“…arguably the best speaker kit available” - Cheap Audio Man
This is a mass loaded transmission line speaker, that uses a 6” paper cone woofer, and either a 1” soft dome tweeter, or a dipole tweeter - both options are included. Personally, I prefer the latter, partly because it is a dipole. But the dome tweeter is excellent, and has a smoother and more extended response. It is available retail - which is key!
This speaker has the best bass quality of any speaker I have heard in my nearly 4 decades of music listening. They are essentially flat in my room to about 32Hz, and also have wonderful “unboxy” midrange, and have a spacious soundstage; if it is there in the recording. The midrange of transmission line speakers is also much more open than conventional designs; and may rival open baffle designs.
The cabinet is 9”W x 21.5”H x 16”D / 227mm x 546mm x 407mm and is made with 18mm thick material - either Baltic birch or MDF. Each finished speaker built with the Baltic birch flat pack weigh a bit less than 29 lbs / 13kg. The corners are designed to have a 12mm x 12mm chamfer; but the MDF can be left square, if you choose. See the images of the SketchUp model below, for how this will look. The chamfer also has an acoustic function of reducing edge diffraction. I can provide CAD files to make CNC cut files - the build manual includes drawings of the CNC version of the panels. It can be built with a table saw and plunge router, and/or with a CNC machine.
A strong benefit of a “folded” transmission line design is the internal baffles not only form the specific volumes and dimensions required for the correct tuning for the woofer - they also form asymmetrical bracing for the cabinet. I include a brace in the closed end, that greatly strengthens the front baffle - which is the most critical area, since the drivers are mounted there. Less obvious is the fact that the internal air pressure in a TL design is lower than an equivalent sealed, or even a ported design. This greatly reduces the panel resonances - and this is possibly why the midrange and bass are more open and clearer. The woofer has less of an “air spring” behind it, so it is more closely reproducing the music in the recording.
I have also spent a lot of time designing and refining the crossover designs. Both are a 3rd order series crossover design for both the 1” soft dome, and the dipole tweeter versions. A series crossover diverts the signal that is filtered out for one driver, and diverts it to the other driver. And so a series crossover can be slightly more efficient, and they tend to have a smoother more even impedance; which can make them better for use with tube amplifiers.
A transmission line speaker cabinet is a tuned “column” of air behind the driver - it has lower distortion and greater bass extension that conventional sealed or ported designs. I used a program called Hornresp (short for Horn Response), and carefully matched the computer acoustic model to the cabinet design, using DataCAD.
The cost of the pair of woofers and a pair of the dome tweeters is about $150, from Madisound. They are both made by SB Acoustics. I have used all air core inductor coils, and the woofer inductor coil is 14 AWG for a low DCR. This is important for the best possible bass quality. The capacitors I have used on the tweeter are the best quality that I have ever heard - they are ClarityCap CSA. The benefits of high quality crossover components cannot be overstated. The build manual includes clickable links for 3 options - “good, better, best” lists of crossover parts quality.
These speakers are fairly sensitive - the woofer is rated at 89.5dB @1W @1 meter. But the crossover lowers this somewhat, and the transmission line may increase it somewhat. I listen at a lower volume setting on my preamp than the other speakers I own. The MLTL-6 speakers are 4-6 ohm nominal impedance - the dome tweeter version is a minimum of about 4.2 ohms. The dipole tweeter has a minimum of about 4.5 ohms. I am using the amazing AkitikA GT-104 amp - it is rated at 60W/ch @ 4 ohms and ~30W/ch @ 8 ohms - it barely gets warm even after long listening sessions. Any amp that is rated for ~4 ohm speakers will probably work very well, with the MLTL-6 speakers. If you have a tube amp, it may better to use the series crossover, but these speakers are relatively easy to drive.
If you purchased the MLTL-6 build manual already and have not yet built them, and you want the current v2.6 build manual - email us to get it for your build. The update is the midwoofer is recessed. Also it now includes both straight cut panels and rabbeted & grooved panels. The manual includes drawings in inches and in millimeters, and includes a stand. I can provide the CAD files for CNC version of the panels, if you want to build it this way.
Here’s the Old Guy Hifi video review of the MLTL-6 speakers:
https://youtu.be/AEoduNaQaXk
Here’s the ABX Audiophiles’ video review of the MLTL-6 speakers that they built:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu-FuzyJ_1g
Here’s the Cheap Audio Man’s video review of the MLTL-6 speakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwzLeDOdoKY
Here’s the link to Part 1 of Sonnora Design’s build video of the MLTL-6 speakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSpSTMacz9A
For folks who want to build the MLTL-6 speakers - but do not have the tools to cut the panels, or do not want to cut them - we have flat packs available to order! They are 18mm Baltic birch, and you can select either the SB Acoustics dome tweeter, or the Linaeum dipole tweeter version - same price for either one.
The price is $375 per pair of flat packs, plus shipping via UPS. We have double wall boxes, to ship them in. They are 25" x 19" x 9" and weigh about 54 pounds.
Flat pack will be cut when you order. Expected lead time is up to 3-5 weeks to ship, from when you place an order.
Order yours here: Neil Blanchard Designs MLTL-6 Flat Pack
We are very happy to announce that you are now able to order assembled crossovers for the MLTL-6 with the SB Acoustics dome tweeter! E-Zee’s Crossovers has “good/better/best” parts lists that are similar to our build manual - all air core inductor coils, metalized film capacitors, and very low/non-inductive resistors. If you want to build one of our MLTL-6 speakers - but building the crossover was holding you back - then you have this option. Visit their website, and email them for pricing. E-Zee’s Crossovers <elon@ezeescrossovers.com>
“…arguably the best speaker kit available” - Cheap Audio Man
This is a mass loaded transmission line speaker, that uses a 6” paper cone woofer, and either a 1” soft dome tweeter, or a dipole tweeter - both options are included. Personally, I prefer the latter, partly because it is a dipole. But the dome tweeter is excellent, and has a smoother and more extended response. It is available retail - which is key!
This speaker has the best bass quality of any speaker I have heard in my nearly 4 decades of music listening. They are essentially flat in my room to about 32Hz, and also have wonderful “unboxy” midrange, and have a spacious soundstage; if it is there in the recording. The midrange of transmission line speakers is also much more open than conventional designs; and may rival open baffle designs.
The cabinet is 9”W x 21.5”H x 16”D / 227mm x 546mm x 407mm and is made with 18mm thick material - either Baltic birch or MDF. Each finished speaker built with the Baltic birch flat pack weigh a bit less than 29 lbs / 13kg. The corners are designed to have a 12mm x 12mm chamfer; but the MDF can be left square, if you choose. See the images of the SketchUp model below, for how this will look. The chamfer also has an acoustic function of reducing edge diffraction. I can provide CAD files to make CNC cut files - the build manual includes drawings of the CNC version of the panels. It can be built with a table saw and plunge router, and/or with a CNC machine.
A strong benefit of a “folded” transmission line design is the internal baffles not only form the specific volumes and dimensions required for the correct tuning for the woofer - they also form asymmetrical bracing for the cabinet. I include a brace in the closed end, that greatly strengthens the front baffle - which is the most critical area, since the drivers are mounted there. Less obvious is the fact that the internal air pressure in a TL design is lower than an equivalent sealed, or even a ported design. This greatly reduces the panel resonances - and this is possibly why the midrange and bass are more open and clearer. The woofer has less of an “air spring” behind it, so it is more closely reproducing the music in the recording.
I have also spent a lot of time designing and refining the crossover designs. Both are a 3rd order series crossover design for both the 1” soft dome, and the dipole tweeter versions. A series crossover diverts the signal that is filtered out for one driver, and diverts it to the other driver. And so a series crossover can be slightly more efficient, and they tend to have a smoother more even impedance; which can make them better for use with tube amplifiers.
A transmission line speaker cabinet is a tuned “column” of air behind the driver - it has lower distortion and greater bass extension that conventional sealed or ported designs. I used a program called Hornresp (short for Horn Response), and carefully matched the computer acoustic model to the cabinet design, using DataCAD.
The cost of the pair of woofers and a pair of the dome tweeters is about $150, from Madisound. They are both made by SB Acoustics. I have used all air core inductor coils, and the woofer inductor coil is 14 AWG for a low DCR. This is important for the best possible bass quality. The capacitors I have used on the tweeter are the best quality that I have ever heard - they are ClarityCap CSA. The benefits of high quality crossover components cannot be overstated. The build manual includes clickable links for 3 options - “good, better, best” lists of crossover parts quality.
These speakers are fairly sensitive - the woofer is rated at 89.5dB @1W @1 meter. But the crossover lowers this somewhat, and the transmission line may increase it somewhat. I listen at a lower volume setting on my preamp than the other speakers I own. The MLTL-6 speakers are 4-6 ohm nominal impedance - the dome tweeter version is a minimum of about 4.2 ohms. The dipole tweeter has a minimum of about 4.5 ohms. I am using the amazing AkitikA GT-104 amp - it is rated at 60W/ch @ 4 ohms and ~30W/ch @ 8 ohms - it barely gets warm even after long listening sessions. Any amp that is rated for ~4 ohm speakers will probably work very well, with the MLTL-6 speakers. If you have a tube amp, it may better to use the series crossover, but these speakers are relatively easy to drive.
If you purchased the MLTL-6 build manual already and have not yet built them, and you want the current v2.6 build manual - email us to get it for your build. The update is the midwoofer is recessed. Also it now includes both straight cut panels and rabbeted & grooved panels. The manual includes drawings in inches and in millimeters, and includes a stand. I can provide the CAD files for CNC version of the panels, if you want to build it this way.
Here’s the Old Guy Hifi video review of the MLTL-6 speakers:
https://youtu.be/AEoduNaQaXk
Here’s the ABX Audiophiles’ video review of the MLTL-6 speakers that they built:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu-FuzyJ_1g
Here’s the Cheap Audio Man’s video review of the MLTL-6 speakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwzLeDOdoKY
Here’s the link to Part 1 of Sonnora Design’s build video of the MLTL-6 speakers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSpSTMacz9A
For folks who want to build the MLTL-6 speakers - but do not have the tools to cut the panels, or do not want to cut them - we have flat packs available to order! They are 18mm Baltic birch, and you can select either the SB Acoustics dome tweeter, or the Linaeum dipole tweeter version - same price for either one.
The price is $375 per pair of flat packs, plus shipping via UPS. We have double wall boxes, to ship them in. They are 25" x 19" x 9" and weigh about 54 pounds.
Flat pack will be cut when you order. Expected lead time is up to 3-5 weeks to ship, from when you place an order.
Order yours here: Neil Blanchard Designs MLTL-6 Flat Pack
We are very happy to announce that you are now able to order assembled crossovers for the MLTL-6 with the SB Acoustics dome tweeter! E-Zee’s Crossovers has “good/better/best” parts lists that are similar to our build manual - all air core inductor coils, metalized film capacitors, and very low/non-inductive resistors. If you want to build one of our MLTL-6 speakers - but building the crossover was holding you back - then you have this option. Visit their website, and email them for pricing. E-Zee’s Crossovers <elon@ezeescrossovers.com>
