PURIFI finally did a fully purified passive speaker design! The SPK 16 prototype is here - with a PTT tweeter

[Ra1zel]

IMO the only real effect of wide top octave dispersion is expansion of the sweet spot. Reflections aren't really an issue due to air absorption and head shadowing. But the direct sound is more consistent across a wider area, hence the wider sweet spot.

I admit that I didn't directly compare, in the same room, enough speakers with different dispersion widths to form a meaningful opinion on that matter.

Can you point me to that Harman research? After all, some of their most popular monitors (JBL 7-series) have wide and constant dispersion through the top octave. They do poorly on the "preference score" as a result, but Harman obviously released them anyway.

AES E-Library » The Subjective and Objective Evaluation of Room Correction Products

A panel of eight trained listeners gave comparative ratings for five different room correction products based on overall preference and spectral balance. The room corrections were applied to a single loudspeaker/subwoofer in a typical semi-reflective listening room, and evaluated using three...

www.aes.org

Well, this is more about the final in-room curve, and nothing really stops a constant directivity speaker from achieving the "correct" downward slope, but it's harder than with a speaker that naturally narrows as frequency increases. Harman also displays a bit of inconsistency with how JBl products measure versus Revel products.

Additional blind test results that support my point:

https://www.avsforum.com/threads/speaker-shootout-two-of-the-most-accurate-and-well-reviewed-speakers-ever-made.2907816/page-18#post-54628832

This tweeter looks really impressive. Honestly it's the first since the aforementioned JBL 7-series driver/horn that has my attention as a real potential advance of the art.

We don't have the tweeter measurements by itself yet, so for now, I would expect most of the effect to be due to that special phase plug/coherer and waveguide. Size and linear excursion are similar to BlieSMa T34A.

 

[Mario Sanchez]

Does anyone know why Purifi didn't bother with the screws being flush?

maybe because this is still somewhat in a "demo unit" stage? They might sort this out when it hits production, and besides, the screws are round-headed, so less influence versus cup-headed and others from a diffraction standpoint.

 

[FrankW]

What is this obsession with screws around here??
Those tweeter measurements look pretty impressive, though the standard 180 (vs 120) maps would have been nice.

 

[McFly]

It's a prototype, you use whatever damn screws you got lying around OP even wrote it in the thread title. Some people...

 

[Da cynics]

Exploring Purifi Woofer Speaker Builds

Here is an appetizer of the new tweeter with ultra wide controlled dispersion. in-box measurement at 1m (gated). Will demo next week at the High End Show in Munich. See our FB/LinkedIn for more details. Our web is also updated to a brand new version in the coming days. There will be a white...

www.diyaudio.com

The developer is answering directly

 

[boXem]

maybe because this is still somewhat in a "demo unit" stage? They might sort this out when it hits production, and besides, the screws are round-headed, so less influence versus cup-headed and others from a diffraction standpoint.

Where did you get the info that this speaker will "hit production"?

 

[VintageFlanker]

Where did you get the info that this speaker will "hit production"?

Yep. The way I see it, there's no indication that it would.
The SPK5 did not.
Nor did the 1ET400A Eval amp...

 

[Penelinfi]

Yep. The way I see it, there's no indication that it would.
The SPK5 did not.
Nor did the 1ET400A Eval amp...

Maybe we can ask March Audio to make the Sointuva PureWg

 

[Purité Audio]

Claus Neesgaard Purifi’s CEO has said that they would like the SPK16 to a ‘wider audience’ certainly I would be keen to carry the speaker and associated Purifi amplification.
Keith

 

[boXem]

Claus Neesgaard Purifi’s CEO has said that they would like the SPK16 to a ‘wider audience’ certainly I would be keen to carry the speaker and associated Purifi amplification.
Keith

I do not see Purifi producing speakers. So two solutions, either opening the design (for DIYers only or even commercial) or licensing the design to another company.

 

[Purité Audio]

Perhaps you are right, but I don’t see any obstacles why they couldn’t, they have the drivers, the electronics and a member of their team has already designed a couple of useful loudspeakers.
Keith

 

[Ilkless]

Perhaps you are right, but I don’t see any obstacles why they couldn’t, they have the drivers, the electronics and a member of their team has already designed a couple of useful loudspeakers.
Keith

Likely lack of ability to scale production for full speakers, and the associated exorbitant price (e.g. for Grimm).

 

[DTTOM37]

Exploring Purifi Woofer Speaker Builds

Here is an appetizer of the new tweeter with ultra wide controlled dispersion. in-box measurement at 1m (gated). Will demo next week at the High End Show in Munich. See our FB/LinkedIn for more details. Our web is also updated to a brand new version in the coming days. There will be a white...

www.diyaudio.com

The developer is answering directly

You'll find more responses from Lars at these Facebook pages:
- DIY Loudpeaker project pad
- Purif-Audio

 

[VintageFlanker]

Perhaps you are right, but I don’t see any obstacles why they couldn’t

They certainly "could". Would they want to be in competition against their own customers (Speaker companies supposed to buy these drivers at bigger scales), I am not so sure.

 

[Matias]

Probably release the final project specs like crossover parts and exact chassis dimensions including the internal bracing, and let companies or DIY build them to spec. Like EVAL1 was done.

 

[DanielT]

Finally someone who takes edge diffraction serious!
So manny speakers have sharp edges (like these great new KEFs - the best Coaxes with Genelec Ones) - it simply makes no sense ...

Well, here the designer Olle Mirsch and his Rondo from 1994:

BUT the extremely round shape (it doesn't get rounder than that) creates other problems. Lack of baffle support for example. Rondo has a very steep roll-off after 10 kHz. It should depend, or maybe depends on I should say, its shape on the speaker cube or it's a tweeter itself that rolls off. I really do not know.

Then I can imagine that it will be an omni-like sound, observe I guess. That in itself may well have its pros and cons.

Edit:
Aha, now I understand the FR that I attached in a picture. It was clever of Olle Mirsch because it says below the graph:

In simulated free-field measurement from straight ahead, the Rondo exhibits a very straight and gently falling FR. The treble roll-off is a very deliberate choice to compensate for the treble increase that Rondo gives in the listening room due to its construction. 60 degrees from the side, the FR looks almost identical!

By the way, sorry if it was a bit much OT. I just got up to speed.

 

[DTTOM37]

They certainly "could". Would they want to be in competition against their own customers (Speaker companies supposed to buy these drivers at bigger scales), I am not so sure.

+1
My understanding about Purifi Audio is that 2 partners are already involved in the consumer business, and everyone else had a career specifically in B2B.
Why should they compete against other business interests, against their customers and against companies, who are much more experienced/organized with mass market production, quality control, distribution, marketing, customer service and the full Hi-Fi retail rabbit hole?
They (the peole working in/for Purifi) are specialists in what they do and motivated to thrive for excellence in their own domains.
It would be wrong to expect Purifi acting like MoFi's Andrew Jones or Wharfedale's Peter Comeau. Imho, it could be likely that Peter Lyngdorf could integrate this speaker design into one of his business interests. Would be as close at it gets. Could be wrong, though ...

 

[boXem]

Perhaps you are right, but I don’t see any obstacles why they couldn’t, they have the drivers, the electronics and a member of their team has already designed a couple of useful loudspeakers.
Keith

Never said that it was a problem of ability. They claim to be a technology company. A white paper and a know-how demonstrator is consistent with this claim. If they start stocking wood and glue on shelves, I will have some questions for them as a customer .

 

[Da cynics]

+1
My understanding about Purifi Audio is that 2 partners are already involved in the consumer business, and everyone else had a career specifically in B2B.
Why should they compete against other business interests, against their customers and against companies, who are much more experienced/organized with mass market production, quality control, distribution, marketing, customer service and the full Hi-Fi retail rabbit hole?
They (the peole working in/for Purifi) are specialists in what they do and motivated to thrive for excellence in their own domains.
It would be wrong to expect Purifi acting like MoFi's Andrew Jones or Wharfedale's Peter Comeau. Imho, it could be likely that Peter Lyngdorf could integrate this speaker design into one of his business interests. Would be as close at it gets. Could be wrong, though ...

I completely agree.
However, the fact that we create a superior finished product than any other trading partner, even for the sake of demonstration…

Exploring Purifi Woofer Speaker Builds

There is a report on The Loudspeaker Project Pad page on Facebook by Rasmus Munk Larsen who visited the Purifi factory recently. Of interest to this group is a prototype using the 8” and an AMT in a waveguide. Rasmus really liked these. Can @lrisbo give any more detail or confirm if they will be...

www.diyaudio.com

 

[Purité Audio]

Never said that it was a problem of ability. They claim to be a technology company. A white paper and a know-how demonstrator is consistent with this claim. If they start stocking wood and glue on shelves, I will have some questions for them as a customer .

Interesting it would seem perfect sense to me that a manufacturer who makes both the drivers and electronics should put them together in an active loudspeaker, as mentioned upthread the speakers could be marketed as Lyngdorf or whatever.
Does anyone currently make a Purifi/Purifi speaker, how many Purifi drivers feature in other manufacturer’s loudspeakers?
Keith