NOTE: The result of this project - Tiny Radials - can be found for sale on this page here:  https://www.decwaretinyradials.com





I was browsing through the latest speaker supplier catalogs and noticed a 2 inch driver made by Tangband that caught my eye! It had it's own enclosure and passive radiator giving it response to 80Hz! I visualized it in a miniaturized Decware Radial loudspeaker where the cavity below the radiator gets tuned by a plinth creating even more gain and extension in the bass.

If I am right a couple things will happen... A) the speaker will sound like our big speakers with a similar frequency response, just not as low. B) the smaller diameter cone negates the need for a tweeter and changes how the lenses work, so this old design from years ago that never left my desk now finally lives -- shrunken down to a desktop sized speaker.

Here is a video of the prototypes - aka - proof of concept pair.



https://decware.wistia.com/medias/x4d46vqe8s

Steve

As part of the research, I will need to know two things:

A) did you use headphones when you watched the video?

B) what would you be willing to pay for a pair?

INFO about them:

They are solid hardwood cabinets with the passive radiator firing into a pre-tuned bass plinth just like our full size models.  The driver is a Tang Band T2-2136SA.  I developed the lens for the top.

They are not, plastic.  Response in these cabinets was estimated to be 76Hz ~ 20kHz, however if you listen to the video, it is easy to hear it go well below that bass figure.  I will measure them soon enough.

Because these are full-range crossoverless radials, the sound stage is about 6 feet wide with the speakers placed as shown in the videos. That means they are also very useful as regular speakers set near the wall in any room or office.  For example, on a kitchen counter, on a book shelf, or even in the center of a large dining room table and of course on the desktop.

Steve

I used my Denon AH-D2000 headphones plugged into my computer tower which has nothing special as far as audio.  I honestly wasn't impressed.  Just to check, I went over and listened to the Big Betsy video on the banner page.  This was 1000 Xs more impressive.

Maybe my standard is too high.

Big sound out of such small speakers. Pretty amazing!

I'd guess they are like the top part of the HR1s.  Those are a hollow taper.  Also, I assume there is a passive bass in the bottom -- again, like the HR1s.

Oh! You would need to add the $129 Echo Sub Woofer for a fair comparison.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=echo+subwoofer&i=amazon-devices&crid=214UT6CU5JJIR&sp...

Dana, Do you mean a smart aggravating pain in the arse?

What I like about these is that they are worthy of a Zen Triode amplifier with a real source.  And using both I get almost the same sound as I get from my main system just a smaller version of it.  That is the appeal.  I can now take the sound from my listening room and recreate it on my desk or a counter top next to me while I work.  In fact that is what is so fascinating about the sound, because I spend a fair amount of time listening to the speakers in the listening room from the adjoining room where I work all day.  I am pretty used to the sound that comes through that doorway and have always enjoyed it almost as much as when I am in the room setting down for a serious listen.  Setting next to this doorway are now these tiny radial speakers and due to the frequency balance and imaging, I have forgotten several times that I wasn't listening to big speakers in the other room because the sound is so close to the same.

If you're going to try to make comparisons with solid-state, bluetooth, DSP laden plastic desktop speakers you will find it is an apples to oranges comparison that can't be resolved.  It does however bring up a reality that if these were ever sold, many people would be running small solid state amps with them either to save money or to save space.

Steve

Yeah, at 80 db efficiency the little Zen drives them good. This may change my course a tad.

Well you did get my attention! I envision tieing  2 TBs in series facing each other and loading the rears with tapered enclosures. Center channel Bowtie  

John

This little speaker looks & sounds great!
Can't wait to find out what the real world bass they put out.

In the first demo there was a rear wall about 12 inches away but no side walls. The bass was very good. In this demo, they are placed about 4 feet apart in a doorway, so less loading and still the bass was not too bad.



https://decware.wistia.com/medias/oi8rq2t1wf

In this video, I used the Tascam 24 bit recorder and just for fun played the same Orchestra track that I am using in all of the speaker demos. The recorder is placed directly in front of the turntable where I was standing to listen.

Steve

Unlike my BIG BETSY project, I didn't know this was going to turn into a project so I didn't take any pictures of the initial build. My intension was to just take a block of solid hardwood, and bore a hole though it big enough to accommodate the driver.

IDEA #1 - I couldn't find a bit large enough that was also long enough to get at least half way through the nearly 7 inch block. The only bit I could find was on eBay and it turned out to be junk so I had to scrap the idea.

IDEA #2 - I decided to rip the block in half, use the bandsaw to carve out the inside and then glue the two halves back together again. From there I could taper the sides of the block on my mitre saw, which I did.

Here is how that turned out...



I'm just getting ready to glue the bottom on in this particular photo.  What you didn't see is that the diameter of the driver is within 3/16 inch of the outside of the top which means a lot more cutting was required to fit the driver. Nevertheless it was a great success of your are only building one pair but a complete fail if you want to be in a position where you could possibly have to build lots of them. Clearly the wall thickness has to come down, and if that is the case then it becomes easier to create panels and glue them together.

Time to focus on how to build panels...

Steve

Here is a picture of the rails getting installed during the glue up.  



Once all four are installed and cut 1/8 inch longer than the enclosure, they will be able to hold the bottom plinth, which can be screwed into place... so we're making progress. I'll keep posting as things move along.

Steve

Through my HiFiMan HE 400S planars and current generation ipad, the sound reminds me of the LS3/5A’s that I ran in my main (well, actually, my only) all tube system during a 6 to 8 year period in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s......nice, but light weight.  My wife and I, like you, use the through-the-door method for listening to our music systems in the next room over.  I’m a dedicated big speaker guy for lots of reasons, and this is throwing me for a loop, but these are definitely intriguing little speakers!

Willing to pay?  Not sure.......maybe $125 - $150, if, and that’s a big if, I could find a place for them to be used.

Yeah, I figured so much Archie.  But I think Steve's question was more about what we as individuals would be willing to pay and less about what they are worth from a parts/labor perspective.  I have no clue what their value is, but for me, and my intended use of these speakers, $400 would be my limit.

(in babytalk) "widdle HR-1's!

Steve should ask DeVon what a fair price would be.

Here is the second pair going together.  The sticks inside lock the sides square so assembly is easy with no clamps, just some masking tape.  Thinking of the D.I.Y.  If there is one thing I've learned from the BIG BETSY project, it is that there will be a strong interest in plans and something that can be easily assembled.  This method will also allow me to make the panels as thin as I want.  I plan to experiment with that as we progress.



As you can see I got so wrapped up in the panel design and the locking sticks that I completely forgot I needed to make it thinner, so I will look forward to a lot of carving on this pair to get the driver to fit... just like the last pair.

Steve

Here is another shot during assembly.  Have to put the bottom on after wiring the binding posts ; )

Here is a couple close-up shots of the top.

Ha!!  Fun experiment  :)

Willing to sell any of these prototype samples?  I love Padauk 😬

They would pair perfectly with my Taboo MKIII...

I can see these working extremely well in a small apartment setting! Make a TV soundbar moot.

I think these may be the cutest things I've ever seen.
They're not a need, but I would love to have a pair to play with.

Hmm... Simple.. Small.. And loud.. And a lot of skilled work on the box..
If I build this with piece of woods, I would ask for 380/pair..
Or mass build it with plastic mould boxes, I could go with 90/pair..

I suggest Steve to stay with Decware's original works.. which is 380/pair..
Or 15.90 for the layout..