Large format Mantarays for HI FI home Audio

Hello,

I'd like to get some impressions from anyone that has experience with 288 drivers and large format Mantaray horns in a home system. I am looking to buy a large formt rig and have not seen a lot of comments on these for home use. My great room is 18'X36' with 14' vaulted cielings in a little over half of the space. It is a great room style with the dinning room and kitchen open to the 18X36' space, so the entire open area is about 32X36. My ears are about 16' away from the speakers. Any thoughts?

I've worked with difeerent size CD horns. The bigger the better to my taste.For high Q the MRII594A is good choice.The MR 94 would be to big and not esthetically pleasing works best in a theater of 200 to 400 seats.

Here is a link to that model mounted on a A5.

http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...ro/1993-36.JPG

MR94
http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc.../2013/03/3.jpg

From what I can gather the MR94A is the same dimensions as the MRII594A. Also from pictures I have found I think the MRII594A does not have a detachable throat, the MR94A has the detachable throat? I also think they are made of the same synthetic material, not metal as some of the early Mantaray horns were? As far as asthetics I can see very little difference. I have spent some time investigating these horns and have not found a great deal of detailed information or home user reviews. Notice all the ? marks and I thinks, I've been looking but there just is'nt a lot of information out there.

The MR94A is a large horn, the MR594 is a mid sized horn. Throw would be different between the two.
They are significantly different in size.
The MR94 came in a metal version, I think the 94A and 94B were the fibreglass type.

I personally think the MRII594A is a great horn for home use with the 288x and 299x series drivers.

I'm currently test driving the MRII564s with 288s. My space is longer than it is wide with windows and sliding doors right at the first reflection points, so a wide dispersion is not a selling point for me. I want as narrow as I can get. They seem to be working well. The problem I have found with large systems is it is very difficult to A/B the sound. These sound great...so did my Heathkits with 811s. These sound more "in your face", the 811/802Gs imaged better.

I have heard claims on this board and others that when making a small tweak in their Altec system people have claimed "it made a huge difference". I have not found that to be so...so far. On the audio quality continuum, most Altec gear is likely between 9 and 10 out of 10. Changing a horn from a 511 radial to a multi cell will likely result in a gain from 9.3 to 9.4. It's not a 3 to a 9. In my limited experience I have found nothing Altec sounds bad. It's all just different flavors of better. The room will affect the sound far more than a small change in component.

http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc.../2013/03/7.jpg

The 288 works well. As far as Manta vs Multicell or sectoral, The Manta will exhibit less "beaming" or accentuation of the higher freqs on axis. Constant directivity EQ addresses this. I actually like the CD horns better, YMMV.

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Originally Posted by alancohen

I'. The room will affect the sound far more than a small change in component.

http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc.../2013/03/7.jpg

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You room looks hard...very reflective.

Ron

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Originally Posted by RonSSS

You room looks hard...very reflective.

Ron

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In a broad banded sense too..............

Some folks like a bright "live" room, i'm just on the opposite end of that spectrum. I like a soft, over-damped, "dead" room.

It's brutally reflective. Curtains on the windows and sliding doors helped tremendously, but I have a lot to do. All I need is time. So far no one is willing to pay me to quit my job and stay home to work on my audio system. I have a few boxes of Ultratouch denim awaiting some free time so I can build some absorption panels. I need to do the fireplace behind my seating area, the hardwood floors, the cathedral ceilings etc. I don't want it completely dead, but more dead than alive.

http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc.../2013/03/8.jpg

The openness on the sides I thinks help prevent standing LF waves. The bass sounds pretty good. But I'm sure there's all kinds of HF reflection going on.

http://www.hostboard.com/forums/hbmc.../2013/03/9.jpg

Eventually, when the kids move out, I'll convert one of their BRs into an intimate listening room. For now I have to do the best with what I have to work with. I even have to wait till the puppy is housebroken before I put rugs on the floor.

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Originally Posted by yelmite

From what I can gather the MR94A is the same dimensions as the MRII594A. Also from pictures I have found I think the MRII594A does not have a detachable throat, the MR94A has the detachable throat? I also think they are made of the same synthetic material, not metal as some of the early Mantaray horns were? As far as asthetics I can see very little difference. I have spent some time investigating these horns and have not found a great deal of detailed information or home user reviews. Notice all the ? marks and I thinks, I've been looking but there just is'nt a lot of information out there.

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As for size you can find the info here.
http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...ro/1993-27.JPG

For more detail specs I'll try to e mail you the pdf file.

Thanks for all the help. So I am looking at a set of MR94A's with 291 series drivers..I understand you can replace the Symbiotic diaphram with an aluminum type found in the 288, essentially for all intents and purposes this makes the 291 into a 288...The other issue would be what the best match in OHM rating on the diapram would be with flea powered single ended pentode 6BQ5 tubes?

Well, what output taps are available on the tube amps? 8 and 16? If so, you can use either. If only one, better consult the person who built the amps.

I always wanted to try the large format stuff. Perhaps I'll start keeping my eyes open. I'd like to try the 299-8A tangerines on the big Manta 40x90 horns.

FWIW.....my room is dead....love it that way.

Ron

Watch the throat on those MRII564s, the weight from the driver can snap the fibreglass.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RonSSS

Well, what output taps are available on the tube amps? 8 and 16? If so, you can use either. If only one, better consult the person who built the amps.


Ron

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Just me being superstitious, but the 16 will use the entire secondary and the 8 only half, as it is a tap. YMMV.

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