# Harry's OB Home theatre set of speakers



## harry potter (Mar 1, 2015)

Hi Folks,

Just a few photos of the home theatre speakers I have built for my new listening room in my new house. The baffles with sand loaded frame tubes are made from gloss black high density MDF. They sound awesome! 

I realised that a bigger speaker could equal a bigger sound stage, but I was not prepared to hear the vast difference between 10’’ and 15’’ drivers. Same family sound but much bigger. The 10’’s however make perfect centre and rear speakers with a timbre that is consistent across all the speakers. Frankly, I am impressed and so are some of my friends and I believe they will sound better when I can give them some more space in the new house. I have mated them with two 12’’ subs in the new room (just for movies) I have a quality home theatre receiver to drive this set in due course. The whole lot will be mated with a ceiling mounted projector and fixed screen. Suitable room treatments will also be applied.

The set consists of :

1.	Two Hawthorne Silver Iris 15’’ coaxials for the front left and right speakers
2.	One Hawthorne Silver Iris 10’’ coaxial for the centre speaker
3.	Two Hawthorne Silver Iris 10’’ coaxial for the rear speakers 

I have not moved into the new house (I move in three weeks) yet. I will send some more photos when all the speakers have their grills attached and are in place in the room with all the correct ancillaries. Cannot wait!!!!! (you would think I was six, not sixty)

Cheers Harry Potter


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

How is the efficiency of the speakers? You gave me an idea and I am just curious what you think... What would happen if a hornloaded speaker was made with an open baffle design like you have? Would it retain the benefits of your design plus the efficiency of a horn?:T:T


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## harry potter (Mar 1, 2015)

Hi Ron,

These speakers are very efficient because they are in fact two speaker drivers joined together. 

The main bass driver is complemented by a high compression driver which is attached (screwed) to the rear of the main driver. The efficiency of the main driver is 98db and the compression driver is 104db (average efficiency 101db) The small compression driver fires through the centre of the main driver which acts as it's wave guide, thus sounding like one driver. (a bit like a dual concentric design)

I have driven them to very high sound levels with no distortion (as they are based on a design for a professional studio monitor) 

To drive them is easy. I have driven them with;

1. A small headphone valve amp 8 watts per channel Class A
2. A small T amp from Dayton - 50 watts 
3. A home theatre receiver - 80 watts
4. A 25 watts per channel Class A Triode Valve amp

They do not seem to mind what type of amplification they get. If I am honest, they like the valves best. In my home which at present is hard walls and floors, I hardly have to turn up the volume past a quarter in order to get ear busting sounds.

So in answer to your question, these mate with horns of all types really well. I have seen many designs on the internet where horns and these type of speakers are combined.

If you need more advice on these drivers speak to Darrel Hawthorne at Hawthorne Audio. He designs and sells these drivers and is a font of knowledge and a very nice bloke to deal with.

Cheers Harry


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

Thanks for the explanation, Harry... I didn't know they were that efficient. :T


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## holgerdaur (Jan 20, 2013)

More Pics ,please!


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## harry potter (Mar 1, 2015)

Hi Folks,

Here are some pictures of my new theatre room. The room is 4 metres by 4 metres and has room treatments applied. All the pictures are foam backed and placed to absorb unwanted reflections. Full two layer blackout curtains keep the room dark and dimmers are provided for low level light viewing.

The floor is carpeted and furniture strategically placed for best sound and viewing.

1. I have open baffle speakers in the front (15'' Silver Iris Coaxials - left and right and a 10'' Silver Iris Coaxial for the centre speaker) 
2. There are two 10'' Silver Iris Coaxials in the ceiling as left and right rear speakers
3. There is a 10'' Energy sealed subwoofer (front right) for movies.
4. The projector is an Optoma SD30
5. The Blu Ray player is the Oppo BD 103 
6. The receiver is a Yamaha S600D (narrow chassis style, with DAB radio - as I listen to top quality radio most of the time)
7. Free to air TV viewing is from a New Wave terrestrial set top box.
8. When I want to change from a 5.1 system to a 7.1 system I add in some extra rear floor standing speakers of my own design.

I am very happy with the sound and images put out by this system - especially two channel stereo listening on radio and CD. (when no subwoofer is required)

Regards Harry Potter


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