Ruark Talisman ll

[ledzep]

Got myself a pair of Ruark Talisman ll's has anyone experimented with mass loading,wondering what would be the ideal amount of sand to put inside,dont want to go putting to much as i imagine it would be a pain trying to get it out,any info would be great

 

[Eckythump]

With a couple of other speakers I have stuffed a strong 'bag for life' in the hole leaving the open end poking out of the hole. Then I used a funnel and a jug to pour kiln dried sand / kids play sand (B & Q) into the bag, counting the number of jugs so it is the same in each speaker. Tied the top and then stuffed that inside as well.

I must admit though, I have never tried getting it out again.

 

[ajhunter]

Did you notice any difference with the sand in, Phil? I've got some Epos floorstanders that can be filled but I've never really thought it was worth the bother.

 

[Eckythump]

They were both at the cheaper end of the spectrum but without doubt there was an improvement. Q Acoustics floor standers I had used for a year and knew well gained deeper and tighter bass overnight. Solid, well braced speakers may not need any extra mass.

No harm in trying

 

[Smooth Operator]

Got myself a pair of Ruark Talisman ll's has anyone experimented with mass loading,wondering what would be the ideal amount of sand to put inside,dont want to go putting to much as i imagine it would be a pain trying to get it out,any info would be great

I've never tried loading mine so would be interested to know if you notice any improvement. I'm generally sceptical of the mass loading lark (why would a manufacturer make the 'speakers such that they required extra weight/ballast to make them work better/properly?) and have been put off trying anyway as the access hole under the base plate is quite small.

I remember reading an idea from someone in the past who suggested packing the sand into small bags and packing in as many as required (images of a drugs mule here :shock: ). At least that way they could be retrieved if you wanted to remove any.

 

[speedysteve]

Use kiln dried sand as for block paving crack filling. Certainly made a noticeable difference to the bass on my ProAc D25's. It's 'do to taste' so I won't say one is better than the other...

A pal of mine has his TalismanII's 1/3 full I think it is.

 

[gingembre]

I've tried mine with and without for considerable periods of time. For what it's worth I feel they sound a bit firmer in the bass and perhaps a little less tizzy (sorry cant think of a better word) in the treble. Think mine are approx half full. It's worth experimenting as it does make a difference IMO.

A loony hereabouts, who also has a pair, swears that too much sand deadens them so it might be worth doing it in stages (if u can be bothered). Me, I just whacked them about half full and have been happy ever since.

the thing I love about the ruarks is their 'presence' (over some classy stand mounts and floorstanders I have tried over the years), they do most things right and have seen off some stiff competition!!

 

[Rupert]

I use lead shot - bought from a fishing shop in Southend, recommended by Ruark! It's cleaner than sand and easier to experiment with.

You really need to listen and judge for yourself. Too little loading and the speakers sound sort of bright and light - too much and they start to sound sluggish, a bit heavy. Get it right and you get a firm but "mobile" articulate bass.

I have no note of exactly how much weight I put in each speaker, but I think it was something like 1kg to start with. Then I borrowed (no jokes please!) a pair of my gf's tights and loaded them by putting in 100g of shot then tying it off, and then adding another 100 and tying it off - I repeated this until I felt things sounded right. Eventually I created what looked like a nylon string of sausages! This also has the advantage that you can just remove the "tights sausage" of lead shot and go back to scratch at any time - if you move the speakers about or get a new amp etc. ALSO.... by putting a little piece of cotton or string on the end, you can just pull out the whole caboodle whenever you want.

Talismans are indeed "mercurial". They are very sensitive to every change you make to your system. That also means they are capable of much better sound than you'd first think.

I still want a pair of Crusaders though.

 

[budgetblown]

Another alternative is fish tank pea gravel. The tights idea is jolly good though. I had a pair of Eltax L/R 6.5's (please don't laugh - produced before Richer Sounds got their grubby fingers in the Eltax pie) that saw great benefit from floor spikes and mass loading - tightened the bass up nicely. I used plastic biodegradeable shot for those, iirc.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Hmmm, the posts here have got me rethinking my view on loading. Perhaps I should experiment, after all, there's nothing to lose. Can one still buy lead shot? - I haven't been fishing for over 40 years.

 

[alfie2902]

I really enjoyed my Talisman ll's great speakers for the money they change hands at!

I played around with the loading & IIRC mine ended up about a 1/3 full using kiln dried sand. It added a little weight to the bottom end & you'll hear if you over fill them, but it was trial & error & a bit of a pain in the a**e!