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Always wanted an Edgar Seismic Sub....

Posted by Ivan303 (A) on January 22, 2023 at 19:03:21

from the first I saw/heard one when visiting Bruce's room at CES in the 2000s.

Ended up with a pair of prototype Edgar SlimLines in about 2003 and they were great for what they were. I still have them in storage. I didn't graduate to 'real' Edgar Horns until about 2007.

Still, alwasys wanted a Seismic Sub even though I never had room for one.

Admittedly, a Seismic Sub could easily overpower a room, especially a hotel room at CES/T.H.E. Bruce kept the plate amp in easy reach and adjusted frequently depending on the music being played lest things get out of hand.

Sub integration of any kind at an audio show in a hotel room can be a challenge. For some reason, sub integration when the main speakers are horns seems even harder. Few do it well, especially at shows.

And some have problems at home!

Neighbor has some tweakie stand mount speakers to which he has added an 18" x 18" x 18" Boom Box Sub (sitting on an audiophile stand of its own for some reason).

Sounds like? A pair of tweakie stand mount speakers with a big sub!

Nearly twenty ears after first hearing a Seismic Sub, I still had no sub for my horns and they could use an additional octave (or two). Tried a large boom box sub that belonged to a friend, but... Sounded like horns with a boom box sub. I just could not live like that.

And still, no room for a Seismic Sub even in my current spot and even if I could find one used.

A couple years ago I bought a set of 'plans' from Bill Fitzmaurice (Table Tuba Long) with the hope of finding someone local the cobble it together.

But, as the plans are more very detailed build instructions than architectural drawings they left most of the skilled cabinet makers here in New Mexico scratching their heads. Face it, good as their work-product might be, English is not a language they read well.

Even my good friend who, with is father, built our new garage and did a spectacular job could not help; he being born in Mexico but having lived here for most of his life.

Finally I hit Mr. Fitzmaurice's web site to look for possible builders and found one in Phoenix, about 500 miles from Santa Fe. Yes, he could build one, even two narrow ones that might fit into the Prius. And at a reasonable price with no shipping charges or packing if I drove over to pick them up!

Each being 12"x15"x60" laying side by each they would fit behind the passenger seat with the seat full forward! Two small (narrow) ones with a decent 8 inch sub speaker in each might be better than one WIDE one with a 10 inch. OK, maybe not a 'swarm' (sorry Duke!), but still...

Picked them up this weekend. 1,200 miles round trip taking Interstate 40 through a blizzard over the continental divide into Flagstaff and back down Interstate 10 through Tucson, to avoid weather, and over to Interstate 25 then north to home.

One on each side of the room against the wall (maybe not the best placement?), wired in series and being driven by a Reckhorn A-400 sub amp I've had for decades (seems that very early Reckhorns did not like 2 Ohm loads which is why I got this one very cheap in the early 2000s). 8 ohm load is fine. And it's hardly working at all.

So how do they sound? First we must MEASURE!

Used Room EQ Wizard with a calibrated mic in the listening position to try to find the proper cutoff frequency and levels. Have no idea WTF I'm doing, but still...

Table Tuba horns are VERY efficient as about one or two clicks above ZERO is where it matches levels with the Edgar folded mid bass horns. 90Hz cutoff seems about right (who knows?) as the mid-bass horns produce normal levels at 100Hz but then they start to drop off quickly.

Phase? Who knows? 90Hz tone with both subs and mid bass horns playing and adjust the phase for max db at the listening position? Just guessing here. This puts 90Hz a few db above either side but then levels are all over the map from the listening position.

So how do they sound?

Admittedly no glasses have jumped off the shelves. The cat remains asleep and wife is not pounding on the wall yelling 'TURN IT DOWN'. The neighbors are yet to call and complain.

The system sounds pretty much as it always has except for an octave or two extension in the low range.

But then, that was the hope all along.
















First they came for the dumb-asses
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a dumb-ass

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