Phil Lewandowski wrote on Sun, 14 March 2010 22:07 |
But Jeff Babcock, Adam Schiable, and hopefully a couple others should at least be able to give you some very good real world info that isn't just raving.
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Scott,
Technically speaking I'm not a user of any BFM designs anymore, I have sold anything I have built and have not been actively building for a couple years.
If you want specific comments on a particular design, let me know and I can PM you some more specific details. I would prefer to keep serious design discussion about the cabs limited to PM or to the bfm site, as there is a history of tension surrounding PSW over there that I do not wish to stir up.
I would suggest that most of the products are intended for a different market than the majority of PSW readers. Low build cost and output seem to be the primary focus of the designer. As we all know, there is no free lunch in audio, so those design choices come with some tradeoffs.
Typically I have seen that those who rant and rave in a super positive manner about the sound of various designs tend to have minimal experience working with modern professional designs and thus a less than ideal point of reference.
Regarding loading better drivers, typically the LF/mid designs are optimized for the rising midrange response of the Eminence drivers chosen for them. It's not necessarily easy to find a "better" replacement that is ideal. You may have success with higher quality HF drivers as Connif B mentioned re the BMS 4552ND, though in that case you need to be extremely careful about using an appropriate horn that plays well with the driver. With the internal dimensions of some of the designs this can be a significant challenge.
The website does provide very good support and step by step build instructions if you wish to try the designs, so it's a fun woodworking project if you like making sawdust.
As mentioned by others however, there are plenty of other DIY designs available on the net as well. It's worth doing your homework on this. If you are looking for something simple, a basic front loaded design with high quality drivers and a well matched HF horn might be a route to consider and would be the most likely to easily achieve good sonic results.
You also may wish to see what else is available on the used market, depending on your needs. Given the market turmoil, a lot of stuff continues to appear at reasonable prices. I have had excellent success buying good quality pro gear on the used market.