how does one go about assembling a system that can qualify to be listed in the category,"ALL OUT ASSAULT." One way is to read up on a few years of "recommended components" lists from the high end magazines and venture out, with a fat wallet, to visit a few premium audio salons. By just BUYING the top products on the lists, you'll certainly make the audio salons happy , and hopefully, even you may be satisfied by owning the best money can buy. Having years of personal experience in owning many types of excellent audio gear adds a level of surety that only experience can add. Going through this process often enough, you may come to the conclusion that you may never get "THE MIXTURE " that you've been looking for. As the saying goes,"If you want it done right, do it yourself". There is also a saying that tells us, "Do what you do best ,and leave the rest to others." Time has also taught me the importance of another saying, "Do what you think is best." This submission i am presenting is based on preferences I have developed since I built my first piece of audio gear back in 1955 . Back then you could build just about everything in the audio chain yourself. Technology is just a bit more complicated in this day and age, but nevertheless, I feel the possibility still exists to build what you cannot buy, at least in the field of loudspeakers. The following system concepts are those I adhered to when i decided to start this project . Now to begin.-- Restraints of size, cost , or time would not enter into the equation. The room should always comes first, and mine did. Determine the size room you want, and design it along sound acoustic principles. Electronics; Having owned solid state amps for 20 years, along with the power requirements of the system i had in mind , there was no other choice . Solid state ,discrete topology, pure Class A analogue design throughout the entire audio chain. Crossovers; electronic crossovers were employed throughout due to the flexibility needed in designing and building a loudspeaker system that might sail into uncharted waters. All 7 channels would be bass restricted below 60 hz, via the processor , with the subs handling everything below. Electronic equalization; multichannel parametrics operating below 300 hz would be employed on all 8 channels to augment the reduction or elimination of low frequency room resonances not fully addressed by the use of acoustic panels , traps, and diffusers. Loudspeaker design; 3 front towers, identical 9 ft - 4 inch line sources in a horizontal D'Appolito array, four side and rear surround towers, 7 ft- 4 inch line sources in left and right mirror image configuration. Drivers; 15 inch metal cone -high excursion drivers for the subs. Front channels; 7 inch kevlar cone dynamics for mid bass, planar dipole for the midrange, leaf tweeters for the dipole highs. Surround towers; 8 inch kevlar cone drivers for the mid bass, 5 1/2 kevlar cones for the midrange, Revelator domes for the highs. All dynamic drivers, except for the subs, sourced from the same manufacturer to maintain a coherent sonic sign, ature. Drivers and electronics identical to the four surround towers would be in place when processing becomes available for the rear center channel, an 8.1 system configuration. All the dynamic drivers within the system to be in their own separate, sealed enclosures. Baffles for all the dynamic drivers, except the subs , to be either 1 1/2 or 2 inch thick high gloss, black, cast polymer. [ The amount of time I logged from start to finish for construction of the loudspeakers only, amounted to a bit over 5400 man hours spread over 3 years of time. ] Interconnects; XLR type balanced cables used exclusively from the processor through to the 12 stereo amplifiers that are used to drive the 7.1 system; after all, balanced interconnects are what's used to record everything we listen to. Fine tuning of acoustic treatment and and installation of the decorative woodwork trim in the room would be performed after ETF measurements were taken when the complete system was in place , and up and running. At this point in time, both the trim and acoustic treatment are being completed. Upgrades; The 135 inch, widescreen formatted, Stewart electroscreen is to be replaced with a 155 inch, letterbox formatted, Microperf with side electromasking. The Sanyo PLV 70 will then be replaced with a Runco or Vidikron projector with the Cinewide and Autoscope lens features. The last upgrade will be more enjoyment and less work.
this 7.1 processor sends all signals to the amplification chain via balanced interconnects
Krell Krell DVD Standard
full featured , progressive scan dvd player
Krell sacd standard
plays 2 channel and multi channel sacd's
Krell FPB-200
two fpb 200 amps handle the leaf tweeter banks in the three front channels
Krell FPB-300
four fpb 300 amps handle the 4 surround towers. one fpb handles the rear center channel in the eventual 8.1 system
Krell FPB-600
Three fpb 600 amps handle the mid bass and mid range sections of the three front channels. two fpb 600 amps handle the two sub woofer channels
Krell KBX
four KBX 3 way mono electronic crossovers, and two kbx 2 way stereo electronic crossovers.handle frequency division within the system.
Krell Krell Link Controller
Three krell link controllers are used to synchronize remote control operations where multiple amplifiers are used in various situations(stereo, ht 5.1, 7.1 etc)
Krell KPE Reference
solid state phono head amp
Rives Audio PARC, & PARC PLUS
3 Parametric analog room correction equalizers tame room anomolies on all 8 channels in 3 chosen bands per channel
DOMINION VIRGINA POWER 26KVA LINE XFORMER
Audiophiles that have neighbors with noisy appliances have one of 2 choices; put up with it or use power conditioners that clean the power . Since we had a current demand that made power conditioners out of the question, 12 Krell fpb amps , plus source components, the best solution was to have our own line transformer installed by virginia power. When the quality of the power source was considered, this was the only choice.
American Power Conversion APC Smart UPS 2200VA USB
This conditioner/ battery back up is utilized to maintain the coherance of the operation of the sequenced krell link system with the hts 7.1 controller, the 12 fpb amps in the system, along with the various signal devices in the event of a power outage. We typically have at least 6 or more power outages in virginia durring the course of a year. two-6 outlet conditioners are used in the system protecting all signal and control components
APC APC Smart UPS 1100 UPS
one ups on the krell links- one ups on the PVL 75 projector
Personally designed and built Four- 7ft,4in surround towers,
These mirror image line sources each contain 6 scan speak 8 inch kevlar cone bass drivers operating from 60 to 500 hz thru a krell kbx xover @12 bd per octave. 6 scan speak 5 in kevlar cone mid drivers operating from 500 to 3500 hz @ 12 bd per octave. 6 scan speak revelator tweeters from 3500 hz and up @ 12 db per octave- passive xover between the mids and tweeters. a fpb 300 drives each tower thru a krell kbx xover. all drivers are mounted in their separate sealed enclosures. The mirror image baffles are hi gloss black cast polymer weighing 175 lbs and were manufactured by the author.
Personally designed and built, 3 identical front channels
3 way , 9 ft 4 inch line sources configured with a horizontal d'appolito array. Each tower contains the following drivers; 24 scan speak 7 inch kevlar cone mid bass drivers each in their own sealed baffle. 4 Bohlander Graebner rd-50 planar mid range drivers operating in a dipolar configuration, and 40 panasonic eas 10 th-400a leaf tweeters, 30 facing to the front and 10 facing rearward,wired out of phase for dipolar radiation
Personally designed and built, 3 way rear center channel
This horizontal d'appolito array speaker is identical to the 4 surround line arrays with the exception that it is in a horizontal configuration at the rear of the room 8 feet above the floor . It will be put into service when processing is available for an 8.1 surround configuration
Personally designed and built, Sub woofer towers
The two mirror image sub towers EACH contain 8- 15 in high excursion, metal cone drivers sourced from tc sounds. a krell fpb 600 is used to drive each tower with 4 woofers driven by each side of the amplifiers. the sub towers handle all the information below 60 hz for the 3 front and 4 surround towers. The 60 hz crossover frequency and 24 db slope is provided by the krell hts 7.1 processor.
Sota Millennia
vacum table with electronic speed control
triplainar 12 inch series vII
latest version of this legendary tonearm
Shelter 90X
Shelter's top of the line moving coil cartridge
Stewart Tech screen 130 microperf
The 135 inch , widescreen formatted , Stewart electroscreen is triggered by the krell hts 7.1 controller
Sanyo PLV 75 projector
2200 ansi lumen, widescreen , hi def lcd projector
Pioneer Elite CD CLV laser disc player
This model was the last, reference level, laser disc player manufactuted by pioneer befor the death knell of that format.
Direct TV HD DVR HR 10-250
DSS Hi Def receiver-DVR directly feeding the sanyo hi def projector via the digital -DVI input
Thompson DRD 486DH
Two - dss receivers facilitate simoutaneous viewing and recording of different channels
TIVO Tivo series 2
Two -80 gig units, one each on the 2 dss channels for time shift and convenience viewing.
Pioneer DVR 510 H
Two- 80 gig dvr recorders for archiving programs from the two tivo series 2 dvr's
Belden-neutrik Belden 8014 Quad star-2
this tripple shielded, mogami type, rubber coverd cable terminated with neutrik's best xlr connectors carry all the signals, in ballanced mode, from the processor right thru to the 11 krell amps.driving the system.
Luminous audio digital -optical interconnects
digital sources are connected to the hts 7.1 using the above commectors.
Luminous Audio Silver reference
This 8 ga silver litz wire is used to connect the speakers to their respective amplifiers. Since the amps are located directly at the speakers they drive, the lengths are generally less than two feet. terminations are all cardas premiun lugs. speaker binding posts are those used by krell on their fpb amps
carol cable and wire 10-3 neoprene coverd power cord
all the amps are fed with 10-3 copper supply cords terminated with wattgate iec plugs on one end and hubbel 30 amp, 4 prong, 220 volt twist-lock plugs on the supply end.
02-10-06 dewey, you have posted a great reply. I will be celebrating my 64 th birthday next week. A former employee of mine called me last week from Utah and asked me if I could tell him how to make fiberglass molds. In my industry this is called a "Technology Transfer." He worked for my company for 6 years, and if he didn't learn the basics ,on my dollar , he's out of luck. As a person grows older, the bits of knowledge that are important need to be filed away so that when an important decision needs to be made, it is not just guesswork. The questions you presented will be addressed in a magazine article I'm writing that should be published in a few months. From your reply I might conclude that anyone that builds their own speakers goes to Radio Shack and Home Depot and ends up in audio heaven. Some probably do, but there is a cult of those of us that use the information available to build what you could never afford to buy. There are high end icons that deserve every dollar that they charge for their speakers, but being in business , they realize a statement product is only a lost leader that will draw the regular folks to their profitable lines, after all, that what this country is all about. If you email your address , I will send a dvd with over 400 hi rez photos of the project that took about 3 years to complete. I extend this offer to any Audiogon member in the continental US. In regard to the information you need to study. WWW. Audioxpress.com. Vance Dickason's Loudspeaker Cookbook is the difinitive source on drivers and how they work. My wife says it's 9:30 and time to dine. Please feel free to reply , Thanks, Ken --kftool
02-09-06 firecracker 77 I finally accesed your system on audiogon. For a guy that just graudated from college that can afford the system you have , I congratulate you. My tuition at UWM in 1960 was $325 per semester. My hourly wage at the local tv repair shop was $2.25 per hr. The only way I could afford my hi fi addiction was to build everything myself. You still have that option in the realm of loudspeakers. You need not have the facilities you saw in the the dvd I sent you, there is a vast resource of information available to you. I suggest you check out Audio Express.com. Spend the money and buy the issues for the last 2 years on cd. I guarantee it will open your eyes as to what you can realize in sound quality by building versus dollars on the retail market. You got through college , don't sell your intelligence short. You may have the ability to build a loudspeaker system that may be better than the best you you could afford to buy on the used market. I had the help of many industry experts as i followed my dream . If you feel I may be of some help for a young wippersnapper in the audio realm , I await your reply. I
For those of who who have considered DIY speakers:
The companies that build high end speakers spend considerable time and engineering (or at least say they do) in creating a speaker with drivers in appropriate locations so as not to interfere with other drivers, etc. Considerable time is spent in the cabinet creation to find appropriate materials, minimize resonances, etc. Crossovers are meticulously tuned to the drivers, etc.
There appears to be art as well as science in the construction of high quality speakers.
How could one hope to accomplish this at home? Certainly there is more to building speakers than assembling drivers.
What would one study in an attempt to make sense of these issues?
02-08-06 Peepoy2, The references you made to the experience of feeling the German tank advance and the romp of the T-rex certainly did showcase the acoustic power of the subs. A few nites ago we put an "Open Range", again! The gunfight at the end is as good as it gets. Robert Duval was lying, wounded, in a room off an alley when one of the killers walked by. Duval saw the killer's outline between the clapboards and opened up with both barrels of his shotgun. Shooting through the wall, Duval's blast propelled the killer backwards as if he flew. The impact of that blast hit my chest as if I was the one being shot. Not just the power of the subs but also that of the 72 -7 inch mid bass drivers impressed the heck out of me. The cannonfire in "Master And Commander" not only caused an impact in my chest , but I could also feel my hair move. While it's great to experience those sensations while watching a movie, it was not the impetus in my building the system. I first began putting thoughts together for the speakers in 1996, and the plan was for a 2 channel system only. As time went on I realized that multi channel was to become the norm. I then realized that by planning on a horizontal D'Apolito array I'd be able to build 3 identical front channels. The type of design present day high end line sources subscribe to, mirror image pairs with inboard tweeter banks, make it necessary to accept some type of compromise for the center channel. The compromise doesn't matter much for movies, but it does when playing multi channel SACD's. The re-mastered Living Stereo recordings of the 1950's, recorded an Ampex 300, half inch, 3 track machines using 3 Neuman U-47 mikes, sound better than any modern day recordings I've played on the system. I get my chills listening to the type of orchestral recordings that, in this day and age, are impossible to produce with present day production costs. I realize that sacd isn't setting the world on fire, but I , for one, will buy all I can lay my hands on. Ken
As a hometheater enthusiast, I am simply amazed by your phenomenal, one-of-a-kind 7.1 set up.
The majestic roar of the T-Rex in Jurrasic Park would probably be so lifelike, viewers would probably instinctively run for cover.
The explosions and the advancing of the German tank units in Saving Private Ryan would probably shake the concrete subfloor of your hometheater.
Congratulations and welcome to Audiogon. Maybe someday, I would be lucky enough to experience first hand how it feels to be in the center of those monster speakers and subwoofers, not to mention the gigantic 155 inch screen, and just be transported into the middle of the actual movie!
Audiogon members, I tank you for yur enduljense wit my emprupur yus of comaz befur or aftur kwortation marks, mispelued wurds or udder krap dat may mek u think,hay, dat guy needs some skoulin. Plz dun't tink Ju are koresponding to an idjut. I are traned az a injuner. Gajuated 1965, tanks, Ken
02-06-06 firecracker 77 ooomph capability,-----The system requires 24 separate channels of amplification to drive the 8 speaker and 2 sub towers, all thru active xovers. Less power needed for tweeters and progressively greater power as you move on down to the subs. Krell amps, being pure class A in design, will double their rated power output at 8 ohms as the load impedance is halved down to below 1 ohm. Eg, 600 watts at 8 ohms, 1200 at 4, 2400 at 2 etc.- the lower the impedance, the greater the power, within reason. Push it too far and the amp will overheat and shut itself down. The idea is to utilize the amps greatest performance without pushing it into the shut down range. Keeping in mind that the amp only knows the impedance into which it must deliver power, the number of drivers is not as relevant as long as the amp has enough overkill in power output. How many times do we hear about doing more damage to a speaker with an amp too small than with one too large. When it was time to wire the speakers, I discussed the load configuration with Tod Eichenbaum, Krell's senior analogue engineer, who determined the wiring configuration for the 310 drivers employed in this 7.1 system---soon to be an 8.2--- as Krell has just announced a new Evolution 8.4 processor available in the 3rd quarter of 2006; I just wonder if I can integrate the new processor without Sue asking what that new "thing"is. When she wears something I've never seen before she says"I've had that a while", maybe I'll try that. Tod's recommendations optimized the best output capabilities of the amps with requirements of the speaker banks, capitalizing on the most efficient use of Class A design. As a footnote, all the amps run on 220 volt circuits, each fused separately from a dedicated 200 amp service installed exclusively for the music room. All circuits are wired with #10 copper wire, good for 30 amps at 220 volts; a fpb 600 draws 10 amps max at 220 volts before the linternal circuit breaker trips. As I've been formulating the concept of this system for almost 10 years, I've had enough time to plan for any eventuality, but who knows what's just around the corner. At my age, if Krell goes to all digital amps next year, I might just sell it all and buy a Magnavox. I welcome your comments. As Dennis Miller says, "This is only my opinion, I may be wrong." Ken
02-06-06, firecracker 77 The loft you referred to is at the rear of the music room, as we call it. It leads out from our master bedroom and will have a spiral stairway down to the ground floor. Under the balcony are the 5 surround speakers for the system and a 6ft-1in conservatory grand I hope to learn to play someday. The ceiling height under the balcony is 8 ft. so the sound isn't hampered in any way. The listening area is directly in front of the balcony edge. The dimensional arrangements were planned in advance so nothing was compromised. The electronics were purchased new, with a few unavoidable exceptions. When I decided to scrap the passive xovers on the surrounds and use 3 more Krell kbx active units I found out Krell had discontinued the kbx units a few months earlier and there were not enough spare parts left , mainly circuit boards, for them to produce the 3 more I needed. Their dealer network located a new unit in Canada, I found one in Australia that Krell made for Duntech, also new and unused, and a third in California that was new in a sealed box. After returning them to Krell to have the xover points and slopes changed to fit my needs I was home free in that department. Going active meant 3 more fpb 300 amps. Krell had just begun producing the fpb series with cast input circuitry a few months earlier and obsoleted the series I was using. A dealer demo yielded one of the 3 and Audiogon the remaining 2. Checking the serial numbers enabled me to purchase 2 newer units. When I decided to replace the 8 Hartley 24 in subs with the drivers I now use it was necessary to get another fpb 600, also discontinued a few months earlier. A Krell dealer had a demo he was anxious to sell so I was in luck once again. For as long as I planned to keep this equiptment, it just seemed to be good sense to get all the life from it I can, new was the way to go.
02-04-06 kftool Audiofrik,. Why do I feel you also have all the Speaker Builder issues published, as do I. In 1958 I built a pair of Electrto Voice Patricians for about 20 % of the retail price. Since then I have owned only one commercially built speaker system, The Thiel CS 5. I still use and enjoy them in a system I put together for my wife.They were acquired when my company did the tooling for the cast polymer baffle employed in that unit. The experience I gained was instrumental in my deciding to tool up for, and cast, the polymer baffles employed throughout my system. Being a speaker builder yourself you probably know that, in many cases, the journey can be as enjoyable as the destination. In this case, mine certainly was. With the myriad of drivers available today the number of possible combinations is mind boggling . Choosing the right combination was greatly aided by the help I recieved from the designers at the drivers themselves. I recall conversations with the engineers at Scan Speak regarding acoustic centers etc., Igor Levitsky at Bohlander Graebner regarding acoustic planes and time allignment. Jennifer Nitty at Panasonic, whose graceous gift of 36 leaf tweeters, unavailable on the open market, made it possible to finish the front center channel tower. Last ,but certainly not least, my good friends at Krell who provided direction in choosing the appropriate electronics, speaker configuration loads, and the sexy Krell strings used on the baffles of the speakers. They also made it possible for me to acquire the 16 metal cone sub drivers that underpin the sound of this system. Van Dickason and Joe D'Apolito, and others, offered reassurance along the way that I hadn't strayed from sound design principles in building these speakers. There were times durring the construction period when someone would say, "Ken, what if they don't sound good", and I'd think to myself, I'll just lie. I'm happy to say that is a sin I didn't have to commit. Audiofrik, thanks for your comments and if you're ever in the area of Richmond Va an open invitation exists. Ken
2-04-06 firecrcker-77 . your questions regarding the room could take enough time with the reply to wear my typing abilities down to nothing. The room is an addition to our home , off to the side and built into a hill. 30 by 55 ft , 12 inch concrete walls, 8 inch concrete floor, no parallel surfaces. There was an article in an audio magazine some years ago, I cannot recall the year , issue ,or the magazine , that featured a concert hall in Japan that had progressive ceiling geometry that expanded the floolr to ceiling height as the distance from the stage increased. I tried to adapt this idea to my room. While it became an interopolation of dimentions, it seems to have worked out fine. Before the room treatment panels from Acoustics First are up it all sounds quite good The Rives Audio Parc processors should even out the bumps. Please give me a few days to address the other questions you presented. I appreciate your interest , thanks Ken
There is nothing more I can add to the fantastic comments made about your system. I design and build my own speakers and I must say your choice of drivers are on the money. I hope you enjoy this hobby for a long time to come.
Ken, One more question...I know that your amplifiers are quite powerful, but I was curious whether they have enough ooomph to power all those drivers? I'm sure that you have designed very efficient speakers as I believe that larger speakers usually have greater efficiency, but your speakers are certainly not within the norm given the number of drivers employed.
Ken, I have seen pictures of your room from your dvd rom that are not posted here. I am curious about the loft that you have opposite in the room from the speakers. I'm curious how that plays into the sound of your system? It seems as though the room has a lower ceiling above the speakers and then the room opens up in height similar to an auditorium. What impact does that have on the sound? Also, is this the upstairs of your house or is this a standalone building that you have designed for your system? Also, did you buy any of your equipment used or is the front end all new?
1-29-06 kftool Lawrence, I'm glad you posted a question regarding something other than the loudspeakers I've featured on this posting. As you can see, from viewing my list of components, that I am a BIG Krell fan. In regard to the online reviews, any high end manufacturer has it's fans, and foes. The bigger the company, the more vehiment they'll be.. If you check the Stereophile review of the Krell SACD back in '93 or '94 you'll read pretty much the same opinions of the Krell SACD Standard as you'll see on other more recent reviews on Audiogon and other web based reviewers. I first expressed interest in purchasing the SACD Standard over a year and a half ago. I was told krell took it off the market because of the reliability problem with the Phillips SACD transport, which not only Krell, but many other manufacturers were using as the heart of their player. Needdless to say, Phillips also used this drive in their players. Because Krell felt they needed to honor the substantial warranty they offered, they ceased shipping that unit so the remaining in stock transports could be used for warranty replacements; Phillips had simply discontinued the production of that drive. It should be known that, as I understood it, only a certain batch of Phillips drives had problems. Many manufacturers that incorporated that drive had warranty problems.I'd like to think that other high end manufacturers did as Krell did and saved their remaining drives for warranty replacement, although, I doubt that many did. There was talk of a class action suit against Phillips, BUT, a suit against Phillips, Sony, or the US government is a waste of both time and money. I attended the last CEDIA show and saw the SACD Standard on display and again up for delivery. Krell had sourced a new and more reliable transport for the SACD Standard. Unfortunately, the new transport was not retro- fittable to the older units. I took delivery on my new SACD Standard a few months ago and I am happy as " white on rice". I suggest that if you contemplate purchasing a used SACD Standard, you ask the seller for the serial number and where they purchased the unit. Then call Krell for the date of manufacture. Tell Krell you have concerns based on the information I have just stated and they will advise you accordingly. In this day and age, high end companies are bought and sold, in some cases, with the name of the founder on the marquee. A company's "Vision Statement" can only be realistically expected to reign throughout the existance of that company if the founders retain ownership and control of the company. Check the Krell website, and you'll see that that those who envisioned the Krell mission statement are still at the helm. Lawrence, if you have any other reservations on purchasing the SACD Standard , please post another response and maybe I can set your mind at ease regards, Ken Fritz
01-29-06: kftool Bryan, Your comments regarding owning a business are very astute. In many cases that ownership only contributes the funds necessary to lead a more materially satisfying life. As you recognized, my business has contributed more to my personal life than just money. KF Tooling & Design produces polyester and epoxy molds for the cast polymer industry, solid surface countertops, marble bath products etc. I first need to build a pattern of the product and then produce the tooling. I doubt there are many tools, hand or machine, that I don"t own, some used constantly, and some almost never but all necessary. Without these facilities, my projects would be just another "do it yourself" project supported by Craftsman tools and the material inventory of the Home Depot. Realizing this years ago, I have been able to plan and complete my projects on somewhat of a grander scale than possible by just buying what was available on the open market. As any business owner knows, it's not all money and roses. When times get tough the possibility of losing everything you have always exists. The industry I support relies heavily on petrochemical feedstocks. As the price of oil has escalated I have seen numerous domestic consumers of my products go out of business. That gap is being filled by low priced products from Mexico and China. Good quality solid surface products comming in from Korea and the elsewhere are putting the squeeze on my better customers. I am one of only two companies in the US who supply tooling for the cast polymer industry. My only competitor's business is about 25 times larger than mine. I produce low volume at a high price, while my competitor produces high volume at a low price. As long as there are those out there that want the best money can buy, I'll have a market that will sustain my company, that is "if the creek don't rise." regards, Ken
Hello Kftool,i'm thinking of buying a used SACD Standard,i read some of the on-line reviews said that it has a noise transport,is that true? is there a MK 2 version inproved ? does it really a matter?.Thanks.
It's instances like this that make me want to open a business. You have leveraged your business knowledge to do something great for your personal life. That is very motivational for anyone who currently is working for someone else.
1-26-06:Kftool Ekovalsky,While the size of the loudspeaker is important, the performance of a large line source is never realized if they are in a small room. If you have 1600 lbs of line arrays, I know you realize the effect a larger room has on the integration of the cylindrical wavefronts generated by the low, mid, high etc. driver columns. What comments have your friends made after listening at a sound level higher than they think you're playing without actually sounding that loud? Size does matter, especially when it comes to the room. Substituting different amps and crossovers would almost impossible as there are 6 Krell 2 and 3way active xovers and 12 stereo amps driving the system. 2 years ago I pondered using the DEQX digital xover instead of the Krell xovers. They would offer time and phase correction along with infinitely adjustable xover points and slopes, BUT, injecting all digital processing in an otherwise pure class a,discrete analog electronic chain,was something I couldn"t bring myself to do, maybe at some time in the future. If you're ever in the Richmond, Va. area, inviting you for a listen would be my pleasure. regards, Ken Fritz.--kftool
1-26-06 firecracker 77.I'm glad you're enjoying the photos. Seeing shots taken durring a project can enlighted a person as to how involved and complicated a seemingly straight forward project can get. Owning a large and well equipt pattern shop,necessary in my business, made the whole project a joy to undertake. After the Sept 11 terror attacks our business took quite a hit which enabled me to devote the type of hours necessary to complete the project. On another note, I am setting up a web site with register .com where the photos you received, along with other information regarding the various other phases of the project, will be posted. I'll let you know when it is done. regards, and thanks for your interest, Ken Fritz -kftool
I received the cd rom showing pictures of your system as it was being built. Now I understand better how you built it, seeing that you have the needed tools as part of your profession. It would definately require great skill to do what you have done. Thanks again, and I am definately enjoying seeing it put together.
1-19-06 firecracker77 While the cost of the drivers used in high end loudspeakers can range from 10 to 20% of the retail price of the system, it may not always be the costliest factor in determining the final price of the speaker. In my case, the costs associated in producing the patterns, masters, and production epoxy tooling needed to cast the polymer baffles probably exceded the cost of the drivers. Furthermore, using the tooling to generate only one set of loudspeakers eliminated the possibility of amortizing the tooling over multiple sets of loudspeakers. Factors such as this is why flagship loudspeakers have a tough time showing a profit on the bottom line. When asked why I spent what I did on the speakers, I just say, "The devil made me do it". regards, Ken Fritz
