Don't assume that just because they are a DIY product that they are not outstanding performing speakers. The Neil Blanchard Designs MLTL 6 is one of the finest sounding speakers, DIY or otherwise, on the market. They are amazing. They sound better than many speakers from major manufacturers cost significantly more money. For more information visit the NBD website: www.nbdesigns.work. If you wish to join the channel and become a member please click here: www.youtube.com/@OldGuyHifi/membership
@@OldGuyHifi I just want to expand on this point. A lot of these guys who have small operations like Blanchard have been toiling away for over 20 years. Danny Ritchie of GR-Research I know has been at it over 20 years. Troy Crowe, another designer in this space, been at it for over 20 years. These guys are not hacks. Some of them have come up with ideas that they have licensed to speaker makers, and consulted or designed speakers for these companies. And don’t think they just design bargain basement speakers. They don’t. Jay Iyagi on his channel reviewed a Joseph Troy Crowe speaker priced at $15,000 and he named it either the best speaker under either $15,000 (or $20,000) that he had heard this year. Crowe does not offer traditional kits as far as I know, but he does have numerous plans that a DIYer can build. Siegfried Linkwitz is no longer with us, but his designs and his company lives on. The kit for the top of the line Linkwitz Lab speaker is $12,000. The finished speaker cost $25,000. I’m not familiar with Blanchard’s designs, but I don’t doubt that they are available at a range of price points. GR-Research has speakers at a range of price points as well and many have received glowing reviews. CSS Audio makes kits and finished speakers that have been well reviewed. Do not think for one moment that DIY speakers from the people I mentioned (and I am probably forgetting about others, my apologies) are inferior speakers. These designers have been perfecting their craft for decades. You just haven’t heard of most of them because you are not in the DIY world, but they are legit and deserve your serious consideration.
You really understand what it takes for an enclosure to sound right. There's a lot going on that people don't realize. Everything has to be tuned to optimize the soundstage, depth and clarity. I appreciate your knowledge and opinion of these speakers
Ed - I deeply appreciate your in-depth review and all the work you put in - and it is great to also learn about the music and recordings you listened to. I pause the video, and go find the recordings, and listen so I can have a better idea of what you are referring to. If folks have any questions about the MLTL-6 speakers, or the other speakers - or transmission lines in general - I would be happy to try and answer them!
I purchased the tower plans and am really looking forward to the build. I appreciate the "good, better, best" approach in the plans since we all have a budget to concern ourselves with. I'm an experienced woodworker and am going to help a friend build a set in tandem, probably MDF with a veneer (I have some beautiful wenge veneer that will look stunning, I think). I've also wanted to experiment with dipoles so we've decided to build one pair with the dome tweeter and I've located a pair of Linaeum ET-6A tweeters for the other so it will make for a fun comparison. Now just waiting for Madisound to get those dome tweeters back in stock so we can place our order and get going. I also wanted to add, I emailed a question to Neil shortly after purchasing the plans and he got right back to me so having the designer available like that for questions is even more confidence inspiring.
@@supergimp2000 Thank you for your purchase! Madisound has indicated they are getting a shipment that includes a group of the SB Acoustics SB26STCN-C000-4 tweeters in the next few weeks; so they should be available from Madisound fairly soon. Please send me photos!
@@NeilBlanchard Thanks. Madisound emailed me and said a couple of weeks and they would email me, so we should be off and running soon. My second batch of Linaeum Tweets (I'm the one that emailed you about my confusion between ET-6 and 6A, verified 6A should be here this week) will be here this week. Curious what you think the best approach to wire the dipoles on top of the cabinet? Sealed hole? Second set of terminals? Opinion?
Good to see a review of Neil's speakers at last. Thank you so much for taking the time and making this content available to us all. I wish you and Neil both continued success and happiness with your endeavors.
I saw Neil's speakers at Audiofest this autumn. He speakers were incredible; the bass was so good, it hrought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Ed, for featuring them on your channel. To others, Neil presented them in natural finish, and if your setup can accept the light hue, I recommend them au naturel. They won't blend away into most rooms, but I wouldn't want them to.
Another great review, sir. And kudos to calling out the superiority of the MLTL6 to a specific model of the brand-name manufacturers. Refreshing honesty.
I’m so happy! I built the Tower 6’s last August (if you look on Neil’s website mine are pix 14-16. The black stain with natural chamfers). The flat pack kit was fairly easy to assemble. I went full best on the x-overs and the feet and am probably into everything for under $1500. Zero need for a sub with these babies and they have a large loft to fill! Neil was so helpful and prompt with email help. I wish that I had a need for more speakers because the build process was so enjoyable. Thanks for the review and CONGRATS NEIL!
Thank you very much for your kind words - I am so gratified to see all my customer's builds, and all the creative things they do with the speakers. And I am very glad to hear any and all feedback about the speakers.
@@OldGuyHifiyes you did, but I for one would appreciate how you thought of the sound with each amp. It’s like reading a restaurant review where the reviewer says “the food was great” with no details.
I may be too old. But I remember when DIsney made cartoons based on classical music. One he did was with Beethoven;s 6th. Back in the B&W TV days. That was my introduction to classical music and I have loved it every since.
Mine was the movie Solent Green. The scene where Edgar G. Robinson goes to "processing center" to die, they play The 6th while they inject him with the drugs. I know it is a weird one. Any way Happy Holidays.
Ironically I am currently building these speakers. Still trying to figure out how I am going to finish them. Neil offers three different cross over options. I decided to go with the mid choice and if I want I can always upgrade later. Really excited to hear them! You are correct, they are big and heavy.
@MichaelYoung-xs1vh - the mid choice (aka the "better" choice) is excellent - the Goertz 14AWG copper foil coils have even lower DCR, so they are a *touch* more dynamic. If you have any questions, please ask - and please send pictures when you have them finished.
I skimmed through the comments and I did not see any comments from someone who is in the DIY world. It is always great to see companies like this to get the coverage they rarely get. Blanchard is not the only company to offer flat packs, but they are one of the few to offer a TL in a flat pack or focus on TL designs. TLs, IMHO, have never been terribly popular among DIYers due to the challenges of designing and tuning a good TL. Today, you tend to see open baffle speakers (OB) as being very popular in the DIY community because they offer great soundstage and ease of construction. However, getting good bass extension out of an OB speaker is challenging, as this type of speaker lacks any form of cabinet reinforcement. This is usually overcome with large woofers, in the 12” or 15” range, but this makes for a large speaker with low SAF (Spousal Acceptance Factor). To make matters worse, OB speakers usually need to be around 3’ from the front wall, so there is no hiding their size. Here you have a speaker with good bass extension in a much smaller package which ups the SAF substantially! I have not heard these speakers, so I only have a few comments. You need a professional like Blanchard to design a speaker with a crossover point in this region. It is an area where human hearing can be very sensitive to changes. My DIY speakers, for example have a passive crossover point of 1200 hz, which is outside this region. Second, getting this kind of bass response out of a stand mount speaker is impressive, DIY or commercial. Finally, like all speakers with a rear port, I’d want around 1’-2’ of room from the front wall to position the speakers. Speakers like this use the front wall for bass reinforcement and you will probably need to experiment with distance from the wall to get the quality of bass you desire. All in all, nice to see someone who has been designing speakers for a long time get some coverage.
Thank you for your comments. I design all my speakers to have air velocity at the terminus opening of no more than about 12m/s, and they are tuned to use room lift. They can be 8-9" from the wall behind them and be fine - they tend to avoid any "room boom".
Appreciated this presentation. Rega also produced some TL models. The first I heard was the Ela. I was amazed at the bass extension from its 4in driver compared to the reflex ProAc tablette. Years later and based on that experience, i found a pair of 1999 Rega Naos 8in floor standing TLs (Similar to these new designs with inverted tweeters, but offset) The sound is as you described. Easy breathing and unforced with extension to 27hz. My favorite speaker right now are the LRS, but i keep the TLs for the tube amp. Having a speaker that can stay just 8in away from the front wall could be perfect for those with WAF considerations! I like this design but would pick floor standing model. Subscribed;-)
Another great review! Been waiting for this one. Neil is a great guy. He responded to my questions very quickly and this DIY will be my next project for 2025! Thank you Ed. 🙏🏻
Happy Holidays to you! Interesting speakers. Your HiFi technical and recorded music knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I am learning so much from you. I have the Galion TS Voyager TL speakers; they are one of my favorites. I use a subwoofer all the time on all my stand mounts which I set up in my 11Wx 14Dx 9H room. I did a DYI speaker project years ago using parts from Parts-Express, but the speakers turned out to be too bright, LOL. The MLTL-4 seem like a good project. Thanks again for interesting, educational and entertaining content. BTW, you microphones are working great lately.
Ed, I concur 100%, and you know how much exposure I've had to Niel's designs. As you may know, I will be building Neil's newest design, the 4T4 tower, which has yet to be added to Neils catalog, since Neil has yet to finalize the build (the magic). Once Neil signs off on the new design, I will procure his flatpack for the 4T4. I have close to 30 original issue Sinatra LPs that I scored from a collector, but do not have the release you recommend... Bummer! Discogs here I come! Fantabulous review, BTW (as usual) Iggy
Hey Ed , I am a diy speaker designer and I am familiar with Neil and his t-line. I have heard all good things about it and also Neil is a good guy. I'm always looking for new music and I right down all your recommendations and haven't been disappointed yet! On another topic I just ordered a matching pair of pvsane horizon el84 tubes for my Dayton hta 200. It's basically a clone of the nobsound hybrid that you reviewed. I already changed the 6k4 with 6922 ge and got a huge notable difference so I am looking forward to hearing them. Thanks Ed, you are the best!
Wish I had the space if not the inclination and knowledge to build my own speakers. So far been lucky to pick up good speakers 40% off or more when on closeout so , I'll enjoy what I have. But Kudos to those who can build them for maximum performance.
John McBride will often select an RCA 44 as a midfield front of kick drum microphone too. Ribbon mics sound great on acoustic drums in midfield & farfield, especially in an acoustically good room. RCA 44, Coles 4038, Beyerdynamic M160, Royer SF12, AEA R88 are all go to mics for drum overheads, front or rear of kit midfield, or farfield. A pair of Beyer M160 in farfield are pretty much the full drum sound on a Led Zeppelin song or two.
I have the Tower 6 version of this, fantastic sounding speaker. It digs a little deeper than these. I love the addition to the Gia III feet on mine. These have slid into my number 2 spot of best speakers I have head not just owned: They don't seem to be amp picky but they are magical with Aegir 2 and a Chord Qutest. Glad you got to spend some time with them. Can't wait for you get some of Philharmonic Audio Towers to see what you think. 1. Philharmonic Audio HT Tower 2. Neil Tower 6
Thanks again Ed, another great review on something special that more people should know about. Neil’s speakers were definitely impressive to hear at axpona, I loved them even more with the other tweeters he was using, too bad they don’t make them anymore. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good, pair of speakers, ha ok I’ll see myself out…
Thanks Brian - the Linaeum tweeters are great sounding, and I include them as an option on the MLTL-6 and Tower 6 build manuals, with their crossover of course. You can choose the flat packs to be cut for the Linaeum version, at no extra cost. It would be *amazing* if this dipole dynamic tweeter was produced today - stronger magnets could have better extension, and remove the issues of working with 30-35 year old drivers. Also I just don't have the room to transport *all* my speakers to CAF and AXPONA.
Great review Ed. My wife is long suffering with my projects or I’d have a pair. Just a heads up… regarding the 35mm tape recording…..there was a label in the day that used it a bunch called Everest. If you can find an original press or a digital remaster off the original they sound really good also.
Mr Fried also preferred series crossovers, I am told. I have it a lot easier that folks did in past decades - computer modeling makes designing a TL (or a crossover, for that matter) much less difficult, and more accurately.
My loudspeakers are transmission line by French manufacturer Jean Marie Reynaud. They give the best and natural bass I have ever experienced. The model is the Cantibile with a separate housing for the tweeter. I sold my REL !
I’ve been waiting eagerly for this review! Really enjoyed it. Great choices on the review music too! As you know I spent a lot of time at Capital Audiofest listing to Neil’s speakers and I was thoroughly impressed. I think the Tower 4s are in my future plans at this point.
@@NeilBlanchard that great news. Will you be doing a flat pack for the 4 series? If you are, any idea on pricing and availability? Thanks for taking the time. Merry Christmas!
@@shawnjohnson7680 yes - the flat packs for both the MLTL-4 and the Tower 4 will be available soon (early next year). I think the MLTL-4 will be $250 plus shipping, and the Tower 4 will be $300 plus shipping.
Another great review Ed. If I didn't already own another very large bookshelf in the form of the Zu Audio DWX that I'm really enjoying, I would have considered the MLTL 6. Odds are good I'll be attending the Capital Audio Fest in 2025 so if Neil attends I'll be on the lookout for his speakers. On a somewhat related note I have a request. Your reviews of music to me (and I'm sure many others) are at least as valuable as those for equipment. Could you do a vid exclusively on albums you have recommended on past equipment reviews?
I have one of those rare transmission line speakers. Medowlark Kestrel. The lows are amazing. Also the Medowlarks are also time aligned. Have had them for about 24 years now. Still haven't wanted anything else. The sound with this technique truly is great. Wonderful to see somebody still working on this.
Those are great speakers, they were one of my first high-end speakers, I just had them back in the system for a little while and really enjoyed listening to them they throw a really wide soundstage!
I've used that same SB tweeter in several of my designs. It's a very robust tweeter that can easily be used below 2khz. So, I'm a bit confused by the 2.8khz x-over. Perhaps that's where the flattest FR can be achieved, but still, I'd like a much lower x-over point.
I am glad you asked - the main reason I designed the series crossover this way, is to minimize the total DCR of the inductor coils, to let the woofer play as high a level as possible, for better sensitivity and dynamics. The total value of the two coils is just 0.69mH, and with 14AWG or 12AWG coils, the total DCR is just 0.21 ohms - or even less with the "better" and "best" Goertz copper foil air core coils.
I have a transmission line speaker I love ( bedroom system) that's has punchy bass the DCM cx-17 vintage speaker very nice all around sound . This design is very much like the DCM.
That is the terminus section, and this is a mass loaded transmission line - the other sections are tapered, as well. The "column" of air that is formed inside the cabinet is what differentiates if from a bass reflex - and the fact that the terminus section is "in line" with the rest of the TL. In a bass reflex / ported design, the cabinet pressurizes, and when the frequency gets lower - it "excites" the air in the port tube, and this produces sound within the port. In a TL only the air in the closed end is pressurized per se - and since it is open to the rest of the TL, it doesn't get nearly as much pressure (hence the cabinet is less resonant). The air in the open end of the TL moves *with* the back of the driver cone, and as the frequency gets down to the tuned frequency - *all* the air between the driver and the terminus opening is *moving* back and forth, coupled to the driver cone. Which is a very different dynamic vs a bass reflex/ported speaker. The taper toward the terminus opening is what adds more of the air's mass to the system - and the taper causes the air to move "farther" back and forth - and this is how the fundamental frequency of the speaker can be "pushed" below the Fs (free air resonance) of the driver. The Fs of this SB Acoustics driver is 35Hz (which is quite low for a nominal 6" driver). On the Madisound webpage, it states that a sealed box (0.25 to 0.3 cubic feet) would have an F3 (-3dB bass response) would be ~80Hz. For a ported enclosure (0.5 cu ft) and a 1.5" dia X 5" long port would have an F3 ~50Hz. In this MLTL-6 speaker the in room F3 is about 30Hz. The same woofer in my Tower 6 has an in room F3 response of about 25Hz.
Thanks for the question - you need the build manual to build the speakers; and the flat pack is an option if you cannot or don't want to cut your own panels.
Right now I'm fumbling through a 300B amp build via a design from Skunkie Designs. Once I'm done with that I may have to give these a try. I'm very curious how they stack up against my CSS 1TDX builds. I've got all the tools short of the CNC machine so I'll likely just buy the plans. Looks like the cost of the components is extremely reasonable. I also have a wood finishing technique I'd like to try that would look great on the front baffles of these. Definitely time to sell some stuff. I'm swimming in vintage speakers right now.
I like these, transmission line speakers are fantastic if done right...fantastic bass & a brilliant mid-range, at all volume levels, you don't need to go loud to get bass & clarity...hard to get good bass/mid units for transmission line speakers as you need a high Qtc or Qte level but a high BL damping factor...not easy to buy & expensive...the cut of the wood is the secret, 1mm out & it won't work properly TDL were good cheap transmission line speakers, i had a pair & replaced the tweeter for a SEAS ferrofluid cooled 1" aluminium dome unit, a few tweaks to the x-over & i was pretty happy for a couple of years...i wish i had saved up to buy a pair of PMC's or other good transmission line speakers Shame i'm in the UK, not worth the extra shipping costs & tax, vat, import duty etc...nice speakers though..
Subbed! Curious about the dipole tweeters. I bought some in anticipation of building these, but the tweeter's appearance might not pass WAF! Any thoughts about their sound?
I love the Linaeum dipole tweeters, and early on during the development I liked the dipole version better - it has great dispersion and has an "effortless" sound. As I made improvements in the crossovers (both tweeter version use a series crossover), I have come to appreciate the dome tweeter a lot more. It is more extended, and has a smoother response, and is probably more accurate. And with the last crossover revision for both, they are both sounding as good as each is capable of. The dipole is great from more listening positions, but the dome is more precise and has slightly better at revealing the most subtle details.
@@OldGuyHifi Honestly i really wanted to hear about how they sounded. I couldnt care less about the albums and the history of the guy who sold cigarettes to the engineer(joking) It was just too much of that and not enough of a review. I went to their website. Can buy DIY couldnt find finished products.
@@baronofgreymatter14 Email Neil. He will give you the details. I won't be changing my review style. You are still going to hear about the guy with the cigs. Thanks.
Another really great review, thank you Ed. Super fascinating about the Sinatra recording. Have always been astounding at the sound of that record. I knew it was.a special recording but had no idea that it was recorded 8 track on film with those ridiculous mics! Also great recommendation in Anne Drummond and the the CSO playing Beethoven with Solti. I have the SPL Elector and love it btw. Did you feel these speakers would still play nice in a smaller room or simply overload? Thanks again and happy holidays 🙏
I have no doubt they are excellent. As I've virtually have never heard a Transmission Line I didn't like. However, they're for those with a larger audio space. Those of us with smaller spaces would again benefit from his, I believe his 28-32 inch tall TL using I think a 3 inch full range speaker. That too is beyond my allotted space. So, the C-Note Base reflex from Parts Express or Danny Richie's X-LS Bravo are the size for Myspace (pun intended). And they fit my budget $135 a pair with Flat Pack for the PE model. Wish I had the space for these or his smaller TL's he has to offer. You wouldn't happen to have in your collection of the Album featuring Eddie Salter orchestrated with Stan Gets? The name escapes me as it's packed away and Google is too stupid to find it.
I used a 3D acoustic modeling program that does all the calculations - transmission line cabinets are complicated, but a tried and tested acoustic modeling program does all the grunt work. I use CAD to draw the cabinets - so what would have taken years can be done in a few months - and far more accurately.
Yes they will. That said those small class D amps will not be able to extract all of the performance the speakers can deliver. Starting out with those is fine but, I would recommend something more robust like a Cambridge unit or something from Advance Paris, Yamaha, Rotel, etc. While those small amps are nice with smaller bookshelf speakers the MLTL 6s can scale up. I loved their sound on the $8000.00 Linear Tube Audio amp. So look down the road at maybe upgrading the amps when you can. Definitely get the speakers at enjoy them until you can upgrade.
So how much does this cost in kit form after you buy all the drivers, caps, wire, posts and coils in Jan 2025? Everyone's in love with the bass but how is the detail on high frequency percussion like shakers, gourds, cymbals, orchestra string sections? Compared to Quads 63s? How about vocal sibilants - s, fs, cs etc?
Reach out to Neil at NeilBlanchardDesigns@gmail.com. He will be happy to give you some estimated costs. The speakers have excellent sonic characteristics. Quads are in a space of their own and it is an apples to oranges comparison. Neil's speakers are far more dynamic with a much wider frequency bandwidth. Quads can image ok in the right room with the right set up but, are very finicky about placement and they don't handle power particularly well.. The MLTL 6s are easy to live with can be placed as close as 8 inches from the front wall and will still perform very well. They can handle a lot of power very well. There is no sibilance unless it is in the recording. I hope that helps. Thx.
Question: You have 2 amps on a particular speaker. One sounds more transparent and analytical, matter of fact and adds brightness with an already brighter sounding speaker although not harsh or tiring with a little sibilance but no glare. The other adds some rounding, warms up the entire spectrum a bit but in the sibilant passages, you hear more glare. What could cause the glare in the seemingly more rounded, fuller, less sharp sounding amp? And, it has done this on other speakers as well. Perplexes me a bit.
Wow thanks.. that Anne Drummond was a knockout recording. Longtime Benny Green fan.. check out his live album Testifyin'!: Live at The Village Vanguard, also amazing soundscape and energy.
you say: the closer you get to the tuning frequency of a vented enclosure, the more the port unloads the speaker? so why is the cone-movement at the tuning frequency the lowest? If the signal gets below the tuning frequency then the speaker is unloaded.
A ported speaker is distinct from a transmission line - the woofer unloads in a ported speaker, below the tuned frequency, as mentioned. But in a mass loaded transmission line - the entire "column" of air from the driver all the way to the terminus opening is moving *with* the driver - this loads the mass of all that air onto the driver and this is how the woofer movement is minimized, and is how the cone doesn't unload.
I wanted to ask you what your brief opinion is on the Vinyl vs. CD debate. Do you also share the opinion that vinyl sounds so much better than CD-s, or is the difference often negligible? Thanks.
I love them both. If I had to rank them: vinyl, CD, streaming. If I ranked then buy cost to make then sound best it would be the same order. Lol. Happy Holidays.
I would be concerned that the woofer in a 2 way design, especially a bigger than 5.25 inch woofer, will be at least a bit compromised in the midrange accuracy if it has to also cover deep bass; that well below 50hz. I realize I can definitely be wrong. PMC does or did make some 3 way designed speakers that use a fair sized dome for the midrange, with a transmission line design on the bass end. PMC has been doing transmission line speakers for a long time, originally for studio monitoring. 10 years ago I was lusting after their FACT 8 after seeing the What Hifi review, but they were like $4700 a pair & I'm in a lower tax bracket.
Actually with a week designed speaker it can play very nicely up thru the mids. Check the specs on the driver Neil uses and you will see. Thx. BTW, Happy Holidays.
Ed, there’s far too many YT commenters/ presenters addressing even this small subset of audio to catch all the content, so apologies if this has been asked before. Have you had any experience with any of the sundry DIY designs - many utilizing similar MLTL concepts - by Woden Designs (Scott Lindgren)? Often they’ll employ drivers that IMHO still far too many DIYers eschew out of hand - wideband “fullrange” drivers, such Jordan, Lowther, Mark Audio, TangBand, etc.
@@chuckmaddison2924 I sell the *build* manual - it is all of the design documentation that you would need to build the speaker; and it represents over a year of work.
The tweeter being located below the midwoofer is less commonly done, so seeing this reminds us of the speaker we are familiar with. Being a transmission line keeps it distinct from Tekton, I think. Their designs are largely ported, with a few open baffles, I think?
@@NeilBlanchard that is correct. I have a pair of full size Tekton Lore and love them. Large with two front ports, no sub required in the room I have them in. The drivers in the speaker here looks very similar to what Tekton uses in the Lore Reference, including the orientation and distance between. It's not a common orientation, but Zu also uses it in their best selling speaker, and you see it here and there with others. Transmission line is where the big difference is.
I am finishing up a set of these now. The amount of work and direction that has gone into this is astounding. This is a very complex design. You will be looking at hundreds of dollars of crossover components, a complex box build and then the drivers. You would be looking at $700-$900+ if you buy the flat pack. If you’re good at spending upwards of a grand for an amazing speaker, then $100 for the plans is very reasonable. This is different from GR Research or CSS audio bc they make their money from selling you the components, all Neil has is his intellectual property.
Right - *all* designs are compromises, of course. Moving to a 3-way means that in order to get all the midrange on the midrange driver, the woofer crossover needs to be in the 250-300Hz - so that introduces a very large value inductor coil into the crossover. It could be done with smaller total inductor value with a series crossover, but it is more complexity, both electrically and acoustically. Having all air core coils mean there is no hysteresis and all the caps are higher quality. The midwoofer is actually 5.25" (center to center of the surround suspension) and the Mms is 13.8 grams. It is quite clean - the break up modes are fairly narrow in bandwidth and fairly low in amplitude - paper cones are favored for a reason.
Don't assume that just because they are a DIY product that they are not outstanding performing speakers. The Neil Blanchard Designs MLTL 6 is one of the finest sounding speakers, DIY or otherwise, on the market. They are amazing. They sound better than many speakers from major manufacturers cost significantly more money. For more information visit the NBD website: www.nbdesigns.work. If you wish to join the channel and become a member please click here: www.youtube.com/@OldGuyHifi/membership
@@OldGuyHifi I just want to expand on this point. A lot of these guys who have small operations like Blanchard have been toiling away for over 20 years. Danny Ritchie of GR-Research I know has been at it over 20 years. Troy Crowe, another designer in this space, been at it for over 20 years. These guys are not hacks. Some of them have come up with ideas that they have licensed to speaker makers, and consulted or designed speakers for these companies.
And don’t think they just design bargain basement speakers. They don’t. Jay Iyagi on his channel reviewed a
Joseph Troy Crowe speaker priced at $15,000 and he named it either the best speaker under either $15,000 (or $20,000) that he had heard this year. Crowe does not offer traditional kits as far as I know, but he does have numerous plans that a DIYer can build. Siegfried Linkwitz is no longer with us, but his designs and his company lives on. The kit for the top of the line Linkwitz Lab speaker is $12,000. The finished speaker cost $25,000. I’m not familiar with Blanchard’s designs, but I don’t doubt that they are available at a range of price points. GR-Research has speakers at a range of price points as well and many have received glowing reviews. CSS Audio makes kits and finished speakers that have been well reviewed.
Do not think for one moment that DIY speakers from the people I mentioned (and I am probably forgetting about others, my apologies) are inferior speakers. These designers have been perfecting their craft for decades. You just haven’t heard of most of them because you are not in the DIY world, but they are legit and deserve your serious consideration.
@@ccdccd8615 well done. Nothing to add! 1000% agree!!! Merry Christmas!!!
You really understand what it takes for an enclosure to sound right. There's a lot going on that people don't realize. Everything has to be tuned to optimize the soundstage, depth and clarity. I appreciate your knowledge and opinion of these speakers
Ed - I deeply appreciate your in-depth review and all the work you put in - and it is great to also learn about the music and recordings you listened to. I pause the video, and go find the recordings, and listen so I can have a better idea of what you are referring to.
If folks have any questions about the MLTL-6 speakers, or the other speakers - or transmission lines in general - I would be happy to try and answer them!
My pleasure! Great product.
I purchased the tower plans and am really looking forward to the build. I appreciate the "good, better, best" approach in the plans since we all have a budget to concern ourselves with. I'm an experienced woodworker and am going to help a friend build a set in tandem, probably MDF with a veneer (I have some beautiful wenge veneer that will look stunning, I think). I've also wanted to experiment with dipoles so we've decided to build one pair with the dome tweeter and I've located a pair of Linaeum ET-6A tweeters for the other so it will make for a fun comparison. Now just waiting for Madisound to get those dome tweeters back in stock so we can place our order and get going.
I also wanted to add, I emailed a question to Neil shortly after purchasing the plans and he got right back to me so having the designer available like that for questions is even more confidence inspiring.
@@supergimp2000 Thank you for your purchase! Madisound has indicated they are getting a shipment that includes a group of the SB Acoustics SB26STCN-C000-4 tweeters in the next few weeks; so they should be available from Madisound fairly soon.
Please send me photos!
@@NeilBlanchard Thanks. Madisound emailed me and said a couple of weeks and they would email me, so we should be off and running soon. My second batch of Linaeum Tweets (I'm the one that emailed you about my confusion between ET-6 and 6A, verified 6A should be here this week) will be here this week. Curious what you think the best approach to wire the dipoles on top of the cabinet? Sealed hole? Second set of terminals? Opinion?
@@supergimp2000 I just drill a small hole a bit behind the driver terminals and solder the wires. You can put some putty around the wires.
Every time I try a commercial brand speaker , I always go back to DIY .
Good to see a review of Neil's speakers at last. Thank you so much for taking the time and making this content available to us all. I wish you and Neil both continued success and happiness with your endeavors.
Thank you sir. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours too, Sir.
I saw Neil's speakers at Audiofest this autumn. He speakers were incredible; the bass was so good, it hrought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Ed, for featuring them on your channel. To others, Neil presented them in natural finish, and if your setup can accept the light hue, I recommend them au naturel. They won't blend away into most rooms, but I wouldn't want them to.
Never heard of these and I’m kind of blown away to be honest. So much less expensive than the stuff Danny sells in kit form
I love that you are just as much of a music aficionado as you are an audiophile. Excellent critiques and analysis. 👍✌🤙
Thanks! Happy Holidays.
Another great review, sir. And kudos to calling out the superiority of the MLTL6 to a specific model of the brand-name manufacturers. Refreshing honesty.
Thank you. Happy Holidays.
I’m so happy! I built the Tower 6’s last August (if you look on Neil’s website mine are pix 14-16. The black stain with natural chamfers). The flat pack kit was fairly easy to assemble. I went full best on the x-overs and the feet and am probably into everything for under $1500. Zero need for a sub with these babies and they have a large loft to fill! Neil was so helpful and prompt with email help. I wish that I had a need for more speakers because the build process was so enjoyable. Thanks for the review and CONGRATS NEIL!
What feet did you use with these? They look great! Very nice looking setup.
Thank you very much for your kind words - I am so gratified to see all my customer's builds, and all the creative things they do with the speakers. And I am very glad to hear any and all feedback about the speakers.
I mentioned the amps I used in the video. Thanks for tuning in.
@@OldGuyHifiyes you did, but I for one would appreciate how you thought of the sound with each amp. It’s like reading a restaurant review where the reviewer says “the food was great” with no details.
Nice job on Neil’s speakers, Ed. You nailed it.
Thank you my friend. I hope you and Bee Have a wonderful holiday season.
Thanks, Ed. Same to you and your family.
Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support. I do appreciate it.
Thank you for the review and thank you Neil for this offering! I’m working on finishing up this build currently.
Great review! I’d like to have these speakers just for fun next to my .7 Maggies.
Great detailed explanations on TL designs. Technical but understandable.
Thanks for watching!
Great vid!
I may be too old. But I remember when DIsney made cartoons based on classical music. One he did was with Beethoven;s 6th. Back in the B&W TV days. That was my introduction to classical music and I have loved it every since.
Mine was the movie Solent Green. The scene where Edgar G. Robinson goes to "processing center" to die, they play The 6th while they inject him with the drugs. I know it is a weird one. Any way Happy Holidays.
Mine was the 1812 Overture with the period appropriate cannons.
Ironically I am currently building these speakers. Still trying to figure out how I am going to finish them. Neil offers three different cross over options. I decided to go with the mid choice and if I want I can always upgrade later. Really excited to hear them! You are correct, they are big and heavy.
@MichaelYoung-xs1vh - the mid choice (aka the "better" choice) is excellent - the Goertz 14AWG copper foil coils have even lower DCR, so they are a *touch* more dynamic. If you have any questions, please ask - and please send pictures when you have them finished.
neil's speakers are some of the coolest ever
Agreed.
I skimmed through the comments and I did not see any comments from someone who is in the DIY world. It is always great to see companies like this to get the coverage they rarely get. Blanchard is not the only company to offer flat packs, but they are one of the few to offer a TL in a flat pack or focus on TL designs. TLs, IMHO, have never been terribly popular among DIYers due to the challenges of designing and tuning a good TL. Today, you tend to see open baffle speakers (OB) as being very popular in the DIY community because they offer great soundstage and ease of construction. However, getting good bass extension out of an OB speaker is challenging, as this type of speaker lacks any form of cabinet reinforcement. This is usually overcome with large woofers, in the 12” or 15” range, but this makes for a large speaker with low SAF (Spousal Acceptance Factor). To make matters worse, OB speakers usually need to be around 3’ from the front wall, so there is no hiding their size. Here you have a speaker with good bass extension in a much smaller package which ups the SAF substantially!
I have not heard these speakers, so I only have a few comments. You need a professional like Blanchard to design a speaker with a crossover point in this region. It is an area where human hearing can be very sensitive to changes. My DIY speakers, for example have a passive crossover point of 1200 hz, which is outside this region. Second, getting this kind of bass response out of a stand mount speaker is impressive, DIY or commercial. Finally, like all speakers with a rear port, I’d want around 1’-2’ of room from the front wall to position the speakers. Speakers like this use the front wall for bass reinforcement and you will probably need to experiment with distance from the wall to get the quality of bass you desire.
All in all, nice to see someone who has been designing speakers for a long time get some coverage.
Thank you. Happy Holidays.
Thank you for your comments. I design all my speakers to have air velocity at the terminus opening of no more than about 12m/s, and they are tuned to use room lift. They can be 8-9" from the wall behind them and be fine - they tend to avoid any "room boom".
Appreciated this presentation.
Rega also produced some TL models. The first I heard was the Ela. I was amazed at the bass extension from its 4in driver compared to the reflex ProAc tablette. Years later and based on that experience, i found a pair of 1999 Rega Naos 8in floor standing TLs (Similar to these new designs with inverted tweeters, but offset)
The sound is as you described. Easy breathing and unforced with extension to 27hz.
My favorite speaker right now are the LRS, but i keep the TLs for the tube amp.
Having a speaker that can stay just 8in away from the front wall could be perfect for those with WAF considerations!
I like this design but would pick floor standing model.
Subscribed;-)
Another great review! Been waiting for this one. Neil is a great guy. He responded to my questions very quickly and this DIY will be my next project for 2025! Thank you Ed. 🙏🏻
Happy Holidays.
Ed. You make me hungry for Neil speakers build. Great video!! Merry Christmas!
Thank you. Merry Christmas back at you.
@@OldGuyHifi unfortunately Madison and Solen CA ran out of stock tweeters....
Happy Holidays to you! Interesting speakers. Your HiFi technical and recorded music knowledge never ceases to amaze me. I am learning so much from you. I have the Galion TS Voyager TL speakers; they are one of my favorites. I use a subwoofer all the time on all my stand mounts which I set up in my 11Wx 14Dx 9H room. I did a DYI speaker project years ago using parts from Parts-Express, but the speakers turned out to be too bright, LOL. The MLTL-4 seem like a good project. Thanks again for interesting, educational and entertaining content. BTW, you microphones are working great lately.
Thank you. I hope you have a Happy Holiday season.
Ed, I concur 100%, and you know how much exposure I've had to Niel's designs. As you may know, I will be building Neil's newest design, the 4T4 tower, which has yet to be added to Neils catalog, since Neil has yet to finalize the build (the magic). Once Neil signs off on the new design, I will procure his flatpack for the 4T4. I have close to 30 original issue Sinatra LPs that I scored from a collector, but do not have the release you recommend... Bummer! Discogs here I come! Fantabulous review, BTW (as usual) Iggy
Iggy, I knew it was you my friend. BTW, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
@stevied4334, have you heard the 4t4? How does it compare sound wise to the mltl 6 reviewed in this video by oldguyhifi?
Looks like a fun project. Added some tracks to listen to later. Thank you
Thank you my friend. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Hey Ed , I am a diy speaker designer and I am familiar with Neil and his t-line. I have heard all good things about it and also Neil is a good guy. I'm always looking for new music and I right down all your recommendations and haven't been disappointed yet! On another topic I just ordered a matching pair of pvsane horizon el84 tubes for my Dayton hta 200. It's basically a clone of the nobsound hybrid that you reviewed. I already changed the 6k4 with 6922 ge and got a huge notable difference so I am looking forward to hearing them. Thanks Ed, you are the best!
That's so nice of you to say thank you. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
@OldGuyHifi Thank you and Merry Christmas ⭐ and happy New Year to you you!
Neil's designs sound very good. Great explanation and review Ed!
Merry Christmas my friend.
Thanks for your descriptions of your test material. Completely apart from the speakers, that was an education.
Wish I had the space if not the inclination and knowledge to build my own speakers. So far been lucky to pick up good speakers 40% off or more when on closeout so , I'll enjoy what I have. But Kudos to those who can build them for maximum performance.
Another fantasic educational video, many thanks!
😎👍 Nicely done
Coming from the "World's Most Interesting" man, that means a lot. Happy Holidays.
John McBride will often select an RCA 44 as a midfield front of kick drum microphone too. Ribbon mics sound great on acoustic drums in midfield & farfield, especially in an acoustically good room. RCA 44, Coles 4038, Beyerdynamic M160, Royer SF12, AEA R88 are all go to mics for drum overheads, front or rear of kit midfield, or farfield.
A pair of Beyer M160 in farfield are pretty much the full drum sound on a Led Zeppelin song or two.
I have the Tower 6 version of this, fantastic sounding speaker. It digs a little deeper than these. I love the addition to the Gia III feet on mine. These have slid into my number 2 spot of best speakers I have head not just owned: They don't seem to be amp picky but they are magical with Aegir 2 and a Chord Qutest. Glad you got to spend some time with them. Can't wait for you get some of Philharmonic Audio Towers to see what you think.
1. Philharmonic Audio HT Tower
2. Neil Tower 6
How does the bass sound? Nice and fast? Or a bit "slower"? I'm just gathering people's impressions before I purchase either the MLTL-6 or the Tower-6.
Great review!
Thx Jim. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
@OldGuyHifi Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well.
Thanks again Ed, another great review on something special that more people should know about. Neil’s speakers were definitely impressive to hear at axpona, I loved them even more with the other tweeters he was using, too bad they don’t make them anymore. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good, pair of speakers, ha ok I’ll see myself out…
Thx
Thanks Brian - the Linaeum tweeters are great sounding, and I include them as an option on the MLTL-6 and Tower 6 build manuals, with their crossover of course. You can choose the flat packs to be cut for the Linaeum version, at no extra cost.
It would be *amazing* if this dipole dynamic tweeter was produced today - stronger magnets could have better extension, and remove the issues of working with 30-35 year old drivers.
Also I just don't have the room to transport *all* my speakers to CAF and AXPONA.
Very interesting. Thank you for the explanations.
Great review Ed. My wife is long suffering with my projects or I’d have a pair. Just a heads up… regarding the 35mm tape recording…..there was a label in the day that used it a bunch called Everest. If you can find an original press or a digital remaster off the original they sound really good also.
Thank you sir. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Irving M. Fried was making transmission line speakers in the 1970's. Maybe other designers also. What's old becomes new again.
So true.
Mr Fried also preferred series crossovers, I am told.
I have it a lot easier that folks did in past decades - computer modeling makes designing a TL (or a crossover, for that matter) much less difficult, and more accurately.
My loudspeakers are transmission line by French manufacturer Jean Marie Reynaud. They give the best and natural bass I have ever experienced. The model is the Cantibile with a separate housing for the tweeter. I sold my REL !
I’ve been waiting eagerly for this review! Really enjoyed it. Great choices on the review music too! As you know I spent a lot of time at Capital Audiofest listing to Neil’s speakers and I was thoroughly impressed. I think the Tower 4s are in my future plans at this point.
They are really good. Happy Holidays my friend. I hope you and yours have a great time. Thx.
@@OldGuyHifi I’ve been eagerly waiting for the tower 4’s myself. How would you say they compared to these MLTL 6 speakers? Merry Christmas!
@@shawnjohnson7680 I will be posting the Tower 4 build manual soon - hopefully before the new year begins.
@@NeilBlanchard that great news. Will you be doing a flat pack for the 4 series? If you are, any idea on pricing and availability? Thanks for taking the time. Merry Christmas!
@@shawnjohnson7680 yes - the flat packs for both the MLTL-4 and the Tower 4 will be available soon (early next year). I think the MLTL-4 will be $250 plus shipping, and the Tower 4 will be $300 plus shipping.
Great review... thank you for all your observations
Thank you for the kind words. Happy Holidays.
Another great review Ed. If I didn't already own another very large bookshelf in the form of the Zu Audio DWX that I'm really enjoying, I would have considered the MLTL 6. Odds are good I'll be attending the Capital Audio Fest in 2025 so if Neil attends I'll be on the lookout for his speakers. On a somewhat related note I have a request. Your reviews of music to me (and I'm sure many others) are at least as valuable as those for equipment. Could you do a vid exclusively on albums you have recommended on past equipment reviews?
I am planning on being at CAF next year; and I will be at AXPONA this coming spring, as well.
I have one of those rare transmission line speakers. Medowlark Kestrel. The lows are amazing. Also the Medowlarks are also time aligned. Have had them for about 24 years now. Still haven't wanted anything else. The sound with this technique truly is great. Wonderful to see somebody still working on this.
I remember those. My memory is that they were really good. Best wishes and happy holidays.
Those are great speakers, they were one of my first high-end speakers, I just had them back in the system for a little while and really enjoyed listening to them they throw a really wide soundstage!
I've used that same SB tweeter in several of my designs. It's a very robust tweeter that can easily be used below 2khz. So, I'm a bit confused by the 2.8khz x-over. Perhaps that's where the flattest FR can be achieved, but still, I'd like a much lower x-over point.
I am glad you asked - the main reason I designed the series crossover this way, is to minimize the total DCR of the inductor coils, to let the woofer play as high a level as possible, for better sensitivity and dynamics. The total value of the two coils is just 0.69mH, and with 14AWG or 12AWG coils, the total DCR is just 0.21 ohms - or even less with the "better" and "best" Goertz copper foil air core coils.
I have a transmission line speaker I love ( bedroom system) that's has punchy bass the DCM cx-17 vintage speaker very nice all around sound . This design is very much like the DCM.
I have DCM CX27 in my living room bass is really good
@chrisortiz2466 I also had the cx-27 ,the extra woofer kinda smothered the upper two speakers. I liked the simpler cx-17 nice balance.
Gosh! I wonder what Old Guy Hifi will review next?!
How about a SMSL RAWPro-DAC 1
Whatever it is, I will be there!
I just saw a FB post by a person who was very happy with this SMSL dac.
Curious about the last narrower folded section; is it more a hybrid mltl/ bass reflex? Or a sort of mltl with the last bit acting like a tapered TL
That is the terminus section, and this is a mass loaded transmission line - the other sections are tapered, as well. The "column" of air that is formed inside the cabinet is what differentiates if from a bass reflex - and the fact that the terminus section is "in line" with the rest of the TL.
In a bass reflex / ported design, the cabinet pressurizes, and when the frequency gets lower - it "excites" the air in the port tube, and this produces sound within the port.
In a TL only the air in the closed end is pressurized per se - and since it is open to the rest of the TL, it doesn't get nearly as much pressure (hence the cabinet is less resonant). The air in the open end of the TL moves *with* the back of the driver cone, and as the frequency gets down to the tuned frequency - *all* the air between the driver and the terminus opening is *moving* back and forth, coupled to the driver cone. Which is a very different dynamic vs a bass reflex/ported speaker.
The taper toward the terminus opening is what adds more of the air's mass to the system - and the taper causes the air to move "farther" back and forth - and this is how the fundamental frequency of the speaker can be "pushed" below the Fs (free air resonance) of the driver.
The Fs of this SB Acoustics driver is 35Hz (which is quite low for a nominal 6" driver). On the Madisound webpage, it states that a sealed box (0.25 to 0.3 cubic feet) would have an F3 (-3dB bass response) would be ~80Hz.
For a ported enclosure (0.5 cu ft) and a 1.5" dia X 5" long port would have an F3 ~50Hz.
In this MLTL-6 speaker the in room F3 is about 30Hz.
The same woofer in my Tower 6 has an in room F3 response of about 25Hz.
Does the $350 flat pack include the plans?
Email Neil. I am not sure.
Thanks for the question - you need the build manual to build the speakers; and the flat pack is an option if you cannot or don't want to cut your own panels.
@@NeilBlanchard tx
Right now I'm fumbling through a 300B amp build via a design from Skunkie Designs. Once I'm done with that I may have to give these a try. I'm very curious how they stack up against my CSS 1TDX builds. I've got all the tools short of the CNC machine so I'll likely just buy the plans. Looks like the cost of the components is extremely reasonable. I also have a wood finishing technique I'd like to try that would look great on the front baffles of these. Definitely time to sell some stuff. I'm swimming in vintage speakers right now.
Neil is actually building a pair for Skunkie.
@@OldGuyHifi I will be building a WB4 speaker with other (8 ohm) drivers for Skunkie Designs to try with their tube amps.
@OldGuyHifi this amp build is going to be tough. My skills with reading electrical schematics peaks at simple crossovers.
Ive heard a pair...nice speaker
Can you set up a more modern CD player to a vintage pioneer or Marantz? Does it depend on the model of reciever
You always explain things so well that even a dummy like me can understand it! LOL BTW did you check out Loreena McKennitt yet?
Not yet but, I will tonight. Thx and Happy Holidays.
Thanks for The Concert Sinatra recommendation. I'm picking it up!
Hope you enjoy it!
Hi there! Greetings from Germany. 👍🙏🇩🇪
Ich wünsche Ihnen und Ihrer Familie ein wunderschönes und frohes Weihnachtsfest und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr. Vielen Dank für Ihre Meinung.
I like these, transmission line speakers are fantastic if done right...fantastic bass & a brilliant mid-range, at all volume levels, you don't need to go loud to get bass & clarity...hard to get good bass/mid units for transmission line speakers as you need a high Qtc or Qte level but a high BL damping factor...not easy to buy & expensive...the cut of the wood is the secret, 1mm out & it won't work properly
TDL were good cheap transmission line speakers, i had a pair & replaced the tweeter for a SEAS ferrofluid cooled 1" aluminium dome unit, a few tweaks to the x-over & i was pretty happy for a couple of years...i wish i had saved up to buy a pair of PMC's or other good transmission line speakers
Shame i'm in the UK, not worth the extra shipping costs & tax, vat, import duty etc...nice speakers though..
I have some PMCs in right now for review. Watch this space.
I remember Sonnero built these over a year ago… looked very impressive but little reviews on it, but Old Guy just changed all that.✔️
I am lucky to have a great viewer community. Neil is a friend and I am glad this video is doing well.
Subbed! Curious about the dipole tweeters. I bought some in anticipation of building these, but the tweeter's appearance might not pass WAF! Any thoughts about their sound?
I have only heard them at shows so, I don't have a good sense for how they would sound in a regular room. Sorry.
I love the Linaeum dipole tweeters, and early on during the development I liked the dipole version better - it has great dispersion and has an "effortless" sound. As I made improvements in the crossovers (both tweeter version use a series crossover), I have come to appreciate the dome tweeter a lot more. It is more extended, and has a smoother response, and is probably more accurate. And with the last crossover revision for both, they are both sounding as good as each is capable of. The dipole is great from more listening positions, but the dome is more precise and has slightly better at revealing the most subtle details.
How do the speakers sound? All i heard was about the records.
You didn't watch the while video. The sound amazing.
@@OldGuyHifi Honestly i really wanted to hear about how they sounded. I couldnt care less about the albums and the history of the guy who sold cigarettes to the engineer(joking) It was just too much of that and not enough of a review. I went to their website. Can buy DIY couldnt find finished products.
@@baronofgreymatter14 Email Neil. He will give you the details. I won't be changing my review style. You are still going to hear about the guy with the cigs. Thanks.
Another really great review, thank you Ed. Super fascinating about the Sinatra recording. Have always been astounding at the sound of that record. I knew it was.a special recording but had no idea that it was recorded 8 track on film with those ridiculous mics! Also great recommendation in Anne Drummond and the the CSO playing Beethoven with Solti. I have the SPL Elector and love it btw. Did you feel these speakers would still play nice in a smaller room or simply overload? Thanks again and happy holidays 🙏
I think the 4" version would be better. BTW, you won't be giving up any bass. The 4" hits hard. Happy Holidays.
Amazing speakers. I just wanted to know do they still cost the same as you said to build ❓
Yes. I think so. E-mail Neil and he will give all the details. Thx.
I have no doubt they are excellent. As I've virtually have never heard a Transmission Line I didn't like. However, they're for those with a larger audio space. Those of us with smaller spaces would again benefit from his, I believe his 28-32 inch tall TL using I think a 3 inch full range speaker. That too is beyond my allotted space. So, the C-Note Base reflex from Parts Express or Danny Richie's X-LS Bravo are the size for Myspace (pun intended). And they fit my budget $135 a pair with Flat Pack for the PE model. Wish I had the space for these or his smaller TL's he has to offer. You wouldn't happen to have in your collection of the Album featuring Eddie Salter orchestrated with Stan Gets? The name escapes me as it's packed away and Google is too stupid to find it.
I don't know that recording. Sorry. Happy Holidays.
That album is called "Focus" the Japanese pressing is especially good sounding
Just thinking about those calculations makes my head hurt!
😄
Me too. Happy Holidays.
I used a 3D acoustic modeling program that does all the calculations - transmission line cabinets are complicated, but a tried and tested acoustic modeling program does all the grunt work. I use CAD to draw the cabinets - so what would have taken years can be done in a few months - and far more accurately.
@OldGuyHifi do you think these speakers would work well with Class D amps like the Fosi V3 mono's?
Yes they will. That said those small class D amps will not be able to extract all of the performance the speakers can deliver. Starting out with those is fine but, I would recommend something more robust like a Cambridge unit or something from Advance Paris, Yamaha, Rotel, etc. While those small amps are nice with smaller bookshelf speakers the MLTL 6s can scale up. I loved their sound on the $8000.00 Linear Tube Audio amp. So look down the road at maybe upgrading the amps when you can. Definitely get the speakers at enjoy them until you can upgrade.
So how much does this cost in kit form after you buy all the drivers, caps, wire, posts and coils in Jan 2025?
Everyone's in love with the bass but how is the detail on high frequency percussion like shakers, gourds, cymbals, orchestra string sections? Compared to Quads 63s?
How about vocal sibilants - s, fs, cs etc?
Reach out to Neil at NeilBlanchardDesigns@gmail.com. He will be happy to give you some estimated costs. The speakers have excellent sonic characteristics. Quads are in a space of their own and it is an apples to oranges comparison. Neil's speakers are far more dynamic with a much wider frequency bandwidth. Quads can image ok in the right room with the right set up but, are very finicky about placement and they don't handle power particularly well.. The MLTL 6s are easy to live with can be placed as close as 8 inches from the front wall and will still perform very well. They can handle a lot of power very well. There is no sibilance unless it is in the recording. I hope that helps. Thx.
Question: You have 2 amps on a particular speaker. One sounds more transparent and analytical, matter of fact and adds brightness with an already brighter sounding speaker although not harsh or tiring with a little sibilance but no glare. The other adds some rounding, warms up the entire spectrum a bit but in the sibilant passages, you hear more glare.
What could cause the glare in the seemingly more rounded, fuller, less sharp sounding amp? And, it has done this on other speakers as well. Perplexes me a bit.
It is all a matter of how the designer voices the amp. What brands?
@ the van Alstine ca-1 vs the Hegel h160.
Wow thanks.. that Anne Drummond was a knockout recording. Longtime Benny Green fan.. check out his live album Testifyin'!: Live at The Village Vanguard, also amazing soundscape and energy.
I will. Thank you.
you say: the closer you get to the tuning frequency of a vented enclosure, the more the port unloads the speaker? so why is the cone-movement at the tuning frequency the lowest? If the signal gets below the tuning frequency then the speaker is unloaded.
A ported speaker is distinct from a transmission line - the woofer unloads in a ported speaker, below the tuned frequency, as mentioned. But in a mass loaded transmission line - the entire "column" of air from the driver all the way to the terminus opening is moving *with* the driver - this loads the mass of all that air onto the driver and this is how the woofer movement is minimized, and is how the cone doesn't unload.
Thx.
Are the drivers in each kit "matched pairs"? To within 1db, 2db?
He doesn't supply the drivers. So that would be up to you.
@@OldGuyHifi Oops. Ok, thanks for the clarification.
I wanted to ask you what your brief opinion is on the Vinyl vs. CD debate. Do you also share the opinion that vinyl sounds so much better than CD-s, or is the difference often negligible? Thanks.
I love them both. If I had to rank them: vinyl, CD, streaming. If I ranked then buy cost to make then sound best it would be the same order. Lol. Happy Holidays.
I would be concerned that the woofer in a 2 way design, especially a bigger than 5.25 inch woofer, will be at least a bit compromised in the midrange accuracy if it has to also cover deep bass; that well below 50hz. I realize I can definitely be wrong.
PMC does or did make some 3 way designed speakers that use a fair sized dome for the midrange, with a transmission line design on the bass end. PMC has been doing transmission line speakers for a long time, originally for studio monitoring. 10 years ago I was lusting after their FACT 8 after seeing the What Hifi review, but they were like $4700 a pair & I'm in a lower tax bracket.
The actual size of the SB Acoustics woofer is 5.25", as it happens.
Actually with a week designed speaker it can play very nicely up thru the mids. Check the specs on the driver Neil uses and you will see. Thx. BTW, Happy Holidays.
Ed, there’s far too many YT commenters/ presenters addressing even this small subset of audio to catch all the content, so apologies if this has been asked before. Have you had any experience with any of the sundry DIY designs - many utilizing similar MLTL concepts - by Woden Designs (Scott Lindgren)? Often they’ll employ drivers that IMHO still far too many DIYers eschew out of hand - wideband “fullrange” drivers, such Jordan, Lowther, Mark Audio, TangBand, etc.
I have not had any experience with those other speakers. Sorry. Happy Holidays.
Seems a pity that we can't see measurements before a purchase?
There are some measurements on the NBD web page.
$ 100 for the manual is my only complaint .
My guess is that you don't work for free. Happy Holidays.
@OldGuyHifi I get my service manuals free from Electrotanya free, but Jaycar does charge for some but $ 10 about.
@@chuckmaddison2924 I sell the *build* manual - it is all of the design documentation that you would need to build the speaker; and it represents over a year of work.
Looks like a Tekton externally 🤷♂️
Could be.
I was thinking the same thing, they look a bit lore ish. I wonder how they would compare to each other in a listening session.
The tweeter being located below the midwoofer is less commonly done, so seeing this reminds us of the speaker we are familiar with.
Being a transmission line keeps it distinct from Tekton, I think. Their designs are largely ported, with a few open baffles, I think?
@@NeilBlanchard that is correct. I have a pair of full size Tekton Lore and love them. Large with two front ports, no sub required in the room I have them in. The drivers in the speaker here looks very similar to what Tekton uses in the Lore Reference, including the orientation and distance between. It's not a common orientation, but Zu also uses it in their best selling speaker, and you see it here and there with others. Transmission line is where the big difference is.
@@Artsandcrafts-mj9nv I think the Lore Reference might be a more fair comparison, but the transmission line design here should hit deeper.
$100 is pretty steep for a build manual imo
Remember, he did all of the design , that's hours of testing and know-how.
Not to mention building prototypes.
@@indridcold4210 intellectual property cost money!
I am finishing up a set of these now. The amount of work and direction that has gone into this is astounding. This is a very complex design. You will be looking at hundreds of dollars of crossover components, a complex box build and then the drivers. You would be looking at $700-$900+ if you buy the flat pack. If you’re good at spending upwards of a grand for an amazing speaker, then $100 for the plans is very reasonable. This is different from GR Research or CSS audio bc they make their money from selling you the components, all Neil has is his intellectual property.
A 6" midwoofer is never going to have the best directivity and low-level detail in the midrange. It's a compromise you get in a 2 way system.
They sound great.
Right - *all* designs are compromises, of course. Moving to a 3-way means that in order to get all the midrange on the midrange driver, the woofer crossover needs to be in the 250-300Hz - so that introduces a very large value inductor coil into the crossover. It could be done with smaller total inductor value with a series crossover, but it is more complexity, both electrically and acoustically. Having all air core coils mean there is no hysteresis and all the caps are higher quality.
The midwoofer is actually 5.25" (center to center of the surround suspension) and the Mms is 13.8 grams. It is quite clean - the break up modes are fairly narrow in bandwidth and fairly low in amplitude - paper cones are favored for a reason.