DIY Loudspeakers: HOME  INDEX  UPDATES  RESPONSE  WHAT'S NEW 

OBL-15, built by Andreas, Germany
Copyright 2021 © Troels Gravesen

Dear Troels,

After building a lot of speakers with usual housing shapes in recent years, I was tired of it. Then I discovered the OBL series on your website and I was fully turned on. Following the simple speaker truth "No housing is the best housing" I decided to go with the "OBL-15 / Level 1" kit early this year.
 
Now, after month of exciting listening sessions and some positioning experiments, I thought it`s time to give some feedback and share my enthusiastic impressions with you. Briefly expressed, the sonic performance of this Level 1 OBL-15 is simply amazing and breathtaking! Depending on the quality of the input material the Level 1 OBL-15 can produce a really large & holographic soundstage as an ease. But the most convincing thing is the bass performance (I decided for the Faital 15") with its unbelievable transient-speed and the overall dynamics. It left me “open-mouthed”. From Classical orchestra music to Death-Metal from Electro beats to Jazz - OBL-15 is presenting a life atmosphere of which I have dreamed a long time, but never expected this can come true in my room - Simply Awesome!
 
For best performance, I run the OBL-15 by bi-amping with two vacuum-tube amps. Thereby, the leveling between bass and mid-high has also proven to be very advantageous. I still wonder why there are not more OBL-15 responders here on place. If one can handle the size of this speaker and have space to figure out the best positioning in the room the OBL-15 with its outstanding sonic signature will exceed many expectations - I become “ear-witness” of it since months - and I guess, some of my neighbors too.
 
OK, One must live with the fact that this model hasn`t a slim and well sculptured body, which will become an optical jewel for the living room. Personally, I fell in love with this open baffle design. It`s rare and out of the ordinary - But at least, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. For the moment OBL-15 ends my search for my perfect speaker - But nothing in life is from static nature…
 
Thank you Troels for your spectacular work and all the time you spent to go from OBL-7 to OBL-15. I dare to say that you reanimated Wharfedales SFB-3 from 1956 and transformed it successfully to the presence. Doubtless, Mr. Briggs would be proud of the follow-up product to his SFB-3 and its developer. Finally, I must hook up to your opinion, that choosing the right speaker should be led by the desired sonic performance and not (only) from a visual impression. 
 
I send you some pics of my listening room in the basement of our house - I call it "The Temple". The left Amp on the rack is an Unison Research Triode 25.
He is my Master-Amp. Switched in triodemode with low feedback option for best sound reproduction this amp drives the mid & high section. With the Sub-Out of the Master the signal goes to the Amp on the right side of the rack. It`s a DIY Amp and part of my output of late 2020. In Ultralinear mode the 4pcs. of KT88 tubes can deliver approx. 40 watts on each Faital 15”. The source is an Unison Research “CD Uno”. And for completeness, the white coloured speakers in the pics are called “Studio 85 TL” from a Munich developer. A DIY project I did in 2019. They have also a very good sonic performance. The transmissionline character is of course completely different from that of a 15" on an open baffle. But who am I telling this ... 
 
Once again thank you for your great work, stay healthy & always in good mood. Please feel free to post my feedback and pics on your builders response site as you like. 
 
best regards,
Andreas from Germany