ISO opinions from AUS members, and others...

[louped garouv]

http://www.deepaudio.net/

check out the model 16 two way.... TAD 1601a and 4001 (no horn used)....


has anyone near Sydney heard (of) these.....
retail is about USD$15K direct from the factory..... at retail upwards of 25K :barf:


always good to dream,

maybe I can build them.....



>>>Hello David, thanks for you email enquiry about the deep model 16 >>>loudspeaker system.

>>>I wish I could advise otherwise, but at this time there are no distributors >>>in the US for this system. The approximate price (depending on >>>finish) ordered direct from us is US$15,000 plus shipping. If this system >>>was to go through the usual mark-ups of distribution and retail, the price >>>to the end user would be pushed up to $30,000 plus.

>>>Any plans to visit Sydney in the near future for a listen?

>>>Best regards,
>>>Hassan Hodgkinson,
>>>Designer, Model 16.

[Zilch]

"Amongst loudspeaker aficionados, there exists a range of sub-cultures. One interesting group encompasses those who seem committed to classic vintage designs by Altec and JBL. For this group, the magic formula is a 2-way system based around a 15” woofer and a high-frequency compression driver, usually driven by vacuum tube amplification. On what basis does this group remain faithful to this seemingly archaic approach? Well, the feeling is that many modern high-end loudspeaker designs, in a quest to lower colouration and maximise detail and linearity at all costs, have been unable to achieve these objective virtues without leaving many treasured recordings sounding subjectively thin and stripped of body. It is this perceived weakness that the vintage approach specifically addresses. On the other hand, there is an open admission that these vintage systems accept moderate levels of colouration and shortcomings in measurable accuracy in exchange for their claimed virtues. [Interestingly, this trade-off exists at all levels in the audio chain, an example being the choice by a recording engineer to employ a vintage tube-microphone in preference to a modern alternative to enhance a solo vocalist]."

Nope. No tubes here.... :p

[louped garouv]

but only to drive my JBL 075,s......

[johnaec]

I really wonder what that 4001 driver sounds like with no horn...epsecially dispersion characteristics...

John

[Alex Lancaster]

:) Looks like another expensive case of the :bs: ´s.

[Mr. Widget]

I really wonder what that 4001 driver sounds like with no horn...epsecially dispersion characteristics...


Unfortunately I sold mine a short while back or I'd give it a shot. I expect using the drivers like that will void the warranty as they are meant to be bolted to a horn for the proper loading on the diaphragm... I would expect that at reasonable levels it isn't a problem, but TAD does specifically warn about using their drivers without horns.

Is it BS? ...maybe, it would be worth a quick listen though.

Widget

[Guido]

A purist’s solution of 4 circuit elements was finally realized. This simplicity, in combination with point to point wiring techniques, Teflon insulated silver-plated compression-extruded ultra-high purity copper internal wiring, and high-silver content quad-eutectic solder, achieves maximum directness and musical energy.

Let's call it a simple 12dB network free wired with much too expensive cables.

Teflon insulated silver-plated compression-extruded ultra-high purity copper internal wiring

:idea: Wasn't the "flux compensator" in "Back to the future" wired with this?:slink:

[Ian Mackenzie]

I wonder if the price includes a hit of smack before the audition?

It sounds interesting but their claims fly in the face of modern science without any factual data to support such.

For example the discussion of the design regime appears totally intuitive without reference to proven laws of physics. Anyone can resort to empirical design trials but without a qualified technical understanding of the dynamics of sound and the physics involved such experiments could lead to nonsense.

By that I refer to the discussion of damping. Science and measurement prove damping is effective if done correctly. The mass and nature of the damping material relative to the panel mass and density must to be balanced to be effective. Modern motor vehicle panel damping is a classic example. The designers also fail to refer to the fact that sound is energy and has to go somewhere. Creating rigid walls alone is not going to work. World authorities on speaker design such as Vance Dickason have proven that sound absorbent materials such is lossy fibre glass effectively absorb the energy within an enclosure and is the most effective means of controlling sound transmission back through the driver cones.

Then there is the driver without the horn. What they didn't mention is that Tad has discontinued some of their horn designs.

In other words , buyer beware.

You might think I'm being a bit tough, well a survey of $10K + speaker systems leaves some pretty stiff competition, including some excellent self powered monitors. Personally for that money I'll look closely at a 5.1 LSR JBL 6332 system complete with LSR sub.



Ian
http://www.audioheritage.org/vbulletin/images/statusicon/user_online.gif

[nassah]

If you like, I can attempt to procure some smack for you down in Kings Cross before any auditioning of the M16s.

Cheers,
Hassan Hodgkinson
Designer/developer, Model 16.

[morbo!]

just some fine weed and a phonecall will do!
i can be in sydney in 2 and 1/2 hour`s
oh
i`ll bring the weed

forget the smack

[Steve Schell]

Based on my experience I am very skeptical of this approach. The 4001 is being used in a way entirely unintended by its designer, and I suspect that Bart Locanthi would have just shaken his head at such an implementation. I couldn't find their crossover frequency in the text among the discussion of wire and solder, but the driver's internal flare probably wouldn't offer adequate loading to the diaphragm below 6 or 8 kHz. So then we might have a woofer attempting to cover the critical midrange that the compression driver was designed to reproduce magnificently.

Not for me.