Another full range speaker company getting ravs is the Lii Audio. The 15 and the best 10 inch drivers are 97-99db sensitive....made quite well. People on the Decware forum are going crazy over them. Just talked to a friend who likes his Lii F-15s better than his quad amped crazy system. You can get a pair of the F-15s for $400 plus shipping. The best 10 incher is $1000 a pair plus shipping and you can get the 10 inchers delivered to your home for $3K in serious speaker cabinets that let them play down to 30Hz. Are these as good as the Cubes? I hope not considering the price difference.....but, what if they are 90% as good? No Lowther shout....no peakiness has been reported. Of course, they need the usual several hundred hours of break in. According to those that have heard the 10 and the 15....the 10 is more articulate but the 15 is more fun to listen to (more balls).
You could mount a 15 and a 10 on an open baffle and put a coil on the 15 and a cap on the 10 so they are crossed over around 3-4 hundred cycles and you would get the balls of the big one and the more articulation of the smaller one and still the whole shebang is 97+db efficient. A single stack of great caps in series with the 10 would not limit their sound (you know Clarity cap CMRs bypassed by copper foils or better). Another way to run these two would be to use a tube amp on the 10 that has a very small coupling cap in it......That way you have a natural roll off of bass.....and you have a less expensive super sounding cap in the amp. This way you have zero xover again on the 10 incher. Then run another amp on the woofs. Pretty cool stuff. |
Now this will blow your minds! The speakers have binding posts. These WBT posts are very good but not as good as hardwiring. But what is really not good is the input tip jack on the speaker driver.....looks like it only takes a banana plug. If you really want to hear the speaker....then this is what you will do: Remove the driver from the box and hardwire/solder the best wire you can source directly to the voice coil wire.....right at the point where it is soldered to the tip jack.......then remove the binding posts in the rear of the speaker and run this wire directly out and clamp or solder it to your speaker wires. Seal up the hole around the wire coming out.....OMG..... With two sets of connectors gone and better wire.....you will hear things you never thought this speaker could do. This is not subtle. Even better would be to add a set of Ground Enhancers right on the driver negative post. When you go to sell your speakers (what, someone will sell their speakers?!?) you can put it all back to stock and no one will ever know you modded it. Ground Enhancers are loops of litz wire that you put on the negative terminal of a speaker....(or directly on the speaker driver). These loops of wire act as a better ground and enhance detail.....very cheap....$30 the pair. Yes, I sell them.....I will become a millionaire if you buy a pair. http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/EVS_Ground_Enhancers.htmlI understand that only about 1% of audiophiles are adventurous and feel comfortable soldering and modding expensive gear.........but if you are that one person, then you will rewarded with much better sound......and all for very cheap. |
david_ten
There is no such thing as a thread that only mentions one speaker. Already people are talking about Horning, Charney, Voxative, and whatever. Of course, people want to know how Cube compares to whatever.......this is what the game is about. Now, if the thread was titled....."Only Cube owners experiences, please"......then MAYBE you have a point.
Some people feel threatened by my comments on improving the speaker......and mentioning other speakers that are maybe way cheaper and could be alternatives........if you like feeling bad.....that is your choice. I suggest you choose joy no matter what the circumstance.....it feels much better and lifts everyone. My intention is to educate and inform......about audio and life.
In that vein, I will now mention a much better version of a Cube speaker.....an open baffle speaker you make yourself. You can buy the drivers in the US for something like $6,000 a pair delivered. You can take $500 worth of 3/4 inch 13 ply baltic birch plywood and 3/4 inch highly refined MDF and make a baffle 2 feet wide by four feet high. You also make wings that are one foot by four foot on each side going straight back (felt on the inside of the wings so the rear radiated highs will not bounce off the wings). You use the Birch for the front and rear and the MDF layer in between.....all baffles 2.25 inches thick. You mount the driver near the top of the baffle and use all my techniques and you will have way, way, way better sound than a stock Nenuphar......and on a baffle that is basically a four foot square folded back....you will have bass down to 40hz in your room. Of course, you will need a good sized room and the baffle has to be at least 5 feet from the rear wall. With all my tweaks plus the sound of open baffle (total elimination of box sound and rear radiation)........this would blow you mind. You can finish and shape the baffles any way to please your eye. The speaker wire would be wired directly to your amp from the voice coil wire......OMG. Total cost....less than $7500. If you do not have any woodworking skills you can hire some local woodworker for $1000 to make them for you with super finishing.
Drivers....$6K, Ground Enhancers $38, Bybee Clarifiers $220, wood and glue and screws $550......footers? Finishing? With a table saw and router you could build these in one weekend (without finishing).......you assemble and it sounds so good you wait for a loooooooooooooong time before taking the drivers out and finishing it......it will sound that good........Who will be the first to do this? Not everyone is conservative and just buys stuff. Way less than half price you have something way frickin better.
I will leave this thread for awhile and let you talk about amps and such......will check back later......maybe someone will try what I suggest and post here or start their own thread. Would be lovely if a Nenuphar owner built an open baffle version and compared.....really cool.
Of course, you can add supertweeters (some already have) and woofs......that is another story for another time. Have fun. Love is all there is.
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The reason Cube (and most companies) do not make open baffle speakers is that it is not an easy sell. The baffle needs to be large, you need space behind the speaker or you do what Nelson does and add woofer below. They are selling a look....a lifestyle......slickness....they are not selling super hot rods.
Look at the crappy wire and banana plug Nelson is using....he is not a tweak, for sure......no Ground Enhancer, No Bybee, no wiring directly to the voice coil wire.....and not good wire......probably has the same banana things on the amp end of the speaker wire.....you know...so he change change wires or amps real fast.....Hot rodding is so easy.....and takes so little time....and the sonic rewards are amazing..........but, he just has no interest in it. He even told me so.
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The Nenuphar might have slightly deeper bass than putting the driver on an open baffle. My friends 10 inch lii driver on the open baffle I described is flat in large livingroom to 40hz and 5 db down at 30. The Nenuphar cannot move that much air at lower frequencies and that is why there is the Basis.....the Basis adds low bass and punch and the smaller ported cabinet for the full range makes it roll off the lower bass on the full range driver.....so it will play louder without overload. You could do the same with an open baffle version of a Cube.....you add woofs underneath and you change the coupling cap in your tube amp or whatever that creates a 6db per octave rolloff on the main driver areound 60-100hz without adding any crossover parts. If you use a better quality cap in the amp....then you have another boost in sound. Lots of ways up the mountain. Creativity and an open mind are king.
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stephendunn,
Sure,,,,no probem.....but then you do not get to tune your system with different flavors of speaker wire. And, as debjit said....experimenting with wire is made very hard. If you have mono blocks then absolutely you can mount them right behind the speaker and use the wire coming out and hook it right to your amp posts...using the wire tinned (no spade/banana....all connectors suck)..
debjit_g,
Most speaker wires are not shielded.
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If you want to make any cube speaker way better then do this:
Remove the driver and the binding posts.
Solder super wire directly to the voice coil wire.....no longer usng banana plugs into the banana jack....solder the speaker wire to the end of the banana jack (the very same point the voice coil wire is attached)
Run this wire directly out the back of the speaker about one foot and strip about one inch of wire and bend it around a quarter inch drill bit to form a loop and tin the bare wire loop with solder. Strip the wire after you have soldered the other end to the driver and reinstalled the driver.
Also, solder a Ground Enhancer ($30 a pair) to the negative voice coil wire (speaker wire and ground ehnancer are soldered together at the same point).
Put a Bybee Quatnum Clarifier ($100 each) on the back of the magnet of the driver.
Reinsall the driver.
Pull the any slack in the wire though the back holes and then cut the wire so you have about one foot of wire hanging out....then strip and tin and bend the wire..Attach your speaker wire (either bare wire or spade) to the wire coming out of the speaker using one quarter inch nylon bolts, thick washers and wing nuts (very cheap).
Turn on music......pee in pants.....cry and laugh. Now you have Nenuphar mark VII
By removing the banana connection at the speaker and removing the binding posts (essentially hardwiring), adding the Ground Enhancer and Bybee thang and using better wire than what is in the speaker you will hear things you never dreamed of. Much more extended, real, warm, dynamic, larger sound, much lower noise, more ambience, space, well..everything. Total cost about $260 plus some super wire...say $350 total.... Time.....about 3 hours....one hour and a half per speaker....being very careful You use a wire that is much longer than you need to you can put the wire through the box and have it hanging out the back......because it is now so long....you can work on the driver directly on a small bench in front of the speaker....another way to work on the speaker would be to lay it on its side on a padded table....then you can work on the driver right next to the cabinet.
Who will be the first to tweak a Nenuphar? Everyone hotrods their cars.....no one would think twice about taking their brand new $70k Corvette into a modders place and having an even bigger supercharger put in, etc. for another $25K to get another 2 -300 horsepower. Yet, no one in the world will spend $350 to upgrade a $16,000 speaker? We are such wimps....he he. You can always put it back to stock and no one will ever know.....Of course, once you have heard it modded you will never sell it.....ever.....
What is so cool about any single driver speaker is its simplicity...no fricking crossover......but still...every single thing you do (or don’t do) affects the sound....big time.....these mods are simple...yet highly effective.
Please read this review on what the Bybee thangs can do:
https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0620/Loudspeaker_Mega_Tweakfest_Review.htm
Please, enjoy this moment and every moment that exists.....it is your right to choose love and joy all the time. The more you choose something and live it....the more you become that quality. You want to feel better? Than let yourself feel incredible right now...and keep choosing it every now.
Blessings and love.
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Everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.....including what you say. For instance, I am not the Rick Schultz of High Fidelity Cables. I am the Ric Schultz of Tweakaudio.com. Even though you are wrong about this.....you are still worthy. You are beautiful....I love you.
All you have to do is to try something and listen to know whether it is "grain of salt" or high class organic honey. Sweetness rules.....I kiss you all so sweetly.
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It is not just one thing that makes a differerce....it is everything you do. better wire, removing the sound of the jack connection on the speaker, removing the sound of the WBT binding posts, adding the enhancment of Ground Enhancers and the Bybee thangs.....it is five things.....
You just change the wire and you only get one out of five. I have not played with the Bybee thangs but I am getting a pair in shortly to try on a single driver speaker here.......but I doubt that review and this one are wrong:
http://v2.stereotimes.com/post/bybee-iqse-clarifiers-a-first-time-encounter/
He only heard bass changes....not mid and treble.....but he liked very much what he heard.
I have never liked silver wire. I find it too silver sounding.....forward and bright. I have straight wire bypassed WBT rca connectors......and the silver ones sounded "more detailed and forward" than the straight wire. Maybe some dull system could use this coloration. Right now I am using the 14 gauge VH Audio wire that is cryoed OFC stranded wire in foamed teflon.....I remove the outer clear teflon cover. Sounds really great.......I am sure there are better wires.....but which one?
You can see a crossover I made for someone that has this wire and also the quarter inch nylon bolts and nuts to secure his speaeker wires (Fidelium cables with biwire adapters.....will have more pics of his system up later today). Be sure to scroll all the way down the page to see the latest large pic of the updated crossover. Incredible speaker.....out of this world great
I will soon have pics and description on this page that shows an open baffle system using the top of the line Lii Audio drivers with added super tweeter.......and even more ideas and pics down the road. Please bookmark page and follow along. I think you will be amazed and what can be done......and for so little..
.http://tweakaudio.com/EVS-2/Speaker_ideas.html
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Grannyring,
This is a full range driver. It has no crossover, no caps, no parts
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A bypass cap is just a smaller value cap that goes in parallel with a larger value to extend and purify the signal as large capacitors are inductive (therefore not as pure or as extended as a smaller cap). There is no cap in the Nenuphar. If you bypassed the driver (across the hot and negative) you would be adding a filter. A no no. What you want is to enhance the driver.....not diminish it. Ground Enhancer, Bybee thang....hard wiring to the voice coil wire, better wire, eliminating the rear binding posts......these enhance the speaker.
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For those who like to build things (or have someone build something for you)......buying the Cube drivers and mounting them on an open baffle will give you considerably better sound (not as deep of bass)....if done correctly. An open baffle will allow a more "open" sound. An example"
four foot high baffle
2 foot wide baffle
2 wings, one foot by 4 feet going straight back
You mount the driver about one foot or so from the top of the panel.
This will probably give you flat to 40 hz in room.
All baffles made from at least 3 layers of three quarter inch different woods to kill resonances....for instance, a combo of bamboo, baltic birch and highly refined MDF......
The serious magic comes from how you hook it up. The stock Nenuphar has a binding post on the outside....then a wire going to a banana plug that plugs into the banana jack on the speaker driver. All of these things veil the sound. What you do is SOLDER some really good speaker wire directly to the voice coil wire where it attaches to the banana jack.....the other end the the speaker wire attaches to your amp. This will blow your mind. Of course, you could do this same tweak with a Nenuphar but how many people are going to remove the driver and hardwire a cable and remove the binding posts and run the wire through the vacated binding post holes? Any takers?...he he. I am saying, you have never heard what this driver is capable of by having all that stuff in the signal path that you do not need and veils the sound.
There are only about 5 percent of audiophiles that are DIYers.....and most DIYers are cheapskats......he he. So, I don’t expect much from this post other than letting you know what the possibilities are. Maybe, some day, someone will find out how much magic is in this driver......Will it be you? The cost of the drivers and wood and wire would be $10K......much less than the Nenuphar. And you could always mount the driver in a small box and use it down the road in your bedroom or van....he he.
Of course, you could add powered or passive woofers to the open baffle Cubes and get all the slam you ever wanted. If you did this you could cut off some of the bass from the Cube driver by putting a tiny cap in front of the main amp or by changing the coupling cap in a tube amp to a lower value that would limit the lows going to the driver. You would get cleaner sound and have more mid bass impact by running your woofs up to at least 100hz.
Enjoy this moment!.....it is magic. I has always been magic....Blessings to all. |
The standard Cube Nenuphar retails for $15.9K......as far as I can see. The drivers list for 6690 Euros ($8176 USD) the pair plus shipping and duty. The mini retails for $12.0K. I have done all these mods to various speakers for at least 30 years. The mods would do exactly the same with this speaker. What you think is ugly, is someone else's beauty. Want to see some cool looking open baffle speakers?...check these out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfgEbVxt4AA&t=328sYou could mount the drivers on a one foot wide baffle and install woofers underneath to fill in under 250hz.....then the speaker is just one foot wide and no wings. You could finish it any way you like. Infinite possibilities if your mind and heart are open. Are we having fun? If not, try something else. Serving others brings joy to everyone. Who are you serving by your thoughts, words, feelings and deeds? |
Personally, I don't see anything special in the cabinet they use. They don't even mention cabinet construction, material, damping or tweaking or their site. Basically, its just a TQWT (tapered quarter wave tube) box. Very good, I am sure. Its pretty well known how to make a TQWT enclosure for any driver. I bet they did try a few versions and damping inside before deciding on the final one. Always more work then you think. Here is a link to the cube suggestion for their driver. The Nenuphar cabinet, I bet, is not much different. You notice they suggest just 22mm (7/8th inch) plywood or MDF as material. https://02637fff-b463-452b-ba09-792d2e320fac.filesusr.com/ugd/dbb9c8_37860c1d840c492fb83707adcf9e20c...Look at Magico, Wilson, VSA, speakers using granite cabinets, YG Acoustics, Rockport, etc......now these are serious cabinets. |
A reminder......the Neo 10 drivers are $6500 the pair directly from the US distributor. You can build an even better box for way cheap. However, if you mounted it on a four foot high by 2 foot wide open baffle....with four foot by one foot wings going straight back on each side......you would have even better sound......and you would still get flat to 40hz bass. You could buy some 13 ply baltic birch three quarter inch plywood and use three layers with green glue in between each layer.....pretty darn dead.
For even better sound (whether in a box or open baffle). You can hardwire some great sounding wire directly to the voice coil wire (the point where the voice coil wire is soldered to the banana jack). Then you solder that wire (either hanging out of the box.....or dangling off the driver in open baffle) directly to your speaker wire......so there would be no speaker connectors what so ever......this will blow your mind. You an also solder a Ground Enhancer directly on the negative voice coil wire, as well for even more info. WAY, WAY more transparent. or you can keep your speaker stock and enjoy the veiled sound.....he he. You can do what I suggest and put it all back to stock later on when you sell the speaker (if ever).
You guys have never heard your speaker......you do the above and you will cry and weep it will be so good. One of you wants to do it. One of you is not a sheep. One of you wants to get sound to die for.....all it takes is one person willing to do it.....costs really nothing to hardwire.......just some labor.....and you can put it all back to stock without anyone ever knowing. Don't be a wimp.....he he. You can do it. I will talk you though it on the phone, if you like....really. I want you guys to weep with joy over your sound. |
No, do not own Cube speakers nor know anyone who does. No one in the world has done what I suggest......you could be the first! I do know someone who has done this to his $1200 a pair Lii Silver 10 speakers (mounted on the open baffle described above). Yes, I have done this to many speakers and make my own speakers and have since the mid 70s. I have modded and manufactured gear since the late 70s. I bean around the block. People will argue all day about what is the worlds greatest hook up wire. I really don't know. But any great wire will work fantastic in the scenario described. It is the removing of the banana jack, the banana plug, the WBT connector and (if possible) your spade on your speaker wire that will make the most difference. Of course, you want great wire....here are some suggestions:
Parallel single strand PCOCC Chris Venhaus wire
Parallel silver gold Mundorf wire.
Neotech copper litz braid wire....parallel several 20 gauges or get some 14 gauge from Zen Wave.
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Yes, everything is important and can contribute to better sound. I can send one Nenuphar owner (who is looking for better sound).....a free pair of my Music Purifiers....that mount on the speaker terminals (takes one minute to install). They are an rf filter in the lineage of Enacom, Walker HDL and Stein Music.......done with my 45 years of tweaking ability and selling for very little ($125). Pretty amazing....what they do. One of my beta testers is using a full range 10 inch Lii driver to great success. This is a one time offer. You must contact me through my website address or email. So, who will be the lucky guy? First one gets it....free, no strings attached.....of course, if you like it I hope you tell everyone here about your experience.
Blessings and Love.
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If you really want to get a big boost then you need to solder the internal wire directly to the voice coil wire......and bypass the banana connection altogether......costs you nothing. Mundorf has some new wire called Angelique.....that I will be playing with.....it is an alloy of copper, silver and gold that they have been working on for a long time. Probably sounds great inside the Nenuphar and soldered directly to the voice coil wire.....of course, for those even more experimental....you will eliminate the WBT binding posts and clamp the wire from the voice coil wire directly to your speaker wire using Nylon hardware. I will have nylon hardware for sale real cheap on my site soon for this purpose.
The one time free pair of Muisc Purifiiers is gone.....the person who got them knows who they are.....sorry for you slow pokes....he he.
Anyone can "try" these Music Purifiers......I give you 30 day money back.....and in fact, if you do not like them and want to return them for full refund (including shipping)........I will also send you $10 to mail them back.....so you lose not one cent.
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