glenann
12-03-2015, 08:26
Sooo.... I've been using a pair of Frugal Horns with Mark Audio CHP 70 drive units, built by myself, for a good few months now. Sound for pound they are truly unbelievable. Yesterday a friend of mine gave me a pair of Snell E/III's. I've owned these before in the past and rate them as one of my favourite speakers. Last week I bought an Art Audio Quintet MK1 which uses EL34's, and is fixed in 15 watt triode mode. Now I imagined that the Snells would trounce the mdf made FH's....but I find that I'm not as bowled over as I thought. There's more bass from the Snells, but the treble is a little bit more strident. The overall sound form the Snells is 'drier' maybe more Hi-Fi.... I use a Mark Audio 'super tweeter' on the Frugals too. I listened to the London Grammar track If You Wait and my wife, who was in the other room, came in and said that she thought her voice projected into the room much more with the ones I made! It was more constrained in the Snells.
Now I have a dilemma. I like the bass of the Snells (also the sentimentality), but should I invest time and money into a pair of Frugal Horn XL's? If so which drive unit would you recommend? I love the CHP70 for its naturalness. So I would want to keep that aspect. I would build them in Ply as opposed to mdf too.
Would I get bass approaching the Snells?
Or is there anything else anyone would advise please?
Sorry for the ramble..
Now I have a dilemma. I like the bass of the Snells (also the sentimentality), but should I invest time and money into a pair of Frugal Horn XL's? If so which drive unit would you recommend? I love the CHP70 for its naturalness. So I would want to keep that aspect. I would build them in Ply as opposed to mdf too.
Would I get bass approaching the Snells?
Or is there anything else anyone would advise please?
Sorry for the ramble..