Finleyville
05-30-2006, 03:37 PM
(Sorry if this review is too long)
Anyway,
Here is my review of my meager DIY system. Much time and energy was devoted to researching, designing and fabricating what you see here (http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3811). This site was an invaluable resource; thanks Npdang. Because of my space limitations I was nervous at first but now very satisified with the results. The following opinions are made with very basic level matching and time alignment but no EQ changes from my H701 processor.
The Tec planar tweets were a perfect mate for the Trius mids. (Thanks Rbsarve for the idea!) The sound of the planar is very "effortless." They add the appropiate amount of high freq information without becoming shrill or spitty at any volume. At low volume levels they sound just a touch "thin" on cymbals but start to shine at louder levels. The designed frequency range for these are from 7kHz-30kHz. A little passive x-over is included with each driver; although, I am running mine active. The Tec's should not be used in a 2-way setup. Think of them more as a high freq fill or ambient tweet. They are very small and thin which lends to very flexible mounting options. Planar drivers are usually very sensitive and do not require much power to play. However, I have 100W going to them, and they seem to like it. (I know the tweet is only using a fraction of the power ;))
I could not be happier with my Trius midranges. They are perfect for my application. I never heard such clear and colorless music before. Their characteristics are similar to the Seas Lotus line IMO. They sound lively, accurate and detailed. Poorly recorded material will stand out. Other small midrange options seemed to have a warmer sound than the Trius. Their smaller size allowed me to seal them in pods mounted on top of my dash. This in turn caused my very accurate soundstage. The lead vocal originates from a single point instead of an area. Other music instruments have their definite point across the dash. I can detect no smearing of the separate elements of a song. I definitely can tell the difference when these are sealed versus IB or free air. The lower mid-range frequencies (200Hz - 1kHz) are reproduced with more authority and mass in my sealed pod. The recommended enclosure space is 2 liters. I am guessing (using the very scientific "packing peanut" method;)) that my pods are around 1.5 l each. The designer of the Trius commented that these were built to have great off-axis response. Some members on this board reported disappointment with this trait. All I know is that in my car they sounded better on axis. YMMV.
By choosing a midrange driver that can play so low, I was free to select a midbass driver that excelled in this area without making any compromises. That is why I chose the Adire Extremis 6.4's. In terms of sheer output I have yet to find a better driver for its size. The visceral impact these drivers create is fantastic. You can feel the kick drum in your chest. And this is without the sub. I can throw any type of music at them without problems. They sound very tight and still musical. These sound more like 8's instead of 6's. IMO, I wouldn't use these above 800Hz. There are better choices out there when you get into the midrange frequencies. Also, because of their poor sensitivity, you better bring a bunch of wattage to the table if you expect a good response. I'm guessing if you use anything less than 150W each then you might be disappointed. However, if you do not have much driver space and have ample power on tap then you cannot go wrong with these speakers.
The Seas Lotus SW250 (10") sub is probably the most accurate and unassuming sub I have used. Other 10" options I have heard (Image Dynamics IDQ and Adire Koda) definitely sound like a classic sub should. The Lotus seem to just blend in without making itself known. It sounds like a natural extention of my Extremis': very smooth and precise. This sub is not for pounding. It is more for hearing a slight note change on an upright bass instrument. Unless Npdang releases a DIYMA 10" (I WISH I could fit a 12") I do not think I will ever change this sub out.
Anyway,
Here is my review of my meager DIY system. Much time and energy was devoted to researching, designing and fabricating what you see here (http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3811). This site was an invaluable resource; thanks Npdang. Because of my space limitations I was nervous at first but now very satisified with the results. The following opinions are made with very basic level matching and time alignment but no EQ changes from my H701 processor.
The Tec planar tweets were a perfect mate for the Trius mids. (Thanks Rbsarve for the idea!) The sound of the planar is very "effortless." They add the appropiate amount of high freq information without becoming shrill or spitty at any volume. At low volume levels they sound just a touch "thin" on cymbals but start to shine at louder levels. The designed frequency range for these are from 7kHz-30kHz. A little passive x-over is included with each driver; although, I am running mine active. The Tec's should not be used in a 2-way setup. Think of them more as a high freq fill or ambient tweet. They are very small and thin which lends to very flexible mounting options. Planar drivers are usually very sensitive and do not require much power to play. However, I have 100W going to them, and they seem to like it. (I know the tweet is only using a fraction of the power ;))
I could not be happier with my Trius midranges. They are perfect for my application. I never heard such clear and colorless music before. Their characteristics are similar to the Seas Lotus line IMO. They sound lively, accurate and detailed. Poorly recorded material will stand out. Other small midrange options seemed to have a warmer sound than the Trius. Their smaller size allowed me to seal them in pods mounted on top of my dash. This in turn caused my very accurate soundstage. The lead vocal originates from a single point instead of an area. Other music instruments have their definite point across the dash. I can detect no smearing of the separate elements of a song. I definitely can tell the difference when these are sealed versus IB or free air. The lower mid-range frequencies (200Hz - 1kHz) are reproduced with more authority and mass in my sealed pod. The recommended enclosure space is 2 liters. I am guessing (using the very scientific "packing peanut" method;)) that my pods are around 1.5 l each. The designer of the Trius commented that these were built to have great off-axis response. Some members on this board reported disappointment with this trait. All I know is that in my car they sounded better on axis. YMMV.
By choosing a midrange driver that can play so low, I was free to select a midbass driver that excelled in this area without making any compromises. That is why I chose the Adire Extremis 6.4's. In terms of sheer output I have yet to find a better driver for its size. The visceral impact these drivers create is fantastic. You can feel the kick drum in your chest. And this is without the sub. I can throw any type of music at them without problems. They sound very tight and still musical. These sound more like 8's instead of 6's. IMO, I wouldn't use these above 800Hz. There are better choices out there when you get into the midrange frequencies. Also, because of their poor sensitivity, you better bring a bunch of wattage to the table if you expect a good response. I'm guessing if you use anything less than 150W each then you might be disappointed. However, if you do not have much driver space and have ample power on tap then you cannot go wrong with these speakers.
The Seas Lotus SW250 (10") sub is probably the most accurate and unassuming sub I have used. Other 10" options I have heard (Image Dynamics IDQ and Adire Koda) definitely sound like a classic sub should. The Lotus seem to just blend in without making itself known. It sounds like a natural extention of my Extremis': very smooth and precise. This sub is not for pounding. It is more for hearing a slight note change on an upright bass instrument. Unless Npdang releases a DIYMA 10" (I WISH I could fit a 12") I do not think I will ever change this sub out.