DIY speakers vertical array a la "pipedreams" syst


Have any of you worked on a multi drivers vertical array type of speakers ...something that would look like a diminutive version of the http://www.nearfieldacoustics.com/The%20System.htm systems ?

What were the results?

i have a suddent interest in knowing why so many people
prefer this kind of setup to systems of equivalent quality drivers/enclosures with less in number ...

Anyone has a good ressource for buying excellent drivers
( only the drviers ) and or reviews of such ?

i will need a 15-18" driver for my sub neway , even
if i still go with ESLs ..

But the vertical array systems attract me for a single reason, build is easy and it should cost equivalent to electrostatics ( since no need for $$$$ step up transformer
but multi drivers need to be purchased ..

I would be considering a desing of a few feet tall with a
front face of 12" to 18" maybe with an opened rear for dipole action since they can't reach the front in their resonnat frequency ...mmmm

could be something in the 3 feet tall in total
wonder how many driver i could place on that :p

what do you guys think?

then also, about the need to drive all the drivers,
will it ask for a really powerfull amplification ?
or since all the drivers are working less powerfull to
attain the equivalent sound pressure, they thus require less power ?

what do you think of nerafield acoustic theory that
having more drivers permits the drivers to be worked at lower power and drivers are more accurate at lower power?

thanks for your time,

anything will help :)
jinmtvt

Showing 6 responses by mthieme

Thanks for the link, that does look great, I worry a little about my cabinet making abilities so I thought a open baffle design would be easier but I think it might be worth the extra effort.
Thanks Fred for all the info and advice! I've been scouring the diy forums and pages like yours trying to absorb as much as I can, kind of daunting sometimes. My goal is to be able to use a pair of Bottlehead amps or similar SET to drive whatever I build. I'm wondering if I shouldn't just try a full range driver on an open baffle with bass handled by a sub, like the Bastanis, to get my feet wet before trying to tackle a line array. Any thoughts? Nice work by the way on your page and all your speakers.
Can anyone help me figure out how to send Fred an email at that page, I don't see the link. Thanks
http://www.geocities.com/dmitrynizh/labaffles.htm
This page has a lot of great info on open baffle and line array theory as does the Linkwitz page for anyone else interested in these designs. I think it would be a great project that hopefully would achieve great imaging similar to planars, but with the bonus of higher sensitivity and dynamics.
I'm wondering if you ever found any plans for a line source dipole. Or if you found it was a bad idea, I've been thinking of doing something similar.
Fred, once again thanks for the advice, lots to take in but it all looks to be great "fun". Maybe the voight pipes from your site would be a good primer, but if I can find a suitable driver for open baffle that I can afford I will give it a try. Eminence coaxials with associated tweeter seem to fit the bill. From what I gather, the Bastanis simply has a resistor on the tweeter and that's it for a crossover. I could add a pair of active subs later.