Large full range coaxial floorstanders

[fordiebianco]

Dear All,

relative noob here, only ever built one pair of open baffle speakers, but would like to graduate to a boxed design.

The best girlfriend ever has decided that she fancies the speakers featured in the attached picture (they look like large floorstanders with a chunky coaxial) in the living room. I am not too bothered with KEF level, perfect replication in that room and would just be happy to have something in a shared space that plays music with moderate fidelity and appeals to her interior design taste (there is a dedicated listening room with ASR approved equipment ).

My query:

• What design template would you recommend to achieve something similar (I have reached out to the chap who posted that pic but never got answer)
• Is there a large coaxial driver (15" ?) similar to the ones in the attached picture that can be used full range?

Many thanks for your help,

FB

 

[mcdn]

Thank you for saying clearly that the aesthetics matter, it makes recommendations a lot easier!

If you are going for that vintage coaxial floor standing look, then Tannoy maybe? The drivers are available I think. https://www.tannoy.com/product.html?modelCode=0304-ABL#

 

[Doodski]

Thank you for saying clearly that the aesthetics matter, it makes recommendations a lot easier!

If you are going for that vintage coaxial floor standing look, then Tannoy maybe? The drivers are available I think. https://www.tannoy.com/product.html?modelCode=0304-ABL#

Great idea... To add to that some Klipsch have that appearance when laid bare without grills or maybe some classic Voice of the Theatre speakers that rock harder too.

 

[ppataki]

Is there a large coaxial driver (15" ?) similar to the ones in the attached picture that can be used full range?

Yes, search for PA brands like Lavoce, B&C, Eighteen Sound, Radian, Celestion

 

[Doodski]

Many thanks for the quick replies, lads.
Just to clarify: I would like to build them myself.

I sourced reference tweeters from KEF and midranges too and then had a carpenter shop build me quasi transmission design towers that sounded fantastic and where pretty large as in near 5 feet tall and heavy heavy. It can be done.

 

[KSTR]

What design template would you recommend to achieve something similar (I have reached out to the chap who posted that pic but never got answer)
Is there a large coaxial driver (15" ?) similar to the ones in the attached picture that can be used full range?

You might want to have a look at the Beyma 15XA38Nd. It is special in that it has a rather soft suspension and can yield good bass extension in a passive design. Many other 15" coaxials have stiffer spiders and higher resonant frequencies. It also has quite wide HF dispersion as the horn actually is a diffraction device. That was a design goal (PA stage monitor).

A project with 15XA38Nd: https://lsv--achenbach-de.translate...l=auto&_x_tr_tl=de&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Cabinet plan: http://lsv-achenbach.de/images/lautsprecher/eigene/mon38/XA38_Flyer.pdf

 

[fordiebianco]

You might want to have a look at the Beyma 15XA38Nd. It is special in that it has a rather soft suspension and can yield good bass extension in a passive design. Many other 15" coaxials have stiffer spiders and higher resonant frequencies. It also has quite wide HF dispersion as the horn actually is a diffraction device. That was a design goal (PA stage monitor).

A project with 15XA38Nd: https://lsv--achenbach-de.translate...l=auto&_x_tr_tl=de&_x_tr_hl=de&_x_tr_pto=wapp
Cabinet plan: http://lsv-achenbach.de/images/lautsprecher/eigene/mon38/XA38_Flyer.pdf

Wow. Looks impressive!

Will have a look at the driver mentioned.

Thanks!

 

[voodooless]

Yes, search for PA brands like Lavoce, B&C, Eighteen Sound, Radian, Celestion

Don't forget Faital Pro, Sica and BMS!

Also have a look here: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/crazy-pa-coaxials-for-hifi.35475/

 

[fordiebianco]

Thank you all for the driver suggestions.

I am aware that this is more a religious question, but what would your preference be for a simple build? I am not a great carpenter, so I think transmission lines are out. Open baffle vs ported vs closed? I think amplification these days is not an issue anymore, and if necessary I would be happy to bi-amp/use a dsp.

The less likely the chance of me messing the build up due to wood work issues, the more likely its success.

 

[ppataki]

Thank you all for the driver suggestions.

I am aware that this is more a religious question, but what would your preference be for a simple build? I am not a great carpenter, so I think transmission lines are out. Open baffle vs ported vs closed? I think amplification these days is not an issue anymore, and if necessary I would be happy to bi-amp/use a dsp.

The less likely the chance of me messing the build up due to wood work issues, the more likely its success.

I always opt for closed cabinet design
It will require DSP and amp power to fix the low end but will yield better phase response, group delay, impulse response, step response and impedance curves

 

[Sal1950]

Open baffle vs ported vs closed? I

Yep, religious as you say.
IMHO, ported is hard to ignore, on balance it offers the best combination of the important SQ features.
Look at what the majority of the top manufacturers use?

 

[DVDdoug]

Open baffle vs ported vs closed? I think amplification these days is not an issue anymore, and if necessary I would be happy to bi-amp/use a dsp.

Get some speaker design software. WinISD is FREE. After you enter the Theile-Small parameters for the proposed woofer it will help you to optimized sealed or ported designs. (I don't think Win ISD supports open baffle designs.)

Sealed boxes tend to cut-off at a higher frequency, but the roll-off slope is more gradual so at some point the curves cross and you get more output from the sealed box. If you want to get the deepest possible bass, a sealed box (usually with EQ/DSP) is often the best solution. If you want the "maximum usable bass" a ported design is often better. Subwoofers used live and in dance clubs are usually ported and they usually cut-off around 40Hz (close to the lowest note on a standard bass guitar). Somebody posted this which shows what I'm talking about.

and if necessary I would be happy to bi-amp

Just make sure the coax speaker as separate woofer/tweeter connections so it can be easily bi-amped. I assume that's usually the case with "good" coax speakers.

 

[KSTR]

I am aware that this is more a religious question, but what would your preference be for a simple build? I am not a great carpenter, so I think transmission lines are out. Open baffle vs ported vs closed? I think amplification these days is not an issue anymore, and if necessary I would be happy to bi-amp/use a dsp.

Open baffle is certainly easiest but be aware you will loose a lot of headroom for low bass, calling for a subwoofer.
FWIW, I've used bespoke 15XA38Nd without any baffle as main speakers, assisted by a 18" sub, again without any baffle, placed directly behind the listening chair at chest height. That was more than enough for the listening levels I tend to use, together with my typical music genre choices which is not heavy on sub-bass (<40Hz).
But dipole bass for sure is different and not everybody may like it... but the neighbors will always like it ;-)