I finished building these OBL15’s around two
months ago and have experimented with placing them in different
positions. They sound best so far, placed 96 inches apart tweeter to
tweeter, 57 inches from the front wall and 31 inches to the side wall in
reference to the tweeter. I followed Troels build instructions to
the millimeter using two 18mm Baltic birch panels for the face and an
additional 21mm Baltic birch for the mid and woofer. Finish is a violin
red water based dye followed with General Finishes ArmRSeal poly varnish
clear. To make it more aesthetically pleasing the side edges have been
chamfered and the crossover parts have been placed in a box under the
bottom panel. This is an Audax Level 1 build.
My previous speakers were Bowers & Wilkins DM6 which sounded very
detailed and presented a big realistic soundstage. I listen to mostly
classical. I am using a Salas DCG3 preamp and Pass design F5TV3
monoblocks of around 100W each. My first impression upon listening was
on how smooth the OBL15’s sounded but felt that the bass was excessive
and a bit light in the mids. I discovered thru experimentation that the
front edge of the speaker where most of the weight is, was digging into
my plush pile carpet reducing the designed in 5 degree tilt. Upon adding
a thin shim underneath I increased the tilt and now the sound is far
more balanced.
The detail is more than with my DM6’s and more naturally so. The overall
presentation is full and rich. All instruments are correctly positioned
and defined and the sound stage gives the impression of instruments all
projecting sound together like in a real concert hall as opposed to
pinpoints of sound. Violins sound exceptionally refined and smooth,
perhaps because of the Jantzen Alumen supercap used. Lower register
clarity especially of pianos is superb. What I was not prepared for is
how clear soft passages in the music sound and the loud passages get
very loud in a hurry. I am now experiencing what dynamics really is!
Troels says “I dare guarantee the OBL-15 will deliver a live feeling”.
Guarantee delivered! I have read that the difference between good
speakers and great ones is really in three areas- detail, dimensionality
and dynamics. OBL15 excels in all three.
Thank you Troels for this great design and for the help you extended to
me throughout the build process. Thanks also to Michael Dahl Jantzen of
Jantzen Audio for your help and encouragement.
Nash in New Jersey, USA
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