Just finished a set, and I have to say, I'm impressed. I didn't think anything would impress me after the DR250's.
They're small, light, and LOUD. I hooked them up to an old boom box to test them and had the neighbors looking!
For ease of build vs. sound quality, these things can't be beat. If you've been thinking about building a set but were afraid they may not perform as well as you want, stop worrying and order the plans. They'll be going to our next gig for a shakedown cruise. Pack space is a huge plus too!
Dave Non-Zero wrote:They look great! they are next on my list but have been surprised there has not been more reviews and pictures of the otop12s. they seem like my perfect solution. Let us know more when you use the in anger!
They may be too new, or maybe because they appear 'low-tech' as compared to Bill's other offerings they get overlooked.
I've already tried them in anger. I hooked the pair to my PA system and rocked the neighborhood for a few minutes. Not too long though, I didn't want anyone to tele up the bobbies...
They sound unbelievable! Then I ran them with my T-39, and they sounded unbelievable-er!
Don't hesitate. Honestly, the build is so easy and fast it's worth it just to try them out. No doubt in my mind, if you don't like them you'd have no problem selling. Plus, the drivers are interchangable with so many of Bill's designs you could salvage all but the plywood.
I want to make one additional statement just so everyone knows: I did NOT use the recommended bass drivers. I used unknown 12's scavenged out of a pair of wedges I no longer use. They still sound fantastic. The design appears to be forgiving enough that you could probably find a home for quite a selection of drivers if you have some lying about. I'll order the right ones someday and swap them out.
My 2 cents.
I finished the otop 1x12's, with neo 2512's, 6 tweeters with 2 banks of switchable tweeters. NIce looking cabs.
No eq on any test, 60watt antique heathkit driving the speakers.
I ran them side by side with DR250's, rev 1, beta 10 loaded. First I compared a single with a single. The 250 was louder as expected. The high end was also better, but the 250 has the 16 tweeter array. The Otop had better sounding lower midrange and bass. I attribute this to the neo. I built a 250 a while back rev2 with the neo 2510 and it was significantly better than the original with a beta.
I then stacked the otops and tried them as pair vs the DR. Output was almost a wash, slight edge to otops. Now the high end pretty much matched up, and the quality difference between the drivers was apparent. The midrange was just better on the otops, by quite a bit. Of course, it was 2 $100 12's vs 1 $50 10. I have a new pair of Neo 2510's ready to go in my old DR's. I intend to make that swap in the next couple of days and try again.
Overall my opinion has not changed. The Otop is a great speaker. Less eq, as it's smooth right off the bat. The output of a DR just cannot be touched. With eq, even with the beta, it will sound as good and outperform a single, and virtually match a dual.
Warning, hackneyed car analogy ahead. A 250 is a tweaked out formula 1 racer that requires skill and practice to get it's peak performance, but then it can't be beaten. The Otop is factory perfomance porsche, almost equal to the formula 1, but can be driven without the effort required of the true race car.
The otop is a great looking, (better than a 250 IMHO), great sounding cab right out of the shop. Minimal eq, easier construction, nice easy cab to carry around. A great size and shape. I'd say it's a DJ's dream cab.
They finally got the chance to show off their stuff last night. Very impressive. Extremely crisp and clear, lots of presence.
While I still haven't had the chance to A/B them with the DR's, they aren't DR250's, that much is apparent. But there are plusses and minuses to both. The DR's need EQing for flat response, O'Top's are a lot flatter in response requiring little EQ, but they aren't as loud. Although to be honest the difference to most people would be negligible. If I didn't have the DR's to compare to, I'd be none the wiser. It should also be noted that my master slider was set only a touch above where I'd set it for the DR's in this room, and it was still hitting only the first two lights on my level meter, with the 3rd light coming on only as a peak indicator.
I built the O-Top's with a single flat tweeter array, specifically to be able to demo the difference in it and the crossfired array in my DR's. The room we played in last night was shallow and wide, and the off-axis response suffered with the single array. If I were building a set of OTops for my main PA, I'd absolutely install the crossfired arrays. The horn has an extremely wide horizontal dispersion and the single array just couldn't keep up once you got 45 deg or so off-axis. In a narrower room it wouldn't have been noticable.
The small/light/compact issue is not to be overlooked. The pack space in your vehicle is minimal. The lightweight makes them perfect for not only a band but also a one-man show, a DJ, or Karaoke. One man to put them on/off the stand is all that's needed, with no grunting.
Don't overlook these for an easy DIY cabinet, they'll give you all you need and then some.
