Satori Helios 9.5" 2-Way Speaker Kit - Pair

Manufacturer: Satori

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Product ID: Helios

$2,615.00

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Overview

Satori Helios Speaker Kit designed by Jeff Bagby & Javad Shadzi

Satori Helios 9.5" 2-Way Speaker Kit - Pair

Designed by Jeff Bagby & Javad Shadzi

This unique configuration is an absolute powerhouse 2-way speaker using a waveguide loaded TW29BNWG-4 Beryllium dome tweeter and WO24P-4 9.5" Papyrus cone woofer. The enclosure is tuned with a 10" passive radiator.

View extensive details regarding all aspects of this design on the DIY Loudspeaker Project Pad. Select highlights of this design are quoted below.

Kit price includes a 10% discount on all drivers and accessories.

Flat pack cabinets are available for purchase through Speaker Hardware.

Note: The tweeters for this kit are a special order item with a lead time of 2-4 weeks.

Each Helios Speaker Kit Includes:

(2) Satori TW29BNWG-4 Beryllium Dome Tweeters with Waveguide
(2) Satori WO24P-4 9.5" Egyptian Papyrus Cone Woofers
(2) SB Acoustics SB29NRX-00 10" Passive Radiators
(2) Professionally Assembled Crossovers (details below)

Optional Accessories Package Includes:

(1) Wool Felt 36" x 36" - line internal walls
(1) Acousta-Stuff 1/2lb - fluff & fill enclosure
(12) Supra Classic 2.5 13awg - tinned oxygen free copper internal speaker wire
(8) Quick Connects - connect speaker wire to drivers (2pcs QC250R, 2pcs QC205R, 2pcs QC205B, 2pcs QC110B)
(34) OXSOCKET10x1.25 screws - mount woofers and PRs to cabinet
(12) OXSOCKET8x1 screws - mount tweeters to cabinet
(8) OX6PAN3/4 screws - mount crossovers inside cabinet
(1) Mundorf MSolder Silver/Gold 10g - solder wires to crossovers (mandatory), drivers & binding posts (optional)

Helios Specifications:

Frequency Range: 30 – 30+ kHz
Sensitivity (2.83V / 1m): 85 dB
Min Impedance: 4.5Ω @ 114Hz
Max SPL: 115 dB
Recommended Amplifier: 50+ W
Crossover Frequency: 1300 Hz
Enclosure Type: 35 liters (1.25cf) w/ passive radiator
PR Tuning Frequency: 17.8 Hz
Cabinet Dimensions: 19-1/2" tall x 11-1/8" wide x 13-1/2" deep
View pdf cabinet plans here.

Crossover Schematic

Madisound Assembled Crossovers

Above w/ Mundorf Supreme EVO Oil Caps

Above w/ ClarityCap CSA Caps

The series tweeter circuit uses ClarityCap CSA caps and Mundorf MResist Supreme resistor. The parallel tweeter circuit has a Mundorf MOX resistor and 19awg air core inductor.

The series woofer circuit uses Goertz Copper Foil 14awg inductors and ClarityCap CSA cap. The parallel woofer circuit has a ClarityCap PX cap and high wattage resistor.

Each crossover is professionally assembled by Madisound on a Matrix Double (11" x 5.6") silver tinned inlaid OFC copper circuit board. If building your cabinets with the bracing as shown in the enclosure drawing, you will need to mount the crossover to a side wall. The circuit boards have holes for mounting screws.

Upgrade options are available from the drop down menu. Contact us if you have a specific combination of parts you want to use and/or need them setup for bi-wire/bi-amping. Crossovers include hookup sheets.

Notes on the design from Jeff Bagby (November 13th, 1959 ~ March 24th, 2020)

"My thoughts on the Helios now after living with them for a bit, for this wrap up post. The speaker was an idea that I had about six months earlier. Bo from SB Acoustics liked the idea, so we decided to give it try, but I had to wait on the development of the waveguide. I kinda figured the tweeter would be really special with the Satori Be mounted in a custom waveguide, and I already knew the Satori woofers were excellent, but I was still not prepared for how fantastic the WO24 Satori woofer really was. This driver really raised the bar and made this speaker possible. So, what do I think of the Helios? Well, from a technical perspective it is the best measuring and least flawed of any speaker I have designed. There are some speakers that keep up in some areas, but not in all of the areas that the Helios hit is out of the park. Besides the flat response, and amazing polar response, this speaker has distortion so low I found it difficult to measure. And then there’s the bass response. Wow, such purity and power at the same time. So, if this the best speaker I have designed? Yes, I believe it is. After listening to it in my home for a few weeks I became more convinced of that than ever. And when I put the Spiritwinds back on and they left me wishing for the Helios, I knew for sure then. I would put these speakers up against anything, and I would hold my head high. I just have to find a way to out-do them now. Boy, I can set the bar really high for myself at times."

On distortion:

"I have provided a distortion plot, but it deserves some explanation. Many people do not realize that you cannot compare distortion plots if they are measured under different circumstances. Distortion is dependent on output level, which is dependent on input power and measurement distance. You cannot compare distortion at 100 dB taken 6” from a driver with distortion measured at 100 dB taken at one meter away. The stress on the driver is very different. This graph represents the latter situation. The woofer if being driven to slightly beyond its Xmax in this graph and the speaker is very loud. Given this, the non-linear distortion is remarkably low. Second order distortion runs at -50 dB in a fairly linear line. This translates to distortion of 0.3%. Third order distortion remains lower than second order everywhere except in the low bass where the woofer is being pushed hard. However, third order does rise around 1 kHz but only to a level of 0.1% and is much lower across the board otherwise. This is a VERY low distortion loudspeaker."

On the bass tuning:

"Using the SB29NRX-00 radiator right out of the box tunes the enclosure to 17.8 Hz. The cone response exactly follows that of the sealed system with a flat response with no peaking and a 12 dB/oct roll-off until we begin to approach the tuning frequency. The radiator output is not real high, but it does sum with the cone to produce an F6 of 33.5 Hz and an F10 of 25.4 Hz. System response is now rolling off at 8-9 dB/octave (you read that right) giving the system 4 dB more output at 20 Hz compared to sealed with no peaking. The more gradual roll-off matches very well with the rising room response of most rooms in this range yielding a system whose in-room response is very flat and extended to 30 Hz and below (for a stand mounted monitor just over one cubic foot in volume). Excursions? With the passive radiator and low tuning, the woofer’s excursions peak at 11.9 mm at 35 Hz with 100 Watts, but then below that begin to drop off to only 3.5mm at 17 Hz and doesn’t exceed Xmax again until 14 Hz and below. And for those wondering, Group Delay with this passive radiator and the low tuning is only 11 mSec at 20 Hz, which is very low as well.

Using the mass loaded passive radiator to control the cone motion of the woofer to very low frequencies not only adds a few dB of output in the deep bass, helping to extend it, and match the room curve better, it is also keeps the voice coil better centered in the gap to much higher power levels, resulting in even lower distortion from the woofer at low frequencies.

I attempted to make the Helios a very unique, near state of the art loudspeaker in the category of a stand mounted monitor, combining flat response, matched and controlled directivity, smooth extended bass, and low distortion – combined with fairly high output level. I wanted it to be as accurate of a reproducer as was possible to make using passive components, and I believe it will be tough to beat this one overall."

There is a treasure trove of project specific information and measurements on this design here. You do not need to be signed up or into Facebook to read and view the info.

Helios Frequency Response