zHORN

by

Tom Zurowski

tomzur(at)vajraguru.com

• With Single-Full-Range drivers:

• The drummer's cymbals and kick drum are in sync.
• The orchestra's violin, viola, cello and bass are of a full unified and harmonious texture. With tweeters, the violins always sounded detached from the cellos. With most multi-way speakers the violas seem to disappear in the region of the crossover.
  
• The human voice is clear and comprehensible.
• For many, many years (well I just turned 48 years old), I heard headphones and the cheapest "boom boxes" do a great job of conveying the melody of a piano. When I'd listen to my "expensive" stereo, I lost interest in the melody. The cheap reproducers were one way.
  
• My first full range was a $5 Radio Shack full range 40-1197 (also called FE103). It was held in a cinderblock with duct tape and a shoe box was taped to the back of the cinder block. Some Baroque music was played. Wow. I was an instant convert. I understood the melodic weavings of the counterpoint.
  

• I started making speakers in the autumn of 2001. My neighbor is a carpenter and I took care of her dogs for a few days in exchange for some wood cutting. She had all of the equipment, having almost single handedly built her house. Then my brother bought a table saw and together we made a variety of speakers, playing with dimensions and materials. During the spring and summer of 2002, visited almost daily by a lute and guitar maker of 30 some years experience, I learned the fine points of woodworking. So thank you Lois, Bob and Jim.

• The preferred material of construction is plywood and solid wood.
  
• The finishes are French Polished consisting of more than 12 hand-rubbed coats: this method consists of Shellac (tree resin and beetle juice). This is the traditional basis of violin, cello, lute and guitar finishes for centuries. Some claim that natural finishes instead of plastic finishes sound better.
• About the Audio-Resolution platforms: when beneath my CD transports, for example, they bring up the deepest bass with the quietest background, warmest tone and the most detail.  Experimenting with the concrete block, the sound became dynamically dead. Experimenting with hardwoods the sound changed in accordance to the different wood, for example, a two inch slab of Maple, brightened the sound, but did not deepen the bass. Beneath speakers the treble is noticably sweetened and there is a harmonic richness. These platforms have been sold out.
  

•  July 2003: The Heruka built of solid wood. This experiment revealed that dynamics were more nuanced with solid wood.

• September 2003: The Garuda speaker, employing the Fostex FE 206e, an 8 inch driver.  For more info and pictures see: GARUDA
• 2003: First time using a chip amp was the 47 Labs Shigaraki and have tried about 9 different "gainclone" since. Excellent amps for single driver speakers http://www.sakurasystems.com/show/tom.html
  

•  As of  10/06: I've built 25 Dakini, 17 Heruka, 5 Jordon VTL, 3 Pawo, a few custom models. I know of more than a dozen others who have built my designs.

• PLEASE NOTE : I do not intend to build any more back horn cabinets. I am experimenting with open baffle speaker designs. I've been pleased with CSS FR125S, Fostex F200A, and Visaton B200 in the open. Honestly, I've completely lost interest in any closed-in cabinet design.  SEE: here.

• Thanks for looking at this site, Tom Zurowski
• I am always glad to offer comments on my experience with back horn speakers and the drivers that I've employed. 
• Also note, that as of spring of 2006, I am only building speakers for myself and good friends.

• tomzur(at)vajraguru.com

• Some pictures. These were all actual postage stamp size when created. here.
  
• Some of my POETRY.
  
• My associated equipement consists of some Gainclone chipamps, T-amps, a Decware Select,  PC TRANSPORT (the best for digital) or a Sony DVP-s7700 as transport;  Scott Nixon Tube DAC (after trying several other non-oversampling DACs, I always return to the Scott Nixon models, and especially like his USBCHIBI run on battery power) ,  a Linn LP12 (20years old but modified), and a . During the past couple years, I've had extended listening with the following amps:  Decware se84b, Cayin TA-30, Decware SE34i, Consonance Joplin 2a3, ASL el34 SET, YBA Integre, Audio Refinement, Creek, Wright 3.5, 47 Labs Shigaraki. With various preamps: Mapletree Ultra 4se preamp, Decware ZTPRE, Audible Illusions3, AVA T-6, ASL phono-pro. Also various source CD players, a Shigaraki transport, conrad-johnson DR-1 transport and Premier 9 DAC, Scott Nixon tube DAC+, Ack! dAck! and a Rega 25 turntable. This equipment I've had for extended listening.