Tekton Double Impacts

Thanks Grannyring! Feel free to call to chat anytime too! The cool thing that often gets overlooked on threads like this is we’re all passionate about audio - every one of us. We all have so much more in common than differences.

"The cool thing that often gets overlooked on threads like this is we’re all passionate about audio - every one of us. We all have so much more in common than differences."

That is so TRUE, Eric.

Great posts today.  Glad you are keeping in touch with our thread Eric.  I bought my DI's back early this year and verified I have an older crossover version.  So I do have interest in updating these at some time.  Maybe not to the degree/parts quality that Bill has done but I would like to incorporate the latest changes to this crossover.

Eric, it was good to hear you say what I suspected regarding the swapping of alpha for beta woofers.  Namely, the larger magnets afford more efficiency/heft in mid bass response at the expense of deep bass extension.  That is what I would have expected with my limited knowledge on speaker design basics.  (I recall someone stating there was "deeper" bass response with the betas.  I suspect they meant "more" bass in reality.)

Bill, I have read your post multiple times and looked at all your pics.  Your efforts here are really appreciated and I see myself taking on this project in steps.  Will start with the easy part--the woofer crossover and I will probably swap out the woofers.  In my room my DI's are very clean and a little more warmth in the midbass may be welcome.  I anticipate a pair of subs in the future so deep bass extension in not a concern.  I clearly will have questions for you in the future and thank you for any guidance you might provide.

The woofer question is interesting. My speaker did not have the Alpha woofer, but a much deeper dimensionally and over one pound heavier woofer. For me, this is a personal taste thing. The woofer played the deepest notes when there, but bass above say 50-60 hertz seemed missing too much of the time. It seemed like a gap to my ears.

The Beta woofers are spec’d on paper to not go as low as the Eminence bass guitar woofer I think is being used. However, in cabinet performance is a diffferent thing. I did have a chance to A/B both drivers and found the Beta more musical with plenty of mid bass. I happened to find the deep bass satisfying also. Perhaps not quite as much deep bass foundation at times. Eric is right that the Beta has more mid bass. In fact so much so that I found adding some damping to the rear cab wall really helped tighten up things.

When I upgraded the in series cap to a film Mundorf, used thicker gauge wire (Duelund) and damped the back wall of the bass cavity, then the bass became tighter and even more pleasing.

Eric uses a very good stock woofer and frankly I would spend my money and time on the Mundorf and Mills parts along with great thicker gauge wire and back wall damping. For damping you can use acoustic foam egg crate style or even poly batting. Just cover the back up to the top most brace ( right below the upper array sub cabinet)  and be sure to leave the ports free and open.

Eric is also spot on in that I use DSP to boost bass from 20-40 hertz. Now I have plenty of beep bass and nice mid bass.

This has got to be one of the most polite and gentlemanly forums around. Good stuff.