Exactly. With a 6.5 inch cone there would be no need for subs. I forgot to mention that the FR would need to pass through DSP to make the speakers sound balanced. I know there are self described purists that consider DSP a sacrilege. I think the opposite. To get a speaker to sound balanced without EQ one needs to make compromises and use 2 or more drivers and is limited in their choice and alignment, while with EQ, one can start from a driver with world class physical characteristics, such as the Eikona 2, that would not be otherwise fixable with DSP, and correct FR (and phase response too, with FIR) at the end, which is not only possible, but can be done at practically infinite precision for the human ear. This is the real purist approach, to me. With the only compromise of limited SPL, hence the near field, which is a requirement for accurate listening anyway, in my opinion.
Unfortunately with a 6.5" cone you'd be looking at adding a tweeter to get the same or better HF response as the Eikona. This is exactly the region we prefer not to use a crossover. Our JX150 drive unit had a 6.5" cone but we always used them with a first order crossover at 450 Hz.
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I'm sure the shape and thickness of the cone material would have to be different. Possibly the cone material itself. I'm not saying that it would be as easy as just extending the surface of the Eikona 2. But given your legacy of producing great quality drivers, I'm sure you would make a great full range. Other 6.5 inch drivers have full range extension. What really sets the Eikona 2 apart to me is how it handles low frequency and high excursion. Just as a side note, there is somewhat of an agreement on the fact that a balanced response has to have a tilt down to -6 dB at 20 kHz, starting from 1 kHz.
This is achievable with a flat anechoic FR from a speaker when it's put far field in a room (challenging for a 6.5 inch) or with the tilt embedded in the anechoic FR itself, when in near field (as the room is not providing the tilt, given the low power of reflected sound). This lower high frequency response would be easier to achieve.
I understand there would have to be marketing considerations involved, but purely theoretically speaking a 6.5 inch cone with behaviour at low frequency similar to the Eikona 2 (and with DSP FR shaping) would be hard to beat for true closed box full range point source in near field.
This is achievable with a flat anechoic FR from a speaker when it's put far field in a room (challenging for a 6.5 inch) or with the tilt embedded in the anechoic FR itself, when in near field (as the room is not providing the tilt, given the low power of reflected sound). This lower high frequency response would be easier to achieve.
I understand there would have to be marketing considerations involved, but purely theoretically speaking a 6.5 inch cone with behaviour at low frequency similar to the Eikona 2 (and with DSP FR shaping) would be hard to beat for true closed box full range point source in near field.
I wanted to cross to the subs lower and steeper than I could get away with with the back off
I was thinking of OB subs also. Dual 12" subs in H-frames and my Ekonia 2's on an OB panel sitting on top of each H-frame. I think it should be doable, but it will take some playing around what the upper end of the sub output is and how large the baffle needs to be to get an acceptable crossover.
Worst case I could just put the Eikonas in sealed boxes on the OB subs.
Worst case I could just put the Eikonas in sealed boxes on the OB subs.
It's never been about marketing considerations. Ted researched all this during his time at Goodmans in the 50s and continued to revisit it throughout his working career. We have boxes of cones in the warehouse made from different materials and profiles which Ted had manufactured. He continued to prefer the alloy we currently use and felt that 100 mm was the optimum diameter for a Jordan full-range driver.
it's not to say that larger full-range drivers can't be done but it's about the compromise one feels achieves the right balance.
We'll no doubt revisit it at some point in the future and we continue to keep an eye on new materials and processes.
Absolutely. The Eikonas have a very nice sound right out of the box.
My application would use them outside of their original intended purpose, so that characteristic is not an absolute requirement for me.
I was just making the point that there is enough high frequency content in the response of the Aikonas that it actually needs to be EQed out, when used in near field, so that a bigger cone would likely sound even better out of the box, in the same close listening conditions.
My application would use them outside of their original intended purpose, so that characteristic is not an absolute requirement for me.
I was just making the point that there is enough high frequency content in the response of the Aikonas that it actually needs to be EQed out, when used in near field, so that a bigger cone would likely sound even better out of the box, in the same close listening conditions.
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