Hiquphon OW1

ScanSpeak 15W/8530-00

8.5 Liters Net Volume

• 5.5" Wide
• 12" High
• 8" Deep

Box Tuning: 54 Hz

Box F3: 51 HZ

81-83db Estimated Sensitivity

Like many DIY neophytes, John began with a budget for a "high quality" speaker and a history of woodworking experience. Initially he wanted a center channel, but eventually a Left/Right and sub. The center had to fit into a family heirloom cabinet -- that limited the size and layout. We had an extended discussion, and I pointed him to a dozen or so candidate drivers. John went off to research the choices and alternatives.

He selected the ScanSpeak 5.5" Low QTS Revelator and a Hiquphon Tweeter. After extended discussions with Dave Ellis at Ellis Audio Dave offered to send us two "test mules" for experimentation - an OW1 and OW1-FS.

We built a basic MDF box and set it up for testing. We couldn't really see much discernible difference between the OW1 and OW1-FS on the test bench. I chose to model the OW1 for the crossover. I came up with a fairly simple crossover, 2nd order (electrical) on the woofer, 3rd order on the tweeter. Crossover is about 2700 Hz. The box design has a bit of a bump at the bottom end. I think this gives a little punchier bass in small boxes.

I can see where the money goes in these premium drivers. The Hiquihon is built like a tank, with an enclosed back formed from steel. No tabs here, only holes for soldering leads. I'd bet you could drop one from a plane, and maybe the faceplate would crack. Impeccably smooth and well behaved. Very easy to work with.

The Revelator can produce incredible bass from this small box. Clean, authoritative, and substantial. Of course it comes at expense of efficiency. (Physics rules the world). So what do you get with premium drivers? Excellent performance, good behavior, and an easy crossover design.

As a combination, this is an exceptionally smooth, clean and forgiving monitor. I can't say it does anything poorly or can be seen as lacking in any way. I voiced it a tiny bit forward as it will be used primarily as a center. As of this writing, we have only one speaker so extended listening impressions are tough to generate. Just for grins, we hooked this box as the right channel with my Calliope design as the left. After a bit of adjusting, I found the imaging and soundstage to be quite convincing.