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Thread: NEW!!! Loudspeaker Design Services

  1. #1
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: Gloucestershire

    Posts: 3,377
    I'm Paul.

    Default NEW!!! Loudspeaker Design Services

    RFC is delighted to announce the launch of a new service intended to help DIYers and people looking to refurb existing speakers themselves.

    The problem, as anyone who has tried it, with speaker design is not just where to start (!) but if building a kit or developing your own designs, how to successfully design a crossover which sums correctly, ensures that drivers are phase matched, and that step response is excellent. It is all but impossible to do this "by ear" or by using textbook values because EVERY driver has its own unique set of electro-acoustic parameters and response, not least rising impedance with frequency (hence a nominal 8 Ohm speaker might be 12 Ohms or more at crossover meaning that on-line calculators wont work).

    RFC uses advanced measurement systems and software which take the guesswork out of speaker design, including:

    • Calibrated electrical measurement devices for drivers which determine very accurately (to within 1%) impedance profiles
    • Rub & Buzz testers which check the health of existing drivers
    • Calibrated specialist acoustic measurement mic
    • Signal generators and PC software to generate and measure impulse measurements, check phase response and anechoic frequency response (via gated short burst in room response)
    • Advanced simulation software which uses driver measured electrical and acoustic data for accurate simulation of filter design
    • Ability to measure and tweak completed crossovers
    • Decay Spectrum Waterfall measurements
    • Polar response measurement ability to check off axis response


    For each commission, you will received a detailed measurement report and if crossover design is required, a detailed schematic with a full list of components (plus advice on the most appropriate choice of components).

    All you need to do for your DIY kits or new DIY speaker designs is to take one of the cabinets furnished with your drivers (but no crossover) to me and you decide on what measurement or simulation you require for your speakers in order to build the crossovers. Alternatively, RFC can build them for you and present you with completed crossovers and print outs of the acoustic response profile.

    Although these services are available elsewhere, the current independent specialists offering these services tend to charge between £40 and £50/hour plus VAT.

    The RFC charge for this highly specialised work is £30/hour all in.

    A typical straightforward 2 way speaker design might take between 2 to 3 hours work for the measurements and file conversions for the software needed to give you a crossover which works well. It may take upwards of a few days or more for exceptionally accurate crossover design to match anything available commercially (ie the cheaper option lets you arrive at 90% of the performance, whilst advanced design might get you to 99% perfection for that speaker system).

    Whilst some contemplating DIY speakers do so because of the budgetary advantages of building your own, consider this: Components are expensive so the usual iterative approach of guesswork or calculation followed by re-designing filters several or more times before you're close to happy with what you hear probably will cost you way more than a few hours well spent with RFC taking all the guess work out. You can then leave confident that what you have will work.

    Please contact me if RFC can assist you with your project.
    Last edited by Reffc; 25-02-2015 at 17:04.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Good luck with this, Paul. I’m sure it’ll be a much valued service for AoS members

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  3. #3
    Join Date: Mar 2012

    Location: Gloucestershire

    Posts: 3,377
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Thanks Marco.

    It seemed a no-brainer really as so many on here like to tinker with older speakers or have the DIY bug, so this at least offers a guarantee of great performance from whichever DIY route they go without all the usual months & months worth of tinkering, cost and guesswork, tinkering and more guesswork (and cost!) without really seeming to arrive at that "Eureka!" moment. Not many offer this service (there's only a few in the UK) so I'm hoping that folk take advantage of it, especially at the rates on offer.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Yup, it’s just the type of service I like to see offered here by traders, as it caters for the specific needs of the AoS community, and has the potential of removing lots of headache, especially for those modifying/upgrading the crossovers on vintage Tannoys, etc.

    In fact, I have a friend with a pair of 1990s-vintage Canterburys who could well be a potential customer… I’ll give him a nudge for you!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  5. #5
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: Maidstone

    Posts: 977
    I'm James.

    Default

    Sounds like a no brainer to me.
    Source: Heavily modified DDDAC using MacBook Pro.
    Amplification: Pre amp-Stereo Coffee pre amp on steroids.
    Power amp- Rather large Colin Wonfor Class A power Amp
    Speakers: Lampizator P17 Open Baffles
    Accessories: Klotz 500 DIY Interconnects & DIY speaker cable sounding better than anything commercial.
    All powered from a Mother Trucker BPS with a dedicated consumer unit with 10mm armoured radial back to the house tails after the meter.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: west mids, UK

    Posts: 3,268
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    very quiet these days at RFC towers , hope are things progressing ? whats the latest developments ?
    ou might slip, you might slide, you might
    Stumble and fall by the road side
    But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
    Remember you're walking up to heaven

    Don't let nobody turn you around
    … Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

    Eric Bibb

  7. #7
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,089
    I'm Alan.

    Default

    Hi Phil, Paul stopped posting on here a while back, mainly due to the armchair 'experts' always wanting to disagree with him.

    If you've ever met him, as I have, you'll know that he is one of the most talented designers in the country, if not the world.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,302
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Paul is an extremely honest guy. My Tannoy XOs are going through their second design and I wouldn't trust them with anyone else. He designed my tannoy cabinets he is indeed very very talented bu also extremely busy. He dosen't need to be on here simply because his work speaks volumes, he has a waiting list several months long. Why have the hassle of having your work slagged off ?
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,089
    I'm Alan.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by REXTON View Post
    Why have the hassle of having your work slagged off ?
    Indeed!
    It wasn't so much his work being slagged off as his expertise. Would have pi**ed me off too.

  10. #10
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: west mids, UK

    Posts: 3,268
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    ah thanks guys , yes i have been to pauls twice and use his cables too .
    ou might slip, you might slide, you might
    Stumble and fall by the road side
    But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
    Remember you're walking up to heaven

    Don't let nobody turn you around
    … Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

    Eric Bibb

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