Single driver speakers without the pitfalls?

Larryi,
This is super interesting. He even has a blow-by-blow description of building an older version of the Kit 1! Cool.
I never knew about wire looming - very interesting. I know about the rap against neat wire bundling causing inductance, etc. Steve Deckert of Decware told me that he deliberately doesn't bundle his amp wires for that very reason.
As for eliminating the PCB's and hard wiring the whole kit, I think I'm going to pass on that option! Although it may sound nominally better if you get it right, I think I'd forfeit any claim to Brian's tech support time if I do radically circumvented the build instructions. Also, this kit wasn't cheap, and the thought of ruining it is sobering!

Rebbi,
I know your blog is in its early stage but I'm enjoying your style already and look forward to more.

This is all good stuff. I'll be soaking it all in so in 10 years or so if/when I retire I can perhaps be more DIY perhaps. They say you become more like a child again as you grow older. I built many electronic kits as a kid, nothing so bold as a high end SET though. Those experiences have served me well.

The Voxativ mentioned above is interesting in that it shows a good point: that audio can get carried away with features and forget about the benefit package.

Having had several good listens, I'm amazed this speaker was given the coverage it has been given. I think it's only real impressive thing is that it sounds as good as it does while using only one driver. I think that impresses folks not because that sound is so good on an absolute basis, but rather that it's as good as it is while only having the one driver.

If that speaker were covered in fabric so nobody could tell it was a single driver system, and therefore would not have the "surprise factor" that one driver could really work, it would be derided for being so limited and having such high coloration and distortion. I doubt anyone would be trying to point out some great "directness of sound" or "magic midrange". It's like the bumblebee: it is not amazing that it flies so well as it does not. It's amazing that it flies at all.

Oh...I realize I have forgotten to point out a true strength of many single driver systems: good sensitivity. But there are much better 2 way high sensitivity systems.

I suppose another strength is that they are easy to make, and fun to play with, and appeal to some folks due to the utter simplicity along with the challenge of getting them to sound anything other than awful. But none of that has to do with great sound.

Throw rocks as you wish.

Osmed,

Now don't hold back... tell us how you really feel. ;-)