Topic: DIY - bang for buck!

[unholyman]

My Nao Note arrive - just in time for my b'day & christmas

- to borrow 1 word from Meatballz - Ho Hoi Sum Ah! 



Review -

Bass: Organic, no box sound, drums sound like drums, not 1 note bass
Midbass: Open and fast
Lower Midrange: Meaty and Sweet
Upper Midrange and Lower treble: Fast and Clear - Violins sound like violins
Upper Treble - Not fatiguing and not harsh

Simple music and vocals sounds good (this really suprises me - cannot hear the crossover)

Only con - only goes flat down to 30Hz - Do not have the bass vibration like my sold off ULS 15

This is to Sanjay and Chris - Thanks for building this speaker - and also it can play Piano music relatively accurately (almost 90% like a real piano)

One last thing - dunno how you guys can tahan Class A amps , the combined total of 40w class A heat from 4 x XPA-1 already need my air con to be @ 23 Degrees

ps: 100% small HDB room friendly

[wizardofoz]

Looks something like the new lx521 from linkwitzlabs

[unholyman]

Looks something like the new lx521 from linkwitzlabs

Speaker plans are ordered from John K
http://www.musicanddesign.com/NaO_Notediscus.html

[wizardofoz]

Im interested to know the build cost with the active xovers but without the amp costs. Pm to me if you prefer

[unholyman]

Im interested to know the build cost with the active xovers but without the amp costs. Pm to me if you prefer

Nah : I will be open:

Drivers: http://meniscusaudio.com/nao-note-p-1205.html ($1618 USD - the drivers cost has increased)
Active XO (Custom XLR Version) + Plans from John K $950 USD
Passive XO: $1383.4 SGD
Void Free Marine Plywood + Woodwork + Passive XO Assembly + Varnish+ U Frame Stuffing + Cables + Delivery: $2064.6 SGD
Speaker Base (Void Free Marine Plywood): $500 SGD

Not yet included (Herbie Fat Glider): $181.76 USD

Parts in USD except for the Active XO have not included shipping charges

[wizardofoz]

Would be fun to see how these compare to the orions and the lx521 one of these days.


While i only just got the orions in my stable...i had a musician friend come over for a listen and blew him away even in my rather haphazard current placement....my mrs said "why are speakers creeping out towards us?"


Lugging these OB designs around is no mean feat tho. And having a suitably large enough space for them is also a challenge.


Wow the cost is more than I thought it would be tho.


One day i might consider the lx521 but the mrs is already only just tollerating the orion "look" so am betting any new design with harder lines and a more abstract look will not bode well. How did you swing this look in your room or is this a dedicated space for the man cave?

[unholyman]

Would be fun to see how these compare to the orions and the lx521 one of these days.


While i only just got the orions in my stable...i had a musician friend come over for a listen and blew him away even in my rather haphazard current placement....my mrs said "why are speakers creeping out towards us?"


Lugging these OB designs around is no mean feat tho. And having a suitably large enough space for them is also a challenge.


Wow the cost is more than I thought it would be tho.


One day i might consider the lx521 but the mrs is already only just tollerating the orion "look" so am betting any new design with harder lines and a more abstract look will not bode well. How did you swing this look in your room or is this a dedicated space for the man cave?

U can scrimp and use mdf - only cost $330 USD (panel and woofer box cut, assembled like ikea) not including shipping fees.

Can also uses John K recommended Passive XO Parts - Dayton Cap and inductors $500 USD
Can also use Single Ended Active XO instead of XLR version
U can also use minidsp

I spent more than the original design - it was worth it - totally bettered all of the speakers in HK Hifi show
(To explain the sound would be Nola Micro Grand upper mids and treble, sonus faber lower mids, wharfadale Jade 5 Organic Bass)
The mid bass - untouchable dipole mid bass - I have not listened to Orion or Jamo OB yet

[ghemml]

Your Nao Note should be running hybrid crossover with active on the woofer and passive for the rest.

Orion is fully active crossover

As for Jamo R907 and R909, they are using pure passive crossover. It might sound horrible if the AMP output dampening factor is too low, especially with Tube Amps using output trans.

Check out Visaton Nobox BB

[wizardofoz]

I was reading some posts elsewhere and the question of the Nao Note II came up compared to the Orions and the now the LX521's. having both in my stable now - the LX's did get built earlier this year and sound better than the Orions do for sure.


Any other NNII owners here in singapore interested to exchange notes and even have a AB test if space and timings permit somewhere?


Singapore is a small place and pulling of a direct compare between the 2/3 designs should be fairly easy giving close proximity of owners here unlike Europe or the USA.


There are 2 LX521 systems in Singapore now....2 of only maybe 7 or 8 world wide!