Line Sources - For & Against

[Kingrex]

Alrainbow has the Infinity IRS
(Speakers - Infinity IRS V completely revamped by me.
New magnets , wires , new cross over (now external) designed and voiced by Arnie Nudel himself (what could be better?) Also, a new balanced active cross over also by Arnie and along with a new PSU . All work was done by ps audio. I also commissioned a analog phase shifter/adjuster for the woofer towers .)

Very close to dsp, but done analog. I gather it was necessary to get the bass to integrate properly.

 

[annapolis Raider]

I owned Acoustat 1+1s back in the day. One of the most important characteristics of a line source is the size of the driver relative to the frequency its producing, aka the "line" in line source. While a great many electrostatics/planars have the height of line sources, their drivers are too wide at some frequencies to be considered a "line source". True line sources DO NOT BEAM, and have extremely wide sweet spots. I would not consider any of the Acoustat models "true line sources".

 

[a.wayne]

Alrainbow has the Infinity IRS
(Speakers - Infinity IRS V completely revamped by me.
New magnets , wires , new cross over (now external) designed and voiced by Arnie Nudel himself (what could be better?) Also, a new balanced active cross over also by Arnie and along with a new PSU . All work was done by ps audio. I also commissioned a analog phase shifter/adjuster for the woofer towers .)

Very close to dsp, but done analog. I gather it was necessary to get the bass to integrate properly.

The phase unit is only necessary if not physically moving towers into proper phase , physical adjustment is superior to electronic adjustment of the signal IMO....

 

[annapolis Raider]

interesting your thoughts on the use of DSP as i have never heard this successfully done before , how was your experienced improved, bass? Timbre ? Drive ..?


Regards[/QUOTE]

First a few caveats, this was more than a few years ago and I am not a DSP expert (just have access to a professional one). Ok, to the best I can remember, it was like you took all the "fog or fuzz" out of the system. It was for me most obvious in the leading edge attack of timbres, but it was also apparent in image focus and placement. Sometimes Maggies are criticized for having large indistinct imaging (particularly compared to point source speakers), after DSP you had laser like focus. Bass was also greatly improved in terms of clarity, and as I said before attack. It was really across the board a MUCH, MUCH, better speaker. The Trinnov never came out of the system after that.

 

[Alrainbow]

Yes if the room is large enough and you can move around 1500 pounds sure it’s great lol. In the end there is no bass bump anymore and no need for the phase for the bass anymore. It did work well but had it’s own issues too. No boom but no linarity in the bass. Now no boom and no bass towers anymore. All 4 towers are there but I don’t hear them as 4 anymore.
Next up was amps and a preamp. 350 pounds each worth and yes they do matter where you put them too. Mr Wayne is the wizard ��* with all the issues I had in the many years. Only two people actually knew what to do with them. GARY K was the first one he is why I had the phase unit built. Before I had one woofer in the middle and one on one side. This put me outside of the bass bump. How many times i posted what can be done. Silence or use DSP
you cant use dsp just for the woofers and to dsp at all killls the sound. And I tried top end units too. Mr Wayne in some simple pictures gave me advice as GARY did in moving them was hell. Look mom no dsp and no bass bump either. Only these two knew no one else and I sent pics too. While there is plenty to be learned on forums and I do. There is just not many who really do know. And please no dsp is ok posts it’s fine and I mean that it’s just fine for all and I am one them. I don’t know design nor do I want too. But the monsters I have need plenty of understanding and a very large room too.