DTB vs DIY MLTL

Dedicated to those large boxes at one end of the room
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andrew Ivimey
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#76

Post by andrew Ivimey »

mmmmm, I'd do pink with pretty flowers, then we could go to Woodstock -all aboard!
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pre65
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#77

Post by pre65 »

Hi Dave-i tried some Screwfix antique pine wax on bits of BBP and quite liked the finish.
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Dave the bass
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#78

Post by Dave the bass »

Thanks Gents,

As tempting as it is to colour match the pretty pink ribbon holding my hair up I think I'll go down the waxy route, that Screwfix rustic pine was was a great finish when we stripped the doors, skirting and such upstairs our gaff.

I'll play around first before committing to wood. er. Yes!

DTB
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The Stratmangler
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#79

Post by The Stratmangler »

Speakers looking good Colin - I'll have to get the boss to look at the piccies to gain clearance for building.

Chris :D
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Toppsy
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#80

Post by Toppsy »

Hi Chris,

best she sees them in the flesh, photos can be deceptive, but they should take up no more floor area than your present standmounters, perhaps a little deeper.

I could bring them over your place after I have them finished and they are sound tested.

Colin
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#81

Post by The Stratmangler »

Thanks Colin - I look forward to it !

Chris :D
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Scottmoose
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#82

Post by Scottmoose »

Nice work Colin. :^)

Re the colour Dave, within a year or so, Birch will darken naturally with UV exposure, so you might want to keep this in mind.

FWIW, Ed did mine by sanding them back (obviously -& amazingly well) & finishing by french polishing & waxing. Suits me... oh yes. I'm a happy person. :^)
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Toppsy
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#83

Post by Toppsy »

I finally managed to get the second speaker finished early last night and hooked them up for a listen.

Being very sensitive speakers in comparison my statics they were not too happy through my gm70 amps with too much TX hiss that was quite audible. These MLTL speakers really need a quiet amp. I found initially the bass was too overpowering with this amp for my tastes and was dominating the sound especially with the Annie Lennox BARE album. Bass was also a little forward to a large degree with my 845 SE Yarland amp but the TX hiss was less noticeable perhaps because the amp was much further away the speakers. Bass from these DHT tubes is very powerful and to use with this type amp I think some tuning the port is required? But then what do I know about speaker design………Nowt! They were much happier and balanced through my WAD6550.

Having said that though, after 3-hours they sounded much more balanced in the bass, with the midrange and treble coming through much better and sweeter with the singer having better and more presence in the soundstage.

Now I'm not best placed to judge the bass of box speakers. These are the first I have listened to at home in over 5 or so years. I like my Electrostatics and my Acorns do really good deep and detailed bass through the gm70s that is quite different in presentation to the MLTLs. However, the bass from these little MLTL beauties may be typical from this type of quarter wave design and is not what I'm used to and may be down to using a 4in diameter port instead the 2in slot the originals, or simply my room interaction. But then towards the end of the night listening to Santana I was really beginning to enjoy listening to them as they freed up. I think over the next few days they will balance out even more and improve further.

Compared my panels they do not give quite the same 3D holographic soundstage but they image really well and I didn't get the impression of listening to a pair of boxes that I usually have with conventional speakers so they are quite transparent in this respect. I think the bass from my panels is a little more detailed. My panels give a little more air to singers’ voice. Still its early days for the MLTLs so I should reserve final judgement until they are fully bedded in.

Me I'm likely to be biased towards my statics anyway and to me any box using circular drive units is likely, well, to sound like a box, if you know what I mean. But then these do rock music better than my panels so it’s swings and roundabouts. It’s that old adage there is no perfect speaker. But I like them and will be building a 6EM7 SE amp ala DTB specifically for them.

Would I recommend them…… a resounding YES.

Nice one Scott and my thanks for the cabinet design to Ed.
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Dave the bass
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#84

Post by Dave the bass »

Nice write up Colin, cheers for that.

Yes, it was when we used 6EM7 through them that peep's got excited. I'm looking forward to using them with all of my Valve amps actually, WD88VA/6EM7 and DHTski.

I got the long cutting guides (ie- 18mm thick x 1.5M long pieces of trespa) home last night on my motorbike that the chippies have made for me so I can do straight-edges accuratley at home and a couple of shorter ones for the tops and bottoms and routing out the edges. For ease I'm going to stick to the slot-type port in Ed/Scott's original plans.

This is going to be a first for me. I just need to get to B+Q to buy the 2 sheets of BP then it'll be all-systems-go in the shed (aka "The Home of tone").

DTB
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#85

Post by Toppsy »

Hi Dave,

good luck in the "shed". Hope the brass moneys don't get ya!

I have been building mine in the dining room cum conservatory that I had recently refurbished with new solid oak T&G floor, redecorated and new oak dining furniture. The dust got everywhere! Got lots of brownie points form the missus last night though that now she has her new dining room back ready for Christmas.

I think you'll enjoy your speakers and they do seem a made in heavon match the 6EM7 amp.

Colin
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#86

Post by simon »

Colin,

Excellent result! For you to be able to compare them with your ESLs speaks volumes for them. The drivers will continue to improve for a long time...

It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to make next Saturday at yours so if you PM me your address I'll put the 6EM7 "loaners" in the post to you when the postal madness of Christmas has subsided.

Simon.
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#87

Post by Dave the bass »

simon wrote:I'll put the 6EM7 "loaners" in the post to you when the postal madness of Christmas has subsided.

Simon.
:) If thats the same pair I think it is then Colin will have assumed the 'rites of passage pair'.

They've been passed down through the ages :wink:

DTB
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#88

Post by Scottmoose »

Glad you like them Colin. :^)

Re the slightly overblown bass, the DHT amps are probably underdamping them somewhat, so you'd need to increase vent length by an inch or so to tailor the cabinet's response to suit the amplifier. Mine are set up primarily for SS amps, because that's what I currently have. As & when I ever get round to doing something with my 126s & 208ESigmas, they'll be done somewhat differently.
Last edited by Scottmoose on Fri Dec 21, 2007 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Toppsy
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#89

Post by Toppsy »

Hi Simon,

thanks for offer the 'loan 6EM7s'.

I have however, bought a matched set of 4-Raytheon 6EM7 the other month from epay. So if these are a different brand make it would be interesting to compare.

As I'll be coming over your place in Feb hang on to them until then.

Pity you cannot make it Sat 29th. Only Nick has shown an interest and Paul a 'might be able to come' response.

Tonight I am going to mount spikes to the speakers to isolate them from my carpeted and suspended wooden floor as this may be acting as a bass resonance box to the MLTLs.

Colin
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#90

Post by simon »

The very same pair Dave!

I don't know what their heritage is Colin, it doesn't say on them. I think they originated from Andrew I - perhaps he knows? It's t'other Simon that is hosting in February though.
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