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Ceiling panel speaker array build


oohms

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So after promising not to build anything more, I came across a lot of JBN Sound Ceiling panels on ebay.. bought 8 panels, as 4 per side stacked would be about 2400 high and fit in most rooms

 

IMG_20171106_144811.thumb.jpg.4e45f7642fd3059e89a4309bb56b73ee.jpg

 

 

After careful measurement, I cut the pieces to the frame out of 70x35 pine

IMG_20171106_144800.thumb.jpg.5d7f172428c8bc0151bd150ed18e7925.jpg

 

 

Didn't take any photos in between, but screwed together the outer part of the frame, then put the panels in, then added the crossmembers

IMG_20171106_153927.thumb.jpg.c6827bb29032835a92b7750654f95bd7.jpg

IMG_20171106_153857.thumb.jpg.1f0710b1baba232057388b42ff0af575.jpg

 

 

The drivers are wired 9 in series per panel, so paralleled the panels for a total impedance of 18 ohms, which isn't too bad. There was no way i was going to rewire 72 drivers for a slightly better impedance

 

Set them up inside, quick and dirty EQ and crossover to the subs and they sound great!

IMG_20171108_154939.thumb.jpg.ae75b566f06d9237f56fbe4b2518864e.jpg

 

 

Will post more about the measurements and sound later

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So after promising not to build anything more, I came across a lot of JBN Sound Ceiling panels on ebay.. bought 8 panels, as 4 per side stacked would be about 2400 high and fit in most rooms
 
IMG_20171106_144811.thumb.jpg.4e45f7642fd3059e89a4309bb56b73ee.jpg
 
 
After careful measurement, I cut the pieces to the frame out of 70x35 pine
IMG_20171106_144800.thumb.jpg.5d7f172428c8bc0151bd150ed18e7925.jpg
 
 
Didn't take any photos in between, but screwed together the outer part of the frame, then put the panels in, then added the crossmembers
IMG_20171106_153927.thumb.jpg.c6827bb29032835a92b7750654f95bd7.jpg
IMG_20171106_153857.thumb.jpg.1f0710b1baba232057388b42ff0af575.jpg
 
 
The drivers are wired 9 in series per panel, so paralleled the panels for a total impedance of 18 ohms, which isn't too bad. There was no way i was going to rewire 72 drivers for a slightly better impedance
 
Set them up inside, quick and dirty EQ and crossover to the subs and they sound great!
IMG_20171108_154939.thumb.jpg.ae75b566f06d9237f56fbe4b2518864e.jpg
 
 
Will post more about the measurements and sound later
Cool!
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6 hours ago, davewantsmoore said:

what are the drivers?  :)

They are 6 inch twin cone fullrangers that look to be made for JBN. The only identifying mark is this sticker

IMG_20171110_001703_HHT.jpg.2aeb0d4799f0e20e991e9f724b53f5b4.jpg

 

 

 

OK - so I decided to simplify the setup as using a DCX2496 really is cheating, and annoying to integrate into a full setup so I decided to dig up my old Pioneer all in one unit and use the graphic equaliser (lol) to dial in the panels and use a sub fed from the speaker outputs to augment the bass. The sub is a Yamaha YST-SW300 (a beast!)

IMG_20171109_213454_HHT.thumb.jpg.2756e0a4a072d4a1bf65dff58f665e1e.jpg

 

 

 

Starting from scratch again, this is how the panels measure unequalised

 

Better than I thought, especially the low end response, since they are almost open baffle

stock.JPG.b98d459250a7df156fc51e79a4ed7ab3.JPG

 

 

 

Using the graphic equaliser and measurement mic, then dialling in the sub after the panels measured ok resulted in this:

eq.JPG.7044d5962e463732d50552664ed5aa2d.JPG

 

 

 

The distortion profile is very nice but the floor is high as i measured at low volume. Ideally I would have high passed the panels but for simplicity's sake it was not to be

distortion.JPG.7027f7ab269e23e36fcf70296c9657e4.JPG

 

 

Equaliser settings

IMG_20171109_235917_HHT.thumb.jpg.1c2b5190004f7dd65865e4567016884d.jpg

 

 

So there you have it.

 

The panels are very directional left and right because of the multiple drivers (up and down isn't an issue as the panels are almost ceiling height) - this serves to control directivity and reduce both adjacent wall and floor-ceiling bounce. This makes them sound almost horn like, except at any standing or sitting height

 

The quasi-random distribution of speakers on the panel would help to reduce lobing and i would say that it works very well. Line array people talk about lobing over much smaller distances so maybe this is something worth looking into

 

Sound wise they are very life like and a lot more detailed than I was expecting. Imaging is extremely good if you sit in the sweet spot. Had they been high passed you could probably drive them to concert levels in a room and they would do it too.

 

Worth it as an impulse buy? Hell yeah!

IMG_20171110_000039_HHT.jpg

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  • 5 months later...

So i moved them to the lounge and hooked them back up to the DCX2496.. I am still floored by the sound these panels produce.. not always the most refined sound but I keep picking up details in songs that I haven't heard before

 

 

Edited by oohms
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