Tang Band W3-2141 3"
Tang Band W4-2142 4"
Highlights: Paper, Underhung motor, Shorting ring, Good Xmax, Cast Frame, Low Fs, Kapton and Santoprene
Hopefully they sound as good as there construction and specs suggest!
Tang Band W4-2142 4"
Highlights: Paper, Underhung motor, Shorting ring, Good Xmax, Cast Frame, Low Fs, Kapton and Santoprene
Hopefully they sound as good as there construction and specs suggest!
Weird that they are so close. But nice to have the choice.
On further inspection, this is looks like some very nice drivers. Solid cast frame, paper plus phaseplug, nice balance of T/S parameters and what looks like a well thought out surround.
Looking forward to impressions. If I don't go for a pair myself beforehand.
On further inspection, this is looks like some very nice drivers. Solid cast frame, paper plus phaseplug, nice balance of T/S parameters and what looks like a well thought out surround.
Looking forward to impressions. If I don't go for a pair myself beforehand.
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I'll have to ask my local contact for a pair!
Looks interesting, weird phase plug & suspension though - wonder if those blunt plugs are as good as the pointy ones in terms of high frequency dispersion? Keep us updated about them when you get yours!
Oh, by the way, perceval, have you tried the TB flat cone 3" or 4"? Those are interesting looking as well but the price bars me from trying them.
Hi mate, not only the mini subs but also the aluminium honeycomb flat cones, I think the model number is W3-1797S. Those seem to be midrange drivers but TB has been marketed them as fullrange. Wonder if they sound thin or what
All the normal (non-'subwoofer') W3 drivers won't provide much output below about 130Hz. If you need them to play louder e.g. 90dB @ 1metre then you really need to cross them to a larger woofer at 200-300Hz to avoid bulk distortion.
I use the W3-1878 as fullrange computer speakers with a +12dB shelf added below 100Hz and that is quite listenable. The bass turns into mud if they are turned up past ~80dB @ 1metre. Previously I used the W3-1364SA and I couldn't get away with the bass shelf with those - audible distortion set in at a much lower level. I crossed those to an 8" subwoofer at 130Hz which worked well.
I wonder if the frequency response of the W3-1797S is as smooth as TB's datasheet makes it out to be. It shows the same hiccups in the impedance plot as it's larger brother the W4-1757S, which has serious frequency response issues corresponding to the impedance hiccups. The W4 is a nice driver otherwise, so if the W3 really doesn't have any major cone resonance issues it could be a winner.
I use the W3-1878 as fullrange computer speakers with a +12dB shelf added below 100Hz and that is quite listenable. The bass turns into mud if they are turned up past ~80dB @ 1metre. Previously I used the W3-1364SA and I couldn't get away with the bass shelf with those - audible distortion set in at a much lower level. I crossed those to an 8" subwoofer at 130Hz which worked well.
I wonder if the frequency response of the W3-1797S is as smooth as TB's datasheet makes it out to be. It shows the same hiccups in the impedance plot as it's larger brother the W4-1757S, which has serious frequency response issues corresponding to the impedance hiccups. The W4 is a nice driver otherwise, so if the W3 really doesn't have any major cone resonance issues it could be a winner.
The blunt one technically isn't even a phase plug because it doesn't block any part of the cone from any listening angle. Either way, my experience is that the cone breakup modes have a far greater influence on HF dispersion than using a phase plug does. The phase plugs typically installed on cone speakers are far too small and they would only work effectively below breakup anyway, where HF dispersion is already a non-issue on such a small driver. They bring other advantages though, such as avoiding the air cavity effect that you get from installing a dust cap.
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I think that W3-2141 might be a good candidate to put in one of Bjorn's TABAQ designs. It is a little more expensive then some of the other 3" Tang Band Drivers used in his design, but if it improves on an already great design, it just might be worth the extra $20 or so dollars!
Mac
Mac
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Oi chap, that +12dB bass shelf makes me wonder what kind of cabinet you are using and what your listening environment is like!
Must be a sealed cabinet & away from walls rather than ported or any kind of transmission line, I guess. Wonder if the drivers can handle that much boost, power compression should take place in that case. Try a 1.5 way (i.e. with another low pass only driver) and see if there's any improvement
The funky "phase plug" design bugs me a lot, doesn't look as good as the pointy ones, and I wonder if they do provide any true benefits regarding high frequency dispersion. Coming from Mark Audio CHR70 Gen3 with that shallow profile cone and button-like cap, I never really find high frequency lacking off-axis.
Just like sharp edges at the edge of the driver or cab affects dispersion a shape with sharp edges at the middle will also affect dispersion.
I don't know how precisely but I think TB has a pretty good idea.
QTS for the new driver is the same as the TB W3-881, and I have built 3 sets of the TABAQ w/ the 881 Neo which sounded quite good for what they were. Of course grandpa got to audition them before the grandkids! I tried with and without the BSC, and the sound from the drivers was much better W/O the BSC. The speakers had the advertised 55HZ bass extension and a pretty good top end as well. I listened to some vocals and some blues, and was quite impressed, which at my age "I am not easily impressed!"
Mac
*Maybe I'll be the guinea pig, and be the first to try the new TB Driver.
Of course grandpa got to audition them before the grandkids! I tried with and without the BSC, and the sound from the drivers was much better W/O the BSC. The speakers had the advertised 55HZ bass extension and a pretty good top end as well. I listened to some vocals and some blues, and was quite impressed, which at my age "I am not easily impressed!"Mac
*Maybe I'll be the guinea pig, and be the first to try the new TB Driver.
Thanks, Bjorn! If you give me the green light, i think I will order a couple from my Bud's at Parts Express on the 1st of July. BTW thank you for sharing your wonderful design, as I for one. am very appreciative!
Mac
Using them in 1L sealed enclosures, on stands about 20cm out from the wall. The room is ~3x3.5m. They have a passive baffle step compensation also - 1.5mH||6.8R and a 6.8R+1.36uF zobel to prevent the top end from peaking.Oi chap, that +12dB bass shelf makes me wonder what kind of cabinet you are using and what your listening environment is like!
Must be a sealed cabinet & away from walls rather than ported or any kind of transmission line, I guess. Wonder if the drivers can handle that much boost, power compression should take place in that case. Try a 1.5 way (i.e. with another low pass only driver) and see if there's any improvement
The funky "phase plug" design bugs me a lot, doesn't look as good as the pointy ones, and I wonder if they do provide any true benefits regarding high frequency dispersion. Coming from Mark Audio CHR70 Gen3 with that shallow profile cone and button-like cap, I never really find high frequency lacking off-axis.
The bass shelf in no way brings the response below 100Hz to anywhere near being flat but at least prevents them from sounding overly thin. As I only listen nearfield at low levels power compression isn't a problem. The distortion of the bass becomes pretty obvious way before any power compression sets in.
as far as phase plugs go, here is a driver which has a dust cap:
and one with a pointy phase plug:
I think the difference is more to do with the TG9 having a better designed cone.
edit: another TB driver with a dust cap, looks more like the 1364 than the TG9:
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