DD8 Reviews

 

The DD8.1 by Roman Bednarek from the USA.

 

    

 

“ Now that the crossover is finished I decided to try the DD8.1s in on my main system in my larger listening room.  I was really amazed at how nice they sound.  They are located almost 1 meter away from the back wall but there is still quite a bit of bass support because they are located along the long wall of a 4 meter by 8 meter room (approx.).  They definitely have a very detailed midrange and are stronger than the Proteus jrs. in the upper midrange region.  The midrange of the Proteus jrs. is relaxed relative to most speakers I've heard, hence my impression that they are non-fatiguing at high levels.  My friend (who owns the Nautilus 802s) was really impressed with the sound of the DD8.1s, especially the detail in the midrange.  He wonders how they would compare to the Nautilus 805s.  He likes the fact that both the Proteus jrs. and the DD8.1s sound just as good at very low listening levels as they do at high levels.  His B&Ws require a bit of power before they open up.”

“ Because they are very revealing, the DD8.1s can make a good recording sound great and a bad recording sound terrible.  Thus, I tend to prefer them with jazz.  The imaging is pretty good, but not as good as the Proteus jrs.  The Proteus jrs. certainly excel in that category.  The soundstage is nice, but doesn't seem as spacious as the Proteus jrs.  The Proteus jrs. are stronger above 12kHz and perhaps too bright, although the simulations show the DD8.1s to roll off slightly in this region.  I would presume this upper end brightness to be the primary difference between the Excel tweeter and the H881 (ie. Proteus vs. Proteus jr.). The simulation reveals this, but I don't completely trust it in the case of the Proteus. “

“ For the money, I can't imagine a better quality system thanks to your speaker designs and help modifying them for my needs.”

“ I spent a lot of time painting and sanding and went through a lot of paint (maybe too much).  I brushed on 8 coats of primer and then sanded them smooth with 320 grit sandpaper.  Then I sprayed several coats of "Midnight Black Metallic" spray paint and sanded that smooth.  Then I sprayed a few more coats of clear gloss which really made them shine and gave them more depth.  I went through 6 cans of Black Metallic and 3 cans of clear gloss, but they look really nice now.  They are a bit darker than I expected, but they really sparkle in the light and the metallic paint goes very well with the aluminum drivers and gives them a tri-color look. “

 

 

The DD8MkII by Juha Happonen from Finland.

 

    

 

 

The DD8MkII by “Play” from The Netherlands.

 

   

 

 

 

NOTE: These designs are strictly for the home DIY enthusiast and not to be used professionally without permission!

 

Tony Gee

The Netherlands