Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

[bungelow_ed]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Those are some very nice looking cabinets... the Walnut sapwood really ratchets up the contrasts and adds a lot of interest. Glad to see you have been busy lately.

[manu et deo]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

those are beautiful, makes me want to run out and buy them: oh wait! you can only get the kind of quality(at that pricepoint) if you build them yourself! IMO:D

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Paul, I do understand what you're saying. I do think that "your" standard is even more difficult to compare. Here's why: I frequently attend the symphony in both Fort Worth and Dallas. I have heard both orchestras do the same piece and they do not sound at all alike. I have a distinct preference for Fort Worth, both because I much prefer Bass Hall's acoustics to The Myerson and I much prefer the Fort Worth Symphony to the DSO.

In this case, one would need a piece performed by these orchestras, yes? Like you, I suspect, I have multiple copies of various classical pieces by multiple conductors and orchestras. Some vary significantly in sound, not just recording technique. What to do in theses cases?

What affronted me originally is the notion that I somehow did not understand what I was hearing. That may not have been (now I don't think it was) your intention, but that's what I got. Probably should have stated that up front and I suspect we would have been on common ground.

Personally, I did not see this as bickering but more as two distinct viewpoints trying to be clear to each other.

I'm not really bickering or arguing with you and I apologize for not stating my point(s) clearly enough. Thus, I want to take one more shot at it. First this has nothing to do with musical preferences and there is no intent on my part of criticizing your or anyone's preferences.

I would certainly hope that when one listens at home to music, from a CD for instance, that's a performance one could also hear "live" via all amplified sound, the musical reproduction at home should fairly easily and accurately replicate that live performance within reasonable expectations of dynamic and loudness abilities, and frequency response to a lesser extent. IOW considering those 3 probable limitations, what you hear at home ought to sound very, very close to what you would hear "live", and the fact that you enjoy it because you really like that kind of music is icing on the cake, actually. When you listen at home and compare it to a "live" performance, essentially the only difference in the chain is your source at home is a CD, for instance, and the "live" source is a vocalist singing into a mike, both comparison sounds going through similar electronic manipulation and amplification to exit a speaker system.

But what I'm saying is even though the above is true, on a purely technical basis a better measure of your audio systems capabilities is to compare its sound to that of live un-amplified and non-augmented music. which is virtually impossible to achieve with any popular music just due to the nature of the process. For me, then, this reference can only be a symphony orchestra. The fact I don't like or particularly care for other types of music is besides the point.
Paul

[Paul K.]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Oh, you're absolutely correct; the venues play a really big part of how orchestras sound. And, different orchestras on different CDs playing the same score will sound different. Probably a better and more practical live reference would be a small ensemble, like a string quartet, quintet, or sextet, although the frequency range will be more limited than if an orchestra, but our audio systems will have a much better chance of replicating the same dynamic range and ultimate loudness of a smaller group. Not to beat a dead horse, I just don't take think a lot of people often take into account reality when they gush about how well their systems reproduce "live" performances they attend where all the music is coming from speakers and an amplification/EQ chain. In any event, live and let live!
Paul

Paul, I do understand what you're saying. I do think that "your" standard is even more difficult to compare. Here's why: I frequently attend the symphony in both Fort Worth and Dallas. I have heard both orchestras do the same piece and they do not sound at all alike. I have a distinct preference for Fort Worth, both because I much prefer Bass Hall's acoustics to The Myerson and I much prefer the Fort Worth Symphony to the DSO.

In this case, one would need a piece performed by these orchestras, yes? Like you, I suspect, I have multiple copies of various classical pieces by multiple conductors and orchestras. Some vary significantly in sound, not just recording technique. What to do in theses cases?

What affronted me originally is the notion that I somehow did not understand what I was hearing. That may not have been (now I don't think it was) your intention, but that's what I got. Probably should have stated that up front and I suspect we would have been on common ground.

Personally, I did not see this as bickering but more as two distinct viewpoints trying to be clear to each other.

[hthale]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Absolutely beautiful cabinets! I would like to have those in my house even if they sounded terrible. Just wondered where you got your walnut and veneer.
Congrats on a job well done!!

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Thanks for the kind words. I made some poor construction choices for the removable backs, and the associated edging (hot glue) needs some fixing. That's why no pic of the cab backs :D

I was really happy about how the beech matched the walnut sapwood. Again Waterlox was the only finish. Didn't tint the walnut at all.

The Black Walnut came from my local Woodcraft. 9" wide by about 90" long, ~$52.

The Beech came from Rosebud Veneer on Ebay. I've bought severel things from him because his prices are typically the lowest I've seen and he often has wide lots so I don't have to splice. Usually raw veneer though. In this case the Beech was 16.5 wide x 108. I think my delivered price was about 75c/ ft sq. It was a bit wavy so I softened and flattened.

I've gotten "eye" Beech (kind of like Birdseye), European Ash, and Anigre for similar prices all with 8" or greater widths.

Absolutely beautiful cabinets! I would like to have those in my house even if they sounded terrible. Just wondered where you got your walnut and veneer.
Congrats on a job well done!!

[ReissM]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Mmmmmm... these are tastey. They look incredible.

Don't beat yourself up about the back... we are our own worst critic sometimes.

I love the look of these and would bet hard earned cash that they sound as good as they look. Nicely done.

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

I certainly have no regrets about the sound. Frankly, I quickly lose interest in analyzing the performance and just start listening to the music.

To me, that's the most positive recommendation I can make.

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Here's a follow-up on movie performance. These cross to the sub at 60Hz for movie duty.

I've run the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Sherlock Holmes 2, Ironman 2, Game of Thrones, a Sara Bareilles concert, Chris Botti in Boston bluray, and a Mahler symphony bluray.

Continue to be exceedingly pleased with the speaker performance.

[Brewski]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

FastBike,

Are you playing them fairly loud for HT? 60Hz is probably pretty reasonable and more realistic but I've played mine to 40Hz at fairly loud levels and they've handled it well. If I don't have them cranked I've just let them run full with the sub to fill in what they can't get to as well. The driver seems to be able to take a beating pretty well since I've seen mine tortured a few times by Mike Z.

Take it easy
Jay

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

60Hz is leftover from the previous speaks. 40 or 50 is probably the right place. I didn't get the meter out for this listening, but I'm somewhere around 75-80 dB for sustained levels for movies. WBCD shows pretty drastic overexcursion below 40 Hz w 40 watts, so I'm a little uncomfortable running full range for movies. We do get exuberant sometimes.

With a 40Hz LR4 highpass, the model still shows 43/36 F3/F10 and no overexcursion. This is a nice place for the Imperials so that's probably where I'll stay for movies. I have a decent sub and am in the process of replacing same with 2 to 4 significantly better ones (2 Infinity 1260W, 2 Vifa NE315W) so I don't think I'll run full range mains for movies. If the subs turn out as I expect, I probably won't run full range mains for music either. My music library has equal parts classical, jazz, rock/blues with a fair number of organ pieces.

FastBike,

Are you playing them fairly loud for HT? 60Hz is probably pretty reasonable and more realistic but I've played mine to 40Hz at fairly loud levels and they've handled it well. If I don't have them cranked I've just let them run full with the sub to fill in what they can't get to as well. The driver seems to be able to take a beating pretty well since I've seen mine tortured a few times by Mike Z.

Take it easy
Jay

[MarkL]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Also, it's Jays accomplishment, I just built them.

Yeah, but you could have built them wrong, so you do get some credit

I hope to build a similar pair soon.

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Thanks. They are a nice driver combo.

Yeah, but you could have built them wrong, so you do get some credit

I hope to build a similar pair soon.

[PassingInterest]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Sorry to revive an old thread just to say these look great, but dang these look great!

[fastbike1]

Re: Imperial Russian Stouts - Fountek 3 Way

Thanks, They are still my mains. Brewski did a great job on the crossover.

Sorry to revive an old thread just to say these look great, but dang these look great!