SEAS Thor Speaker / NCMS Rhythm 9500 Unlimited

Trelja Thanks for this very perceptive comment. You are correct. The MTM Thor design does in fact take a nice size ss amp. Very load demanding. And in my opinion a good tube amp delivers more musicality than a good ss amp. The Thor has dual W17's, and these 7 inch woofers only down to like 40 hz. But your amp needs to push 4 woofers!! I think a single W22 will produce a nice solid 30hz and will be tube friendly. I'm not looking for alot of sound, superior sound is what i'm after. The Seas line of Excel woofers just got better! They are releasing their new W26 Excel!! She's georgeous! 20hz!!! - 1000K hz. Those of you who are about to buy a sub (REL's), you may want to hold off to consider the W26. Seas > Excel > new

Tweekerman, thanks for the kind words. I agree with you very much. Especially, that a good tube amp offers more musicality than a good solid state amp.

My own tube amp drives Seas P21 Excel mids with no problems. In addition, it also drives a pair of subwoofers with Peerless 10" woofers. No sweat at all, it will play at quite high volumes. Down to 22 Hz. The secret is the simple crossover, which I described in my last post. The only thing standing between my amp and drivers is a coil and a cap. A good simple, first order parallel network. Sure, it isn't glamorous, and "techies" may complain about this or that, but it just plain sounds good.

Trelja, It just so happens that Linkwitz picks the Peerless XLS 12 as his best pick for sub. That big curl surround looks superior design. Which tweeter are you using? Linkwitz says the active xover gives your amp a big boost. My 40 watt tube is the entry level and offers plenty of power. If i want more power i can get the next level up. What's your thoughts?

What i'm trying to say is like you , i believe "less is best" in xovers. So active seems to me to disrupt the clean fq's of your tube amp? Yes you get a louder sound, but active to me implies that your placing the tube amp further from the speakers...??

Tweekerman, my tweeters are a very common model from Vifa. I feel it is probably the best bargain in tweeters, very underrated and underappreciated. At just $25, it takes one to spend $100 to best it. However, I really should have upgraded it to the ScanSpeak Revelator, which is a direct replacement(in my speakers), long ago.

As, I am putting together a second system right now, and that system already sounds terrific, the tweeter upgrade is on the back burner.

I feel the Revelator offers improved smoothness and refinement, in comparison to the Vifa. I also have another pair of speakers with a Hiquphon tweeter. That is a really terrific driver, offering every last bit of detail, with no harshness or brightness. My kind of tweeter. I have read the pair goes for $275, but I have never priced them, so I am unsure if that is correct. Whatever the cost, it certainly deserves to be more well known than it is.

By the way, I am so enamored with the Vifa tweeter, I bought another pair(not so wise, should have just used the ones I have when I upgrade) for my next speaker building project. Just a little two way monitor. Will feature 1" thick solid maple outer walls, possibly with a layer of viscoelastic inside of that, and finally a layer of 3/4" MDF. This one will use a series crossover. But, it will be simple nonetheless. The other driver is a 6 1/2" mid - woofer, also from Vifa. If I need more bass later, I can assemble a pair of subwoofers, which can also serve as stands if I want. The subs would use the same 8" wide maple, with the drivers on the sides. Probably go with Peerless or Vifa 10" woofers. Sometimes, I kind of like having subs in the corners(not always the "approved" means, but I don't care), and monitors out in the room.

I don't have any experience with active crossovers, but have always kind of wondered...

In my opinion, less is definitely more. I am a big proponent of a first order network, be it parallel or series in configuration. Series crossovers offer something special in the way of cohesiveness in the sound. I also like running mids flat out, without any crossover components in their circuit at all. Now, one can't get any "less" than that. Only the tweeter really needs anything, a cap, just to keep it from getting fried.