Latest DRC Audiophile System ~ The EleFrugalKit Experiments Make It 20Mar25

I had a notion of "cheapest but best" in search of a worthy stereo system for the Blodgett Living Room (BLR). It's here now and it is awesome; the best stereo I've done. I will do a final description now, but the entire journey is within prior blog entries. Basically this is $15K sound for $2K. If you know me, you know, for others, I've ranged throughout my life from really esoteric and expensive speakers and amps and sources and now always come back to: 1) custom high efficiency speakers based on single full-range drivers in horn cabinets, 2) low power single-ended triode (no feedback) tube amps, and 3) multi-bit DACs combined with 24bit/192KHz digital source files. Ok, vinyl is accepted but is just less manageable or convenient... no shaky needle drops needed from my iPhone.

The EleFrugalKit is built upon the incredible Frugel-Horn Mk3 cabinet design (15mm Baltic birch ~$100/pr); I built and tweaked this keen design from Scott Lindgren. After rolling and measuring 5 different 4" full range drivers, my favored (shown) are Tang Band 4-1337s (TB1337s ~$200/pr) and Mark Audio Pluvia 7.2HDs (MAP7s~$100/pr). The TBs sparkle across the range from dubl bass to rim shots and glockenspiels derived from the big magnet, tight basket, good excursion, and titanium cone. The MAs are smoother and and more complete sounding. Driving the transducers is a DRC hand-built Elekit TU-8200R tube amp (~$900) loaded with modern Russian Tung Sol 6550 power tubes (~$190/pr) and a 1960's NOS Valvo ECC82 pre-amp section (~$150/pr). There was a significant roll through power tubes and driver tubes to get to this optimum. Offering source material is a keen Bluetooth aptX HD receiver called DS200Pro ($80) on one input (for phones and other transient wireless stream sources), and a mele Linux computer ($150) streaming from JRiver MC attached to my .5TB of flac files spun from my ArchLinux server on the 2nd input. The hardwired source is rendered through a Schiit Modi Multibit 2 ($320) "multibit" DAC, the least expensive MB DAC I could find (tested great); the DS200PRO has its own ESS Sabre 24/192KHz delta-sigma DAC.

So the entire EleFrugalKit is $2K and small, and I'd challenge anything, and demo confidently, that it'd be un-bested. OK, my $8K 5.1.2 NestMT can beat it but this kit totally rocks.

Update 22Mar25 Trying DSP Again... I lashed in the miniDSP again and tried smoothing the bass bumps from the FH3s with TB1337s that I saw, and other stuff. I tried twice (see graph) ~ the 1st was to eliminate the bumps ~ meh, did it. The 2nd was to eliminate everything above the significant 3Khz-8KHz valley section; lots of processing needed but got it to the room curve. On listening neither of these biquads DSP adjustments made enough difference to me ~ I removed the miniDSP and went natural FH3-TB1337 again and am happy. At least I tried.

Update 29Mar25 Demo Day In The Blodgett Living Room... I threw a last minute net out for a demo after finishing the FH3s and returning them to the Blodgett LR. The only taker was Yoho and we had a blast listening to all style of tunes we like. We agreed that the FrugalHorns were best at rendering voices and acoustic instruments; electric rock & roll just was not as clean or compelling. Not a big issue for me as my realm is mostly aligned with that goodness. Thanks Jim for supplying nice brews.

Update 31Mar25 Room Placement/Traps & Driver Choice... After listening a ton and measuring the FH3s after some boom was ameliorated via DSP I sought to make the same adjustment purely acoustically. I moved the speakers around and loaded different sized pillows in various locations. I settled on a 16" move out from the wall/corner and some smallish pillows added behind the last horn section... the measured improvement toward my house curve is shown.

I also went back and ran a head2head listening contest and measurement session of the Tang Band 1337 (TB1337) vs the Mark Audio Pluvia 7.2HD (MAP7). The MAP7 won both with smoother sounds, and now are in the FH3s. Whether that is "for good," I don't know, but they are in there "for now."

The new placement, bass traps, and drivers delivered a more comprehensive and immediate soundfield during tonight's demo with DD. We hit Trinity for dinner and then I served some tunes on the EleFrugalKit ~ some speced in rock, country, and rap by Daryle and they all sounded good. The kit is in very good shape from demo daze. Thx boyz.

Update 01Apr25 More Nods For The Kit... I was able to chase some Peregrine bros into the BLR seating and received some more affirming nods to the playlist and the design/build/sound. Thanks Scooter & Larry... pretty fun eve. Thanks Brock; thanks for coming. No pics 'cause, you know, top secret kept that way here.

Update 09May25 Affirmation... Despite a comms glitch BobR ultimately joined me at Red Leg for some beers and lobster after which I did and audio demo of the EleFrugal kit and received another affirmation.

Update 15Feb26 Moved & Updated The EleFrugalKit... I moved this 'stereo' to the lower level at Blodgett as described HERE. I also updated the 'UI' of the Linux/JRiver streamer to integrate with the TV to display images and lyrics. And, I added a FLIRC receiver to the mele Linux streamer PC in order to enable navigation of JRiver MC theater view directly from my Logitech Harmony remote. Slick use model down here now.