Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

[kevin007]

Yesterday Leroy R and myself got together for a few hours to compare some of our latest builds. We were able to compare the following speakers:

1. Paul Carmody's Sprite
2. Wolf's PC Speakers
3. Version 1 and 3 of Leroy's Minions
4. Wolf's Sophomores
5. The Lil Brits

I unfortunately forgot to bring my OS TM's so we were not able to compare those.

I would have to say that Lee's Minions version 3 stole the show. We were both surprised to hear such a striking difference from his little 4.5 inch cubes. The clarity, detail, and mid to higher frequencies, and sensitivity were off the hook in comparison to the sprite and PC speakers. The Sprite especially had all of them beat as far as bass response, but both wolf's PC speakers and the Sprite were not anywhere near as detailed and did not bring out the mids and especially voice of the singer as well as Lee's Minions.

Lee and I were very surprised by the results as he was sure his minions would had gotten blown away by both the Sprite and Wolf's PC speaker designs. We both agreed that he has stumbled upon a treasure with the minions. Paired with a sub and crossed over at 100 Hz these little guys sound spectacular.

Now this is not to say that Wolf's PC speakers and the Sprite don't sound good, we were just both blown away how great Lee's Minions sounded. Anyone who is looking to build a single driver PC speaker should give some serious thought to these little guys.

Another pair of speakers that I thought sounds really great was the sophomores. Wolf did a bang up job with those guys. They are very comparable to something like the OS TM's but a little more detailed in sound.

Running a close second to the Sophomores were the lil Brits. They were a nice mellow sounding speaker that I would think would make a great rock and roll speaker. Not as detailed as the Sophomores but a real contender.

Thats about it for now from me. I know there were many of you who wanted to hear what Lee and myself thought of them so here is the post.

I hope that Lee posts some pictures of the Sophomores as they have an incredible automotive paint job using a metallic paint. They are amongst the most beautiful paint job on a pair of speakers I have ever seen.

Kevin

[Beau]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

I understand the driver originally used in the minions is NLA. Can you and/or Leroy R recommend a replacement driver?

I'd like to make a few as gifts, after the Holidays.

Would any of these be good candidates?

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc6fd00-04-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1126

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc7fd00-04-2-1-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1144

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc9fd-18-08-3-1-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer--264-1062

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc6fc00-04-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1124

I know the TC9 is highly regarded, but its a bit bigger .....

[kevin007]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

If you go to Leroy's Minion thread and go to the last page he has the driver listed there.

Kevin

I understand the driver originally used in the minions is NLA. Can you and/or Leroy R recommend a replacement driver?

I'd like to make a few as gifts, after the Holidays.

Would any of these be good candidates?

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc6fd00-04-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1126

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc7fd00-04-2-1-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1144

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc9fd-18-08-3-1-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer--264-1062

http://www.parts-express.com/vifa-tc6fc00-04-2-full-range-paper-cone-woofer-4-ohm--264-1124

I know the TC9 is highly regarded, but its a bit bigger .....

[Beau]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

If you go to Leroy's Minion thread and go to the last page he has the driver listed there.

Kevin

Thank you.

[Jim Griffin]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

what is the link to Leroy's speakers?

[Leroy R]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

Like Kevin, I was really surprised that the Minions III had so much more mid and high detail than the Sprite and Wolfs PC speakers. Both the Sprite and Wolfs PC speakers extended a little lower than the Minions III. Adding a small sub to the mix filled in the low end of all three, but really made the Minions III shine. I was really surprised by this result as I expected both the Sprite and Wolfs PC speakers to crush the Minions not the other way around. The original Minions also had more mid and high detail, but were a little harsh on the high end compared to the version IIIs and didn't have the low end extension of the other three, which is to be expected since it was a 2" driver versus the 3" drivers in the other three designs. I'd be curious if Kevin removed some of the stuffing from the Sprite and Wolfs PC speakers if the mid and high detail would come out more. I have noticed with some of my previous builds that too much stuffing can stifle the mids and highs.

I had earlier this summer compared Wolfs Sophomores to Pauls Overnight Sensations with my brother and we had determined that they sounded very similar, but felt the Sophomores had a bit more detail not heard in the OS's. Both have more low end extension than you would expect from such a small speaker. I had asked Kevin to bring his OS's with him yesterday, but he forgot them. I did not tell him about my previous listening comparison. He listens to his OS's probably daily so after having a listen to the Sophomores I asked him how he thought they compared to the OS's and his response was that he felt they had a bit more detail, but otherwise were similar to the OS's, which matched my brother and I's conclusion. Time to build a center channel and possibly an MTM version of the Sophomores Wolf. I think 4 of the Sophomores with a matching center and a sub would make a great 5.1 setup for the average sized listening room.

The Lil Brits we listened to were my own variation using a different tweeter than the original design and surprisingly held up fairly well to the Sophomores, but there was a clear difference and I would say I preferred the Sophomores. I did not have any of the Lil Brits on hand with the correct tweeter as they were designed by mzisserson.

A couple shots of the speakers we listened to:





Since it is so gloomy outside, this is the best I could do for pics of Wolfs Sophomores:

[Leroy R]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

The details about the Minions III are at the end of the original Minion thread, just skip to the last page and work your way back.

http://techtalk.parts-express.com/showthread.php?224722-The-Minions&highlight=Minions

[kevin007]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

The only speakers I brought with me that had any stuffing in them was wolf's PC speakers. The sprite had none.

My son Josh and myself had determined that Wolf's PC speakers actually sounded better then when they were not stuffed. I have not experimented with them yet.

I also wanted to post a link to the page that has Lee's Minions III on them so everyone knows what driver to buy from PE: http://techtalk.parts-express.com/sh...hlight=MINIONS

Kevin

[Ray Tremblay]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

Nice! Let me know next time you guys plan on getting together. Maybe we can have an Austin get together at the club I run,

www.themadisonaustin.com

We can make as much noise here as we like.

[Leroy R]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

Sounds like a plan Ray. I have several projects in the works that we can listen to when they are finished. Aurbacs, Maurbacs and Maurbac towers, Stentorians and a few others. Unfortunately, those all use the same no longer available driver, but should be fun to listen to anyway.

We need to get a sunny day when I am off from work so I can get a better picture of the Sophomores in the sunlight.

[Leroy R]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

Kevin, I found the remote for the Sony receiver we were using yesterday and found I had the sub output set for 60Hz. I bumped it up to 100Hz this morning. You think they sounded good yesterday, you should hear them with that additional frequency range filled in. I've been just sitting here listening all day. I'm not sure why I had the sub crossed at 60Hz previously. I haven't used that receiver for a while.

[bkeane1259]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

WOW...those sophomores are beautiful. Wolf has to see those pics.

[johnnyrichards]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

Yes, they are beautifully painted and detailed - well done.

This is the kind of thing I would like to do once in awhile, but there just are not too many people in the very immediate area :(

[Leroy R]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

Johnny you are welcome here any time you want to come down. Would be a good reason to have a listening session.

[Ray Tremblay]

Re: Informal Single Driver and Small Bookshelf Shootout in Austin TX

We need to get a sunny day when I am off from work so I can get a better picture of the Sophomores in the sunlight.

No need for sunlight. I have a Nikon D3. ;)