Ok, I know this is a little out there, but what's life without a little boundary pushing ...

I've got a little semi-portable rig I've been playing with: Emotiva Mini-X-A-100 flex amp (50 wpc, sweet little amp), driving Martin Logan bookshelf speakers (Motion 4). I also will be using my Emotiva Stealth DC-1 DAC with that rig too on occasion. I either plug in the emo amp into the wall, or for portability, power it off of a Lithium Ion battery pack made by Paul C. Buff (Vagabond Mini, made to power Studio Flashes (photography) on location). I have two of the vagabonds - they are really great (so far, the longest test I've run for 4 hrs at moderate volume and only drained a single vagabond by around 30%).

I'm able to house the whole rig in an old Bose bag that has acoustically transparent front panels. Sorta shooting for a high end 'boom box'. Had it out on the beach for July 3 firework cookout. Big hit. Here's my question:

I've been toying with the idea of replacing the ML bookshelves with Aon 2's or maybe Aon 3's for even better bass. I haven't auditioned either yet. I was wondering about the size of the 2's and 3's as they look on paper to be maybe a little to big for a semi-portable system. The 2's look to be just a little too deep to fit in the Bose bag I have and still get the amp in there too. But, that's not necessarily a deal breaker. And then there's the 2's vs 3's question. Any opinons/comments?

Brad,

I bet that set up would sound great but it sounds like a tricky project. I'll try to post a pic or two to give you a point of reference for the size of the Aon 3s. Without knowing the size of the bag, it's tough for me to say. I've definitely seen boom boxes with speakers this size, so I don't think it's outside the realm of possibilities. One thing is for sure, it would definitely sound better than any boom box I have heard.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Brad,

I took my Aon 3 off the wall and carted it around looking for something to photograph it with for scale but could not find a good prop. Everything I used failed. It's big! Probably too big for what you're looking to do. It would have to be a LARGE bag. I may try again tomorrow. I got wrapped up with room acoustics today and insulated my home theater. Big difference! Happy listening.

Cheers,

T Cobe

I picked up a pair of Aon 2's. They are too big for my existing bag for sure, but the sound is quite remarkable for their size. I did look at the A3's briefly but they are too big for this application.

I auditioned the A2's against a pair of B&W's for the same price (don't remember their model number, they we're the rectangular equivalent in size, maybe an inch deeper), and a pair of Paradigm's for almost double the price. No comparison with the B&Ws. The B&Ws had slightly lower reach, but the overall sound was almost tinny compared to the A2's. The A2's were much much more refined IMHO. The Paradigms were on a par, but for much more money, so once again, GE kicked the socks of the competition (well done once again GE boys and girls).

Given the size, a started a fishing expedition to find a suitable carrying case. I poked around for many hours looking at DJ/rack bags, speaker bags, camera bags, and even pet carriers (think mesh). The two challenges I kept running up was height - the air travel carry on limit is 11.34", so many bags, especially the pet carriers are 11.5". The A2's are 12", and sturdiness given the A2's weight. Finally, I settled on a Pelican case. No mesh. Heavy. But will get it done.

I ultimately decided on 'Trans'portability for the DAC/Emo/A2 rig, and I'll leave the beach-type portability to the Emo/ML rig. Even with the Transpo- rig, moving will be relatively easy as the Pelican is on wheels and has a retractable handle. More than fine for indoor and patio type spaces. And the should should still kick it out.

I'll post pics once I get it all configured. Planning on taking the transpo Rig to UMASS next weekend for the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) conference. A fine art photo club to which I belongs throws a party every year after the keynote back in our suite in one of the dorms. Guess who's bringing the tunes?

Hey Brad, you are a hoot, and I love how out there this is!!!!
The Aon 2s are wonderful and I would bet that this is gonna make a GREAT sounding setup!!!!
God Bless,
Wayne