Wide Band, Single (Almost) speaker. What a difference my new speakers make

[Peter Stockwell]

This weekend I took delivery of an almost wide band speaker, I'm not exactly sure how it's described in English, whenn only one drive unit is used (like Lowthers).

I say almost, because the speaker is the Audium Comp 5 which has most of the range covered by a single 76mm driver in a floorstander, that's about 98cm high, with a "subwoofer" in the base. The 76mm driver covers the range 200Hz -> 20kHz, and the subwoofer manages below 200Hz.

The good news is that instrumental textures are beutifully conserved and it's easy to pick out the different lines played by, say banjo, fiddle, mandolin & accordion when they are playing together. Or, like with e.s.t., where you have manipulated piano and the double bass played through an effects machine. Voices are beautifully natural. particualrly, I was noticing the sound of the reed in a saxophone, which i something I'd not previously encountered with a hifi system.

The bad news is, these speakers go lower in the bass than my old stand mount CDM1Se and excite the 30Hz resonance in the room a touch to easily for my taste, and I haven't found the palliative to reduce this effect, yet.

The speakers aren't run in yet, they barely have 30hrs on them, but at this early stage I didn't realise what I'd been missing from the rest of my kit.

You can see more about these speakers, which in todays market, strike me as reasonably priced at 2000€ a pair, same price in France as in Germany. They are distributed in the UK, too.

http://en.audium.com/index.php

I've always asserted that floorstanders needed to expensive to be good, looks like I was wrong.

[Peter Stockwell]

Trying to get photos uploaded.

[aquapiranha]

The mid / top drivers look like CSS 125 FR's?

http://diyaudioprojects.com/Drivers/CSS-FR125SR/CSS-FR125SR-Fullrange-Loudspeaker-Driver.jpg

[DrMartin]

They look interesting.

But, as is so often the case with anything that looks remotely interesting, I can't find a dealer in the UK, on-line, with any sort of information - let alone a price!

The one dealer, in Cumbria, who lists them has no information at all.

I encounter this problem constantly and it's really frustrating. Why is it so difficult to actually buy any of this stuff in the UK?

[Peter Stockwell]

Select audio is the distributor in the UK, continental Europe price is 2000€ for a pair.

The CSS cone material, is it bamboo fibre ? I guess they have a lot of bamboo in china.

Mine are coming along very nicely, with a few more hours on them, but still much less than 50, I'd say.

[Ali Tait]

Hi Peter,
There's definately something about full-range or wide-band speakers isn't there? They seem to have a coherence that multi-driver speakers lack.I have a pair of MLTL's with Fostex Fe167e's and FT17h supertweeter driven via an adjustable l-pad,which will be used for AV in the finished system once I have the direct-coupled amps.I do like them,and swop between these and the statics as mood dictates.

[Ali Tait]

Hi Peter,
There's definately something about full-range or wide-band speakers isn't there? They seem to have a coherence that multi-driver speakers lack.I have a pair of MLTL's with Fostex Fe167e's and FT17h supertweeter driven via an adjustable l-pad,which will be used for AV in the finished system once I have the direct-coupled amps.I do like them,and swop between these and the statics as mood dictates.

[Peter Stockwell]

Hi Peter,
There's definately something about full-range or wide-band speakers isn't there? They seem to have a coherence that multi-driver speakers lack.

I just love the coherance, I feel like I couldn't go back to a standard Two way. if I had the space, I get some old klipsch forte's or forteII's, these were three ways with the mid horn handling from a bout 800HZ up to 7Khz? There's something very immediate when you don't have a crossover around 2kHz.

When I dem'd the Audiums I tried some Totems and some Vienna acoustids, and neither have the living breathing quality that these (almost) full range speakers have.

My wife had resisted speaker change for years, and she's really taken with them!

[Ali Tait]

Yes agreed,if you like it once you hear it,there's no going back! That's why I like the statics so much I guess,it's the same thing only more transparent.

[Peter Stockwell]

http://share.ovi.com/album/PeterSmobileCell.NewAudiums

The photos are atthe link above

[Peter Stockwell]

Yes agreed,if you like it once you hear it,there's no going back! That's why I like the statics so much I guess,it's the same thing only more transparent.

I remember some acoustats a friend had, those were great. don't care fro what I've heard of Martin Logans, though

[Ali Tait]

These ER's are very good,pretty much as good as anything commercial out there I think,and for a fraction of the money-only downside is you have to build them! Will be even better once I have the direct-coupled amps.That'll be "it" as far as amps are concerned with upgrading I think,nowhere else to go!

[aquapiranha]

I have been a fan of FR units for some time. I love the midband clarity and detail. Now my FR's (Visaton B200's) are augmented at the bottom end by 2 X 15" drivers per side (Eminence Alphas) and I am loving it. Just listening to Jeff Buckley's 'Grace' and I doubt I have had such a vivid, visceral and realistic sound at home before.

[jonners]

Steve -

Are you happy with the top end from your B200s? Have you got phase plugs in them?

[aquapiranha]

Hi John I have no complaints re the top on the B200's. I have heard the odd report of there being a rising peak, but either I am going deaf or it is to slight to be a problem for me. They are excellent drivers, having the edge I would say over the Fostex FE20En's I had, which did have the Planet10 phase plugs fitted. No foo whatsoever on these drivers though - I may damp the basket with some plumbers mate some time to see if that has any effect. Let me know if you want any more info. Steve

[jonners]

No Steve I've never been bothered by the peak that troubles some (upper-mid I think), just that I wanted a little more top end. I added the phase plugs, and some upward-firing tweeters to reinforce the top. Mind you, I had listened to them quite happily for a couple of years before I concluded that something was lacking! :)

[aquapiranha]

Ah right John I see. I have not ried them with a tweeter because I don't feel there is anything lacking though I may have a go in the future maybe with a fostex horn or something. Got any pics of your speakers then? just for my own interest?

Steve

[jonners]

No pics at the moment - maybe I'll take some when I've made them look decent!

[John]

I enjoy the immediacy that full range speakers offer The main issue I had with mine is just how long it takes to fully bed in. But they do really shift air
I think if you got a bit of DIY skills or know a good cabinet maker this is the best way to get very high quality sound for sane money

[Ali Tait]

Yes,agreed.

[Tripmaster]

Hi Peter,
There's definately something about full-range or wide-band speakers isn't there? They seem to have a coherence that multi-driver speakers lack.I have a pair of MLTL's with Fostex Fe167e's and FT17h supertweeter driven via an adjustable l-pad,which will be used for AV in the finished system once I have the direct-coupled amps.I do like them,and swop between these and the statics as mood dictates.

Hi Ali

I have been thinking about purchasing some super tweeters for my Brines MLTL Fe167e speakers. Did you notice a marked improvement?

I bought some really cheap piezo tweeters a while back to play with and they sounded awful. Only a fiver each so what did I expect :eyebrows:

[Ali Tait]

Yes,there was an improvement.Good thing about fitting with an L-pad is you can adjust the tweeter level to taste.I used FT17H,but something like the- F40 is it?-would be even better,but they are more expensive.

[Tripmaster]

Yes,there was an improvement.Good thing about fitting with an L-pad is you can adjust the tweeter level to taste.I used FT17H,but something like the- F40 is it?-would be even better,but they are more expensive.

Hi

Yes...I used a pair of l-pads and only needed to turn them slightly. Do you fire the tweeters towards the listener or to the rear wall? And have you mounted them into the main cabinet or a separate case?

[Ali Tait]

Well if you get the FT17h's,you could try them on top of the cabinet to see what you think initially,but the ideal is to have the tweeter as close to the driver as you can.I too use the Fe167e,and found I was listening at -4 to -5 on the L-pad.I mounted mine as near to the driver and the inside edge as I could,creating a handed pair of speakers,but you could just mount them in the centre of the baffle,I doubt it makes any practical difference.

[Covenant]

I like the look of these speakers. Are they suitable for use in a small room and can they be placed near a wall ? What are they like at reproducing a soundstage?

[Peter Stockwell]

I like the look of these speakers. Are they suitable for use in a small room and can they be placed near a wall ? What are they like at reproducing a soundstage?

Do you mean the Audium's ? I've never been that concerned about soundstage but the music is not restricted to the speakers. What I mean is that the musicians appear to be playing in their own space which is not constrained by the speakers. Now as to pin point location within this sound field, I'm not sure that I'd want to claim that, but I've been watching music TV, like One Shot Not, a kind of Jools Holland thing on French and German TV, and I've been presently surpised by how the out of image player appear to be well placed.

[Covenant]

Yes I mean the Audiums. To me, reproduction of a believable soundstage is what separates the men from the boys speakerwise. Closing your eyes and 'being there' is audio heaven to me.

[Ali Tait]

Agreed,that's what I like statics so much.

[Peter Stockwell]

Yes I mean the Audiums. To me, reproduction of a believable soundstage is what separates the men from the boys speakerwise. Closing your eyes and 'being there' is audio heaven to me.

I think they imaged well at the dealer demo, but I don't think they will really work well close to a wall, they have a port. I moved a boomy cabinet out of the room this weekend, but I still have the port bunged speakers are about 30 cm from the front wall. What they do best for me, at the moment, is the naturallness, things like separation of voices when harmony singers are present, the "ting" and "tang" sounds of cymbals instead of tizzz and tazzz, etc.

It's when I'm watching telly, and someone walks across a room and a noise that is supposed to be to the right and then to the left of a character, moves accodingly, and appropriately with each step. I believe the imaging potential is there, I've just never been good at getting the best, in that sense, from speakers. However, I also think it's material dependant, I listened to some of "Only the loney" - Frank Sinatra, and whammo Frank in front, the orchestra in an arc behind, beautiful!

[lordmortlock]

Massive 'thread from the dead' resurrection I know, but ready for a speaker change and really fancy a pair of these. Are you still happy with them Peter? Anyone else had experience with these since the OP seven odd years ago?