First order of business in getting my music room up is going to be some room treatments.

I'm still in compromise mode, since my music room is actually a sunroom. So it's two window walls are quite lively, even with the quilted drapes I have  bought.
I sprung for a natural jute padding under my thick wool rug which sits on a tile floor/concrete slab.

I know none of this is ideal or ever can be, but I HAVE MY OWN ROOM, NOW!!!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


BTW, my system sounds amazing in there, even considering the windows, but the drapes only affect a small portion of the sound spectrum.

Hi, Chris. It's been a while!

This new home is great. Larger, more private in many ways, although neighbors are still close by. Almost infinitely quieter and no busy street thirty feet from our pillows. We moved to a golf community, so the view out the back is a fairway and backdoor neighbors are more than 150 yards away. Beautiful here!

Only thing right now is that I fell and broke my wrist last week, so typing one handed at the moment. Typos more possible than ever!

But, all is well, including these hiccups. It's going to be awesome over here

hey man, welcome home. give it hell!

Thanks, guys.

As normal, I have an impossible to fix sound issue.  But this time it is room related.
For the first time in many years, I have a room where I don't have to pull everything out to listen, then put it all back out of the way.

Woohoo!

Good idea.
I was actually thinking of some kind of shutter arrangement, but instead of "blinds," maybe some kind of diffusing panels that I could close up when it gets dark and the dispersion panels would temper the reflected sound by a fair margin.

Wondering if anyone has ever had this Half-Glass room kind of dilemma to sort out.

I would recommend not letting your wife catch you cutting the width of those fancy blinds down to form a quadradic diffuser.  Sounds like she might not appreciate the experiment.

Enjoy the process, enjoy the music.  Have a great day.

First few attempts at measuring anything, I am inclined to go with Prime 7 diffusion, constructed into two Oriental style tri-fold free standing room dividers for each big window collage.

The frequency range I need to control from the Half-Glass room falls within that math.  Making it pretty will be the hard part.

They will still be heavy.

The way I understad it, the bandwidth of the affected frequency range of a QRD type diffusion panel is increased as you use a higher prime number for your calculation. Also the physical depth of the structure is increased as you gain more effectiveness to the overall diffusion characteristics.
There is always a compromise to find what works without the strutures becoming too big and too deep and too heavy.

Since I seem to have a very narrow band of hard reflection to manage, due to the two walls of windows, my thoughts are that I can make a more shallow depth structure that will be adequately effective over the offending range of mid frequencies and get the job done, mostly, using fewer materials.

I am going to run more tests before I buy any more wood or even turn on my saw, and since the third wall is plain old drywall I have not yet addressed, my next set of measurements will be MORE STILL with what I already have going.
I have kept many notes.

I will still drive everyone away for a while as I continue to try to grasp the entirety of the problems with using a Half-Glass room for enjoyment of my music.

My process has only begun.

The idea of a room divider kind of structure might become more of a folded fan shaped construction with several hinged planes, rather than just three free standing panels hinged together. I'm still toying with ideas at this point.

I mean, I have two walls of glass with which to contend. But, I am still talking about having to move things to reset my music room every day.

The window shutter idea, big enough to cover two walls of windows is not gone.

The ceiling is definitely helpful.
I intend to hang some break-ups from the ceiling soon. It is plaster, so more to do.

I am in the corner of a vaulted ceiling home, so, my height is 8' to a little more, lively, but nothing like the poly-messy-named windows. It feels like I need to hear a lot less window before I can listen to the ceiling.

@Sean, my room is the same, 8 panels of glass on 3 walls, and then the 4th is a 6 foot glass door, with vaulted ceilings. I run drapes on that wall and the one behind the seating position. The remainder is currently untreated. Tile floors too. Not much in the way of reflection, at least from what I hear. Will hang drapes on the rest when I can find matching one's.

Without them and some throw rugs I put down while listening, the room is an echo nightmare.

Hi, Other Lon.

Rather than nightmare, while two window walls is not as bad as three window walls, I feel my room is still out of focus in the midrange.

I believe mine is correctible with a bit more diligence. Avoiding WAF issues is a part of that diligence.

"The way I understand it, the bandwidth of the affected frequency range of a QRD type diffusion panel is increased as you use a higher prime number for your calculation. Also the physical depth of the structure is increased as you gain more effectiveness to the overall diffusion characteristics."

Thanks DirtDawg, that is good to learn.

For my particular room, I think a diffuser behind me is what I need. I'm a DIY kind of guy and like to add one thing at a time and spend some time trying it out. I found this site where you can calculate quadratic diffusers for certain frequency ranges. I haven't found a calculator or layout tool for the hole or slot diffuser that goes over top of an absorption panel.

http://www.mh-audio.nl/Acoustics/diffusor2.asp

I've got a wood shop set up in the garage and may build one.

For now I've used Fire and Sound mineral wool batts from HD or Lowes. The panels are all single layer, 2' wide, 4' tall. I made simple box frames from used old pine door frames I replaced. I made ramshackle stands so they are 2' from the ceiling and 2' from the floor. The stands allow me to slide them out of the way. I wrapped them with old drop cloths, sheets, etc... I didn't get fancy in case it was a huge fail.

I plan to construct some similar panels for the drywall side of the room.

My fourth wall where my chair sits is not a wall, but a passthrough to the large living room, which is heavily populated with upholstered furniture and pretty dead. Not much coming from behind me at the sweet spot.

I don't want to go too far into the weeds here with ideas, but the urgency is over. The house is ours and I can play all I want.

Just asking for some with similar experience to hit me on the head or shine a light.

I have ordered enough 705 FRK material to address the two front corners, floor to ceiling, for a start on the lower frequency imbalance some.
That stuff is expensive, but it has a foil and paper backing that creates a ready-made Bass Trap which is most affective at "headache" frequencies.

This is the stuff that many HVAC companies use to build custom air vents and distribution manifolds.

Recommendation of that particular material came from Ethan Winer's site discussing various absorption testing he has done and how much air gap to leave between the walls and the absorption materials.

Thanks, EdwardT.

Lots of great ideas there.

LOL

DD- How is the taming of the room project coming along? Really like what I saw on that Danish gents site with the towels in a frame idea. I need to spend some time flipping through his site,  he looks like he is a major DIY'er. How is the wrist healing up? I think that 705 material may end up being a very positive experience for you. I have a buddy who is an industrial HVAC installer in some of the high tech clean rooms/ labs etc in the Bay Area and have asked him about that material and he said they use it all the time to quiet shafts and chambers plus the insulation benefits. Let us know how it shakes out. Stay well and happy listening, Chris.

I have just today brought my Yamaha NS-5 studio monitors (10" 2-way, acoustic suspension) into the room and sent my open back speakers to the garage for now.

Just as an experiment at first, I thought, but this might take a while to assess.
These are only around 87dB efficiency, but I had never set them up with my SE84C amps for that reason.
Then I got another amp and I can run them in mono mode, but I have not tried these this way before. Now I have the quietest house I have ever lived in. What's a dB here or there ...?

These have been stored for ages and right back into duty, I am really surprised at the deafening peaks, the crispness and subtle air around everything!
Most all reviewers say these speakers are far too clinical, sterile or even castrated (one said) to enjoy listening to, if you can believe them.
They were designed to be near field, highly revealing, ultra flat studio monitors. Very clinical, one might expect.

I wonder how many of those "reviewers" ever hooked them up to mono'ed Decware amps.  HMMmm?

These Yamahas are still among the best speakers I have ever heard. I am really amazed at how they project, how they define and place precisely, how they disappear, how they present such a thick, full bodied sound from a 2-way in my questionable room. And this is from just the first couple of hours listening.
I am thunderstruck. I have them about 8' away, which is about twice what they were designed for.

I am going to live with this set up for a while before I do much more than work corner traps up.

My 705 materials came this week, but I've been busy (physical therapy might be as bad as trying to heal a couple of broken bones. I find this part of healing to be exhausting and I'm only moving my damn hand!) with other things. I am anxious to build the corner supports for this treatment, get them up and running.
Lots more to do, but for right now, I'm going to go put on Hendrix again and probably crash for a while.

What in the world happened?

Gee a guy goes out of town for a day....

Quote:


Ha, he went out in a blaze calling himself this:

dirtdawgGODdamnit - Ex Member

I suspect I might know why, but mentioning that would get only me kicked off the forum -- at the glee of other like-minded types here who have already placed their hopes and bets on the matter, one who has already told me as such but has lied about that in public.

piezoman wrote on 04/10/22 at 19:54:45:


Hey, bud I hope you don't think I want you gone. I like to see you around just for your creepy ass avatar.
... and I ain't lying!


Tell mme more about what you think you might know, especially if it applies to my latest project.
:BIG OFFENSIVE KISS:

Hey Dirt,

Now now, don't conflate things and act all coy all of a sudden.

As for wanting me gone I have no idea as far as you're concerned, but I do do know of one guy who said be wanted me kicked off this forum and I'll also say there are a bunch more who've whined and complained like little schoolgirls and there's little doubt about them.

My advice to you as per a previous post: Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash.

Sorry, Piezoman, but I don't really know how to do coy.
After spending about eight years in retail, I can certainly imitate passive agressive, if I ever felt the need to join one of those groups.

I have some catching up to do with the family dynamic going on around here.
I consider you all my brothers by many mothers.
I don't remember ever getting crosswise with anyone here, myself.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I can tell you I am not a very sensitive fellow. I might have missed a tangled panty or two.
My skin is thick and hard.



BTW, I'm going to use/steal your "don't write a check" advise ...... elsewhere.

OK, so you remember something I don't.

I will say that I don't know how to block PMs, except globally. There is a checkbox to stop PMs in general. I would not join a site expecting feedback from members and deliberately prevent them from contacting me. That would make no sense.

You say I know we were crosswise at some point, but I don't recall. I truly wish you would elaborate. Send me a PM if you want. As far as I know I should be able to recieve. Only trouble I have ever had was in sending PMs, but not receiving.

What happened?  Did you dis' me for my constant JBL/Crown/McIntosh flag waving and I gave you "no quarter" or something? If it's politics, then I'll look forward to a PM from you to help explain your meanings.
I really would like to get back to even ground between us.

I honestly don't remember pissing you or anyone here off.
I will not apologize or concede until I know WTF you are talking about, though.

So, we've been crossways. Let's try to fix it. Please.

I responded.

Accepted in earnest. But you did not owe me anything except a chance proceed on my own.

Thanks for the grace you have shown me.

Managed to get two completed corner traps up. Two more on the way to completion.
Found some 1/4"x2" furring strips used for supporting plaster wall installs, which would bend enough to bulge out the front  of my corner absorbers.

So, I used staples into the frames on the 705 at the edges and construction adhesive along the curved front. Seems to be holding fine after one day. I have four so far, two finished and two in the the glue stage. Working on the front wall, still.

Going to hack out more 1x4 with 703 for the side wall before the week end is over.

Have not had chance to assess much, yet. I took a few pics this time. Get some up soon.

Many distractions, since. But I've had some time to play.
I kind of wish I had taken "Before" pics so that my "After" might show a liitle more of the toil I have pushed through to improve my room.
But so far the results are better and better.

I have gone back and forth with the foam absorbers around the ceiling/wall junctions. I know, tech says that that's where troubling bass lives and breeds, but the upper end scatters terribly from those same corners. I think it has to do with my low eight foot ceilings.
Seems to help with the foam, but it is easy to over do.
After spending several days going back to and away from these panels, I think I am going to use them after all, but spaced a bit apart, like I have them placed now, to allow for a degree of reflection at the upper end. Still working on that.

My curved front corner panels I put together using the 705 materials are installed floor to ceiling finally.

SO, I have four 705, curved front mid bass absorbers in the front corners, two 703 mid absorbers between the speakers on the front wall.
Twelve cheap foam textured, eggcrate looking HF absorbers dotted up top.
All of my 703, 4" deep panels, eight total, are spaced two inches off the wall using wine corks as spacers and attachment points. I bought a box of 200 new wine corks from Amazon for a few bucks.
Six of the 703 kludged absorbers are placed along the blank side wall with some space left for some diffusion panels as time unfolds.

I am still moving some of the panels around but it sounds so much better, even at this early stage.

That is really a great box of discovery from your friend! You do owe him a big thanks and I'm sure you've already delivered it.

That sounds like a nice 'pay back.'

Cool. I certainly understand enjoying fine tobacco. Tobacco was my biggest vice actually. In less than two months I will have been tobacco free for 32 years. I can't touch anything with tobacco for fear that I will be so tempted. . . . I loved smoking of all forms and my will power was so bad. I'm so fortunate that I have as of yet not had serious health issues from my years of heavy smoking. Buying cds with the money I would have spent on tobacco really saved me, and now I'm addicted to cds.

Glad you were able to get a nicer home. Yes, I know well the pleasures of smoking a pipe. It was one of my "I'm going to quit and smoke a pipe instead" tactics employed several times. I really do dig them. I had a great uncle who collected pipes from around the world and really enjoyed them. . . in fact it might be said I started early with his pipes as the attached photo shows. . . .;)

I quit smoking in 1999 for the tenth or so time. Before that spells as long as 3 years of quiting. The only way it stuck in '99 was using the money spent on cigarettes to invest in audio equipment and CDs. Still smoke free today without any thought of picking ones of those nasty things up again.

My dad smoked pipe. I never did.

John

Way to go, John. Twenty something years is a big number, too.

I'm not sure if I will ever give up my pipe. I do smoke less and less as time goes on.
I always check the box at the doctor's office, trying to be most honest, but they want to know how many packs a day I use. I don't use that way anymore. It's kind of difficult to quantify.

Talking about the money, I see people buying cigs when I stop for coffee or gas and the price is nearly seven bucks for a pack they will blow through today. That's damn near half a CD right there.
I don't know how they do it.

I drop 65 bucks, including shipping, on a pound of tobacco that lasts me over six months.

I can tell you I will never light up a ciggie again, though. That's over and done. I don't even like to smell them burning outside the stores.

And it's mostly tax thanks to Big Government.

Archie, suddenly we find ourselves one step past where the thin ice starts.

Big G?
How about if my 85 year old mom doesn't save about a fifth of her SS monthly stipend, she could lose her portion of a homestead in Texas that has been in the family since the 1870s?

There needs to be a line a little closer to reality for some of this.

That will never happen. Both her loving sons, her two remaining brothers and two remaining sisters are all successful and quite capable, but some others have no successful family to fall back on as taxes continually escalate.
My brother has other goals and is not interested in the land. I am planning to "buy him out" when Mom no longer needs the 47 acres of Texas prairieland that she still holds, her part of a much larger family plot, divided among her eight siblings long ago when Grandpa died.

There are folks who will not be able to keep up with ever rising taxes and will lose their land to Big G.

As long as things are setup the way they are, no one can ever actually own anything, except the drink you just finished or the cloud of smoke you just made.

The ice is even thinner, now, but I get your point.

I'm going to change the subject.

Who has a new puppy?

Right? And it is fine to move a thread along!  
Your concept of Big G follows with what I meant by referencing "the drink you just had," is all you can ever own, but in a "poetical" way, just because I am that kind of an ass.

The BIG G thing is a constant encroachmnet upon what we all feel and need.

This thread kind of evolved and I am fine with that. I'm pretty sure that a pebble I threw started the ripples.


I started this thread to do a sort of announcement that things had changed for me and for the better.
Everything was so  "The Same'  for me for so long, but my situations had changed and are still changing.
I don't have delusions that threads can continue as originally imagined.
That is a good thing, in my book!

I get it!
Yeah we've gone way past where I started. Your contribution is as valid as my announcement or maybe more so. Getting people talking is how any system of forums should work.


I think that is the way people live and evolving is a reality. I thank you for your contribution and to others as well.

Not really sure how any of this helps the Decware Brand, but getting to know each other as we go can be seen as a side benefit, I hope.

BUT, since we aren't talking about politics or anything, tell us more about your puppy.

Quote:



                         THIS FORUM IS A POLITICAL FREE ZONE


                         THIS FORUM IS A SMOKE FREE ZONE

                   
                             ♩     ♪    ♩        ♩        ♪   ♩     ♩      ♪    ♪ ♩  
                         One of these signs, is not like the other

She's very pretty.

My "puppy" is of an indeterminate age. She was rescued six years ago and they estimated she was 4. I think she was more 6 to 8 years of age. She's a chubby miniature red dachshund who is my daytime boss and my night-time chaperone and my primary listening partner. I've become quite well-trained.

For some reason that song came into my head and I just had to share it. I thought some might appreciate the musical notes so they could sing along with it.

Edsonic wrote on 05/09/22 at 16:28:40:


I can appreciate your effort, but you really don't want to be anywhere near if I am moved to express in song for any reason.

Quote:



Thanks to my youngest brother, I caught earliest days of Sesame Street. Made the Muppets and Jim Henson famous.

They let Cookie Monster sing, so I'm sure you'd do just fine for that song.

Edsonic, we'll go with the Sesame Street version for now.

No one has to waste time looking for any more reasons to not drink alcohol.
Reason enough is everywhere around us. Sitting at home, enjoying yourself, whatever you want is fine.
FREEDOM!!!! (awkward paraphrase of a great movie line)
I use my freedom to not.

Mine was even more simple reasoning. Not changing, just going deeper.
I looked all around me one day and I did not want to feel this way anymore.
The fact that it interfered with my BP meds was actually secondary and not well understood at first. But the original instinct was stronger and has held.

Good call, not getting on your scoot with three sheets or any at all.

Do you know of The Hu?

Never really spent much, compared to most. I am very sensitive to alcohol, so I am or was a cheap drunk, back when that used to happen.
Hold his? Not me, but I always hated being out of control. OCD? Don't know.

NOW,
I am looking forward to the return of some muscle in my still hardly usable busted ass arm.
I'm using my arm, but I can not control how it moves very well yet. More Physical Therapy yet to go. I really set myself back with this.

Just getting a few acoustic panels rattled together, up and going has felt like a large victory!
I need to cut wood and build shelving, though. I have work to do!
I'll get there. I am going to remain positive looking toward the eventual outcome, here.

I'll have to get my Squangle out to measure a little closer, in order to duplicate, but I have found a really good "L" shape that shows promise.

Slight elevation is needed to promote airflow all around and since these drivers only go up to about 300Hz, I doubt a centimeter or so of misalignment, which may be unavoidable, between the pair will make enough difference to make a difference.
Over a meter wavelength at the frequency where the bass drivers roll off. Less than ten percent should work itself out anyway once the waveforms at low frequencies begin to propagate.

It's working well on my (x)th try here. I am judging from concrete driveway placement in open air. Super nice, calm day here!
Nearest reflective surface is 28 meters away (I measuered), except for directly behind (my daughter's bay window) which is 11 meters away.

Suffering the occassional car that drives by every thirty minutes or so.
Pretty sure the neighbors do not even know I am running LF sweeps and such. Probably wondering why I have a "light stand" sitting there and a laptop on my BBQ table though.

Neighbors who I have met will likely assume that my wooly beard explains everything. Not like it used to be for me! This is great being able to measure things in somewhat open air, again!

While I was waiting for glue to dry and such, I have built a Mono Stack in one corner of my garage/shop.

Anyway, I have been wanting to do this for ages and I have finally done so. Stuff was scattered, but now all in one place.
I had noticed this effect way, way back when I was doing this for a living and always thought, how much fun would it be to energize a space heavily with a lot of cones and have it all just barely on  ...

I built a floor to ceiling mono stack of old pro gear in the corner of my garage. Not much power on it and it's only bi-amped for now, but the SIZE of the FACE of sound coming out of this set up is amazing.

I'm sitting at my bench diagonally across, about 50 feet away (it's a generous two car garage with six to ten feet of shop space all around) and the sound from my mono stack is much larger than the garage space.

My garage ceiling is ten feet high, but the sound is twenty feet high and maybe forty feet wide, Coming out of a mono stack!!

Not much to it, really ... A bunch of old sound gear piled in the corner as usual, but hooked up this time. No EQ so making up more cables to wire it quad-amp will help me voice the stack. Everything is running flat out, but the JBLs are basically flat anyway, and making a wall of sound.

That's not everything, but it makes a floor to ceiling mono stack like I've been wanting to do for literally twenty years. I made a couple of piles on my back deck a couple of years ago, but that was set up as stereo. I'm using a "retired Bluray player" as a source for now running CDs, feeding directly into the crossover.

I have it set at a whisper and I knew this would be very cool. Just had never had the time or space to set things up this way.

I know I won't leave it this way. I will probably bring another VFX Crown and quad-amp it, eventually. Maybe add an EQ, if I want. Don't know, it's so quiet. I have to stand on the 18 cabs and put my ear up to the horns to find any hiss and since it all runs on one outlet, there's no hum even with my ear touching the 15s.


You look over your shoulder expecting to see a ten foot wide John and a ten foot wide Paul singing, a twenty foot tall Ringo kit. It's MONO! So far, I like it!

Beatles for now. I am going with the Miles Davis Fillmore "electrics" next.

After thinking a minute, I won't have to add anything to turn this set up into a quad-amped mono stack. The VFX is a stereo two way crossover and both amps are stereo.
I just need to make up some cables and I'll have a quad-amped Mono Stack.

I took a few minutes and cranked it some, just to satisfy curiousity, and the P2200 never even hit the 5W marker and it was "run you out" loud and very rich and heavy.
As always, some power structuring will be necessary before I do that again.
This is a quiet neighborhood, though. When I have things set like I want, the needles do not yet move. Talking milliwatts, here.

Sunday, cruising some "SALES,"  I saw an old tuner for free and just barely looked, simply grabbed it.

After asking, the kid watching the yardsale said they were plugging everything in last night to make sure it all works, but this just popped and smoked. So they are giving it away, "like maybe someone can use the knobs or something." he said.

After opening it up, it only popped a power supply cap (I hope) when he plugged it in, made a mess inside. I'm going to fix it.

Anyway, turns out after a look, this is not an old tube type tuner, like I thought at first, but a '70s era Fisher 401, 90 W/C receiver needing some TLC. The wood and front is perfect! It's seen some love over its life.

It looks like about $55 bucks will cover getting all the iffy caps replaced with "my" soldering iron.

I want to focus on rebuilbing my OB speaker set up, getting rid of the particle board mock up I have now.
They are working well with the bottom facing floor slam, BTW. The idea was gleened from Steve's Housewrecker paper, incidentally, and he's right again.

But, I find myself working on a "radio" for the second time in a month.
Bench work, though.

Still building strength in my wiggly-ass, busted-ass, ugly-ass, dudn't-wanna-muve-right-weak-ass wang.
Doing better all the time, but not quite dependable yet after four flipping months!
Most men can one hand a huge iron skillet with their off hand. I can't, yet.

So, I have another bench project. I have it completely apart right now. Yellow powder on everything. Every inch needs cleaning.

You're right, Joseph, I need to use my arm.
I have been, but over the past few days my son and I have been gathering barbecue wood, sawing, splitting and stacking it.

I have overdone using my arm by a fair margin this week and some swelling has come back.

Sitting at a bench, using a soldering iron instead of a chainsaw, sledge hammer and maul sounds like a good plan for a few days. Just doing a light something I know a tiny bit about for a while should be fun.
 

I have never heard one of these old Fisher receivers, so I have no idea if I am just playing around with junk or if I am actually rebuilding something worth having.

I have enough Irish in me to not trust luck to far, but I have also learned that luck can run both ways.
Finding something for free can be exciting, even if it needs a nip and a tuck here and there.

But then again, most turds are also free.

I changed up my sound a bit this morning. Went down early, woke up early. Goofed with cabling while sipping coffee.

I had all my speakers in parallel running things via dual mono SE84s. System took it and it sounded OK. I don't play loud.

This morning I removed my second set of 15s, floor slam facing, from the mix and now I am only powering the 8" and one 15" per side with the dual mono amps.
More favorable impedance load, for certain. I'm back to just under a 4 Ohm load on the mono'ed SE84Cs. 8 ohm JBL+Visatos 6 ohm (this is how they reach imaginary efficiency ratings to publish. Still like the drivers, though)

I definitely lost some air movement in the low end by almost halving my cone radiating area in the lower range. I listened in stages with music and (I am unusually familiar over many years of over exposure - I know which one Pink is. He's the tool) pink noise. I am only afraid of noise that I did not create, otherwise I can deal with it and use it.


BUT, I have now added my McIntosh, using the out from the SE84Cs (made up the speaker out to input adapter many years ago) and I am using the floor slam driver as a sort of subwoofer, still same "L" shaped baffle, still connected mechanically at the magnets. Still receiving the same/coherent power signal. Still need to rebuild the baffle in solid hardwood, etc.
But the floor slam has considerably more power available, now.

These FAT and flat-ish 15" drivers measure 8dB down at 500 Hz, in part because I tried to build them to do this and got close. I would love if the high drop off began a bit lower.
I am trying to avoid adding a crossover. I have a spare Crown, which publish measurements at 1/10th the distortion compared to the other items in the system, except for the preamp.

I gave in and I am trying out the crossover on the "floor slam sub woofer."  ... all open back, still.

The lower 15 is still wide open on the bottom end, no safety high pass of any sort in the system, but rolled off up top now beginning around 45hz. Still tweaking that number, but for now it seems to be an improvement in low authority, but also clarity and definition to the whole overall sound.
Taking some of the burden off the two Mono amps surely adds something to this improvement.

Having "half" my lows pointed downward has definitely changed the shape of the typical bi-directional cardiod pattern you expect with an open back system.

I haven't tried to put my 60 degree mic on anything yet and determine patterns, but just walking in the room things are different.
Sitting and listening, things feel better, regardless of what piddling with mics could possibly tell me later. It feels better.

I'm going to keep trying and listening to things with this set up for a while longer. First impressions are positive. Still going to measure at some point, but not today.
Today and for a while I am just going to listen and maybe play with the crossover and the McIntosh toward the best balance with the uppers.

After a month w/out my stereo system, due to some renovations, she is all back in place and singing to me. Boy did I miss listening to LP's and Qobuz via Roon these last few weeks. It felt like I was on a hunger strike.

Anyway, spirits are high and the capacitors should be fully charged in a few days. Looking forward to some extended listening sessions over the July 4th weekend.

BTW took 3 hours to get everything in place, level the TT, get cabling connected and position the speakers. Lugging the ZMA around is no easy chore 🤣😂.

HK

DD,

You're doing brisket, I'm smoking a pork butt. Pulled pork & fried chicken on the July 4th menu, with some good music thrown in. Have a good one.

HK

Glad your butt turned out well. Mine, well it was porkalicious. Everybody has a smile on their face.

HK

DD, my best wishes for your wife's speedy recovery and the resumption of "fun" for you both.

Sorry to hear and I hope she has a speedy recovery.

Just saw this DD, so sorry your wife is ill.
I sent you a pm a few days ago, check your messages when you have a chance.

Best wishes to you and your wife, DD. As someone with a chronically ill spouse, it is no fun watching someone you love suffer. And hospitals are helpful but not enjoyable places to be.

Sending good thoughts your way. Scott

Effluviography, JBzen, BicycleJoe, Thank you guys.

She is home for a week with a bunch of drugs to take in preparation for the "big" surgery, possibly next week. And she's able to eat some. Daily visits still and more bloodwork every day.

During our release consultation we found just how close to death she really was and why they were doing bloodwork on the hour and half hour at first. Daily, now.
The specialist admonished us at length that had we waited another day to get her care started, they may not have been able to save her life. He said that 75% of the people who show up in the ER in her condition do not survive.
She's a strong, muscled blue collar worker (for UPS, a lot of grunt work) and that fact seemed to give her an edge, but it was still close.

That is the reason I am putting this out here, folks. If one of our loved ones is sick all day with vomiting, fever and can't eat or drink, take it very seriously! It might not be just another flu, but something much more complicated.

I said I would hold back on some of the details, but NOTE that she had been toughing this whole thing out for a while, on her own, until she got very ill.
Stubborn as a mule, tough as nails, stronger than most, but not immortal.
Lots more to get through still, but the worst of the drama is over for now.

Thanks for reading folks. We are "happy" here, within the circumstance.

Glad to hear there is a care plan in place and pre-op meds are getting her stabilized to take the next step.

Sending {{{{{{{{GOOD VIBRATIONS}}}}}}}}

More good news! I hope next week is so much better. I'm rooting for you guys. I've been there with a spouse and I know how hard it hits. But it seems as if all is going well. Enjoy the weekend as much as you can.

Enjoy the week ahead and I hope the infections subside and the operation is a big success. I'm rooting for you two kids!

This somehow slipped by me, DD. So sorry to read about these recent events with your wife. Sounds like things are getting better and I am glad to hear that. Sending positive thoughts your way.

Manny, Joe, thanks!

We still go in for daily bloodwork. She is running out of veins!

When we first got to the hospital, they had bags going into both arms and both legs, taking blood every few minutes, changing to different bags every few minutes ... etc. Later we found out it was touch and go and they had not fully diagnosed her condition yet. She was too sick to take the time to run her through a machine at that point.

New drugs, some infusion sometimes still with every daily visit. We were done with dailies for a few days, but not yet, it seems. Every day, now, again.
Things are looking up!
Just her getting some solid rest is the best thing I've seen since that ugly Thursday when she came home sick.

Still looking at the "big" surgery some time this coming week. They tell us it is "run of the mill" work and nothing more to worry about.

Thanks for all the positive energies!

It feels like I am doing a blow-by-blow, but I suppose I am.
All the latest tests have gone well.

My wife is checked in to the hospital, now. A day of bags full of super hydration, electrolytes and another infusion of that long named 'cillen stuff and the surgery happens early tomorrow.

Most of these things are done as outpatient services, but the severity of her condition ruled out the quick fixes.

Light at the end of the tunnel!

Same old Dee Dee again I want to send you both
{{{{{{good vibes}}}}}}
and hopes of better days to come for all.

https://youtu.be/4EGczv7iiEk

Prayers for you, DD 🙏🙏🙏

And a speedy recovery.

Very best,

Geno

I came to this page late. I have begun my Prayers.
Brian

DD,

I hope all goes well with your wives surgery, such a traumatic experience you both are going through. Sending calming thoughts and prayers🙏🙏. Hope she has a speedy recovery too.

HK