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Lithium is a small monitor that doesn't have any idea how small it is.
Drivers:
Dayton ND-105-4
Vifa BC25SC06-04
Crossover:
LR4 acoustic 2.4 kHz.
Dimensions:
9" tall, 6" wide, 8" deep (same as Overnight Sensations).
Price:
Drivers + Crossover = $170 as of 10/15/2012
Design goals:
Mike Zisserson's New Horizons and Chris Roemer's Nano Neos have been very well-regarded designs. I liked the potential of the ND-105, but wanted something smaller that could go easily on a wall, shelf, or desktop. Since the small Dayton neo tweeters have increased in price, I thought there might be a better value out there. The Vifa BC25SC06-04 has slight horn loading, that aligns the acoustic center with the ND-105. Lithium was designed to give satisfying musical response by itself in tight quarters, or work well as a home theater satellite - enabling a low enough crossover to minimize subwoofer localization in small to medium rooms.
Cabinet:
When DIY Sound Group first introduced the Overnight Sensation flat pack, the woofer cutout for the HiVi B4n was not countersunk. I noticed that the ND-105 would drop in perfectly, so I had my cabinets. The cabinet walls are 1/2" baltic birch. The PE 1" by 4" flared port tunes the cabinet to 47 Hz. The side and back walls are lined with R9 Ultra Touch denim fiber insulation available by mail order from Home Depot. I finished with Minwax cherry gel stain and several coats of wipe-on poly.
Crossover:
I wanted to get the crossover frequency low enough that there wouldn't be any off-axis beaming from the woofer or issues with aluminum cone breakup modes, but high enough that the tweeter wouldn't be stressed. I settled on a 2.5 kHz fourth order Linkwitz Riley acoustic target. In order to get that, I had to go 4th order electrical on the ND-105. The very efficient Vifa tweeter took a lot of padding to get down to the level of the ND-105. I estimate about 5 dB of baffle step compensation, which gives a relatively full sound for most placements.
Measurements:
The on axis response is flat within +/- 2 dB from the lower limit of accurate gated measurements in my room (200-300 Hz) to 18.5 kHz. The reverse null indicates a crossover point of 2.4 kHz. Off axis, there are no significant flares or other issues. The impedance plot has a minimum of just over 4 ohms at 180 Hz. It doesn't stay below 5 ohms for long, so by commercial standards it would be a 6 ohm design. The saddle between the two low frequency points shows the port tuning frequency of 47 Hz.
Listening Impressions:
I won't offer any yet. These will be coming to DIY Iowa 2012 in Grinnell this weekend - so we should have some feedback soon.
Drivers:
Dayton ND-105-4
Vifa BC25SC06-04
Crossover:
LR4 acoustic 2.4 kHz.
Dimensions:
9" tall, 6" wide, 8" deep (same as Overnight Sensations).
Price:
Drivers + Crossover = $170 as of 10/15/2012
Design goals:
Mike Zisserson's New Horizons and Chris Roemer's Nano Neos have been very well-regarded designs. I liked the potential of the ND-105, but wanted something smaller that could go easily on a wall, shelf, or desktop. Since the small Dayton neo tweeters have increased in price, I thought there might be a better value out there. The Vifa BC25SC06-04 has slight horn loading, that aligns the acoustic center with the ND-105. Lithium was designed to give satisfying musical response by itself in tight quarters, or work well as a home theater satellite - enabling a low enough crossover to minimize subwoofer localization in small to medium rooms.
Cabinet:
When DIY Sound Group first introduced the Overnight Sensation flat pack, the woofer cutout for the HiVi B4n was not countersunk. I noticed that the ND-105 would drop in perfectly, so I had my cabinets. The cabinet walls are 1/2" baltic birch. The PE 1" by 4" flared port tunes the cabinet to 47 Hz. The side and back walls are lined with R9 Ultra Touch denim fiber insulation available by mail order from Home Depot. I finished with Minwax cherry gel stain and several coats of wipe-on poly.
Crossover:
I wanted to get the crossover frequency low enough that there wouldn't be any off-axis beaming from the woofer or issues with aluminum cone breakup modes, but high enough that the tweeter wouldn't be stressed. I settled on a 2.5 kHz fourth order Linkwitz Riley acoustic target. In order to get that, I had to go 4th order electrical on the ND-105. The very efficient Vifa tweeter took a lot of padding to get down to the level of the ND-105. I estimate about 5 dB of baffle step compensation, which gives a relatively full sound for most placements.
Measurements:
The on axis response is flat within +/- 2 dB from the lower limit of accurate gated measurements in my room (200-300 Hz) to 18.5 kHz. The reverse null indicates a crossover point of 2.4 kHz. Off axis, there are no significant flares or other issues. The impedance plot has a minimum of just over 4 ohms at 180 Hz. It doesn't stay below 5 ohms for long, so by commercial standards it would be a 6 ohm design. The saddle between the two low frequency points shows the port tuning frequency of 47 Hz.
Listening Impressions:
I won't offer any yet. These will be coming to DIY Iowa 2012 in Grinnell this weekend - so we should have some feedback soon.
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