Philharmonic Audio - 3-way open back ML-TQWTs designed by Dennis Murphy

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Dennis Murphy

Audioholic General
Time to invest in a nice generator. Where's FEMA when we need them, national emergency if the Phils are delayed :D
It's a little late to find generators, and they really tick off the neighbors. I may have to cancel out on the Audio Fest if PEPCO doesn't get me back on line until this weekend. I have to ship speakers, and there just won't be time to get two pairs of show speakers ready. Bummer.
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
... 30 minutes later my conclusion is... it sounds the same. If there was any difference, reverse polarity maybe sounded a bit "blurry" or "muted" in the upper midrange. But given how unreliable acoustic memory and sighted, non instant switching is, i wouldn't even go as far as to say that.

I will say though that I heard no shift in apparent voice or instrument placement.
What I thought too. If anything, it's for the worse. No way. Ain't doing it. Forget about it. :D
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Hanging with the kids solo is always a lot of fun for me, so I don't mind. Go figure it's the weekend of CAF, though. :( Oh well. I'll be at RMAF, so I really hope Dennis finds a way to make it.

Stay cool Dennis and here's to hoping life gets back to normal soon. Cheers!
If I were a millionaire, I would retire and take care of my kids full-time. Love it too. :D

Yeah, good luck, Dennis!
 
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frsimms

Junior Audioholic
... 30 minutes later my conclusion is... it sounds the same. If there was any difference, reverse polarity maybe sounded a bit "blurry" or "muted" in the upper midrange. But given how unreliable acoustic memory and sighted, non instant switching is, i wouldn't even go as far as to say that.

I will say though that I heard no shift in apparent voice or instrument placement.
Thanks for trying it! You hear what you hear. I won't disagree with what you hear.

What I heard was when instruments were recessed, nothing much like you. When Singers are singing solo up front, then I heard them change from just behind the front plane of the speakers to just in front of the speakers.

Bob
 
AcuDefTechGuy

AcuDefTechGuy

Audioholic Jedi
Thanks for trying it! You hear what you hear. I won't disagree with what you hear.

What I heard was when instruments were recessed, nothing much like you. When Singers are singing solo up front, then I heard them change from just behind the front plane of the speakers to just in front of the speakers.

Bob
You have entered into.................do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do........the Twilight Zone. :eek: :D
 
slipperybidness

slipperybidness

Audioholic Warlord
It's a little late to find generators, and they really tick off the neighbors. I may have to cancel out on the Audio Fest if PEPCO doesn't get me back on line until this weekend. I have to ship speakers, and there just won't be time to get two pairs of show speakers ready. Bummer.
Never too late for generators, be prepared.

The neighbors won't mind the noise at all when you hand them an ice-cold beer :D
 
D

Dennis Murphy

Audioholic General
Never too late for generators, be prepared.

The neighbors won't mind the noise at all when you hand them an ice-cold beer :D
They don't drink. Or at least not nearly as much as I am. Still no power. Tick tock.
 
cpp

cpp

Audioholic Ninja
Darn Dennis if you weren't so far away, I have a Honda 3000 generator you could use. Of course you could always just drive down here and stay at the lake house, get some sun, drink a few cold ones, take the boat or the jet ski for a spin or get your exercise in by using one of the kayaks .:cool:
 
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roguemodel

Audiophyte
philharmonic crossover?

I was interested if anyone here knows the components used in the philharmonic crossover? And, as in the Salk's, if the components are upgradable. Thanks.
 
fuzz092888

fuzz092888

Audioholic Warlord
I was interested if anyone here knows the components used in the philharmonic crossover? And, as in the Salk's, if the components are upgradable. Thanks.
There is a picture of the crossover on the philharmonic website, you should be able to discern a few parts from that and I believe some of the parts are quoted in the descriptions of the websites. And yes the parts are upgradable to whatever you want for additional cost, but as the website says it isn't recommended.
 
D

Dennis Murphy

Audioholic General
I was interested if anyone here knows the components used in the philharmonic crossover? And, as in the Salk's, if the components are upgradable. Thanks.
All of the philharmonics use the same brand and grade of components. All of the capacitors are polypropylene, including the big hog woofer cap, which costs me over 30 bucks a pop. The woofer and midrange caps are Solens. The tweeter caps are the more expensive Clarity Cap PX series. I'm not sure they sound any better, but they're blue, and that's kind of cool. The series inductors in the midrange are 16 ga air cores, and very low dcr steel laminates in the woofer circuit. The low insertion loss is critical to the transmission line tuning. All resistors are Mundorf non-inductive. As I say on the website, I'll spend any amount of money you want on more expensive components, but I would prefer that you give it to the poor or make a contribution to the Philharmonic Audio emergency backup generator fund. BTW, the good folk at PEPCO now inform me that I shouldn't expect power until Sunday. I'm at the very bottom of the priority list because I have a downed wire feeding only one house.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
The tweeter caps are the more expensive Clarity Cap PX series. I'm not sure they sound any better, but they're blue, and that's kind of cool.
That's some of the best reasoning I've heard for choosing brands of caps for audio circuits.

BTW, the good folk at PEPCO now inform me that I shouldn't expect power until Sunday. I'm at the very bottom of the priority list because I have a downed wire feeding only one house.
While PEPCO's reasoning makes perfect sense, and I'd want them to have that strategy if I lived in your area, my deepest sympathy for what must be a hugely inconvenient, uncomfortable, and frustrating situation.
 
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roguemodel

Audiophyte
Thanks,

Thanks Dennis, I am sure you have addressed this question before. I am going to order in August. Mapa Burl will be my lam choice. I have deferred to the expert on speaker design with my question on crossover components. PEPCO sounds like they should be a soft drink bottler instead of a power company, sounds they do would do a better job with that.
 
Gordonj

Gordonj

Full Audioholic
BTW, the good folk at PEPCO now inform me that I shouldn't expect power until Sunday. I'm at the very bottom of the priority list because I have a downed wire feeding only one house.
so sorry to hear that Dennis, if you need a place to stay cool I'm an hour from you with a down stairs in-law suite ready to go....

Praying for your power to come back!

Gordon
 
D

Dennis Murphy

Audioholic General
Thanks Dennis, I am sure you have addressed this question before. I am going to order in August. Mapa Burl will be my lam choice. I have deferred to the expert on speaker design with my question on crossover components. PEPCO sounds like they should be a soft drink bottler instead of a power company, sounds they do would do a better job with that.
We're all probably to blame for the current disaster--the only solution is to bury cables underground, and there would ge howls of protest if we were asked to pay for it. I suspect that PEPCO is doing the best they can, and I feel fortunate that I can almost afford to stay at the local Marriott. OK--i can't afford it. Send money.
 
Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
We're all probably to blame for the current disaster--the only solution is to bury cables underground, and there would ge howls of protest if we were asked to pay for it. I suspect that PEPCO is doing the best they can, and I feel fortunate that I can almost afford to stay at the local Marriott. OK--i can't afford it. Send money.
I'm actually more critical of the utility industry. While your particular situation might be not be cost-effective to solve with buried cable, I suspect some strategic line burying would have dramatically reduced the coverage area of the outages. Unfortunately, my experience with the power industry is that they learn very little from the past, and invest only when required by statute. Regulated monopolies always get dumb.
 
cpp

cpp

Audioholic Ninja
I'm actually more critical of the utility industry. While your particular situation might be not be cost-effective to solve with buried cable, I suspect some strategic line burying would have dramatically reduced the coverage area of the outages. Unfortunately, my experience with the power industry is that they learn very little from the past, and invest only when required by statute. Regulated monopolies always get dumb.
the real limiting factor is that the cost of ditching and burying lines which can be really expensive as compared to overhead cables and usually equate to about $10 a foot to bury.

In Fla where 1/3 of the cables provided by FPL the two key drivers contributing to the cost calculations are labor and materials. Depending on these factors, underground facilities can cost anywhere from $500,000 per mile to more than $4 million per mile. http://www.fpl.com/faqs/underground.shtml

Dennis sorry to hear about your situation, but your not alone up there,hang in there at your home was safe.
 
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Irvrobinson

Irvrobinson

Audioholic Spartan
the real limiting factor is that the cost of ditching and burying lines which can be really expensive as compared to overhead cables and usually equate to about $10 a foot to bury.

In Fla where 1/3 of the cables provided by FPL the two key drivers contributing to the cost calculations are labor and materials. Depending on these factors, underground facilities can cost anywhere from $500,000 per mile to more than $4 million per mile. FPL | Overhead and Underground Electrical Service FAQs
I'm aware of the issues. My spouse works in the power industry, so I'm hearing about utility problems every day. My original comments stand. Strategic line burying carried out over decades would be a trivial factor in their operational budgets. Storms are nothing new anywhere in the US. But when you are a regulated monopoly innovative thinking and acting in the interest of the public good aren't required. It's only about doing the minimum.
 
D

Dennis Murphy

Audioholic General
I'm aware of the issues. My spouse works in the power industry, so I'm hearing about utility problems every day. My original comments stand. Strategic line burying carried out over decades would be a trivial factor in their operational budgets. Storms are nothing new anywhere in the US. But when you are a regulated monopoly innovative thinking and acting in the interest of the public good aren't required. It's only about doing the minimum.
Well, I used to teach the economics of regulation, and there's no substitute for competition. So I'm sure PEPCO could have done far better over the years. I'm just trying to stay objective about my personal situation. But if they don't show up tomorrow, shove this objectivity stuff.
 
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ACsGreens

Full Audioholic
Bummer...

Well, the Phil 2 dream has died for the time being as the wife's job was terminated. Was a very large worldwide corporation, seems like things are not getting much better yet. Just had 2nd kid also, but good thing we have planned ahead for times like this, just didn't equate new PHil 2's into that...in hindsight......
 
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