I've finally got around to building some Linkwitz LX Mini's.

I was originally going to build them from scratch, but found that getting the US size Schedule40 pipe was quite expensive in the UK due to minimum length requirements. Buying the kit from MagicLX in Germany was almost the same price so I opted for that. It's a nice kit with everything cut very precisely. I decided to go with a modern hi-tech look and wrapped the white plastic with 3M carbon fibre vinyl, mimicking the woven upper driver. 3M carbon fibre vinyl is pressure sensitive, so fairly easy to position before fastening down. Micro holes help to ensure that any bubbles are easy to remove. MagicLX's spacers hold the upper drive in place, rather than the screws used in Siegfried Linkwitz's original plans and make for a neater build. They also groove the base so all driver wires are hidden. A single Neutrik SpeakON connector fits neatly into the base. Like all Linkwitz's speakers they are active so I use Canare 4S11 star quad cable.

So, how do they sound - like all of Linkwitz's designs they major on imaging. They're an interesting design with a polar pattern that starts off in the lower frequencies as an omni, becoming cardioid through the crossover region and dipole at the top end. Useful output down to 45Hz. They can also be used with the bass modules from my LX521s to become LX Mini Studios. This frees up the small upward firing woofer, increasing dynamics and enabling them to play much louder. They are very similar tonally to the LX521.

What Siegfried Linkwitz has done with a pair of inexpensive drivers and a couple of pieces of plastic tube is amazing. They are quite special.