Diy fest 2007

[zanash]

I was only able to attend on the saturday .....

I was a little early so had a chance to chat with a number of others waiting outside.

The construction standard was [on finished items] better than many of the small company products I've seen ....

Sound was a problem as the venue had huge vaulting rooms ...only the "pink room" had a normal height ceiling...

I was able to offer the services of my cdp as sources seemed thin on the ground.

In the afternoon I was able to lend Vakesh [hope thats the right spelling] my cd plus a couple of IC... to provide an alternate source to his lap top. As far as I could tell his home built amps ..an Aussie kit with belguim cases...should have writen the name down ..duh...with his open baffle speakers sound very good ...but the room accoustics really made it difficult to get any real feeling. I tried the little blue light ...but the room was about 5x the volume of a domestic living room ...with only the smallest effect I could tell [and I know what to listen for] .

After a few disc I swapped ic to the platalloys oddly these really helped tame the room. I was unable to do what I intended ...which was a simple switch of three identical ic's each with a different metalogy ....oh well

The presentation was very interesting ....negative and positive feedback in amps ....but some was rather over my head.

So just to say a big thank you to the organisers and those that that attend both with and without gear.

[ShinOBIWAN]

I think it's a pity that we haven't seen any more posts on the actual topic. I'd have liked to have seen a fuller "report" of the event.

Hi Dev,

ZG members were very thin on the ground, only me and Pete really. Virtually everyone there was a DIYAudio member so most of the opinions and discussion has happened over there.

This link will take you to the start of the after event talk and also has a few pictures thrown in as well.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1265714#post1265714

It was a great weekend that I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

[Dev]

Hi Dev,

ZG members were very thin on the ground, only me and Pete really. Virtually everyone there was a DIYAudio member so most of the opinions and discussion has happened over there.

This link will take you to the start of the after event talk and also has a few pictures thrown in as well.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1265714#post1265714

It was a great weekend that I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks ShinOBIWAN.

Guys, I've pruned this thread. Please keep this on topic and carry on arguing on the following thread:-

http://www.zerogain.com/forum/showthread.php?t=17037

[bottleneck]

Do people have any pictures from the DIY meet?

Any discussion of new products people had cooked up (with photos?)

[Uncle Ants]

Yeah there were a bunch of pics posted over on the DIYaudio Forum. The link is buried in this thread ShinOBIWAN posted but to save yu digging

http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/

The thread is worth reading too. There's some cool looking stuff there :)

[ShinOBIWAN]

Do people have any pictures from the DIY meet?

Any discussion of new products people had cooked up (with photos?)

3-way Audax based loudspeakers built by Al:
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-01.jpg

http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-07.jpg

http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-08.jpg

Audax 3-ways with rebuilt and modified TDL RTL3's.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-02.jpg

Couple of preamps, the one on top is a Lightspeed which uses Light dependant resistors(I think!) and was designed by John Curl. The bottom is the Heretical and is designed by Stuart Yaniger(USA).
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-03.jpg

A headphone amp, not sure of the specifics but do remember it being a class-a design.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-04.jpg

Al's Apple laptop serving as a source and supporting it is a Symasym power amp designed by Micheal Bittner of Germany.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-05.jpg

Tim and me enjoying the sunshine and chatting about the dollar vs. pound exchange rate.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-06.jpg

A few folks listening to "I will survive" or whatever its called, purely accidental of course! :D
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-09.jpg

Jan's highly modified Behringer DCX2496 with full remote control 6 channel preamp section, a decent analogue output stage and a Tentlabs clock. Very nice!
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-10.jpg

Hugo's monstrous class-A Aleph-X monoblocks. These were excellent amps with a stunning midrange.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-11.jpg

Chris' 3-way Seas and Peerless design. Really nice chap who used to live in Australia. Great accent.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-12.jpg

My half finished junk :D
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-13.jpg

Vik's Orions and accompanying kit. A setup that can reach into the stratosphere of performance but only with a half decent room ;)
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-14.jpg

http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-15.jpg

A room full of folks enjoying the Orions. Gordon, with eyes shut, looks to buzzing off the music.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-16.jpg

I think this guy thought the photographer was going to try and steal whatever it is he was holding.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-17.jpg

[ShinOBIWAN]

Chris' 6 channel Hypex UCD180 power amp.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-18.jpg

Chris' surprisingly good Jordan JX92S transmission lines
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-19.jpg

Chirs' class A preamps. I think these were a Nelson Pass design but not sure.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-20.jpg

Shot of lots of kit.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-21.jpg

Another Nelson Pass Aleph amp. Bet you couldn't guess it was class A could you?
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-22.jpg

Orions playing in a better room but still far from perfect.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-23.jpg

Heretical preamp and sysmasym amp.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-24.jpg

A sub that sounded good and the heavy dance tracks we played. T'was built by Rich.
http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-26.jpg

[Uncle Ants]

These look ace

http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-15.jpg

Tell us some more.

[zanash]

beat me to it ....

the quality of the builds are better than some top line makes. imo

[Dev]

These look ace

http://uk.diyaudio.com/festival07/images/postevent/29-07-07-15.jpg

Tell us some more.

Yes, the bass drivers are curiously arranged.

[Stereo Mic]

It's a Linkwitz Orion Dev with dipole bass and open baffle mids and tweeter. A kit speaker from the US.

[Uncle Ants]

Yes, the bass drivers are curiously arranged.

That's what intrigued me - open baffle with one bass driver driving forward and one driving back

[ShinOBIWAN]

Bit of very brief commentary added to the pics.

[Dev]

Thanks Mike and ShinOBIWAN for the explanations.

Googling revealed the following:-

http://www.privateradio.org/blog/orion/index.php

[ShinOBIWAN]

Thanks Mike and ShinOBIWAN for the explanations.

Googling revealed the following:-

http://www.privateradio.org/blog/orion/index.php

No prpblem Dev, there's a few bits of kit that were camera shy and nobody managed a photo. These were a pair of open baffle designs using an 8" Lowther DX and a pair of 12" Goodmans Axiom for bass all driven by some very low powered tubes, a Fostex based full range transmission line that were beautifully built, a large 3-way design using Seas tweeter, PHL midrange and 2 Focal 10" in an Isobarik loading and finally a Tentlabs CD player.

[bottleneck]

The Orion uses the Seas Millenium tweeter, which is one I really like

https://secure.wilmslow-audio.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/22_36/products_id/207?osCsid=9b410a39a45771a7c30f2deb0b06c30f

Also to be found on some Wilmslow speakers, the Williams Heart Speaker, and the small standmount that (I believe) Tom Tom had with a full Naim system at the heathrow show last year. I've forgotten the standmount's name.

Anyway, a really nice tweeter.

Just to be a pedant (why not), although the tweeter is in an open baffle as has been pointed out, being a sealed unit it isnt an open-air design like the mid range unit.

[Markus S]

I've forgotten the standmount's name.


Kudos C10

Anyway, a really nice tweeter.

Agreed. I believe this tweeter is also the reason for the success of the Art Emotion.

[bottleneck]

reckon you're right. It's got a nice non-harsh top end. quite crispy.

I mentally liken it to crispy duck

http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/IMP/IMP162/INGUFYTH0019.jpg



mmmmm crispy duck

[Dev]

How the hell can a driver make you think of crispy duck Chris?

[bottleneck]

I don't know.. I think I'm just hungry! :D

NB, I've just googled for a giggle, and it appears the Kudos C10/C20 use the Seas Crescendo tweeter, which is a slightly dearer but visually very similar driver to the millenium.

NB, Markus it was the C10 I was thinking of, thanks.

[ShinOBIWAN]

I don't know.. I think I'm just hungry! :D

NB, I've just googled for a giggle, and it appears the Kudos C10/C20 use the Seas Crescendo tweeter, which is a slightly dearer but visually very similar driver to the millenium.

NB, Markus it was the C10 I was thinking of, thanks.

Crescendo is the new top dog in Seas tweeter line up. About £200 vs. £150 for the Millenium. Slightly reworked motor means lower distortion but the same moving parts also mean a very similar sound overall.

If your like domes then these two are near the top of the pile but for me not much beats a ribbon for all those hifi virtue's. The RAAL 140-15d(approx £270) in particular is possibly the best HF driver I've heard or used (so far). Beautiful sound that makes my old Scanspeak R2904-7000 sound like its broke.

[bottleneck]

aha!

http://www.raalribbon.com/products_flatfoil_140-15.htm

I recognise that chap. It's the one in your new speakers!

Have you heard it up against a Seas Millenium?

What do they go for?

Cheers!

[ShinOBIWAN]

I haven't heard it in direct comparison with the RAAL but its probably the most well respected dome tweeter around and have heard it on 3 occasions although have never used it in any of my own efforts.

Much always hinges on the design details and partnering drivers that create a loudspeaker. I always enjoy the Millenium when hear it but its not the last word in transparency, naturalness and nor is it as extended at both ends of the frequency range as the RAAL. A great tweeter but there's better.

Regarding RAAL pricing. When I bought my RAAL's at the very beginning of this year they were a steal at £175 each, they're now £270. Alex, who is RAAL, was selling these discounted to get some drivers out there and to also get people talking. RAAL is a relatively new startup and that meant he had to build up build credibility, a reputation and a customer base to spread the word. Its refreshing how he operates - he doesn't advertise, hand builds and tests each driver and treads that very fine line between fellow enthusiast and business man extremely well. His customer service is brilliant also; I panicked after my drivers arrived and I found the ribbons sagging slightly in the magnetic gap(which I later found out was due to air shipping and pressure changes). I emailed him and he offered to ring up and talk me thorough the process of correctly re-tensioning the ribbon foils. I was surprised to say the least considering he's in Serbia but that's the type of service you can expect. He also rings every now and then just to chat about what he's working on and vice versa. No other company would even consider doing that, the fact that his drivers are the best true ribbons around is just the icing on the cake really.

[brizonbiovizier]

How do they sound?

[dean.l]

did nobody take any pictures? :)

[Dev]

did nobody take any pictures? :)

Only the ones on page 1 of this thread as far as we know.

[dean.l]

yeah I know :)
I just thought and hoped there would be more :)

[ShinOBIWAN]

yeah I know :)
I just thought and hoped there would be more :)

I had my camera with me the whole time and didn't take a single shot! Forgot all about it and I think it was the same for others. :(

The next meet is being held down south sometime next year so try and make it if your interested.

[ShinOBIWAN]

How do they sound?

The RAAL or the Seas?