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Big E Speakers Part 4 - Quadraphenia
- Thread starter kesslari
- Start date
They 4x6 tower looks awesome.
+1 … I’m curious about the 6x5’ setup
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Hallelujah! I've occasionally been hearing a nasty papery distortion out of all of the drivers my Flex 110 and bumming out. Couldn't stand to listen to it. 
I wasn't too hip on shipping it to Mike for troubleshooting/repair (been there, done that with my first Flex 110. A staple had nicked a wire), so I decided to try it myself. After I opened it up, everything was passing the visual and smell tests. I decided to clean and re-tension all of the push-on connectors. In the process, I discovered what I believe is carbon on two terminals of the input connectors, indicating that a little arcing had been going on. After completing the cleaning and re-tensioning, I buttoned it back up, and voila, it sounds as good as new!
I wasn't too hip on shipping it to Mike for troubleshooting/repair (been there, done that with my first Flex 110. A staple had nicked a wire), so I decided to try it myself. After I opened it up, everything was passing the visual and smell tests. I decided to clean and re-tension all of the push-on connectors. In the process, I discovered what I believe is carbon on two terminals of the input connectors, indicating that a little arcing had been going on. After completing the cleaning and re-tensioning, I buttoned it back up, and voila, it sounds as good as new!
So I am an electronics dummy. Would arching and the resultant carbon buildup come from connectors not being snug enough?
Yes. Those two connectors were the only loose ones that I found. I should have snapped a pic when it was disassembled. I'm still thinking about eliminating the connectors and soldering the wires directly to the tabs. I don't ever recall seeing a cab wired this way. I trust a direct mechanical connection and solder a whole lot more.
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I have a MAS cab that I found to be wired in reverse-phase, which wouldn't have mattered except that I was also running a second cab and wondering why I couldn't hear myself. I re-did the connectors instead of soldering.
Yum... I was just playing the Flex with the tweeter off with the WD-800. Organic, inspirational tones. Together, they bring the beauty. Signal generator: '09 Dingwall Super J/P with custom Nordstrand alnico V NP-4a soloed.
Signal generator: '09 Dingwall Super J/P with custom Nordstrand alnico V NP-4a soloed.
Oh yeah!!!
Mike's amazing cabs are in a different league and sonic playing field than all the rest. The same goes for the instruments Sheldon Dingwall designs and builds. For me, nothing else even comes close...Attachments
I just placed an order with Mike for a pair of 18.5 cabs finished in white with matching grilles to serve as mains our new sanctuary. As always, Mike has made improvements since I ordered my 18. There is a new audiophile attenuator for the tweeter. Major crossover re-design, it is now two-way. He said there is a better balance with the low and mid driver. I'll have to be patient for eight weeks, but I can't wait to hear these!
Does ANYONE out there have this EXACY Bodai 110 cab? ... or is this iteration a one-off
I don't know how many of that version of the Bodai 110 Mike made (with the horizontal rather than the vertical waveguide for the woofer, with one "bell"/"port" rather than two), but, if it was more than one, it wasn't many. I saw one being built at his old place in Illinois (might've been the last time I visited, years ago), which was based on his short-lived (but I thought promising) redesign of the MAS110 (I started a similarly short-lived thread on it) before, as I understand it, new drivers from Ciare (which Mike had some hand in prompting them to develop) led his designs in another direction (touched on in my last post in that aforementioned thread).
I never got to play that version of the Bodai 110, but I did play the Faital-woofer-loaded variant of the MAS 110 it was based on and liked it a lot (at least in my trial of it at Mike's place).
From your photo, a couple of posts up, it seems that you've got a Flex 210 along with the Bodai 110 -- how's the Bodai compare, in your opinion?
I should maybe mention that I picked up one of the older design Bodai 110s some months ago -- along with a MAS 46.5 and my old 110 sub from @mntngrown -- but (life stuff) haven't played any of it out, yet. I know from experience that the 110 sub is pretty kickass with a few different cabs, live (played it with my former Flex top and 46, as well as a Hathor 1203), but I haven't experienced the others with a band yet.
Re. your original question, you might reach out to Mike on FB -- he could tell you if he made any others.
Jeeeze Mark, as always I am humbled and grateful for your thorough incites and experience.
This MAS Bodai 110, for me is just a revelation in small cab performance. Just amazing how it manages to completely maintain its lineage to the 210 Flex, and yet take that to such a tight, hyper articulate and focused level.
The 210 Flex is rounder sounding by comparison and warmer but still very articulate, and like all MAS (I assume) stops on a friggin dime. Puts the 'Flex' in tonal flexibility too with all those switchable path options. A modern controlled approach to a classic bass sound.
This 110 is like an extreme version, less forgiving (if that even applies to the wonderfully articulate Flex) and yet somehow still phaaat, similarly punchy and tonally complete. A bit hot at first but easily tamed with my on-board Treble Control(cab tweeter 'Off' switch was installed at build time but never wired).
In short I just can't get off the thing. For the 35" scale bass I'm favoring right now its just a match made in heaven for me driven by the Saturn V. The Lows... synth territory tight and full right down to the Low B. I would love to find a 2nd one or a MAS Sub to pair with it, if only to get even louder when necessary. Certainly not a 'need' to correct for any short-comings.
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Agree 100% with the appreciation for @MarkA 's sharing of informed expertise. 
"Informed expertise?" Sheesh, guys, I can feel my head swelling already. 
There are plenty of people with more expertise about amplification and live sound than I have and plenty who could show me things as a player. I'm fortunate to have picked up some knowledge here and elsewhere over the years and, re. Mike's cabs, fortunate that I've gotten to play through many (not all) of them and that I got to hang out with Mike on a few occasions as he was play-testing (and and answering questions and letting me play-test and geek-out at length with) some of them.
Beyond that, I'm just a little OC about some things (I have my own preferences, for sure) and try to pay attention to how things feel and sound and function in context and relay that. If that's helpful sometimes, I'm gratified.
There are plenty of people with more expertise about amplification and live sound than I have and plenty who could show me things as a player. I'm fortunate to have picked up some knowledge here and elsewhere over the years and, re. Mike's cabs, fortunate that I've gotten to play through many (not all) of them and that I got to hang out with Mike on a few occasions as he was play-testing (and and answering questions and letting me play-test and geek-out at length with) some of them.
Beyond that, I'm just a little OC about some things (I have my own preferences, for sure) and try to pay attention to how things feel and sound and function in context and relay that. If that's helpful sometimes, I'm gratified.
- Dec 21, 2007
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- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
Hunh?! Who? What? Where?
Oh, Mike -- in Oregon (despite the tag under your location -- "not nearly as tropical as it sounds" -- I still think "Hawaii," at least for a second, when I see the "Aloha").
Bummer.
I did see mention, in another thread, a day or two ago, that Mike posted that he was retiring or mostly retiring from speaker building but would still do repairs. Has anyone tried to reach him by phone or email?
I was messaging with Mike this past Wednesday. He was ready to ship a pair of speakers to me. He's semi-retired in that he is limiting how much work he's taking on, but he's still building speakers.
