Helium - a true micromonitor

[johnnyrichards]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Scott - Can this be used for the big inductor? I just ran across these at PE - http://www.parts-express.com/ferrite...-watt--269-303


They say the core can be pulled out, yielding a 1mh air core coil. Thoughts?

I measured all of mine to be closer to 0.9mH with the core removed, that was across a sample size of 20.

[djkest]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Would this speaker work if you tipped it on it's side? I am thinking this could make an excellent CC or even a soundbar. The width and depth are friendly to this application.

[corradizo]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

My recessed center channel Helium will probably stand 1.5 inches proud of the wall surface. I plan on cutting a hole in the wall and inserting the cabinet. The cabinet depth is 5.0 inches. I'll have a hole of depth 3.75 inches, but I'll need a quarter inch at the back for the speaker wire.

I'll post pictures when I do it. Hopefully this weekend.

I hope the Audyssey equalization will undo the baffle step compensation.

Did you get a chance to do this yet? I'm getting ready to start these!

Pete

[Herman Trivilino]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Did you get a chance to do this yet? I'm getting ready to start these!

I have one recessed into the wall as the center channel. It doesn't sound any different than when it was mounted on the surface of the wall with a 3/4" spacer behind it. This weekend I plan to replace the two surrounds and then I'll run Audyssey again.

One of the problems I have is that the recent kitchen remodel has opened up the wall between the living room and the dining room. Apart from a large throw rug in the living room, the floor surface is all hard. Acoustics are terrible.

[Herman Trivilino]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Installed the two Heliums as my surrounds. Ran Audyssey and am not happy with the Helium as the center channel speaker. Perhaps it needs adjustments, but meanwhile I've put my old center channel back in service. It's a UA-721, which is quite a bit larger, but she allows it.

[robertf]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

I needed a pair of speakers for work. These worked out perfectly. The build was easy and I used all parts sourced from PE. I used 20 gage air core inductors and had to add resistor values together to get value that is required due to PE being out of some things I needed. I only live about 15 minutes from PE and I was not leaving until I had everything I needed Even threw in some film and foil bypass caps because I had some on hand and they were cheap. Used maple veneer I had left over from building my mini statements. Helium's sound very nice. Have about 55 hours play time on them now and they are getting better as the speakers break in. Air movement through ports is cool. I use them on my desk and if I toe in speakers I can feel air from ports blowing my hair :p For anyone on the fence about building these, just do it!

[Chris Roemer]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Isn't Charon Pluto's moon?
What's chiron?

[robertf]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Chiron is a German 5-axis mill/turn machine used to manufacture medical spinal implants and surgical instruments. This is what I do for a living.

[corradizo]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Those look great!!! I am excited to say i'm ordering the parts for these today. This will be my first speaker build that isn't a subwoofer. I was trying to decide between these and a version of the Overnight Sensations to use as TV speakers in my bedroom. We are just using the TV's built in garbage speakers right now. Having never heard either speaker, i can only gather that the OS would be full range due to the larger cabinet size (i was thinking 14"Tall x 6"Wide x 5" Deep on the OS on-walls...may still build them for the basement as 26x6x5 mtm's) and the Heliums would need a sub as they reach down to 80hz. I'm going to try them without a sub for a while and see how they do. I was going to order a Lepai 2020 amp with them and plug it into the TV's headphone jack, will that little guy provide enough power to get the Helium's to reasonable listening levels if the bed will be about 12' away? Should i look instead to an entry level stereo receiver?

thanks!

Pete

[Herman Trivilino]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

[duplicate post deleted]

[Herman Trivilino]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Not sure if you can get by with that amp or not. These speakers are not very efficient, they need a lot of power. That's the trade-off for the small size and the fact that they reach low frequencies (for a cabinet this small).

If I were you I'd buy an entry level 5.1 receiver. They're not that much more than a stereo receiver. Just make sure you get one that comes with a microphone. You'll want to add speakers in the future and the microphone helps balance them with each other. My guess is that the first thing you'll be adding is a sub.

[Herman Trivilino]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

I needed a pair of speakers for work. These worked out perfectly.

They look great. I think the port tubes would look better painted black!

[corradizo]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Not sure if you can get by with that amp or not. These speakers are not very efficient, they need a lot of power. That's the trade-off for the small size and the fact that they reach low frequencies (for a cabinet this small).

If I were you I'd buy an entry level 5.1 receiver. They're not that much more than a stereo receiver. Just make sure you get one that comes with a microphone. You'll want to add speakers in the future and the microphone helps balance them with each other. My guess is that the first thing you'll be adding is a sub.

Thanks Herman, I think I'm going to see about working in a home theater receiver/sub upgrade, then the TV room gets the old home theater receiver and a new diy sub as it's upgrade and the bedroom gets the old TV room receiver and hopefully sub!! ... Just need to convince the wife... Wish me luck

[Herman Trivilino]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

I needed a pair of speakers for work. These worked out perfectly.

They look great. I think the port tubes would look better painted black!

[scottsehlin]

Re: Helium - a true micromonitor

Those look great!!! I am excited to say i'm ordering the parts for these today. This will be my first speaker build that isn't a subwoofer. I was trying to decide between these and a version of the Overnight Sensations to use as TV speakers in my bedroom. We are just using the TV's built in garbage speakers right now. Having never heard either speaker, i can only gather that the OS would be full range due to the larger cabinet size (i was thinking 14"Tall x 6"Wide x 5" Deep on the OS on-walls...may still build them for the basement as 26x6x5 mtm's) and the Heliums would need a sub as they reach down to 80hz. I'm going to try them without a sub for a while and see how they do. I was going to order a Lepai 2020 amp with them and plug it into the TV's headphone jack, will that little guy provide enough power to get the Helium's to reasonable listening levels if the bed will be about 12' away? Should i look instead to an entry level stereo receiver?

thanks!

Pete

I definitely agree that an entry level receiver would be a better choice. If your budget extends to about $100, and you want to stay with the mini-amp format, the Lepai 7498 or Dayton DTA-120 would do the job. If you want to stay lower in cost, you can search that online auction site for tpa3116 and come up with some good inexpensive amps from offshore sources. You should do your homework on those to make sure you are buying from a reputable seller, of course. Or, you can build your own using the Yuan Jing amp boards PE carries...