Celuaris SPK5 Purifi Review (speaker)

[capslock]

Qts is the least of my problems. It can be EQed out, or a series resistor added, etc.

Why would a sub require a higher XO point? And why would it be a problem? In a dipole, the "midbass" is excursion challenged, and both a high xlin or a sub will help here.

 

[Selah Audio]

Qts is the least of my problems. It can be EQed out, or a series resistor added, etc.

Why would a sub require a higher XO point? And why would it be a problem? In a dipole, the "midbass" is excursion challenged, and both a high xlin or a sub will help here.

What I meant is that it would be better used in a 3-way where the bass driver can operate at a higher crossover point. Sure, you can add EQ but for what you want to do I think there are better choices.

 

[Zvu]

If ported is obligatory, i see this Purifi midwoofer as best suited in largish enclosure (40 liters or more). Slim floorstander tuned between 35-40Hz, heavy damping concentrated on the bottom of the cabinet (to mitigate standing wave) and wall lining with some 20mm foam. Bliesma berilium tweeter in a waveguide above it.

Largish enclosure would fix the port resonance and noise (you could easily make port 10cm in diameter) and there is no need for speaker stand.

 

[tktran303]

I’m planning on a small vented box tuned higher eg. 11L Fb 45Hz.

Lots of options for it.

As usual “what’s best” depends on your room and intended placement and personal preference

I like tiny speakers that sound BIG!

 

[ROOSKIE]

For those interested the NRD review of this prototype is up.
He essentially comes to the same/notably similar conclusion of the ASR review.

Interesting times.

 

[Massimo]

For those interested the NRD review of this prototype is up.
He essentially comes to the same/notably similar conclusion of the ASR review.

Interesting times.

It's difficult to take this site seriously when they review cables and make statements like "when using this cable the black curtain replaced this staticy kind of curtain"

 

[ROOSKIE]

It's difficult to take this site seriously when they review cables and make statements like "when using this cable the black curtain replaced this staticy kind of curtain"

No doubt about that.
I have liked his recent speaker reviews and he does at least use some measurements.
In the end I watch for pure entertainment.
This particular review was notable in that he seemed to draw the exact same conclusion on the subjective sound experience as amir did here so I figured it might be relevant here.
But yah, I mean he used to have the tube connector guy (GR research) on every other video pushing those things.
Weird times.
Not sure why the dude gets on the pricey speaker wire train wreck. Ron seems to basically get science, you would think he knows better. ($$??)

 

[BYRTT]

Also noted here in thread by @Zvu one downside for ported 2-wayers that looks goes again & again using Amir's high resolution acoustic analyze is port noise, looking up Purifi's T/S data it looks using voltage & watts that the X (+/- 9,8mm stroke) version in 8Ω can extend pretty low using relative small volume enclosure, below first example is Q(tc) 0,7071 that will never reach Xmax with 80 watts as for second example using Q(tc) 0,583, SPL of 105dB using those thermal limit of 80 watts but that is before whatever baffle step loss and diffraction parameters will set in so netto SPL should land around 99dB SPL, now one can't know anything about how it sounds real world or quality of T/S parameters relative to datasheet but a sealed build should bypass the noise using porting, but what we actual do know 100% is these Purifi transducers is not very cheap..

 

[a-gainer]

Two questions, may be they are already answered:

how come, that despite the not-so-optimal off-axis response and visually big deviations from flat response, the preference rating is so high?

which driver is used, since according to Purify's website they have a new model with less nominal excursion?

add: the "lack of heft", missing "impact" in the bass actually may be the consequence of less distortion. I experienced, and finally appreciated the same with full size 2-way monitors comprising two ( each ) JBL 2206, which of course were equalised for flat in-room response

 

[BYRTT]

...how come, that despite the not-so-optimal off-axis response and visually big deviations from flat response, the preference rating is so high?...

For indoor enviroment use the low extension is really not bad and imagine its that low extension plus the slope down as frequency increase that makes it score so relative high beside its relative smooth say within 2-3dB, so what you here conclude or call not-so-optimal and visually big deviations from flat is not quite so bad as your used wording is my thinking, if we print Celuaris SPK5 curves side by side to for example JBL Stage A130 that passed listening test with bravour then it looks Celuaris SPK5 probably not was so far to also get a okay stamp into listening test..

...which driver is used, since according to Purify's website they have a new model with less nominal excursion?...

Purifi PDF application notes for SPK4/SPK5 prototypes list PTT6.5W04 is usecase.

...add: the "lack of heft", missing "impact" in the bass actually may be the consequence of less distortion. I experienced, and finally appreciated the same with full size 2-way monitors comprising two ( each ) JBL 2206, which of course were equalised for flat in-room response

While agree your findings i think Amir is at least as skilled as we are or maybe even smarter than to miss that point

 

[Zvu]

...one downside for ported 2-wayers that looks goes again & again using Amir's high resolution acoustic analyze is port noise...

Port resonance is at least partially responsible for bad reputation of ported loudspeakers in the past (other part being chuffing). Difference is, we can clearly see the devastating effect of resonance on listening window and sound power. If you resolve these two issues, you are left with phase mismatch between woofer and port output. @KSTR wrote about it - how it could be fixed with dsp, or at least i think i've read something like that.

Anyway, if one gets rid of port resonance and chuffing (avoid it becoming a problem up to at least 70% of Xmax) there is a chance to fix the phase issue and get the benefit of the ported cabinet without any drawbacks. That's the theory at least

 

[Valhalla]

I think the tweeter is unnecessarily expensive for what it does. there are other options that would cut the costs and even outperform. Bliesma T34B-4 outstanding Beryllium dome tweeter or Aurum Cantus G1 or even smaller G2 and even Fountek NeoX1.0 will fit the bill with fraction the cost of Mundorf.

 

[Lord Victor]

I think the tweeter is unnecessarily expensive for what it does. there are other options that would cut the costs and even outperform. Bliesma T34B-4 outstanding Beryllium dome tweeter or Aurum Cantus G1 or even smaller G2 and even Fountek NeoX1.0 will fit the bill with fraction the cost of Mundorf.

As I remember it they chose the Mumford because they were looking for a tweeter with similarly low distortion characteristics as what they had achieved with their woofer... wether the Mundorf matches them better on spec than the other drivers mentioned, I don’t know... but that was the only reasoning I’ve heard.

 

[ctbarker32]

Ron of NRD said recently that Purifi is working on a tweeter as well. Will this change the game? Who knows?

 

[ZestClub]

After quite a bit of testing I think I have found a use for the Purifi PTT6.5W04 - not exactly as originally intended I am sure.
I am using it for its excellent ribbon to cone transition properties in a 4-way PA system.
Its operating in the narrow range from 1300Hz => 1000Hz just a mere 300Hz bandwidth!

My 4-way PA rig is as follows:

Alcons RBN401 Pro Ribbon = 20,000 - 1300Hz
Purifi PTT6.5W04 = 1300 -1000Hz
18Sound_12NTLW3500 = 1000 - 80Hz
Eminence NSW6021-6 = 80 - 35Hz

The Purifi and the ribbon seem to work seamlessly together especially through the vocal range.
Very nice sounding, and gets round all that port/ PR nonsense as the 12NTLW3500 picks up on the mid bass and thunders it out with effortless clarity.

 

[bbfoto]

After quite a bit of testing I think I have found a use for the Purifi PTT6.5W04 - not exactly as originally intended I am sure.
I am using it for its excellent ribbon to cone transition properties in a 4-way PA system.
Its operating in the narrow range from 1300Hz => 1000Hz just a mere 300Hz bandwidth!

My 4-way PA rig is as follows:

Alcons RBN401 Pro Ribbon = 20,000 - 1300Hz
Purifi PTT6.5W04 = 1300 -1000Hz
18Sound_12NTLW3500 = 1000 - 80Hz
Eminence NSW6021-6 = 80 - 35Hz

The Purifi and the ribbon seem to work seamlessly together especially through the vocal range.
Very nice sounding, and gets round all that port/ PR nonsense as the 12NTLW3500 picks up on the mid bass and thunders it out effortlessly.

Interesting use. Don't normally see such a low-efficiency driver being used in a PA environment.

Also seems like a lot of $$$ for a driver that's only being used to cover such a narrow midrange bandwidth, but considering the cost of the other drivers being used I guess it's "complementary", LOL. Obviously, you'd expect such a limited bandwidth if it were being used as a dedicated midbass/bass driver...

However, with it's excursion capability and low distortion, I'm sure it has excellent output capability within your passband, and no significant issues in terms of beaming, so a definite win there. :thumbsup:

I'd expect these cabs are monsters, though! A bookshelf for Giants, LOL!

What amplifiers are you driving them with??? Active or Passive X/O networks?

 

[ZestClub]

Interesting use. Don't normally see such a low-efficiency driver being used in a PA environment.

Also seems like a lot of $$$ for a driver that's only being used to cover such a narrow midrange bandwidth, but considering the cost of the other drivers being used I guess it's "complementary", LOL. Obviously, you'd expect such a limited bandwidth if it were being used as a dedicated midbass/bass driver...

However, with it's excursion capability and low distortion, I'm sure it has excellent output capability within your passband, and no significant issues in terms of beaming, so a definite win there. :thumbsup:

I'd expect these cabs are monsters, though! A bookshelf for Giants, LOL!

What amplifiers are you driving them with??? Active or Passive X/O networks?

Thanks!

Seems to have no difficulty keeping up with the ribbon at sane listening levels at least, it is after all a 400W driver than reportedly exceeds 100dB.
It makes the ribbon sound like its running its full range while other drivers seem to eat into/ muddy up the bottom 20% of the ribbon.

I am using Alcons ACL4's and an ALC2 4.5kw and 2Kw Class-G amps.
Source is a Cayin N6 with A02 dual DAC 4497 board and everything afterwards is pure analogue.
DBX 234XL crossover (likely be in-part replaced latter with my Nelson Pass kit)
And BSS 966 EQ.

 

[tktran303]

This woofer finds itself perfectly suited for small-medium vented cabinets.

Here’s a comparison:

Zaph Audio’s All Metal System:
6.5” L18RNX/P in 14L tuned to 42Hz

Paul Carmody’s Carerra
5.5” 15W/8530 in 15L tuned to 43Hz

Purifi in the same Carrera cabinet (same size box and port dimensions 2” x 7”) also tunes it to 43Hz- graphs are very similar.

Finally Purifi in slightly smaller 11L cabinet tuned to 45Hz.

I wonder if the port in this Celuaris speaker could be shortened to hear what the 43Hz tune sounds like?

 

[Rick Sykora]

If you want to reduce the port resonance significantly, this speaker needs to be tuned to at least 46 Hz. The f3 would then be around 52 Hz. Does not seem very low for a high excursion woofer, but should be able to squeeze a bit more extension with some eq.

 

[AdamG]

Off topic posts moved as requested by OP here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...tools-for-building-better-diy-speakers.11228/