New MMT from Dennis Murphy with SOTA drivers!

[Ilkless]

So he's making the new line for Klipsch? Seriously, Jim "slaps together" a cabinet like you do with crossovers. Even though pricey, I still can't figure out how he turns a profit on most of his models.

Seriously. SEAS Prestige midwoofer + Hiquphon tweeter + the artisanal veneer and cabinet work for <$1000/pair (Songsurround I), with drivers costing $400/pr retail before including enclosure, crossover, assembly and overheads.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Seriously. SEAS Prestige midwoofer + Hiquphon tweeter + the artisanal veneer and cabinet work for <$1000/pair (Songsurround I), with drivers costing $400/pr retail before including enclosure, crossover, assembly and overheads.

Wow. I may have to buy a pair of those.

 

[Ilkless]

Wow. I may have to buy a pair of those.

Do you think the Songsurround I and II still stand up to your more modern compact designs?

 

[Frank Dernie]

That driver looks interesting, but it is expensive at $1300.

As a mechanical engineer I am astonished it isn't more expensive!

 

[Trouble Maker]

I assume that's for one unit. The total driver cost for a pair will be more like $4,000. But he's going to use cardboard shipping boxes for cabinets to keep the price down. Jim has no pride of workmanship.

I just keep reading on here that I have to evaluate in mono, it's totally not that I forgot stereo is 2 speakers in my price calculation.

 

[Trouble Maker]

I need to read a bit and look at some of the videos, this thing seems really interesting. I kind of wonder if they could design in a specific horizontal radiation pattern of their choosing by changing the (electrical/mechanical) design as they radiate out. I assume it has a 180 degree radiation pattern only due to being uniformly designed/built across that span. An OEM could custom order it to their choosing. Or there might be a way to control/steer it passively or actively if they get really crazy with it. With this idea, even if done only experimentally due to complexity & cost this could be one way to test preference of wide/narrow dispersion as well as fall off pattern outside of the primary radiation area. If used with room correction designed to leverage this capability, you could really tame the room. As in 'oh, that speakers is close to a really reflective side wall (at this frequency) so let's reduce the curve in that area'.

 

[Ilkless]

I need to read a bit and look at some of the videos, this thing seems really interesting. I kind of wonder if they could design in a specific horizontal radiation pattern of their choosing by changing the (electrical/mechanical) design as they radiate out. I assume it has a 180 degree radiation pattern only due to being uniformly designed/built across that span. An OEM could custom order it to their choosing. Or there might be a way to control/steer it passively or actively if they get really crazy with it. With this idea, even if done only experimentally due to complexity & cost this could be one way to test preference of wide/narrow dispersion as well as fall off pattern outside of the primary radiation area. If used with room correction designed to leverage this capability, you could really tame the room. As in 'oh, that speakers is close to a really reflective side wall (at this frequency) so let's reduce the curve in that area'.

Could be a means of achieving a single-driver CBT/line-array if you can scale up the design vertically.

 

[tomtoo]

Pure audio science porn.
What is efficence and max. spl of that airblade?

Edit says: A very exciting day in my live will be when @Dennis Murphy finished the design and @hardisj will make a review.

 

[Ville]

Creating thread for really promising new speaker that @Dennis Murphy announced in another thread.

Now that explains the title and the first post. I mean, try to read them without knowing this. @Dennis Murphy, you might want to edit the first post a bit.

 

[tomtoo]

This presentation on the techonology is interesting

He demos the unsealed version so it’s an open dipole. He passes it around while it’s playing, so it must not be that fragile

View attachment 82395

I think it's much less fragile then a dome tweeter.

 

[digicidal]

Seriously. SEAS Prestige midwoofer + Hiquphon tweeter + the artisanal veneer and cabinet work for <$1000/pair (Songsurround I), with drivers costing $400/pr retail before including enclosure, crossover, assembly and overheads.

I've been drooling over a pair of SS-8's since he announced them. Even at ~$9K/pr. they're "bargains" but the weight is pretty much a deal killer for me. Maybe if I'm ever positive that the house I'm living in will be the one I die in... then I can have them moved in and left. As it is, I move stuff around too much - and I'd likely be on my back for months if I tried moving those up or down the stairs (let alone to a different place). Not like I'd let some moving company guys touch them - I've seen what they can do to a hardy entertainment center.

At least these should be easier on the back and the wallet (somewhat at least).

 

[yourmando]

I kind of wonder if they could design in a specific horizontal radiation pattern of their choosing by changing the (electrical/mechanical) design as they radiate out. I assume it has a 180 degree radiation pattern only due to being uniformly designed/built across that span. An OEM could custom order it to their choosing.

They say they can do other horizontal dispersion angles upon request.

Their 360 prototype is a full ring.

 

[Ericglo]

As a mechanical engineer I am astonished it isn't more expensive!

I don't disagree, but I guess it depends on where it is made.

 

[MSP0416]

Hi Dennis, any news for the forum about the speaker?

 

[restorer-john]

Do you have one of these Airblades for testing?

You can find them in most airport bathrooms. Utterly useless, like everything Dyson produces.

PS Dyson will be all over these clowns like a cheap suit for using the name.

 

[SerpensCaput]

PS Dyson will be all over these clowns like a cheap suit for using the name.

There are currently 74 trademarks registered under that keyword, companies that hold them are Sony, Honda, Dyson, Arya Audio, plus dozen more. You think they are all throwing lawsuits against each other? I don't think you have any idea about how trademark law works, which you should before you call someone a clown.

 

[tomtoo]

Hehe very different markets hand dryers and tweeters. But both move air. That would be a realy interesting lawsuit.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

I finally received the Purifi-Air Blade test cabinet from Jim today. This will be a challenge to design, and I'm afraid a challenge to sell unless some kind of cosmetic grill can be designed that doesn't muck up the response. I'll post pics tomorrow and take some preliminary measurements.

 

[tomtoo]

I finally received the Purifi-Air Blade test cabinet from Jim today. This will be a challenge to design, and I'm afraid a challenge to sell unless some kind of cosmetic grill can be designed that doesn't muck up the response. I'll post pics tomorrow and take some preliminary measurements.

Is it realy that ugly??

 

[hardisj]

Based on this thread, I reached out to Arya to see if they would be willing to send me a test sample to review. I will probably not receive a reply (typical) but I figure it can't hurt to at least ask.

Well, I actually got a reply and then had a nice little exchange with Dominika Behounek, Co-Founder of Arya Audio Labs. No airblade for testing, but a very nice lady. I asked if she minds me sharing our email exchange here and she essentially said to feel free. So, rather than summarize, I'll just quote her directly:

Message: Hello, I test/review various audio components and loudspeakers for my website (https://www.erinsaudiocorner.com/) and YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/erinsaudiocorner). Your AirBlade tweeter recently came up in discussion on an audio forum so I went to check it out. It looks very intriguing and I was wondering if you might be willing to send me a sample of your driver(s) to review. I would send it/them back, of course. This would give me the opportunity to check out something entirely different than the standard drive units available these days and would also highlight your products to those currently unfamiliar with it. Let me know if you are able and willing to work something out. Thanks,
Erin Hardison

Hi Erin,

Thank you for your message and apologies for getting back to you so late.

Well done building a platform for yourself on youtube, it is very useful for DIY community to have someone to turn to for such thorough reviews!
I am sure it would be very interesting for your viewers to get an insight on the AirBlade, however, I am not entirely sure this is the best time for that. At present we do not supply the drivers to the end customers as the implementation process requires one-on-one support that we cannot possibly provide to wider audience, therefore, currently we only ship to selected OEMs. The only exception is the “add-on” version exclusively available through Audio Exotics Hong Kong in extremely limited quantities, where the AirBlade is professionally set up for the customers.
I think a review like that would be the most useful when (and if) the driver is available for anyone to purchase.
How about we touch base at the later date when the situation changes?

Kindest Regards,
Dominika

I understand. And thank you for taking the time to even reply.

Yes, I would be happy to discuss this at a later date. Hopefully one of us remembers. If your memory is anything like mine... maybe we should set reminders for a year from now. Haha.

Take care, and thanks again for getting back to me. I look forward to working together in the future.

Erin

Hi Erin,

Of course, thank you for taking the time to write us and, most importantly, for keeping an open mind when it comes to new tech that pops up in the audio industry. You said you heard about AirBlade through a discussion on an online forum and I am well aware those get a bit rough sometimes (to say the least) so I really appreciate you making an effort to find out more about it instead of discarding the idea of it without giving it a second thought.

Actually, I noticed you live not too far from Chattanooga, TN. We are collaborating with Western Electric on a speaker project that uses the AirBlade for high frequencies and features WE’s new mid range driver as well, they have the system set up in their offices there. It’s really something quite different so if you ever felt like doing a short road trip I could get you in touch with Charles from WE and he could give you a demo. No pressure whatsoever, just an idea. I think there are a lot of strange legends about this driver circling the community but I say it’s worth giving it a listen before making a judgement. This would also mean we do not have to rely on our memory which, I will admit, it’s pretty trash for me as well

Best wishes,
Dominika

From there, we discuss the possibility of me getting an introduction to Western Electric in Chattanooga, TN to get a demo of the speakers they are building which incorporate the AirBlade.

So, bottom line for me testing one of their speakers is: not yet. But, they (she) seems willing to do so in the future and she is helping me get connected with a manufacturer just a couple hours' drive from me to hear what they are doing with it.



BTW, you should see Ms. Behounek's LinkedIn profile... BS in Acoustic Engineering, PhD in Modelling electrocochlear responses ... which I have no idea what that even means. Off the charts smart. These credentials, at least to me, add a level of confidence that this isn't just some audiophoolery technology.