Best type of speakers for bass!

[@timos.5960]

Thanks for this informative video! I have a question regarding ported speakers: What do you think of sealing a ported speaker with foam plugs? Some manufacturers ship foam plugs with their speakers and recommend to play with them depending on the positioning. But if I understand the theory you explained correctly, sealing a ported speaker might not be ideal as you mention woofers are more suited for certain designs depending on their Q factor. Is this correct? Personally, I've owned a pair of speakers which excited modes in the room I used them in. Putting the foam plugs into the ports certainly helped reducing this boomy bass response and I prefered it over the ported (open) operation back then. The reason I'm asking this now, is that I have small bookshelf speakers now to which I'd like to add one or two subwoofers and I was thinking about sealing the ports so the subwoofer(s) take care of the lower frequencies. But the manufacturer of these speakers doesn't ship foam plugs with the speakers so I'm not sure whether they're actually suited for this kind of operation.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Timo, that is an excellent question. Plugging ports will change the loading of the bass driver to mimic a sealed system but it doesn’t miraculously turn a ported design into a sealed design. Remember, the bass driver was selected by the designer to work in a ported enclosure. It will have T/S parameters, yes, including the damping (Q), but other parameters as well to work optimally in a ported enclosure. Subsequently, plugging ports will shift the tonal balance of the speaker. You will get less bass output at the resonant frequency of the port and overall the bass will roll off earlier but less steeply as per a sealed box design. Plugging ports can be beneficial if you have boomy bass in your room but it is like putting a band aid on a deep wound. It is masking a more fundamental problem. There are two reasons why you get boomy bass. The speaker is too large and has too much bass output for the room, exciting room modes. The second reason is that the speaker is too close to wall boundaries so you are getting too much low frequency bass reinforcement. You are much better dealing with the fundamental issue and either moving your speaker away from walls or changing the speaker. Finally, now that you have changed your floor standing speakers to monitors, I wouldn’t plug the ports for the reasons I mentioned above. Adding subwoofers is a good idea, one good, two better! It is not about more bass, although they will extend the bass response of your system. The main benefit is that you are going from two bass sources in your room to four bass sources. This will help even out room modes in your room, resulting in a more even bass response. Thank you for watching 😉👍

[@timos.5960]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for taking the time to provide such a detailed answer. That clears everything up for me. I'll leave the ports open ;)

[@geoff37s38]

Timo S. i would not get too hung up on theory. Try plugged and unplugged and go for whatever sounds best to your ears. This is all that matters in the end.

[@garethknott5915]

i have filled the port with straws the same length of the port this helps to clean up the bass is the port on the front or back and how many bass drives does it have and size and how big is your room this can tell us what is the problem

[@johnclark1884]

My speakers came with three foam bungs per speaker (as there are three ports per speaker), giving a bit of tunability, but to be honest I've never experimented with them. Maybe I should! Great channel btw :)

[@NickP333]

That was probably the best and most easily understandable explanation of the ins and outs of speakers, enclosures, and their workings. You should honestly write a book in regards to all aspects of HiFi. You’re also very well spoken, which is extremely appreciated. Thanks very much, Tarun!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Nick. It is very kind and generous of you to say. I appreciate your support 😊👍

[@evowhite777]

I 2nd that hole heartedly,excellent explanation once again. Where have you been all our hifi/audiophile lifes?! PS.Have you thought of buying/reviewing a turntable any further,it would be intriguing to hear/see your views on the format....no pressure(lol)? #hifi4ever

[@VisciousHippo]

I agree that Tarun is developing a very useful niche of his own, incorporating detailed engineering theory into his reviews. I like it.

[@NickP333]

ev Lol “where have you been...” Haha! I’m a vinyl guy too, and would love to see the same, but not sure Tarun is into vinyl, but it’s worth at least asking. Tarun, do you own/use a turntable/listen to vinyl? See, now we both asked. lol

[@NickP333]

Barton Facey Yeah man, no doubt. Tarun’s great, and so is his approach to explaining things in a such a succinct way.

[@stevenmichael7770]

You always strike the perfect balance of presenting technical enough information to provide a real understanding of the subject, and keeping it understandable for the masses. Thank you for the education!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steven. That is always very much at the forefront of my mind when I do these type of videos. Hopefully, I get the balance right but I can’t be sure until I put the video out there. I appreciate you watching and your support 😉👍

[@johnsonabtansg]

In theory yes. In practical? NAH.

[@seanmcwilliam7310]

You provide the most easily understood explanations of complex subject matter I have seen. Always interesting and I learn a lot, thank you.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Sean. I appreciate you watching and your kind words of support 😉👍

[@イエンスヨハンセン]

I agree - it’s a rare talent indeed!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi イエンスヨハンセン , thank you. Very kind 😊

[@wm2357]

Your videos are amazing, no other channel helped me this much to understand hi-fi. Thank you Sir!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Peter. That is very kind of you to say 😉👍

[@yvesboutin5604]

God bless you Tarun! This explain why building a speaker from scratch is much harder than it seems. No principles or design is perfect, as you demonstrate it quite thoroughly, but a choice must be made according to our priorities (size, bass extension or transient response). I think the best way to go about it is to make several prototypes and to listen to see which one sounds the best. The audiophile community needs this kind of technical information to help in the selection of the best speakers for their need. Definitively one of the best video on Hi-Fi to date. Congratulations!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend. Very kind and great to have your perspective 😊👍👍

[@yogiwp_]

This is incredibly informative and really something I've been wanting to understand and noone seem to lay everything out in easily digestible and well articulated explanation like this. Big thank you! Truly quality content you're producing here.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Yogi. It is very kind of you 😉👍

[@scottspencer4018]

Thanks for an excellent overview of bass loading techniques. I went to a transmission line speaker 30 years ago, and have zero urge to go back to conventional bass loading. Deep, clear, dynamic bass is an excellent foundation for the whole system. The lack of internal speaker resonance also benefits vocal clarity and imaging. It's such a wonderful design. More manufacturers should pursue the TL.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Scott. I hanker for more TL designs too 😊👍

[@mattgrover3096]

I have only come across a very select few reviewers that actually give all the time and nuance to these topics that they deserve. It's either really all subjectivity/hype "don't forget to check my affiliate links for all 500 things mentioned in this video" or schilly/entertainment type deals. Really glad I found this channel. Great job describing and long form delivery that isn't boring or drawn out but enough to really break it all down. This is extremely helpful, rather than having to piece together everything on ones own through 5 different reviews and 8 forum threads. 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Matt. It is getting feedback like yours that makes do this so worth 😊👍👍

[@SmallRoomAudio]

Tarun you are like the my audiophile Yoda! So much knowledge, sage like and calming. Top work once again!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Small Room Audio. You kind words of support are very much appreciated 😉👍

[@amirjubran1845]

Really enjoy your approach to speaker discussion/reviews. You strike a good balance between technical detail and keeping it easy to understand.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Amir, that is what I am striving for 😉👍

[@ThunderFootLevin]

Excellent explanations - clear, concise, interesting details without getting boring. I hope you can do more of this type of video. I also really like how you stay away from getting bogged down with specs and too much in the way of minute details. Great work !!!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you kindly Johnny 😊👍

[@Bushwacked487]

This is the best audio channel on KZbin, hands down!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Bushwacked487. I appreciate your support 😉👍

[@solomonstewart1025]

Your explanation of the TS parameters has clarified these for me. Excellent!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Solomon 😉👍

[@stephenc2738]

Well done, easy to comprehend and differentiate the engineering challenges (and resulting costs) behind acoustic speaker designs.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊👍

[@miketierney452]

Thank you. A wonderful explanation of the types of speaker enclosures. As a lecturer in electronics I am particularly impressed with your structure & technical grasp .I have to grade two dozen project vivas each year so I should know I guess..keep up the good work

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mike. I appreciate your feedback and support 😉👍

[@robertocastro4403]

Very clear and informative Tarun. I always wanted to know the pros and cons and reasons for different enclosures speakers. Ported, sealed and passive radiators. Now I got it. Thanks for explaining it in detail and in an easy understandable way.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Roberto 😉👍

[@geoff37s38]

Thanks for the clear explanation. About 40 years ago I constructed a pair of transmission line speakers. The design was in Wireless World by a Dr Bailey. I used KEF B139 and T15 drivers and a filling of long fibre wool. They sounded terrific. At the time They were a bit large for our small room so I sold them and bought a pair of B&Ws DM4s which sounded lifeless in comparison. I now have floor standing full range electrostatics made here in Australia by E R Audio. In a totally different league to any box speaker I have ever heard.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching Geoff and sharing your experiences 😉

[@gregoneil3523]

Remember the wonderful B139 kits, Superb bass when not sitting on the floor. Was looking at KEFs, Gale, Bose and B&W back in 1981, yes they all sounded different but all were very good. Ended with DM6, transmission line KEFs would have sounded good. But sitting the bass driver on the floor with a fluffy carpet made them sound very ordinary. I can understand your feelings over the DM4. Ah the good old days. Excellent video, make sense, and you can hear the difference.

[@geoff37s38]

Greg O'Neil Personally I was glad to see the back of vynil. Remarkably good for a bit of rock scraping on a plastic disc. Walk into the local electronics store and there is a row of turntables! I think to myself “your welcome to it!”.

[@Roosville1]

I had a colleague who built the exact same design, the B139 meant it was always going to end up big, but these took some moving. He did them in Ply-Wood stained brown. They were a excellent design for the day.

[@jameskilk6310]

Yes I have to agree with nick pantazi very clear and informative.having this much information would make it so much easier to choose the type of speakers or piece of hifi that would suit the individual.again another great vlog .I could listen to you all day. Massive thumbs up 👍

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you James. I appreciate you watching, taking the time to comment on the video and your kind words of support. I was a bit concerned about overloading with information on this video. I hope I didn’t go overboard 😉👍

[@Coneman3]

As others have said, these videos are very well made and very useful. You concisely explain the differences very well, ackowledging that all hifi is about compromises. Every design has advantages and disadvantages, although that's not to say they are all equal. Cost naturally is a big factor at work. Keep up the good work Tarun!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Coneman3. I will try my best 😉👍

[@essendon72]

Us of us in the know are really in the know. Tarun you have Celestion 300 transmission lines and love Exposure amps one side of the world (UK). I run PMC's and power them with Exposure amps in Australia. Had this setup before I saw your first video. PMC and Exposure are magic together!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thx for sharing 👍

[@howardskeivys4184]

Another excellent video. Whilst I appreciate that you can’t possibly cover every speaker design, it is, I think worth mentioning that many ported, or bass reflex designs are today supplied with port bungs, which can be used to seal, or partially seal the port, or ports. Whilst this does not make the cabinet perform like a sealed box, it can go a long way to tune the bass to your room and help tighten the timing. Tuning the bass to your room can be very effective if you don’t have the capacity to pull your speakers away from the wall behind them!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Howard 😊👍

[@kevinmckinnon2145]

About 8 years ago managed to acquire a pair of TDL Studio 3 proper transmission line speakers of the John Wright era and not Richer sounds. These I believe are the mk1 version so a fair age and in desperate need of an overhaul. Cabinets need touched up and crossovers and internal wiring upgraded. Despite all this never had speakers effortlessly go so low and move air in the room. Just found your channel tonight, def thumbs up for your style and presentation.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Kevin 😉👍

[@lorindamikaela]

Great video and well explained. I own IMF-RSPM [rebuilt, upgraded and restored] which Tarun as you might well know are a British speaker from the 70's and extremely well thought out design and sound fantastic. 2 weeks ago I took delivery of my new speakers from a local speaker company who built my custom bookshelf speaker [4ohm] which is a transmission design that is ported using 7.5" Satori driver, 5.5" mid, 25mm tweeter and the sound is incredibility clear and soundstage is dead centre and it hits 30Hz - 40kHz. Mind you it is a very large cabinet and looks like a large ATC speaker. I have this matched to a vintage Luxman R-1120 which has a dedicated 4ohm [240wpc] speaker output terminals. I think I have found my forever stereo system after 40 years. Keep up the great work with the videos, you are my favourite audio channel on you-tube. I just brought some Ferrite Cores that you mentioned in your previous video that I will put on my speaker leads so thanks for the tip. Cheers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mr Australia sound like a great system. Their is something special about transmission line speakers done correctly 👍. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😉

[@scottgordon1721]

Great review really educational. Judging by the comments we want more educational presentations like this.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you kindly 😊👍

[@Jacknjellify531.]

Thankyou for the guidance, you’re turning out to be a guru of audio, plz make a similar video focusing on high frequencies & different types of tweeters.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Sanjay, thank you for watching and your suggestion. I will look into it. 😉👍

[@chrislegg5796]

Thanks for the excellently structured and lucid overview of these loudspeaker types - I've certainly learnt something today. More like this, please!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Chris 😉👍

[@paulshanesmith]

I'm not surprised at your conclusion. I had a pair of John Wright era TDL TL speakers for nearly 30 years.. With age my taste changed from quantity of bass in favour of speed and clarity of bass. It still cost 8x the original TDL cost to find something I liked better.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Paul 😊👍

[@gt4viking789]

Thank you Tarun for a most informative and cleverly presented video on speaker designs. Room interaction could as always be the determining factor of preference as to design. In my case after a life long interest in hifi and music I have ended up with PMCs as my end-game speakers for the very reasons you rightfully pointed out. Keep them coming 👍🏼 and all the best Peter

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Peter for your kind words of support and for sharing your experiences 😉👍

[@martinmullen71]

Enjoyed this video a lot, it is refreshing and nice to see a British Audiophile on you tube. Not that I’ve got anything against Americans, just feel the British have got a lot to offer as well.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Martin. Much appreciated 👍

[@cruzingrsx4484]

I sincerely enjoyed your explanation of these different speaker formats. I have a 30 year old pair of acoustically suspended NHT 2.3a speakers that I continue to appreciate. A transmission line speakers has always interested me I have a Bose wave radio the works on the transmission line theory. I would love to demo some PMC speakers. Love the channel sir, please continue to share your knowledge!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. I will try and get some PMCs in for review 😉

[@cruzingrsx4484]

Larry Hunka thank you for sharing that information.

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

Wow! Very educational and succinct. I have to say I wasn't expecting the depth this short intro into speaker design goes into. A very good exposition, albeit detailed, of the fundamentals that one has to grasp through before getting to the punchline in the end. For the wannabe audiophile, who would like to make an informed choice before a significant purchase, it is as short and informative as the subject allows. On the rather more trivial side of things (the other end of the spectrum opposite your run-of-the-mill audiophile) I find it amazing how many people out there expect to have good bass without the associated speaker volume. In fact, to some people, good bass is nothing at all close to what is described here. Hardly surprising nowadays when most people's only question when buying a speaker is "has it got Bluetooth"? While these people are not audiophiles, having been raised listening to midis, micros and mp3 players through earbuds, the misconception they hold on to so dearly is often found across the spectrum of listeners - and, case in point, the uninformed audiophiles. So, what is good bass needs to be defined for the individual listener ahead of the design choice. Simply put, some people like their bass flabby or they like pronounced midbass (because that's what they've grown up listening to) and don't care about extension - in fact they don't like it. Grasping the fundamentals, and in particular that clean extended undistorted bass is equivalent to large speaker volume, constantly goes amiss. They just don't want to know. So they train themselves to like bass that's not true. There is of course a portion of honest audiophiles that don't have extended bass on their requirements' list. This review concentrates in medium to small sized speakers with the transmission line being the exception on account that there aren't any small sized transmission lines in the market. Understandable as it didn't make any market sense to make the small ones in the past as they would cost more to make than their bigger, better siblings. (Having said that, I think I've seen a molded plastic mini PC speaker with a transmission line design.) So I think, there needs to be a follow up at some point to explain perceived bass vs actual bass and design trickery used to fool us into thinking we're hearing ample bass from a small speaker in a small room. Most of the fundamentals have been given in this analysis which can thus serve as the stepping stone.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Stelios. I found it really interesting to hear your perspectives things and you raise some excellent points. As you point out, they may be worth addressing in another video at another time. Thank you for watching, commenting and supporting the channel 😉👍

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Tarun, you're welcome. I find your perspective on audio reviewing refreshingly hype-free and educative. What's more, you approach the education element in a structured and organized way, rather than assuming the viewer already knows the basics (which often they don't) or offering hap-hazard glimpses into the theory behind audio (which only serves to create an air of mystery but imparts no actual knowledge), and thus the viewer has gained something they can take away and apply many times in the future as they need to.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Stelios, I suppose the teacher in my ultimately wants to try and impart some knowledge as you have so eloquently described. Thank you for your support 😉👍

[@StewartMarkley]

How refreshing to hear another well thought out and spoken comment about Tarun's video. I second Stelios' suggestion.

[@garethwilliams976]

Wow! What an excellent summary and explanation. I fully agree with you about the benefits of the Transmission line having owned a pair of IMFs some forty years ago. I also agree with your comments about bass being only part of the equation- so the IMFs got dumped!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Gareth 😊👍

[@jimgardiner1558]

Very clear, concise explanation of the different speaker designs. Through the years I have tried my hand at three of these designs. Started with accoustic suspension then moved to base port and finally transmission line. I have to agree that the transmission line is by far the more difficult to get right but worth it in the end. Being a Mechanical Engineer by trade I was always fascinated by the mechanical aspect of speaker design. I think you mentioned that mechanical damping had to do with the stiffness of the surround and the voice coil suspension but my impression is that this has more to do with compliance while damping usually has to do with the ability to dissipate/absorb energy in a mass/spring/damper system. Of course cone mass, stiffness and damping all work together. I think a stiffer suspended cone would tend to have less effective damping. Also heavier cones would require more damping to stop oscillating quick;y. Just a minor point. It has been my impression that mechanical damping is less important that electrical damping. A low Qe (electrical damping coefficient) is usually associated with a strong voice coil magnetic field interaction which improves the transient response of a speaker (voice coil starts and stops moving abruptly with the signal). Mechanical damping, on the other hand helps stop the woofer movement after the signal stops but makes it a little slower to pick up at the start of the signal. I believe low mass is also beneficial in improving transient response as the lower inertia makes it easier for the speaker cone to start and stop vibrating with the signal. I enjoyed your video and I agree with your assessment of the different designs. I would like to hear more of your talks so I am subscribing to your channel.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Jim, thank you for watching and supporting the channel. It is very much appreciated. I am also grateful that you shared your knowledge and experiences. Very informative 😉👍

[@TheFrank552]

Hi my friend from Britain, thanks a lot for your sympathetic and informative lesson. I agree, that passive speakers did not improve lets say for the last 20 years, but in terms of bass performance , todayˋs active technology blows away all passive concepts, especially in smaller box dimensions, which fit to modern room styles. best regards from germany!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing Frank 😉

[@FOH3663]

Certainly good points! Coming from pro audio world, I've been interested why active/powered solutions have been slow to be adopted in the audiophile community. I'm guessing it's the perceived lack of mix and match possibilities. However the performance capabilities are undeniable. Passive crossovers are inherently lossy, they exhibit hysteresis, they introduce frequency dependent time errors, they negatively impact an amplifier's ability to damp cone movement. My primary rig utilizes 2kw active/powered three ways, DSP contoured/fully time and phase aligned... they're stunning. As I'm into multichannel SACD, I've got three identical across the front. Granted, I've experienced passive systems vastly superior to mine. That said, and as you pointed out, active/powered approach... like Andrew Jones' Navis, offer killer performance in a single box solution. Best regards back at you! (I lived in Germany in 1980)

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi FOH-3663, I have a couple of projects on the go and then I plan to review a few active designs.

[@ta563]

@@FOH3663 My guess is the lack of mix and match possibilities and it is a lot easier to think of just replacing the speakers in a current system rather than also giving up ones beloved amp. And for some there is probably the ability to think that their overall system is better than others that have some of the same components. Whereas with powered speakers everyone that owns the same ones has the same quality 'system'. It is harder to puff up ones chest and declare "in my system I have....".

[@spooner1]

Tarun, thank you. I now have some insight into how R &D and other aspects figure into the pricing of speakers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you James 😊👍

[@Chunksville]

Thanks for a very informative video, I still own a pair of TDL RTL 2's which are transmission line, which still sound good today, this is probably why I gravitate to PMC.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Chunksville, Rembrandts those TDLs. Thank you for watching and sharing 😉

[@glynnsmith4560]

I commend you for including a transmission line design. I've built three different versions over the years, two of which used speakers that came with no info and were used based on the suspension type of the cones.. all three reproduced double bass exceptionally well. Two designs were similar to your Celestions one being vented to the rear and one design being vented to the front.. the third design was much shorter and much deeper front to back.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That is fascinating Glynn. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍

[@amusikpoem1071]

You mean all that chuffing sound I hear from ported speakers isn't due to bad singers with a bad vibrato?! LOL...seriously, I really like how articulate and clear your explanations are. Very educational...great video, Tarun.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you amusikpoem. You haven’t heard me sing. It’s worse than chuffing, 😂😂😂

[@amusikpoem1071]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 LOL

[@jeffn1384]

You must admire the designers of the complicated transmission line speakers who worked without computers and still managed to do a decent job 40 years ago. My IMF transmission lines sound great, the bass sounds natural without prominent frequency humps.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I agree 😊

[@madds6678]

Thanks for another informative video tarun. Really interesting, I was glad to see your conclusion matched what I already thought was the answer transmission line. I only know this from a demo of PMC twenty I heard several years ago, me & my brother in law were blown away by the clean extended bass I didn’t buy them but definitely would consider PMC in the future.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Madds66. I will try and get some PMCs in for review. Thank you sharing 😉👍

[@Larstig81]

PMC is good, I had them. The DB1+

[@justinparkman3585]

ATC speakers have quality bass not just a thump their drivers alone weigh more than most budget speakers their mid range is also very impressive making vocals sound real .

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Review pending. I hopefully won’t keep you waiting too long. Thank you for watching Justin.

[@johnhodgson5313]

First, your video was well done, somethings were covered more quickly than I would have liked, but for the sake of clarity and simplification, you did a great job. There is one area I will try to clarify, passive radiators. You treat them as a separate design, but they are a subset of bass reflex. Electro Voice was right in calling a PR a "vent substitute" The second issue is the graph showing the output of the bass reflex rising toward the box tuning. That would be a poor design effort.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you John. I agree, I would consider the PRs as a subset of bass reflex as well. I separated them out because following the attention drawn to the Buchardt S400s and the up and coming PS Audio speakers. Passive radiators are having a bit of a revival at the moment. I think we are likely to see a lot more of them from other manufacturers jumping on the trend. I personally wish more manufacturers would go down the sealed or transmission line route. In any case, given the increased interest in PRs, I thought it was worth separating them out and trying to explain their design and how they are similar to a vented enclosure.

[@johnhodgson5313]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 That makes good sense. Now that I understand your purpose I am even more impressed by your video. However, you are unlikely to get your wish for some time as a lot of people are buying speakers for home theater and the bass reflex does a better job of booming and banging. Home theater is where the money is for speaker makers. I'm going to offer a personal viewpoint that may be controversial. Most of the music I listen to uses bass guitar or synthesizer for bass. These are often recorded directly into the recording console without micing the amp and speaker, but when I go to a live event I am usually listening to a bass reflex speaker , so I find a bass reflex presents the bass closer to a live event.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

You are right, I am unlike to see a revival in sealed box and transmission line designs 😪 It is really interesting what you say about the bass reflex. I wonder if we have just got accustomed to over emphasised flabby bass?

[@steverees1936]

Smashed it yet again Tarin. Must admit the Proac 1's look the classiest of all there. There's a lot more to speaker design than people realise and you have explained it very well. Passive radiator if done correctly seems to be the best design, but I do like a front or bottom ported (modern Proac design) design for placement in a small room Thanks for sharing.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Steve, good to hear from you buddy. I think you can’t beat a good transmission line if done right. That is a big if! I agree with you, the Proacs look the best. Sound mighty fine too. 😉👍

[@steverees1936]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 talking about the Proac's I've listened to the D2's a few times and every time they just make me smile with their superb sound. Lovely bass/ mid range for a stand mount speaker and sweet treble. Have you ever heard them and what's your thoughts?

[@klik64]

This is a fantastic video with lots of of technical information. I feel a follow up video could be made on the mid-range and treble merits of these various speakers. therefore giving an overall assessment of the speakers, and It would be interesting to see which one comes out on top (Proac Response 1SC? lol). Although I appreciate how much our various musical tastes, room topography, and partnering equipment can have on the overall assessment.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Clem. Cool suggestion 😎👍

[@markphilpot4981]

You can take what may be a dull subject and turn it around Tarun! I’d hope you get time to read my after comment on the cd transport and DAC choice. These things all can be discussed and clarified if need be. I have been blessed to have worked for George Merrill of the Merrill Heirloom Turntable, AR subchassis mods and high end audio store! Underground Sound was an institution. Based in Memphis, Tn., George brought me in from the customer side and I became a builder of turntables, a modifier of AR turntables, speaker modifier. I machined and assembled all AR mod kits, the oil making and bottling, all assembly and hand rubbed oil finishes of the bases, all testing and modifying of processes to increase efficiencies. Shipped out all products locally, statewide and world wide. Installed systems in customers’ residences and businesses. Many hats worn. Long days. Best job you can get. Working for a legend. Treated like family! Still! Lovely people are always great experience. I’ve been most fortunate. No regrets. That’s a nutshell explanation. I can expound if you wish.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mark. Always a pleasure to hear from you and learn from your experiences and knowledge. Thank you once again and stay safe 👍 just off to read your comment on the cd sand transport 🤔

[@markphilpot4981]

A British Audiophile, my cd transport and DAC comment are on the Chord review comments page. I should have told you.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank Mark. Found it and reply posted 👍

[@Victrola777]

I will never forget a time at a Linn dealer where I wanted to buy the Celestion 300s, and they would not let me because I had a Linn system ! According to them, I had to have Linn speakers. Bummer, because I really liked the 300's back then.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Great anecdote. Linn dealers were notorious for that many years ago 😊

[@Victrola777]

@abritishaudiophile7314 And then they would not let me use a subwoofer with my kit saying Linn did not believe in subwoofers, but soon after that, Linn introduced their Seizmic sub.

[@MarijkeWillemsen990]

I have owned a lot of speakers, close and bass reflex but my Bowers and Wilkins DM2a speakers from some 30 years ago are transmission line speakers and I always kept them because I m addicted to their bass ...I hope manufacturers will make more transmissies line speakers!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing 😊

[@gmanchefboy]

Thanks, I'm enjoying your videos. And this one made me feel especially good since I still love my 40 yr old tramission line Toby Speakers, out of Ft Worth, TX. They seem to get better with age.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Like a fine wine. Thank you for watching gmanchefboy 😉

[@shahidyt]

Thanks, for another great video. Very clear explanation, it must take a lot of time breaking down topics in to an easy to understand dialogue

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Shahid. You are right, it does. It is deciding what to include, what to leave out and how you can get the message across without it becoming a science/engineering tutorial. I appreciate your support 😉👍

[@Newrecordday2013]

Well done amigo! 10/10, you got the high score!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Ron. How is it going that side of the pond?

[@daveapex493]

Ron, An interview or talk with you both would make a great vid. Maybe, the discussion can be around the topic of 'HiFi perspectives' from both sides of the pond.

[@garyalexander5686]

An absolutely brilliant presentation. Thanks much for this.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and your support Gary 🤔👍

[@TheRealWindlePoons]

Thanks Tarun, another great explanation of design principles. I lived with a pair of Pro-9 TL transmission lines for 25 years and they still sound great when I visit their current owner. Although not terribly efficient they are often an easy load for an amplifier and consequently well-suited to any amp including valves. I have lived with all of these enclosure designs at some point and I dislike ABR designs and most ported designs aren't much better. The only ported type I like are folded triangular quarter-wave enclosures. These are a crude horn with the mouth blocked up but a port at the mouth. I built a pair for my son with a foam-damped slot port and could easily live with those. Off-hand I can't think of a commercial design using this enclosure type though. They tend to be tall and slim so quite good domestically. If you double the price point then panels sound great. I would happily listen to big ribbons or electrostatics - if my listening room were three times bigger. Also at twice the price point are my all-time favourites - horns. Domestic-sized horns are a bit lightweight in the bass but are peerless for speed and detail. Just add a sub for the last couple of octaves and make the sub an active sealed-box design. If you have ever been to a big outdoor rock concert or festival you may recognise the sonic signature of a bass horn. Horns are a bit "Marmite" - love them or hate them though. I personally have no desire to try any other design.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you John for posting this. I really enjoyed reading about your experiences and your insights 😊👍

[@KevinBower-gy5be]

I run a pair of PMC OB1i' s on the end of Naim NAP 135 monoblocks. The low end is absolutely staggering. Great video, very comprehensive.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Kevin, I appreciate you watching and sharing 😉👍

[@PS987654321PS]

This channel is easily the best on KZbin for speakers, audio, etc. So informative, interesting and clear in communication. Thank you!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you. That is very kind and greatly appreciated 👍🙂👍

[@philvale5724]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi , You would not believe what I have found the plastic around the back of the Tweeter is split and the magnet has come off the Planted it’s off on the back of the bass driver unit, I wish I could send you a picture but I don’t know how to I do not have your email address to send it. I have managed to re-secure the magnet but it’s only held in by three clips where it should be four , So they are both up and running but what I’m going to do is see whether I can get a new pair of tweeter’s drivers for them, And the noise is coming from the streaming Bluetooth device obviously creating interference so hopefully when I purchase my new amp it well hopefully come with it built-in or I will buy a new device for streaming, At least at the moment they’re working and I’ll find out what the cost of a new pair of drive units , Thank you for help, PHIL FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@philvale5724 I would get a new pair of matched tweeters 😊

[@philvale5724]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 yes 👍, They are a Funny shape I got 4 flat sides on it, I think I’ll have to try and contact vocal them self, I have been using a company in the Netherlands who seem to be very helpful I’ve got my seas drivers from there, I will let you know how I get on, Thank you once again all the best for now, PHIL FROM THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOULIN FRANCE.

[@MrSouzy]

I built my own transmission lines from a kit from IPL acoustics. I still have them but they are at home in the UK (I am currently on the continent)...They sounded fantastic. I really miss those speakers

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

You can’t beat a well designed TL for bass 😉

[@RenePatrique]

A friend of mine owns a pair of Quadral "Montan" (Phonologue Series) from the 1980's I believe, which are Transmission-Line designs, and at around 60 kilograms of weight per speaker and the size of a fridge I admit you need a decent room size for them to shine (which my friend has) - but boy do these speakers have a perfect bass! I love them! - Just after the introduction of the speakers you presented here I thought "I bet on the Transmission-Line design, but let's see what this gentleman has to say..." and I really enjoyed your video! >> Well done! - :) - Thanx!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you René 😉👍

[@thedanny2249]

Totally enjoyed your excellent comparisons. Your speakers won! Hooray!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Danny. I was holding the wouldn’t but I have to tell it like it is 👍😉

[@thedanny2249]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Honesty, is always the best policy!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

It is actually, bleeding inconvenient given that I am trying to get manufacturers to send me equipment to review at the moment but what can I do?...😪 Lol 😊😊

[@thedanny2249]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 As you pointed out , there are trade offs. Yes, all fine speakers! This review was specifically about bass performance, as per, speaker enclosure design. I, for one, appreciated your candor and knowledgeable comparisons. Bass, is only one reason to consider. Subwoofers were made, to fill the bass void ! Your review...Spot on!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thanks Danny

[@1moderntalking1]

Wow, I really got a lot out of your video. Very clear and well presented- thanku. Would u be able to talk about Voigt pipes- its popularity is increasing especially with the rise in poularity in single driver speakers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you much appreciated. It is an interesting concept but I can’t say I have heard a Voigt pipe speaker 😊👍

[@elise10lies84]

I used to have old Infinty RS3000 closed speakers in the 80’s. And the bass was awesome!

[@joanpauli2002]

Excellent video. Hope you will make one where you will go more into debth about amplifiers as well.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Joan. I suspect I may need more than one video.

[@rotaxtwin]

That was refreshing, as well as educational. And I like all four of those loudspeakers, they're all handsome in their own way.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you rotaxtwin 😉

[@ememe1412]

Well done! This is a good resource for people making choices for speakers. It's very well explained and presented with some very nice speaker examples. Just a note, I think you meant 'excursion' when describing 'xmax' (the max travel distance of the driver before fouling the basket or to the point of unacceptable response). The driver 'displacement', usually describes the volume it takes up behind the baffle. Used to adjust the box volume for a particular target. Anyway, thanks for posting this.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you EmE Me. You are correct that Xmax is about excursion rather than displacement. I should have picked it up on the edit.

[@bshah4831]

Such an interesting and excellently communicated explanation of speaker design. I have always preferred floor standing speakers but didn't know about transmission being different from from front ported. My Tannoy XT8F i think are just clever front ported.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi B Shah, good to hear from you. Your tannoys are a ported design but the port is at the bottom of the enclosure. They a very good dual concentric design. Thank you for sharing and supporting this channel 😉👍

[@Lovelacewatkins139]

Another excellent explanation as usual , nothing to complex to try and understand

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you John 😉👍

[@palmgrove77]

Really brilliant coverage ( which i have only just found), thank you very much. Agree with the comment that you should write a book with this background. Further things that interest: the climate - in tropical locations i wonder if humidity is significant? I had ported speakers in Hong Kong 20 years ago, and the (funny but true) problem was that insects and roaches could infest the interiors of the boxes. You, probably intentionally, do not raise the issue of speaker preference in relation to individual type of music preferred, symphonic music, Bach toccatas, (my own preferences). I parted with my vinyl discs when the aformentioned humidity filled the tracks with mould !!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you David. Very much appreciated. I guess infestations can be quite a problem in those climates 😊👍

[@philvale5724]

Hi, Sorry I went and pressed the button to send and I hadn’t finished I haven’t spelt Peerless correctly and I hadn’t put down what I was trying to say I’ll start again, Back in the 80s I built a pair of transmission line speaker cabinets with the help of a colleague who is into electronics. They are made of 25 m thick MDF they are approximately 1-560 H x 300 W x 375 D and the internal line length is about 3.7 m in length, And the driver is 8 inch I’ve just recently replaced all the driver units to seas , Woofer and Tweeters. 150w , And as you can probably imagine they have got a serious amount of Deepbass as they fire out the bottom there is approximately 100m gap underneath, They sound amazing from the very lows to the very highs and everything in between, I’ll listen to a very wide range of music from classical opera heavy metal flamenco and even just recently two very dark music Viking type warm music as you can imagine a lot of it has got Deepbass and very high notes as well I hope this is some interest you look forward to one of your new tutorials keep up the great work, Phil from the moulin France,

[@lennoxbaldacchino71]

An excellent explanation of a complex subject which goes a long when it comes to making informed choices with regards to speaker choice. Maybe you could explain the interaction between amplifiers and different speaker designs. Regards

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Lennox. I appreciate you watching and your support. Take a look at my video on amplifier power. I go into the relationship to some extent. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGOvgZaLaJqla5I

[@fullranger3435]

Quite a beautiful, brief, presentation. I enjoyed it, although I thought I already knew a lot on the matter. Only three comments: 1) I thought that the acoustic suspension (closed design), rather uses an internal volume between 1/3Vas and Vas, trading extension for speed and transient control. At an internal volume of Vas, it approaches the performance of an infinite baffle quite a lot, already. 2) a transmission line (my favorite design) suffers from dips in the frequency response at even harmonics of the labyrinth tune, which are really very tricky for a designer to make go unnoticed. So it may be extended and powerful and clean really low, but may also sound rather faint just a little higher (although it's always admirably clean. -Phase coherent, that is). Fortunately, speaker placement adjustment may be partially helpful. 3) The main downsides of a transmission line, together with more difficulty in design and construction (as well as some occult secrets involved), are a much bigger box and a more or less "corrugated" frequency response. The benefits, though, are overwhelming.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Full Ranger. You raise some very interesting points. I would consider the Vas almost like a critical damped condition for an acoustic suspension design but I know it is not that simple and it depends on the design objectives and other T/S parameter. I haven’t come across the even harmonic issue. Is that using the typical 1/4 wave design? Of course, a bit of second is no bad thing, I would expect a well designed T.L. to successfully damped 4th and above. You are right about the size of the box but worth it in my opinion.

[@fullranger3435]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes, 1/4 wavelength. You get best boost at the tuning Frequency (Ft), some less at 3xFt, even lesser at 5xFt etc. But you also get a nasty dip at 2xFt, a lesser one at 4xFt etc. Definitely worth the trouble, of course, but not easy to adequately get rid of the inherent problems (theoretically, you can never get rid of them completely).

[@Anditover]

I never thought that I could get enthusiastic about speakers I will, outside of a demonstration room, probably never get to hear or own, but you narrate the hunt for audio fidelity, and the problems and solutions encountered on that journey with aplomb. Excuse my total ignorance here, but if bass roll off is a bit of a problem with a sealed cabinet design, why not sub-contract out the job of handling the extremes to a sub-woofer? Low frequencies are less easy for the ear to pinpoint to a source so you can get the rumble without risking rattling your tweeters. I realise, obviously I'm not the first to think this, but if high end sealed cabinets are essentially compromised by trading depth for response, surely it makes sense not to compromise at all and have each speaker dealing with a different part of the audio spectrum in a case that suits the frequencies it's trying to project? Imagine a tweeter, on an adjustable arm attached to a midrange cabinet. Each driver isolated from the others, in it's own acoustically tuned box...and able to be angled up, or lifted independently to interact with the walls and reflecting surfaces... bespoke to every room's unique acoustic silhouette... Am I onto something, or are we looking at a tried, and failed attempt to reinvent the wheel? Even if what I'm spouting is wrong on every level, you're getting me and others thinking about the mechanics of sound reproduction, which is a remarkable achievement. Good luck.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

You are definitely on to something John with the subwoofers. I don’t want to give too much away as the review of the ATCs is pending. Thank you for watching and commenting 😉👍

[@StewartMarkley]

Take a look at Wilson Audio, this is their forte area.

[@423raptunez9]

Thanks for your fantastic info and professional approach. Much appreciated!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and your support 😊👍

[@HiViNywschannel]

Good to see you again Buddy! Yummy video 🤗👍👍👍!!!!! I love your clear explanations.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you my friend 😊👍

[@shahidyt]

Always good to see you too Ian

[@robh9079]

Super clear explanation! TL speakers disadvantage; the boxes are expensive to manufacture/ship, so you will have cheaper drivers and components than a comparable cost alternative design. It is a winner for DIY however, as it might just mean an extra mornings work (no problem) - you get a stiff box and the advantages of TL for negligible extra cost. However, you will want to use a tried and trusted design, or a kit. IPL Acoustics do a kit range, as do Wilmslow Audio, and Troels Gravesen has quite a few scratch build designs available on his DIY speakers site.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing Rob 😉

[@mariosupa4027]

Very in depth and well explained video. I currently own the first Buchardt SE S400 serial number 1 and have been enjoying them for a little over a year. But I'm looking for an upgrade because of thier bass limitations at higher spl levels. Kudos on your KZbin videos.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Mario. Used the pair I was ent with my Rel sub and there was a noticeable improvement in the bass.

[@mikecambridge5493]

Excellent video Tarun. Very interesting and very well explained. Thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thanks Mike 😉👍

[@jianboo]

Great video! Thank you sharing your knowledge. Can you make a video demo of the speakers mentioned here comparing the differences or similarities of the bass. Again, thank you in advance!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

That you Chris. I appreciate you watching and commenting. I don’t do sound demos anymore for a bunch of reasons, copyright issues, I don’t have the recording equipment to do them justice. I also believe they can be misleading as people are judging my system and room through their system and room. I used to do a sound clip at the beginning of my videos for entertainment purposes and to showcase music that I like but can’t do it anymore due to copyright infringement. I hope you understand and sorry to disappoint 😉👍

[@jianboo]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 I can't get my head around that justification. I am not saying that to you to fault you but in general. I watched a lot of video walkthrough of somebody else's setup bragging about their equipment but don't have the balls to show it (demo). Again it ain't you just that justification or notion. Anyway, I like bass and I make video of my setup. Here it is, I am most certain that you would think atleast one word about the setup without minding all the recording process and what not. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppCVoaGNfrp_eM0 Keep rocking, I like your channel ver much. Please share more of your knowledge.

[@shellybelle7441]

Excellent detail. KZbin needed this channel. Thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Z3ROIN. I appreciate you watching and your kind words of support 😉👍

[@noelsmall6690]

Quite brilliant! Very enjoyable and easy to understand!

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Noel. Very kind 😊👍

[@andrejoao]

What a great video! Very clear technical language and explanation. 👌 I have question, with regards to overall sound quality (not just bass) which of the four speakers is your favourite?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi Joao, that is tough one. My ideal speaker would have the speed and clarity of the ATCs, the tonality of the Proacs, the bass of the Celestions. The Buchardt’s are a good all rounder. That is a diplomatic answer. If I am using with a subwoofer, I still haven’t decided between the ATCs and the Proacs. Thank you for watching 😉👍

[@davidreece1642]

I'd rather be able to hear deeper perhaps slightly woolly base rather than not hear the lower base at all. Tarun thanks for the vid.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you David 👍

[@tim21128]

Great video Tarun Had the Celestion 3,s back in the late 80,s great little speakers.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Tim 😉

[@baronofgreymatter14]

Ive yet to find a good speaker that lets me listen to male and female vocals , jazz , classic rock and are good at low listening levels as well as set your hair on fire loud for rocking out. Its alot I know but something needs to be out there. Thanks for your consideration...Great video Tarun

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Baron. It is not just the speaker, the rest of the system needs to be up to scratch. I would look at active designs. To get what you want is going to cost a bit though 😊👍

[@baronofgreymatter14]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 any recommendations?

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@baronofgreymatter14 ATC SCM 19 Actives are a good place to start, the 40s even better 😉

[@baronofgreymatter14]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 not sure about actives

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

@@baronofgreymatter14 all things being equal they have much better grip and control. Also good for low level listening.

[@uksteve43]

Great video and very well explained speaker type and their differences, as you rightly say it is down to personal choice and this is why auditioning your system is so important and more so in how they react to the room they are being used in. Personally I went with the ATC scm19 because their attack, decay rates and transients suit my room and system perfectly, and the qualities I wanted. Many thanks.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Steve. A review of the ATC SCM 19s is coming so I don’t want to give too much away. All I will say is that I am not surprised that you went for them. Out of interest, what are you powering them with? And how do you find them to drive? They are currently connected to my Exposure monoblocks.

[@uksteve43]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 My pleasure, when I brought the ATC SCM 19 I knew that they were not the easiest speakers to drive, originally I used my Roksan K2 amp very good but not open or detailed enough. Then I auditioned them with the Naim XS 3 and Supernait 3 and although the sound was very good I found the XS 3 combination was lacking the rhythmic drive I was hoping for, don't get me wrong the sound was fabulous BUT... I went back to my dealer and got a Naim Supernait 3 to replace the XS3 and WOW huge step up. Open, detailed, full of Naims PRaT and the sound-stage was beautifully layered and presented also with great channel separation. The sound is now richer much more dynamic and fluid, they certainly require high current delivery to sound their best. I have now added the HiCap DR which has moved things up another notch. So my system is Rega RP6 with Ortofon Quintet Blue, Lehmann Audio Statement Black cube MC phono stage, Naim CD5si which punches well above it's price point, Naim Supernait 3, Naim HiCap DR, ATC SCM 19, Dynaudio sand filled stands. The speakers are tilted back by 3Deg. Hope this is what you wanted.

[@myplaguesify]

i bought a psb image b6 base on your recomendation..just wow! thanks man.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi myplaguesify, one of my favourite brands from one of my favourite designers. Glad you liked them and thank you for watching 😉👍

[@adaboy4z]

I have 39 year old pair of Bang and Olufsen S80 Beovox with 8 inch woofers sealed cabinet and the Bass is awesome they can get low! Nice explanations

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😉

[@Roosville1]

I don’t agree, it is not too difficult to model a transmission design as horn design too. Maths will get you 95% of the way. The main advantage for a T-Line is that the roll-off after cut-off is less steep, so you get a cleaner extended more musical bass. You can extend bass with a port but below the port cut-off frequency the roll-off is of a higher order, phase shift goes in the bin. If you calculate out phase shift at low frequency with a ported design you will see that instruments will acoustically moved further in the low registers which messes with the spatial. I did a design with the KEF UIN-Q in a transmission line some time back, the relatively high resonant frequency made for a reasonably sized speaker. The UNI-Q also made tweeter placement easier with the driver placement at the top of the line without needing to lower where the tweeter was mounted. Ports can be fun to play with, Thick foam, breathable foam and of course, straws cut to length & packed in the port. Thanks for the info.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing 😊👍

[@legrandmaitre7112]

Excellent video Tarun. With regards to the Celestions, for an old f**t of 64 like me, I'm quite amused by the comeback of vintage British brands. There are several Wharfedale speakers now making their presence felt on the hifi market again - with good reviews too. I loved my Wharfedales back in the day, but they were very loose and woolly compared to today's ultra focused speakers. They were great fun though - lots of breath, always sounding big and "free". I still owned a pair when CDs came long and they then sounded even more fun. To be honest though, I strongly suspect that if I heard them again today I'd think they sounded awful.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Hi legrandmaitre, Wharfedale have some interesting speakers at the moment that I would love to get in for review, the Lintons and the Evos. Thank you for watching and supporting the channel 😉👍

[@khalid969]

And the pursuit of the perfect speaker continues, and will probably continue for ever lol Thanks. That was very informative and helpful.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

For you and me both. Thank you for watching and commenting 😉

[@jked7463]

The purpose of the port or passive radiator is to shift the phase of the rear output 180 degrees to match the front output. This sudden phase shift can be noticable.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and sharing John 😉

[@jpdj2715]

Excellent! As you mentioned "for now" once or more, what could your follow up be? With your deep knowledge, a discussion of crossover filters? Because, as to your closing point, it is not just about the bass extension and response. Imagine we play, as electrical signal, a 110Hz block wave (say from a bass clarinet) into a 3 way system with 220 Hz and 3,520 Hz crossover frequencies. Relative to a 110 Hz sine wave, the 110Hz voice has much higher frequency components. If the crossover did a Fourier type split, it would feed a 110Hz sine wave to the woofer and use the other two channels to fill the missing parts. This is where your remark about the rest plays. It is also where we could discuss driver design that operates like a sprung thing that gets the occasional electromagnetic kicks versus a design that would work like a proportional linear motor. Seems like you are exceptionally well read and have the intellect to shed some light on this - I don't have the answers, just vague ideas.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for watching and your kind words of support JP. Unfortunately, my knowledge of crossovers only goes so far. It certainly doesn’t cover the intricacies of Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT), only the basics of Fourier analysis. I am learning all the time though. I would love to get an expert in the field to explain how exactly they go about designing a crossover. I suspect that most speaker designers start with the bass driver first which makes logical sense. Maybe I should reach out to Andrew Jones🤔

[@markclancy5371]

Try GR research on youtube he's a speaker and crossover designer he actually does crossover design to make most speakers sound better.but like he says to do it accurately you need to analysis the whole speaker to alter crossover to suit.most speaker manufacturers will not put the best crossovers in because they want to make money.

[@jpdj2715]

@@abritishaudiophile7314 - I think you know a crossover does not do FFT, but audio engineers approximate everything from a "sine wave" assumption. My expectation of a classic crossover is that it splits energy based on rise speed and diverts parts of a 110Hz block to the other drivers - as a variant of FFT. Capacitors in the audio path now start messing up integrity. (FYI. I own 1st gen ltd ed Sonus Faber Extrema speakers with "no caps in the audio path" and heat exchanger ribs on the outside. Huge, relative to BBC monitors, 2-way monitors, very musical, incredible sound stage and dynamic range. They're passive radiator types.) Phase faults are an over-simplification of issues in wave shape reproduction. Frequency range is an over-simplification of bandwidth. Herein lies the eternal debate between believers and agnostics, and our inability, often, to scientifically refute snake oil.

[@davep2945]

Having never heard the Celestion's I didn't know how well the transmission line was implemented in them but I figured if it was done correctly that they would end up being your choice. Especially since you were just judging bass response. A properly implemented transmission line works wonders especially when it comes to limiting distortion and increasing extension while maintaining impact. But it is the most difficult design to get right and the lower frequency you desire to tune it to the larger the enclosure gets. Just a couple of reasons we don't see them often. Probably the most common TL people have heard but may not know is a TL is the Bose Wave radio. Audiophile level? Of course not. But it is the best sound a large percentage of the non-audiophile public ever hears. Overall, sealed cabinets are the easiest to get right and if you can spare the room for enough cone area to get the extension with the least needed excursion then you can't go wrong there. Bass reflex done correctly is a good compromise and with the drivers we have today gives up almost nothing to sealed designs. But the enclosures are almost always larger than a sealed enclosure. Passive radiators are the cool kid on the block now but really don't offer much if anything over a good ported enclosure except, in some cases, a bit more extension in a smaller enclosure. If you want the best you can get out of any particular driver then a well designed TL enclosure is the king.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Dave, that is a very good summary of the relative merits of different enclosures. Thank you for sharing 😉

[@caroldelaney4700]

I’m just building my first entry level system .all info is crucial.many thanks.but I’m still keeping my 40 year old floorstanding Paradigms as the sound is still equal to my new B and W s. clean bass is my quest

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thanks Carol. Looks like you know exactly what you want which is half the battle 😉

[@donk1822]

Great talk. I have TDL Studio 1's in my man cave, Tannoy DC3000's in the living room. Both defy the bassic laws of physics :). Should they ever become irreparably damaged I will keep the boxes to make part of my coffin.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

I think you better make sure they don’t get damaged then. I have a pair of DC2000s. Still being used and providing a great deal of listening pleasure. 😉

[@silviopimentel7247]

I trust you! Thank u so much for chering all ur knowledge with us.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Silvio. Very kind of you 😊👍

[@piotrrzeczycki5257]

Thank you! It’s great even for viola players! 😊

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊

[@johnbarleycornmustdie]

That was very interesting indeed. Some great speakers there. I thought you may have mentioned one other factor which is the room... which would perform best in what size of room scenario. Each speaker you showed has a trade off but maybe the room would also affect some of the performance measurements too. Great channel.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you John. The room is such a big issue, it probably warrant a video of a few videos of its own. 😉👍

[@johnbarleycornmustdie]

A British Audiophile yes I believe so. Hi-Fi should be inclusive and yet sometimes I find it anything but. It seems that once you are in it some views are entrenched and others dismissed out of hand. It’s a subjective matter and what works for one person won’t always work for another. We all have different ears, different listening rooms and vastly different budgets. There’s a gap in the market for someone to articulate Hi-Fi in an inclusive manner which doesn’t presume high levels of knowledge in the viewer. I hope your channel will be that and even if some times products can be expensive they are, in the main, glorious to look at! You have inspired me to try the home made cable idea as I’ve already spent £60 plus on power leads and MCRU do a DIY version with all the bits included for £20.

[@stevemiller9480]

You nailed it! So this makes me think- the Bose wave radio was onto something with the transmission speaker box idea.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Steve. People like to knock Bose but they have had some really innovative designs over the years. They get it right for the market they are going for. Some audiophiles need to appreciate products for what they are intended to deliver even if they do not appeal to them.

[@narabdela]

Wow there! Transmission lines are way older than Bose Wave Radios.

[@geoemm]

New to the channel and boy the explanations were amazing. Txx man

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you Geo. I appreciate your support 😉😪

[@jespencer7805]

You should do a follow up covering Isobaric and Cardioid speaker design.

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you 😊

[@helmuttemmen3047]

Sehr gut erklärt.Transmissionline is complex to building, now the result is all what you need in bass with this lenght of the Labyrinth you built abnorm subsonic frequenzes or neutral frequenzes,you can playing with the Cassis Dimension 3“ to 12“ and the Q Factor 0.3 - 0.7 . Best regards Helmut

[@abritishaudiophile7314]

Thank you for sharing Helmut