Marc,

Back in my box speaker days, I was always most enamoured and emotionally drawn to those speakers that ably detached all music from their drivers and portrayed a mid hall presentation. I was always a very big fan of Avalon for this reason as to me they had this attribute in spades. I am nearly certain I would have landed with Avalons as my next cones indeed I was very close to buying some.

I do recognise that this is rather different in style to the presentation you get from most horns where the image is mainly projected forwards at you and despite insane dynamics, the music seemingly comes from the horn mouth. I really never liked that presentation, and always wanted to gain the mid hall and fully detached approach - it was a strong part of my design ethos. I think the SLOB helps this as does the horn rear chamber.

Best.

Interesting, I was a big Avalon fan back in the day too. Their demos certainly majored on transparency and a natural unwinding of the musical event. Thinking back now, maybe this was a version of backward layering.

 

[cal3713]

Interesting, I was a big Avalon fan back in the day too. Their demos certainly majored on transparency and a natural unwinding of the musical event. Thinking back now, maybe this was a version of backward layering.

This is yet another indicator that I would just adore Bill's creation. I believe my Coincident PRE's are cut from a similar cloth (and at least they also use accuton ceramic drivers).

 

[Blue58]

Hi Marc,

Back in my box speaker days, I was always most enamoured and emotionally drawn to those speakers that ably detached all music from their drivers and portrayed a mid hall presentation. I was always a very big fan of Avalon for this reason as to me they had this attribute in spades. I am nearly certain I would have landed with Avalons as my next cones indeed I was very close to buying some.

I do recognise that this is rather different in style to the presentation you get from most horns where the image is mainly projected forwards at you and despite insane dynamics, the music seemingly comes from the horn mouth. I really never liked that presentation, and always wanted to gain the mid hall and fully detached approach - it was a strong part of my design ethos. I think the SLOB helps this as does the horn rear chamber.

Best.

Interesting that you like Avalon Bill as they are one of my least favourite speakers from exposure to those demos held at HiFi shows. I never could get on with that detached sound and they often played Chopin or some such music within reverberant sound fields.
The tapes you played were full on like actually being in front of the musicians and listening live rather than a facsimile. My kinda sound. It’s phenomenal how your speakers can do both presentations depending on the source material.
Im still in shock after my visit btw and can’t bring myself to play my system just yet.

cheers
Blue58

 

[bonzo75]

Interesting that you like Avalon Bill as they are one of my least favourite speakers from exposure to those demos held at HiFi shows. I never could get on with that detached sound and they often played Chopin or some such music within reverberant sound fields.
The tapes you played were full on like actually being in front of the musicians and listening live rather than a facsimile. My kinda sound. It’s phenomenal how your speakers can do both presentations depending on the source material.
Im still in shock after my visit btw and can’t bring myself to play my system just yet.

cheers
Blue58

Hi, I can arrange a visit for you near Finsbury Park for an excellent Avalon demo. Great analog as well

 

[spiritofmusic]

But Barry, I know a few people who can't hack ANY horns for the same reasons of reverberant field. For them, they want the flatter wall of sound from big box spkrs on SS power stations. Your Duos are very spacious on stuff like Nils Frahm, ECM stuff etc.

 

[ACHiPo]

Had to look up SLOB (slot-loaded open baffle) and came across a very nice explanation from none other than Nelson Pass...

https://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_slob.pdf

 

[cal3713]

Had to look up SLOB (slot-loaded open baffle) and came across a very nice explanation from none other than Nelson Pass...

https://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_slob.pdf

One of the good ones. I truly believe the man's primary motivation is just to help people enjoy music. It's crazy how much time and effort he spends on non-commercial projects for the masses...

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Had to look up SLOB (slot-loaded open baffle) and came across a very nice explanation from none other than Nelson Pass...

https://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_slob.pdf

This is where my mission started. I have developed my own significantly enhanced version of the original approach. Designed to handle standing waves, increase efficiency and velocity, maintain critical rigidity and improve driver loading.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Interesting that you like Avalon Bill as they are one of my least favourite speakers from exposure to those demos held at HiFi shows. I never could get on with that detached sound and they often played Chopin or some such music within reverberant sound fields.
The tapes you played were full on like actually being in front of the musicians and listening live rather than a facsimile. My kinda sound. It’s phenomenal how your speakers can do both presentations depending on the source material.
Im still in shock after my visit btw and can’t bring myself to play my system just yet.

cheers
Blue58

Hi Barry,

After you guys left, I was listening to some classical tape and it was layering back deeply out of my rear wall again. That said vinyl almost always does this thing - very consistent.

It is odd cos if it was only my room, then tape would have presented that way too. Digital seems more forward in presentation but still very driver uncoupled.

All fun.

Best.

 

[cal3713]

This is where my mission started. I have developed my own significantly enhanced version of the original approach. Designed to handle standing waves, increase efficiency and velocity, maintain critical rigidity and improve driver loading.

I hope one day you will have the time and motivation to discuss the modifications.

 

[jeff1225]

Beautiful work Bill, I love the combination of two hobbies. Looking forward to a full system shot once you're done.

 

[cal3713]

I hope one day you will have the time and motivation to discuss the modifications.

And sorry for being so greedy. It's just such a wonderful project.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Beautiful work Bill, I love the combination of two hobbies. Looking forward to a full system shot once you're done.

Thanks Jeffrey. I am going to move it all into my big room soon so will be nice for good photos of whole thing then.

 

[jeff1225]

Thanks Jeffrey. I am going to move it all into my big room soon so will be nice for good photos of whole thing then.

Excellent. Sorry if I missed this, but is the AER4 a new driver for your system or have you always had it?

 

[Ron Resnick]

Which is the top-of-the-line AER driver?

 

[bonzo75]

Which is the top-of-the-line AER driver?

BD5b

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Excellent. Sorry if I missed this, but is the AER4 a new driver for your system or have you always had it?

Excellent. Sorry if I missed this, but is the AER4 a new driver for your system or have you always had it?

I have had the AER BD4 for a couple years at least now, Jeffrey.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Which is the top-of-the-line AER driver?

Filip has a BD5 now.

 

[Zero000]

Interesting that you like Avalon Bill as they are one of my least favourite speakers from exposure to those demos held at HiFi shows. I never could get on with that detached sound and they often played Chopin or some such music within reverberant sound fields.

Yup I agree. They're dreadful non-performers IMHO. Way overrated.

Whatever.

Bill those recent pics are very nice indeed. Good work!

Good size too. Should be able to produce a pretty decent sense of scale.