Which DIY enclosure do you recommend for the Eikona?
For a conventional, small enclosure we recommend our Reflex 7 design. It gives good bass to 50 Hz which can be further extended by the addition of a sub-woofer system.
For a full-range, free-standing system, we recommend the VTL or SL enclosures which are compact and room-friendly.
Our ultimate DIY design to date is the Eikona Transmission Line Array. This can reach down to the lowest notes on piano or orchestra, and the increased sensitivity means that it can handle orchestral climaxes with ease. Our smaller TL2 and TL3 transmission lines differ only in sensitivity and power handling; bass response is the same.
Can I horn-load the Eikona?
If you must. The Eikona has a well-balanced performance which means that horn-loading needs to be handled carefully. The Eikona will work well in a suitable, matching horn but be aware that most designs on the web are not true horns but a hybrid of horn and reflex. As we haven’t tested any of these, we cannot advise which are suitable.
In some of your designs, why is the Eikona fitted in the wide face when most manufacturers keep the baffle as narrow as possible?
The narrow front face is a fashion concept supported by some very questionable marketing rationale. The indisputable scientific fact is that the ideal mounting for a loudspeaker is an infinitely large, flat baffle and this is the concept used for all loudspeaker analyses. A wide baffle sounds better.
What are the recommended advantages of positioning loudspeakers as close to the wall as possible?
This positioning secures, to some extent, the advantages described in the previous question. In addition, it minimises the time delayed reflections from the rear wall which contribute to confused imaging.
Won’t placing the loudspeaker next to a wall ruin the stereo image?
We cannot see any reason why this would impair imaging. Possibly more than any other manufacturer, we have concerned ourselves with accurate and stable imaging and certainly would not promote a design that would impair this.
Will shallow enclosures cause audible reflections behind the Eikona?
On the contrary, it will raise their frequency and make them easier to absorb through use of acoustic damping material placed behind the Eikona.
Can you check my design if I email it to you?
We are happy to view and offer comments on your own designs, although we cannot undertake any testing. We endeavour to support all our customers and encourage you to send in photographs and impressions of your projects, whether based on our own designs or yours.
We started by building loudspeakers – Ted Jordan’s first published article was a loudspeaker enclosure design and members of the current team have all been building speakers since they were so high. Like you, we are enthusiasts. We enjoy working with our customers on both our designs and ones customers have created. There are some excellent examples of customer-designed enclosures on our blog..