|
SuperMicro-DX2
Active Tri-Amp
In the SuperMicro2, I used the Fountek FE85 with a Peerless BC25SC08-04 and I found that the tweeter is more comfortable with a high pass at 3.5kHz (18dB~24dB). Though the sound is fine for general use, I prefer the vocals to be more forward. I’m quite confident the DX20BF00-04 will do exactly that.
Fountek FE85 with Peerless DX20BF00-04
Fig 1 – Black plot = Summed Response. Blue plot = FE85. Red plot = DX20BF00-04
Nearfield below 500Hz. Active Crossover at 2.6kHz (24dB/oct).
Fig 1 is the crossover plots of the Fountek FE85 and the Peerless DX20BF00-04. The two drivers are crossed with a active crossover at 2.6kHz (24dB/oct). There are no issues with the summation as no cancellations are observed on either side of the crossover frequency.
SuperMicro-DX2 Frequency Response
Fig 2 – Summed Response of FE85 and BC25SC at 2.6kHz (24dB/oct)
For clarity, I removed the plots of the FE85 and the DX20BF. The Black plot is frequency response of the SuperMicro-DX2.
Cumulative Spectral Decay of SuperMicro-DX2
Fig 3 – Waterfall of SuperMicro-DX2. Courtesy of REW.
Fig 3 is the Waterfall plot of the SuperMicro-DX2. The DX20BF00-04 is exceptionally clean, like in the previous SuperMicro-DX. From 5kHz onwards, there are virtually no artifacts.
Toneburst Energy Storage of SuperMicro-DX2
Fig 4 – Toneburst Energy Storage of SuperMicro-DX2
The Toneburst Energy Storage in Fig 4 shows some minor storage energy (light blue slices) from 1kHz~2kHz. They should not present any problems. from 2kHz upwards, it’s amazingly clean.
Spectrogram of SuperMicro-DX2
Fig 5 – SuperMicro-DX2 Spectrogram. Courtesy of REW.
The Spectrogram in Fig 5 is a 2-dimensional representation of the Storage Energy in Fig 4. The light blue slices from 1kHz~2kHz are clearly visible with a time span of 10msec. From 2kHz~20kHz, the radiation pattern is tightly controlled.
Harmonic Distortion of SuperMicro-DX2
Fig 6 – Red plot = 2nd Harmonics. Violet plot = 3rd Harmonics
Fig 6 shows the Fountek FE85 Harmonic Distortion increases substantially below 500Hz. That’s because of the bass. If I apply a 24dB/oct high pass filter at 125Hz, the increased distortion will vanish.
Even with this higher distortion, I’m not worried because I can’t hear it. We are quite insensitive to distortion in the lower frequencies. Had it registered high distortion in the crossover region, that would be cause for concern.
Integrating the Albatross Bandpass Sub
 Fig 7 – Summed Response of Albatross Bandpass Subwoofer with SuperMicro-DX2
The SuperMicro-DX2 on its own is short on bass. To extend ihe bandwidth, I added my Albatross, a 10″ bandpass subwoofer. Now it extends down to 30Hz. The notch at 150Hz is caused by a floor bounce at the microphone’s position.
the Sound of the SuperMicro-DX2
I am more than satisfied with the SuperMicro-DX2. The Peerless DX20BF00-04 brought out the mids that the BC25SC08-04 failed to do. The clarity and forwardness of the vocals are exactly what I’m after. The steep low pass of the Albatross bandpass sub is instrumental in preventing the bass from bleeding into the midrange.
As for musical reproduction, I rank the SuperMicro-DX2 an 8 out of a 10. Seriously, it’s that good. The sound is dynamic and fast. Fast as in transients. Lively and realistic would be apt terms to describe the SuperMicro-DX2.
It is rare to get this level of sound quality with $20 for a woofer and a tweeter combined. A large part is attributed to the Peerless DX20BF00-04, without which it would not be possible.
The Fountek FE85 with the Peerless DX20BF00-04 open up new opportunities. Instead of a stand alone mini speaker, they can be incorporated as mid and high in a 3-way. The challenge is finding a budget bass woofer that performs as well as my Albatross Sub.
More to come.
Note: Unless otherwise stated, all measurements were made with the mic at 36 ins, tweeter axis. Impulse Window=5ms. No smoothing applied. |
