Tempest Build

[MrBoat]

Tempests are extremely sensitive and never drop much below 8 ohms, making them about as easy to drive for amplifiers as can be. You're probably only using a tiny fraction of a watt at normal listening levels, with peak levels well within your Denon's wheelhouse. So for your case, even a much maligned by audio nuts AVR has landed you squarely in the "too much is just enough" spot in the power game, and you didn't need to waste extra money on additional amplification.

I also drove these with an 80's vintage,100w Fisher, integrated rack amp. The Tempests did not care. If that's all I had, it'd still be great.

I'll explore more of the settings between the Denon and the sub amp. But my discombobulated discovery last night was a good one. Considering I am new to this and untainted by the numbers yet. Just seems a shame that all I am using is the amp section with all the other features just. . . . there.

On the upside, when I told my ultra-critical friend (the one who called these PA speakers) what I had done, he said he wasn't the least bit surprised. lol. . .then he asked me if I was buying a new amp.

 

[roadrune]

Modern pulse MIG has only one advantage over the 25year old pulse MIG, it is a LOT better on thin aluminium, other than that, ill take the 25 year Esab over our brand new Kemppi or Migatronics any day, it just welds much nicer.

As for TIG, i would say modern machines are better, but not for the functions, but for the stability in the arc.
I personally dont use anything besides up and down slope and postflow. And of course 4-stroke (you call it that in english), so pretty much any machine from the last 30 years have the functions, but any machine shure as hell dont weld nice.

The real big difference to me is in AC TIG, where only a few brands make really good machines. Migatronic is IMO far superior.

 

[MrBoat]

Modern pulse MIG has only one advantage over the 25year old pulse MIG, it is a LOT better on thin aluminium, other than that, ill take the 25 year Esab over our brand new Kemppi or Migatronics any day, it just welds much nicer.

As for TIG, i would say modern machines are better, but not for the functions, but for the stability in the arc.
I personally dont use anything besides up and down slope and postflow. And of course 4-stroke (you call it that in english), so pretty much any machine from the last 30 years have the functions, but any machine shure as hell dont weld nice.

The real big difference to me is in AC TIG, where only a few brands make really good machines. Migatronic is IMO far superior.

Do you know when they started having problems with arc stability with TIG? When they started torturing the sine wave. It started with the first generation square wave machines. Also, right about the time automated welding started becoming more mainstream. If I told you that there were machines that welded just as well overhead as flat on A/C TIG, quietly, merely by adjusting A/C balance (I know this too manipulates the sine wave) just a little, you'd probably think I was nuts.

Actually, I don't have an issue with inverter technology. It's the fact that they don't provide an override, or 'pure direct' simulation mode with the newer technology. Mostly because we are sharing the same machines with automation. All of those functions and they cannot include a similar function to the original smooth wave transformer machines.

The last great solid state, or semi-solid state machine they made for A/C welding was the Miller Aircrafter, that was designed for companies like Boeing, IIRC.

Now, all you see is welders adjusting settings and trying to reach manufacturer tech support.

Here's my station. I have the oldest machine in the shop that had been stuffed in a dark corner buried under junk, deemed useless/obsolete. There is a newer Miller Dynasty inverter to the left of it in the photo. Yet all the welders jump at the chance to use my machine.

When I started there, I took my weld test on a newer machine they had and there was another welder who was the seniority guy in charge. When I hired on, he informed me that the newest machine was for him. Instead of getting the next best thing, I drug this old first gen square wave out of the junk, tuned it up, and started throwing down elite quality welds and it's been driven hard ever since for the last 18 years, and they still want to get their hands on it. I never have to adjust much more than the amperage control periodically. The new machine has been back to the service center 3 times and it's an arc wandering bitch. All I ever did to old school was buy a new set of points for the high freq and adjusted them correctly.

I am now seniority guy on the floor and could use any machine I wish, and yet I stay with this one. The newer guys go on internet forums and spend all their time researching upgrades to their process. Meanwhile, old guy just builds and builds without issue for years on end. Never a failed weld or warranty return on work made with this.

 

[MrBoat]

Also, don't mind me. I'm an old stick in the mud who resists change with regard to redundancy. I do know the value of certain modern advances with one caveat.

There is an entire generation of young people coming up who cannot fathom a workaround to new technology. If they cannot get their hands on the new tech, they will instead, do nothing. Lots of excuses. I am merely showing them that great things can still be done with minimalist approaches. Also, the precision that can still be attained with hand tools and crude technology. They just can't forego the time it takes to learn the skillsets.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Also, don't mind me. I'm an old stick in the mud who resists change with regard to redundancy. I do know the value of certain modern advances with one caveat.

There is an entire generation of young people coming up who cannot fathom a workaround to new technology. If they cannot get their hands on the new tech, they will instead, do nothing. Lots of excuses. I am merely showing them that great things can still be done with minimalist approaches. Also, the precision that can still be attained with hand tools and crude technology. They just can't forego the time it takes to learn the skillsets.

Agreed. And they also seem to struggle with learning finesse, and feel. It takes time, and technique. Nowadays younger people are stuck with this instant gratification ideal. Im afraid for the future.

 

[roadrune]

Real workers who can build and fix things with what ever they have, no matter how old, is a dying bread in the western world, sadly.

I think i am the last generation here in Norway who actually know how to use your hands. (I am 40 years)

What do you make at your shop, mr boat?

My job is at the worlds largest manufacturer of offshore living quarters, mainly in aluminium.
I would guess we are making some of the largest aluminium constructions there is.

 

[MrBoat]

Mostly I make things like this.

But they trust me to repair things for the petrol industry etc. I do a lot of different challenging projects. Anything imaginable with metal or aluminum.

Difficult cast aluminum repairs that nobody else wants to fix.

And a lot of fun things too. I have hundreds of documented projects, yet I have only taken photos the last 6-7 years.

I do all of the design/layout, fabrication and welding of these projects. No blueprints or CAD software. We used to have a CAD draftsman, but I could do it faster with a batten and some other crude tools, and I did not have to spend time proving the drawings. I used to have to send them back for corrections. Same with the last place I worked. I get fancy prints but they always have corrections. I go straight from measurement to full size patterns now and have had zero error since. I have been building this way for over 20 years now.

 

[Verdinut]

Definitely need to be black. It just goes to show how honking big the Tempest woofers are. It's a snug fit so far. I have it jamming while this photo was taken and they stay there by themselves without any fasteners. I need to twist the little ell's a little more true to square on one side.
Mr Boat,
A very nice job indeed! Thanks for sharing your photos.
Cheers,

I have so much more to do. Still need to build speaker stands, a TV/component (if I even keep the tv since I rarely watch it) stand, another pair of speakers on their way, veneer/paint the sub. . . . This DIY stuff can really evolve!

Definitely need to be black. It just goes to show how honking big the Tempest woofers are. It's a snug fit so far. I have it jamming while this photo was taken and they stay there by themselves without any fasteners. I need to twist the little ell's a little more true to square on one side.

I have so much more to do. Still need to build speaker stands, a TV/component (if I even keep the tv since I rarely watch it) stand, another pair of speakers on their way, veneer/paint the sub. . . . This DIY stuff can really evolve!

 

[MrBoat]

I had to look for your comment, Verdinut. It was trapped within my quote.

 

[MrBoat]

Still using these. These are why I ended up on AH forum. From being tired of being tickled by tiny desktop systems and having to get back into full room audio to get my fix. But I had a new, modern problem. I now spent most of my time at my computer desk, which was at odds for a living room setup and put me well off axis. Then, I would have to take breaks from the pc when wanting to really jam, and go sit in some extra lonely, centrally located spot. I don't internet, or much else from phone.

Well that was just not fun. I had forgotten I made my subs the exact same width as the Tempests. I only use the subs for fill below 45hz so they are not feeling picky with location. I have the Tempests tilted towards my ear level with 1/4" thick black felt tiles between them and the subs and this is just ridiculously badass for a desktop experience. I may never leave this seat again.

One on each side of my desk. This is not a bad way to live.

 

[ski2xblack]

Tempests are genuinely awesome, uncannily devoid of audible tells, conspicuously adept at getting out of the way of the music. I still think they could sneak into JBL's lineup of upper eschelon of pro monitors (that cost many thousands more) and hold their own.

 

[MrBoat]

Tempests are genuinely awesome, uncannily devoid of audible tells, conspicuously adept at getting out of the way of the music. I still think they could sneak into JBL's lineup of upper eschelon of pro monitors (that cost many thousands more) and hold their own.

I have spent a lot of time with them. I was lucky to end up with them before they became NLA.

As near field monitors. . . O M G!

I have pretty much kept these hot since 2017.

So glad you suggested them.

 

[MrBoat]

It's Friday night and I have them cranked with some really well produced rock/progressive music and for the price of admission I have into these, they have returned it thousands of times over. These things are just refined beasts.

 

[MrBoat]

The Fusion-12 Tempests reside in the "FTW" class of DIY designs.

Where else but on an internet forum where a bunch of closet audio gearheads reside, can you get someone to recommend a pair of 500WRMS rated pro speakers with a 98db sensitivity for someone's living room? LOL!

Once WAF and other limitations were out of the way, the monsters came out.

I should also remember Jeff Bagby (RIP), who helped design it or made the actual concept work.

 

[ski2xblack]

I should also remember Jeff Bagby (RIP), who helped design it or made the actual concept work.

Yes. Give the man an Omnimic, DATS, and some sim software and he could really cook up something special. Sad he's gone.

His Tempests were only the third kit I slapped together, and I haven't had any strong urge to build something else since. That being said, I'm Helios curious (his best speaker according to the man himself), but wow those drivers are costly!

 

[MrBoat]

LOL

 

[ben_]

Do you have a link to this kit? Is it still available? This thread has me genuinely interested.

 

[MrBoat]

Do you have a link to this kit? Is it still available? This thread has me genuinely interested.

Sadly, it's NLA. Mostly because the original compression driver for the horn is NLA. Although, Eminence (manufacturer of the woofer) has a new (albeit expensive) series of CD that shows promise if one wanted to design/build a similar type of speaker.

Have seen some for sale at AVS forum marketplace a time or two in the past.

 

[ben_]

Oh, that's a shame. Do you know if there are any recommended pre-cut kits similar to this? I don't really have space or equipment for cutting wood, but I know I can handle soldering, assembly and finishing.

 

[MrBoat]

Oh, that's a shame. Do you know if there are any recommended pre-cut kits similar to this? I don't really have space or equipment for cutting wood, but I know I can handle soldering, assembly and finishing.

There's a lot of great speaker kits out there. The only other waveguide (horn) speakers I have liked the sound of for music are by JBL. I have built quite a few kits but this is the only waveguide type.

I only care about music so that simplifies things for me. Parts Express has a lot of designs that have flat pack cabinets with the kits.

I typically use Meniscus Audio for the kits w/o cabinets. The Tempests were the only design that I got with cabinet parts already cut. I bought the flatpack more to support the company, than to avoid woodwork, because I liked the cost/performance ratio and at the time, great support.

Most recently, I have been intrigued by the Philharmonic BMR kit from Meniscus, the Kairos kit (same designer as the Tempest) and the Helios from the same.

If I did not want to cut my own cabinets, I would seek out a CNC capable cabinet shop in my area and have them cut/machine the parts for me.

Also, look up Toids audio projects on youtube. He built a similar looking type but don't recall exactly what they were designed to do.