Author Topic: MarkAudio Extended Full Range drivers - Post your build here (Read 284692 times)

deist · « **on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 11:31 AM »

Is anyone using these drivers? I have a pair of Alpair 10P (paper cone) and currently burning them in using the box/packaging they came with & I must say they sound good. These are getting good reviews at diyaudio so decided to give it a go. Still looking for someone to fabricate the enclosures but I will update this thread and give my listening impressions later on. Burning in suggestions for these drivers are low volume levels for the first 100hrs & gradual increasing of volume from thereon.

Actual photos of my unit below:

Published numbers & graphs for the Alpair 10P gen 1:

T/S Anechoic: 2.2/30g spider final version: 10P Gen1
Revc= 6.200 Ohm
Fo= 42.398 Hz
Sd= 88.250 cm
Vas= 29.995 Ltr
Cms= 2.712m M/N
Mmd= 4.719 g
Mms= 5.196 g
BL= 4.741 TM
Qms= 2.425
Qes= 0.382
Qts= 0.330
Levc= 50.196u H
No= 0.579 %
SPLo= 89.645 dB
Xmax = 7mm (1 way) limited by Arrestor
Power = 30 watts Nom

Gino · « **Reply #1 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 11:44 AM »

It is my understanding that drivers shouldn't be driven in free air unless they are for it.

deist · « **Reply #2 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 11:50 AM »

^ they are inside the box, the packaging.

these drivers can also be used in open baffle

ATJr. · « **Reply #3 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 11:52 AM »

drivers are tested free air to get their free air resonance afaik....
does it come the Thiele and Small parameters?
there are box calculators on line that you can use...

deist · « **Reply #4 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 11:58 AM »

Sir Tony,

It didn't come with Thiele/Small parameters but enclosure plans/designs are downloadable for free @ markaudio website.

this is how some guys at diyaudio do the burning in:

ATJr. · « **Reply #5 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 12:07 PM »

yes, i think it will be best to follow vendor recomendation wrt to box enclosure...

JojoD818 · « **Reply #6 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 12:24 PM »

Hi deist,

Mark Fenlon, founder of MarkAudio is a friend. He sent me a couple pairs of chr-70 in an in-house designed box and another couple of pairs as "backup" because he knew I was a "fiddling" kind of guy.

I remember putting it through it's paces powered by a t-amp, a gainclone, and a 2A3 SET amp and a digital source. Clarity is plentiful, with the mids being natural and non-obtrusive, the highs are pretty much extended and not ear-piercing. The bass is not for the basshead of course, but for such a small speaker, it is there, though it may not be for everyone. Mark told me to experiment with the box to somewhat extend the lows, unfortunately I haven't gone into that yet.

The ones in the baffle box was passed on to an Aussie friend while the "backup" pairs are still with me in their original boxes waiting for a baffle experiment.

Gino · « **Reply #7 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 12:41 PM »

Hi jojoD818, I like to be your friend.

JojoD818 · « **Reply #8 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 12:50 PM »

Hi Gino, we are all friends buddy.

Gino · « **Reply #9 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 01:54 PM »

Good to know.

psi · « **Reply #10 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 03:08 PM »

frootloops · « **Reply #11 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 03:38 PM »

I'd like to have one of those someday. I just need to look for a good box maker...maybe Master Jojo can do one for me since he is in to woodworking these days. Basta wag lang foam ang laman ha.

deist · « **Reply #12 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 04:35 PM »

Quote from: JojoD818 on Nov 13, 2013 at 12:24 PM

Hi deist,

Mark Fenlon, founder of MarkAudio is a friend. He sent me a couple pairs of chr-70 in an in-house designed box and another couple of pairs as "backup" because he knew I was a "fiddling" kind of guy.

I remember putting it through it's paces powered by a t-amp, a gainclone, and a 2A3 SET amp and a digital source. Clarity is plentiful, with the mids being natural and non-obtrusive, the highs are pretty much extended and not ear-piercing. The bass is not for the basshead of course, but for such a small speaker, it is there, though it may not be for everyone. Mark told me to experiment with the box to somewhat extend the lows, unfortunately I haven't gone into that yet.

The ones in the baffle box was passed on to an Aussie friend while the "backup" pairs are still with me in their original boxes waiting for a baffle experiment.

Sir jojo,

Thanks for sharing your experience with these drivers. Friend mo pala si Mark Fenlon, he seems like a nice guy. Gawan mo na ng enclosure yung chr70 mo sir esp now na gumagaling ka na sa woodworking

Quote from: Gino on Nov 13, 2013 at 12:41 PM

Hi jojoD818, I like to be your friend.

+1 or better yet can i be your bestfriend?

I have to say, even without a proper enclosure right now these sound better than my Dentons in terms of details & midrange. Same source, same everything & just flipping through the speakers a/b button on my amp. but it's still too early for a conclusion, just an initial impression

JojoD818 · « **Reply #13 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 05:26 PM »

Quote from: frootloops on Nov 13, 2013 at 03:38 PM

I'd like to have one of those someday. I just need to look for a good box maker...maybe Master Jojo can do one for me since he is in to woodworking these days. Basta wag lang foam ang laman ha.

Matagal pa naman siguro yan brader, but if not, andiyan naman si brader timber mas sigurado pa hahaha... pero I promise, acoustic wool at hindi foam. Using high density foam is a definite no-no.

JojoD818 · « **Reply #14 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 05:37 PM »

Quote from: deist on Nov 13, 2013 at 04:35 PM

Sir jojo,

Thanks for sharing your experience with these drivers. Friend mo pala si Mark Fenlon, he seems like a nice guy. Gawan mo na ng enclosure yung chr70 mo sir esp now na gumagaling ka na sa woodworking

My pleasure sir. Ingat ka lang sir when using tubes, napakalambing.

Yes he is a nice guy, we often video chat in skype exchanging speaker ideas. He really knows his stuff and sees quality control himself. Naku I'm miles away pa sa wood working pero I hope to get there someday. Andiyan naman lagi si bader timber hehehe...

Quote

+1 or better yet can i be your bestfriend?

hahaha we all should be best of friends...

Quote

I have to say, even without a proper enclosure right now these sound better than my Dentons in terms of details & midrange. Same source, same everything & just flipping through the speakers a/b button on my amp. but it's still too early for a conclusion, just an initial impression

If I may add, I thought Mark was joking about those cartons/packaging but you can indeed use them for a sort of free air support. Literally redefining the meaning of the saying "out of the box".

Please do keep us posted on your chosen enclosure sir.

Cheers

frootloops · « **Reply #15 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 06:56 PM »

Quote

JojoD818 - Matagal pa naman siguro yan brader, but if not, andiyan naman si brader timber mas sigurado pa hahaha... pero I promise, acoustic wool at hindi foam. Using high density foam is a definite no-no.

That's what I'm talking about..someone who really knows what to do.

Given it's age, I don't see foam on my JBL L36 '79 era vintage speakers, heck even my dad's Sansui monsters uses acoustic wool and not foam.

sir deist, hope we can hear this once ready. Keep us posted.

Onkyo606 · « **Reply #16 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 07:01 PM »

Quote from: JojoD818 on Nov 13, 2013 at 05:26 PM

Matagal pa naman siguro yan brader, but if not, andiyan naman si brader timber mas sigurado pa hahaha... pero I promise, acoustic wool at hindi foam. Using high density foam is a definite no-no.

can carpet be used instead of foam?

frootloops · « **Reply #17 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 07:12 PM »

^ alam ko ang carpet sound absorber...baka walang lumabas na tunog. I have a friend who peppered his A/V room with carpet (wall to wall pa yata)..speakers are already shouting yet you cannot hear it's potential.

Egg tray kaya?

Onkyo606 · « **Reply #18 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 07:31 PM »

Quote from: frootloops on Nov 13, 2013 at 07:12 PM

^ alam ko ang carpet sound absorber...baka walang lumabas na tunog. I have a friend who peppered his A/V room with carpet (wall to wall pa yata)..speakers are already shouting yet you cannot hear it's potential.

Egg tray kaya?

natandaan ko dati sir froots yung speaker ng tatay ko pinasok ko sa aparador na binalot ko ng egg tray, parang sya yung naging enclosure, ewan ko lang kung nakabuti yun, pwede na din kase libre lang hehehe.

kung libre ang carpet at egg tray pwede na sa akin pero kung may bayad at sobrang mahal pa, no no talaga.

deist · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 07:39 PM »

Quote from: JojoD818 on Nov 13, 2013 at 05:37 PM

Please do keep us posted on your chosen enclosure sir.

Cheers

Will do sir. I'll go with Pensil by Scott Lindgren. simple to build para hindi mahirapan fabricator hehe

Quote from: frootloops on Nov 13, 2013 at 06:56 PM

That's what I'm talking about..someone who really knows what to do.

Given it's age, I don't see foam on my JBL L36 '79 era vintage speakers, heck even my dad's Sansui monsters uses acoustic wool and not foam.

sir deist, hope we can hear this once ready. Keep us posted.

Sure sir, kaso taga-Laguna ako

I will update this thread sa development ng project.

btw, the box designers over at diyaudio suggest cotton or wool felt (see sample pic below) to put behind the drivers then some polyfill fibers for damping spread throughout the inside of the enclosure & foam is a no-no talaga.

frootloops · « **Reply #20 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 07:52 PM »

^ yan ang tamang filler. Exact material I see in our vintage speakers. TFS sir.

sir onkyo, kahit na libre pa yang carpet at egg tray, hindi pa rin ako gagamit nyan kasi hindi dapat. Pag gumamit ka nyan niloloko mo lang sarili mo.

sir deist, saan ka sir sa Laguna? Okay lang basta sulit ang biyahe, good music + The Original Buco Pie = Happiness.

Onkyo606 · « **Reply #21 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 08:08 PM »

Quote from: frootloops on Nov 13, 2013 at 07:52 PM

^ yan ang tamang filler. Exact material I see in our vintage speakers. TFS sir.

sir onkyo, kahit na libre pa yang carpet at egg tray, hindi pa rin ako gagamit nyan kasi hindi dapat. Pag gumamit ka nyan niloloko mo lang sarili mo.

sir deist, saan ka sir sa Laguna? Okay lang basta sulit ang biyahe, good music + The Original Buco Pie = Happiness.

buti na lang pala di ko ito naipayo sa isang kabarkada na nag titipid din, kung nagkataon nanloko pa ako ng isang kaibigan,

salamat sir froots sa pag lilinaw.

frootloops · « **Reply #22 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 08:37 PM »

Naku..don't thank me sir Onkyo, dito ko lang din natutunan yan. Pasalamat tayo sa mga honest members dito na willing to help and give the facts at hindi false or bloated informations.

Congrats again sir deist and keep us in the loop.

JojoD818 · « **Reply #23 on:** Nov 13, 2013 at 11:17 PM »

Quote from: deist on Nov 13, 2013 at 07:39 PM

Will do sir. I'll go with Pensil by Scott Lindgren. simple to build para hindi mahirapan fabricator hehe

Cool. The Pensil is one of my favorites, very simple to build and it works.

Quote

Sure sir, kaso taga-Laguna ako

I will update this thread sa development ng project.

btw, the box designers over at diyaudio suggest cotton or wool felt (see sample pic below) to put behind the drivers then some polyfill fibers for damping spread throughout the inside of the enclosure & foam is a no-no talaga.

Yep that's the one, or the white poly fiber fill.

Once upon a time, I was also into building speaker enclosures. As DIYers, I knew that the benefits of using poly fiber fill comes three fold. One is to eliminate standing waves, second is to dampen any acoustic bounce caused by parallel walls of the enclosure and third, to increase box volume. The third one however is some sort of a remedy, this means you did not do your homework, hence you need more fiber fill.

Eliminating standing waves and dampening is our main goal in using acoustic foam, hindi yan porma lang.

But the cool thing is you can always experiment, that's our unseen compensation as DIYers.

As a tip, do not make the mistake of using glue or staple to install acoustic foam, just spread and line the whole thing inside of the box and just let it loosely fit in there. Fixing the darn thing negates the purpose of dampening.

Good luck sir and may I be the first to welcome you...

deist · « **Reply #24 on:** Nov 14, 2013 at 10:06 AM »

Quote from: JojoD818 on Nov 13, 2013 at 11:17 PM

Cool. The Pensil is one of my favorites, very simple to build and it works.

Yep that's the one, or the white poly fiber fill.

Once upon a time, I was also into building speaker enclosures. As DIYers, I knew that the benefits of using poly fiber fill comes three fold. One is to eliminate standing waves, second is to dampen any acoustic bounce caused by parallel walls of the enclosure and third, to increase box volume. The third one however is some sort of a remedy, this means you did not do your homework, hence you need more fiber fill.

Eliminating standing waves and dampening is our main goal in using acoustic foam, hindi yan porma lang.

But the cool thing is you can always experiment, that's our unseen compensation as DIYers.

As a tip, do not make the mistake of using glue or staple to install acoustic foam, just spread and line the whole thing inside of the box and just let it loosely fit in there. Fixing the darn thing negates the purpose of dampening.

Good luck sir and may I be the first to welcome you...

thanks sir. i'm hoping this is the start of many DIYs to come

deist · « **Reply #25 on:** Nov 14, 2013 at 10:08 AM »

Quote from: frootloops on Nov 13, 2013 at 08:37 PM

Naku..don't thank me sir Onkyo, dito ko lang din natutunan yan. Pasalamat tayo sa mga honest members dito na willing to help and give the facts at hindi false or bloated informations.

Congrats again sir deist and keep us in the loop.

thanks sir! hoping i can post updates soon.

JoeyGS · « **Reply #26 on:** Nov 14, 2013 at 10:22 AM »

Hey Jo, how much did it cost to bring those drivers of yours to our motherland?

How about the crossover, does MarkAudio sell a kit or DIY din?

Parang gusto ko rin gumawa for our dual DC powered T-amp.

JojoD818 · « **Reply #27 on:** Nov 14, 2013 at 10:29 AM »

Quote from: JoeyGS on Nov 14, 2013 at 10:22 AM

Hey Jo, how much did it cost to bring those drivers of yours to our motherland?

How about the crossover, does MarkAudio sell a kit or DIY din?

Parang gusto ko rin gumawa for our dual DC powered T-amp.

Mark paid for everything. I only had to pay the crocs at Pasay customs because the box got help up over at EMS.

Go go go, with a properly designed/sized boxes, full rangers are very listenable. That's why there are lots of followers of Fostex, Altec, Alinco, CSS, etc.

Gino · « **Reply #28 on:** Nov 14, 2013 at 10:49 AM »

This calculator has been very accurate for me. I normally just plug in 10% in the Tariff rate field. Note that even shipping/insurance cost will be taxed.

What I like about this is predictability. I know exactly how much to save. Feeding the crocs is hit or miss. I also avoid express shipping which tend to land at Pasay EMS. Pasay EMS has Lolongs to feed.

http://triviasofsubstance.blogspot.com/2010/08/philippines-customs-tax-calculator.html

deist · « **Reply #29 on:** Nov 14, 2013 at 11:04 AM »

To those looking for MarkAudio drivers, I got mine from a retailer in SG so if you have friends, relatives or if you're planning to go on a trip you can get a pair. the boxes can easily fit in a regular sized luggage