The Ariel seeks the Middle Path between low-efficiency audiophile speakers
and large high-efficiency horn systems. Over the last six years it has evolved
and grown in response to feedback from enthusiast builders all over the world.
The Ariel has a companion speaker, the ME2, which is simpler to build
and is more compact as well. Or maybe you just want to read about high-end
speaker design. Whatever your interest, you'll want to warm up the printer and
read the Web page at your leisure.
The "Ariel"
History, (Version 1 to 6, cabinet design & construction,
damping ecc..)
Drivers (Vifa
& Scan-Speak)
Ariel
Crossover
Balancing
Sistem ,speaker Location & Image Quality
Efficiency,
Amplifiers and Sound Quality
Tweaks,
Bug-fixes & Comments
The
Ariel ME2 Version
Good Bass sections,
Active crossover & positioning
Some
Images
Mark 2 Version
Mark 3 Version
Mark 3 (second
Drawing version)
Mark 4 Version
Mark 4.5 Version
Mark 5b Version
Mark 5r Version
Mark 5s Version
Mark 6b Version
Mark 6c Version
ME2 Version
Diagram &
other
The pictures are 144dpi GIF files, and are designed for printing at 50%
reduction (a one-step procedure on the Macintosh). If you are using Windows,
it's a little more complicated. Right-click the mouse while pointing at the
picture. A window will pop-up and ask what you want to do; select "Save As
..." and give the picture a name. You can then "Insert" the
saved GIF file into MS Word as a picture file; alternatively, it can be opened
in the public-domain LView program or any other graphics program. Either way,
the 144dpi GIF image will print at high resolution as a one-page
vertical-format picture.
Note: Builders using the metric system should physically measure the
speaker drivers instead of converting the fractional inches shown on this
diagram. When converting enclosure dimensions to the metric system, start from
the interior measurements first ... all other measurements are keyed to the
interior dimensions. For example, the rear panel thickness is shown in the
drawing as 3/4", but 1", 1.25", or 1.5" would be
acceptable, even desirable ... just keep the interior dimensions the same.
ME2 version
The little brother of
the Ariel, with the same drivers and crossover. Simpler cabinet, 20Hz less
bass. Midrange is slightly different than the Ariel as a result of smaller
interior dimensions and minor vent resonances that occur in all vented-box
enclosures. For smaller rooms, especially ones with low ceilings, the ME2's are
very likely a better choice than a full-size speaker. What would otherwise be
somewhat limited bass in a large room will be nicely filled out in a small
room.
2-meter, Nearfield,
and 1/3 octave In-Room Frequency Response
18K, 723 x 561 GIF. Print landscape at 75% reduction. The two MLSSA
frequency-response graphs are comparable to the graphs published in
mass-circulation audio magazines. The upper graph shows the anechoic
first-arrival frequency response of the Ariel (the most common type of FR
graph), and the lower graph shows a FFT equivalent to a 1/3 octave Real-Time
Analyzer (RTA) room response measurement (FFT averaged over 1 second).
MLSSA Impulse and
Frequency Response with 6mSec Window
24K, 613 x 1167 GIF. Print portrait at 50% reduction. The MLSSA time,
frequency, and 3-D cumulative waterfall responses are comparable to the graphs
published in the mass-circulation magazines. These are useful for assessing the
time-domain response of a speaker, and the presence of any resonances in the
500Hz to 20kHz region.
MLSSA Impulse and
Frequency Response with 2mSec Window
19K, 591 x 1164 GIF. Print portrait at 50% reduction. Shorter window,
prettier measurements. Included here just to show how much nicer things get
when the window-size is reduced (although part of the improvement is the
elimination of a -20dB floor reflection at the 9 mSec marker, just barely
visible in the previous impulse response graph).
Ariel and ME2
Crossover & Impedance Correction Network
8K, 488 x 555 GIF. Print portrait at 100%. Not a minimalist crossover,
sorry, but the one that sounded the best. This is actually Version 15 ... yes,
I built, measured, and auditioned 14 other versions, starting with a minimalist
1-cap, 1-resistor crossover first.