AudioAficionado.org  

Go Back   AudioAficionado.org > Manufacturers Forums > Inspire by Dennis Had

Inspire by Dennis Had Enjoying Vacuum Tube Audio

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #6271  
Old 02-05-2021, 09:27 AM
bearcity bearcity is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 158
Default

About those Lii drivers. I own 2 pair. The F-15 and the Silver 6. I have not had the Silver 6s for long and at the moment I have really only had time to break them in. Not enough time to critically evaluate them. The F-15s, on the other hand, I have been working with for quite a while. Tried several open baffles. As large as Steve Dekert’s biggest with little success IMO. Never could get decent base response. Good for someone who listens to ‘wall of sound’ music but not for me. Then came some hybrid boxes and a tuned port mockup. All with limited success. On to the Acoustic suspension, which pictures of have been shown here. Fantastic soundstage, good punch but little rumble in the lower registers. Dennis and Straitwire punched a hole in his pair and a bass reflex was born, not as large as the drawings on Lii’s website. Heard those at the shop a couple weeks ago. Bass is through the floor, snappy and will rumble appropriately. Finally a cabinet that seems to bring the most out of this very unique driver. I have not had a chance to cut a hole in mine yet. Ports are on back order. So back to the driver. Like all full range single driver speakers I have heard, the point source presentation and soundstaging are not matched by most multi driver speakers. An exception is a coaxial design like the Altec 604 series which also does these well. Where the Altec and any crossovered speaker falls short in is phasing issues. Crossovers inherently delay signal which throws off the perfect phase alignment of a full range speaker driver. The good of the crossover is the flat response achieved which is where the rub comes in on the Lii drivers. Personal experience is that the drivers are not as flat as I would like. They are too articulate at certain mid-high frequencies and I find them fatiguing. A simple contour network (at least one with a capacitor) solves this but with a minor out of phase issue mentioned above. Dennis is following the line of the purist (no CN) single driver design but is currently struggling with the fatigue issue. I have a lower limit on sharpness incorporate a CN more readily than he. In the end the Lii F-15 is a pretty amazing driver. It makes no sense that a 15 driver without a flexible surround (paper cone is glued directly to the basket), and therefore no measurable cone displacement, can be as fast, articulate and offer bass response. [emoji848] I find this driver very engaging. I often cycle through several speakers in a weekend listening session and, depending on the genre, I most often end with the F-15 and a week long engagement with my system.

P.s. at 1/5 the price of a decent pair of 604s it is hard to compare on even footing. In the end I would like to have both but for now the F-15 is plenty fun and constantly has me in awe of my Inspire gear.
Reply With Quote
  #6272  
Old 02-05-2021, 09:31 AM
bearcity bearcity is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 158
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Comzee View Post
Thanks for the info, if BearCity sees this, maybe he can chime in.



I myself, already ordered the F15, found a guy locally to make an MDF cab for me, based on the box specs Lii displays on their webpage for F15 (pictured below).



(Oh, and if anybody has reservations about this box design let me know. It's just the only thing I have to go off of, for commissioning a cab from my builder)



Seems like a really great price/performance speaker. I love my Omega single drivers, so I'm sure I'll like the F15.



Friend I have is curious about the Lii Silver series tho.


Comzee,

A great project. I could have saved a lot of time just starting with a BR design, but that is not my nature. These should be phenomenal but will need some tweaking with stuffing and maybe contour network. See previous post.
Reply With Quote
  #6273  
Old 02-05-2021, 11:13 AM
Comzee Comzee is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 129
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bearcity View Post
Comzee,

A great project. I could have saved a lot of time just starting with a BR design, but that is not my nature. These should be phenomenal but will need some tweaking with stuffing and maybe contour network. See previous post.
Thanks for the info!
Once I have them all put together, I'll post some picture
Reply With Quote
  #6274  
Old 02-16-2021, 04:36 PM
rmlowz rmlowz is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 67
Default

I am listening to my Full Music 45 n tubes I got today. I believe this is my best pair of 45 tubes so far that I have tried in my Inspire 45. Lots of fun listening to music you are familiar with for reference
Reply With Quote
  #6275  
Old 02-16-2021, 09:32 PM
Beatlebum's Avatar
Beatlebum Beatlebum is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 154
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rmlowz View Post
I am listening to my Full Music 45 n tubes I got today. I believe this is my best pair of 45 tubes so far that I have tried in my Inspire 45. Lots of fun listening to music you are familiar with for reference
Try a pair of new EH 2A3's with a 5Z3 rectifier. Excellent sound as well.
Reply With Quote
  #6276  
Old 02-17-2021, 08:18 PM
rmlowz rmlowz is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 67
Default

Quote: Try a pair of new EH 2A3's with a 5Z3 rectifier. Excellent sound as well.

Yes I have been enjoying them as well.
Reply With Quote
  #6277  
Old 03-05-2021, 04:08 AM
Bentan Bentan is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 20
Default

After going through 600 forum pages, I’ve decided to order a PSE KT88 in mocha white to match my ATC SCM19s. Can’t wait !
Reply With Quote
  #6278  
Old 03-06-2021, 08:45 AM
FloridaBoy FloridaBoy is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: SW Florida
Posts: 1,181
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rmlowz View Post
I am listening to my Full Music 45 n tubes I got today. I believe this is my best pair of 45 tubes so far that I have tried in my Inspire 45. Lots of fun listening to music you are familiar with for reference
I have EML solid plates too they are 'better' than the TJ's but the TJ's are better, to my ears, than old production. I know you are skeptical of burn-in but the tubes will improve with use.
Reply With Quote
  #6279  
Old 03-07-2021, 05:28 PM
x3workshop x3workshop is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Harlem
Posts: 251
Default

I'd love to try some EML's, but the price is not something I'm sure warrants the 'improvement'. I guess I won't know unless I try them. I have several dozens of NOS 45's, including globes that I will rotate through - all various brands. I could see selling off a couple quad to fund some EML's.
Reply With Quote
  #6280  
Old 03-07-2021, 06:04 PM
bearcity bearcity is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 158
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bentan View Post
After going through 600 forum pages, I’ve decided to order a PSE KT88 in mocha white to match my ATC SCM19s. Can’t wait !


Image1615154493.579883.jpg

You’re in for a real treat. Listening to mine (in Harley Black) right now. 2 pr 6f6s driving my latest speaker build. [emoji106][emoji344][emoji445][emoji16]
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Audioaficionado.org tested by Norton Internet Security

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:45 AM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
©Copyright 2009-2023 AudioAficionado.org.Privately owned, All Rights Reserved.
Audio Aficionado Sponsors
AudioAficionado Subscriber
AudioAficionado Subscriber
Inspire By Dennis Had
Inspire By Dennis Had
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Harmonic Resolution Systems
Wyred4Sound
Wyred4Sound
Dragonfire Acoustics
Dragonfire Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
GIK Acoustics
Esoteric
Esoteric
AC Infinity
AC Infinity
JL Audio
JL Audio
Add Powr
Add Powr
Accuphase - Soulution
Accuphase - Soulution
Audio by E
Audio by E
Canton
Canton
Bryston
Bryston
WireWorld Cables
WireWorld Cables
Stillpoints
Stillpoints
Bricasti Design
Bricasti Design
Furutech
Furutech
Shunyata Research
Shunyata Research
Legend Audio & Video
Legend Audio & Video