Very Nice Cheap Kit Speakers: HiVi/Swans DIY 2.2A & 3.1

[GGroch]

Toid just released a tongue-in-cheek "Wife Gave Me 4 Hours to Fix These" video showing how to use an ACOUSTAS AC650 Multichannel DSP Amp and Dayton OmniMic 40k calibration to "fix" the Hivi 3.1s. A sponsored video it may be useful for some to see how active crossovers and RoomEQ work.

A $1200 solution to "fix" a $400 speaker may not make sense but I'd love to hear the result.

 

[Tinker]

Toid just released a tongue-in-cheek "Wife Gave Me 4 Hours to Fix These" video showing how to use an ACOUSTAS AC650 Multichannel DSP Amp and Dayton OmniMic 40k calibration to "fix" the Hivi 3.1s. A sponsored video it may be useful for some to see how active crossovers and RoomEQ work.

A $1200 solution to "fix" a $400 speaker may not make sense but I'd love to hear the result.

If he had gone to the Sehlin solution for the proper crossover in the beginning he wouldn't have had these problems. This is nothing more than a sales pitch for DSP and a microphone. Suggesting this as a "fix" is a disservice to the DIY community.

He doesn't say what the problem is but that it needs to be "fixed". This could easily dissuade people from buying this great kit seeing it as flawed and too costly to repair.

But your life will be happier and everyone will be dancing if you spend an extra $1200!! We ALL want that especially when your wife is the 'Boss' making demands and threatening to throw out your speakers. Poor guy.

 

[a4eaudio]

....He doesn't say what the problem is but that it needs to be "fixed". ...

Yeah, it's almost like it's just YouTube click bait. Or you could just go to Scott Sehlin's webpage and see real DIY speaker designs.

 

[GGroch]

If he had gone to the Sehlin solution for the proper crossover in the beginning he wouldn't have had these problems. He doesn't say what the problem is but that it needs to be "fixed". This could easily dissuade people from buying this great kit seeing it as flawed and too costly to repair.

Toid did a build/review of the HiVi 3.1s a year ago which was largely positive but said the stock crossover was too bright and linking to the Sehlin and other mods. So, he knew and posted about it.

I am not a fan of this new solution either and saying that it takes more time to install the revised crossover than to implement his active solution is not true unless you destroy the original taking it out of the cabinet (which is certainly possible).

 

[Velogeek]

Well, whatever... I'm more than happy with the results using Perfection Mod #4 ($35 extra including postage, easy mod on the supplied boards) on my HIVI-Swans DIY 3.1a's. They are singing to me even in the confined spaces of the bookshelf and will hopefully find a location off the wall soon. In the mean time, NO complaints!

 

[CptKaos]

Well, whatever... I'm more than happy with the results using Perfection Mod #4 ($35 extra including postage, easy mod on the supplied boards) on my HIVI-Swans DIY 3.1a's. They are singing to me even in the confined spaces of the bookshelf and will hopefully find a location off the wall soon. In the mean time, NO complaints!

loving my Swan 3.1A w/ perfectionist mod 4, set up as 4 way speakers on top of SVS SB1000Pro subs, hours of classic rock and blues rock with zero listening fatigue

 

[Poultrygeist]

I'm probably repeating myself but I dearly love the 2.2A's in near field. Within a few feet from my ears I'm able to use a Dennis Had flea watt amp to drive them. Not shown in the picture is an 8" DIY augmenting sub from Parts Express driven by an Aiyima A3001. Sources include a WiiM Mini streaming Amazon Unlimited and Rotel RCD 855. If you have these amazing Swans you owe it to yourself to try them in near field.

 

[GGroch]

So I just bought two sets of the newish D3.1 MkII that Amazon has coming in probably for early December. They have the same driver complement as the 2.2.

Did these ship? Or, do you expect them to? They have been alternately orderable and not (currently not). I would love to know what crossovers and precise HiVi woofer/tweeter components they use.

GlennF, an Amazon purchaser reviewed both the DIY 2.2A cabinets only and 2.2A Components Only which made me even more intrigued. (Are you here GlennF?)

Glenn says the cabinets come fully assembled with black vinyl attached, and that the crossover is pre-assembled in the component bundle.

He also describes planning to modify the 2.2A crossovers to match the Swan D2.1SE which used very similar components.
I see that this crossover mod was mentioned earlier here but I missed it.

There is an excellent thread on DIYAudio describing the D2.1SE Mod, multiple measurements and its evolution. AllexKirilov, the OP there links to his newer project for a DIY2.2-A MKII which uses original 2.2a cabinets with a modified crossover and newer versions of the woofer/tweeter.

The new Swan D6.8MKII woofer looks awesome in the photos I find...but seems not available at the moment unless you want 100 of them.
ADD: ICAIRN Audio through Aliexpress is now offering the 6.8MKII for about $130 each shipped to the US. They also offer the Q3/3B tweeters. The vendor has mixed feedback.
.
The Q3/Q3B tweeter looks very much like the tweeter on the D3.1 MKII.

All of this temps me to grab another set of 2.2as while I can, but I already have both 2 and 3-way DIYs in an apartment and need absolutely no more speakers.

 

[mlankton]

Did these ship? Or, do you expect them to?

Amazon currently shows an estimated Dec 28 delivery but I expect it before then. Swans said these were on a container ship when I ordered Nov 12 so I check the order every day to see if Amazon has changed it from ordered to shipped

 

[OldManMatt]

 

[OldManMatt]

These just came in. I was looking for any info on them & came across this thread.

 

[mlankton]

mine will arrive Sunday

 

[OldManMatt]

I wasn't sure what to expect. Just a couple of subjective reviews out there..with some pretty bold claims & hype.

I have them playing while doing some house work. I will just say that for a pair of sub $600 speakers they sound pretty good. I was worried they may be bright. My side walls are a good 8 & 10 feet off to the sides where I have them right now. When I do take a minute to sit in front of them I'm not overwhelmed or fatigued by them.

 

[mlankton]

I have the Swans M300 at my desk and I absolutely love them. I know I'll like these.

 

[Poultrygeist]

I swapped out my single ended tube amp for this Douk A5 but left the Bottle Head preamp in the chain. Was surprised at the difference the Douk's high pass filter makes. Much of the burden of low bass is cut from the Swans allowing the sub to do the heavy lifting. I'm wowed at how clear the Swans sound unbridled.

 

[GGroch]

They are very handsome speakers from the photos, the veneer looks great.

The Amazon listing for the D3.1 mkII says it has a "detachable black front baffle". Swan's Amazon listings are not always accurate, but it could be the lower section around the woofer pulls straight off, or that removing the 3 screws around the tweeter releases a larger baffle is not clear.. or perhaps it is mistaken entirely.

It would be interesting to know how to access the woofer and crossover, both from a replacement perspective and to see which version of the Q2/2b/3/3b/4 tweeters and D6.4/8/IIB/MKII it uses to see how similar it is to the DIY 2.2a.

 

[OldManMatt]

They are very handsome speakers from the photos, the veneer looks great.

The Amazon listing for the D3.1 mkII says it has a "detachable black front baffle". Swan's Amazon listings are not always accurate, but it could be the lower section around the woofer pulls straight off, or that removing the 3 screws around the tweeter releases a larger baffle is not clear.. or perhaps it is mistaken entirely.

It would be interesting to know how to access the woofer and crossover, both from a replacement perspective and to see which version of the Q2/2b/3/3b/4 tweeters and D6.4/8/IIB/MKII it uses to see how similar it is to the DIY 2.2a.

Yeah they are not bad looking.
I read that about the detachable baffle as well. I ran my hands along the sides & everywhere the black & veneer meet..I didn't feel anything that led me to believe I could just pop it off.

I haven't been able to spend much time with them since the couple hours yesterday...but I am wanting to get inside that enclosure as soon as I can. I just want to see what's doin'.

We have the 3 screws around the tweeter. Looks to be a plastic ring around the woofer. Usually prying from the inside of the ring outward carefully will pop it out & give access to the driver screws. You have to be careful not to pry back into the driver.

I have not even looked up the driver yet. I'm curious as to what type of material that is. It looks a little different than anything I've encountered or maybe it's the large dust cap lookin' thing that is throwing me off.

After running my TV thru them yesterday I noticed a little lift in the treble area. Hopefully I can spend some time with them tonight & play some different genres of music & see if I can open them up easily.

 

[GGroch]

Looks to be a plastic ring around the woofer. Usually prying from the inside of the ring outward carefully will pop it out & give access to the driver screws. You have to be careful not to pry back into the driver.

I have not even looked up the driver yet. I'm curious as to what type of material that is. It looks a little different than anything I've encountered or maybe it's the large dust cap lookin' thing that is throwing me off.

The woofer is probably HiVi's most famous driver, which they developed in Canada in the 1990s in their HiVi Electro-acoustic Research Center in Toronto. Perhaps developed should be "cloned" as was is a copy of the Dynaudio 17w-75/15w-75. It seems that in the 2000s Dynaudio decided to quit selling this woofer to other manufacturers like Totem Acoustics, Wilson, and others..so Hivi Filled the vacuum. Its a really great driver but there is a new version of it identifiable from the back and I am curious if these use it. Totem still uses the HiVi woofer in some models today.

Now that I have listened to my DIY 2.2a and DIY 3.1 for quite a while, I think I prefer the 2.2 largely because of that driver.

I cringe a bit when I hear about these speakers being HP filtered to use with a sub. Of course, it does depend on your room and listening habits, but I would recommend new owners listen to them full range for a while 1st. as the bass on the 2.2a is astounding for the size, and Hivi rates the D3.1mkii as going even lower.

 

[OldManMatt]

Thanks for some of that insight on the Hivi woofer.

As far as the subwoofer I didn't even HP the Swans. The sub was already hooked into the preamp & I didn't even try to dial it in. I was just in such a rush to hear the new speakers I just did a quick swap out with the other bookshelves & pressed play.

I have all day off tomorrow & no one else will be home for half the day. I'll definitely pull the sub & really get a chance to listen to them & probably open them up. I was checking out their kit speakers online last night.

 

[GGroch]

The woofer in your other speaker is a Scan-Speak Revelator I think. If so, you will probably not think the D3.1mkII woofer is remarkable. The speakers the DIY2.2a's replaced for me were ACI Sapphire XLs which used the Revelator 5.5". That was a great speaker, I sold the Sapphire's, not because the DIY 2.2a were better (they were not) but because the Sapphires were worth $1100 used and they both sounded great to me.

What is your other monitor?