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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Hawthorne Sterling Iris Drivers
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Message started by Jacko2x on 12/14/10 at 22:29:05

Title: Hawthorne Sterling Iris Drivers
Post by Jacko2x on 12/14/10 at 22:29:05

Not sure if anyone's ever tried out these drivers before. I'm in the process of having them build my baffle according to my specification. In the mean time, I'm looking into getting a decware amp to power the Iris drivers (95db system = 15" mid woofer + coaxial driver). Will say a Zen triode (2w/channel) amp be able to driver a system like this?

For more information on the driver:

http://www.hawthorneaudio.com/catalogs/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=1&zenid=6rd1ht9hgoarj9odhhndh087v4

Thanks,
ed

Title: Re: Hawthorne Sterling Iris Drivers
Post by Jacko2x on 12/14/10 at 22:30:51

Forgot to mention. I also got their Augie drivers. The baffle is going to be made of maple with 2 drivers (1 Silver Iris and 1 Augie) per side.

Title: Re: Hawthorne Sterling Iris Drivers
Post by opnly_bafld on 12/14/10 at 22:38:56

I assume the Augie is going to be driven by a separate amp.
What is the size of your room?
Have you ever checked spl when listening?

Lin

Title: Re: Hawthorne Sterling Iris Drivers
Post by JLM on 12/25/10 at 00:12:07

Darrel and Diane are practically a neighbor of mine (about a 90 minute drive). He was a member on the former Decware forum where he linked up with HurdyGurdy Dave (who does his crossovers and gave him lots of technical guidance). We're all from Michigan and so got together before he started Hawthorne Audio where we heard Ziggy's original Torii, his SE34I, and a huge, heavy, complex pair of speakers he'd built. And I was at a bigger gathering where he introduced the 15 inch Silver Iris.

HurdyGurdy Dave lives closer to me and is pretty much home bound so I visit him occasionally and get chances to hear so many versions (production and otherwise) of the Iris that I get confused. The Sterlings do provide more resolution and if your going to add an Augie, I'd go with the smaller coax, as the 15 incher has a somewhat noticable "hole" in dispersion between the big woofer and the tweeter. By themselves the 15 inch coax drivers provide all the bass you need (there is little difference with and without the Augie, even with extremely bass heavy music).

I've also heard the Sterling Iris 15 inchers at the 2008 AKFest and these were only one of three speakers there that were capable of deeper bass that weren't muddy/boomy in these terrible little hotel rooms. (And Diane makes great little cookies!)

Like any open baffle they need open space behind and present a very large/diffuse soundstage (which frankly causes them to suffer from a lack of ultimate resolution). Amazingly they don't need a baffle, just a stand will do. If you can live with speakers on the floor, sit away from them, and give them room behind, you will be treated to speakers that your money is invested almost entirely in drivers versus cabinetry.