W4-1320SJ: port on side?
I am able to obtain at a very reasonable price locally the Tang Band W4-1320SJ (and have ordered them - was initially seriously considering the FE127En but this works out at a fraction of the price so it became a no brainer on a low budget).
The TABAQ has a higher port velocity for the 4" and I wonder if it would be better to build these with the port on the side (or bottom as some designs I've seen). What do the learned members of this forum think about this idea?
PS These will be driven by a RH807 (actually 6L6GC-STR since I do not want that high voltage outside the chassis) which is presently under construction. It will go into a smallish office.
Many thanks in advance
AM
I am able to obtain at a very reasonable price locally the Tang Band W4-1320SJ (and have ordered them - was initially seriously considering the FE127En but this works out at a fraction of the price so it became a no brainer on a low budget).
The TABAQ has a higher port velocity for the 4" and I wonder if it would be better to build these with the port on the side (or bottom as some designs I've seen). What do the learned members of this forum think about this idea?
PS These will be driven by a RH807 (actually 6L6GC-STR since I do not want that high voltage outside the chassis) which is presently under construction. It will go into a smallish office.
Many thanks in advance
AM
Last edited:
I just finished my TABAQ pair. It was my first DIY project and I'm actually quite suprised how easy it was. My pair uses the W3-315SC element.
But how do they really sound compared to something you can just buy from the shop. Hopefully next review will help some one to decide are they worth building.
TABAQ review
When I first hooked up my pair of TABAQs to amplifier, I wasn't very impressed of them. The amplifier was a Radiotechnik class A intgrated amp and just before hooking them up, I had listened some music with pair of very impressive fullrange speakers (Omega Super 5 XRS). About every aspect of the TABAQs sound was bad. After that I reminded my self that I was listening a pair of speakers that only costed 100€ to build and I was in a room that was far too big for these speakers. So I packed my new speakers in my car and headed home ( Speakers were constructed at my friends workshop). With a smaller room and different amplifier (Pioneer 5.1, not ideal, but got me far enough) I started listening them with various music.
The most positive thing about TABAQs is that they really capture the the best of fullrange speakers: the soundstage. Soundstage is unbeliveably wide and consistent. With nicely recorded material it's almost impossible to say where the speakers are actually located. Sound is spacious and the center stage is much better than any cheap 2-way or 3-way could ever deliver. This is usually the case with every hifi fullrange speaker but nevertheles it still sounds quite amazing if you haven't used to it. Other thing that's quite impressive is deepness of the bass. For a 3" element the bass goes low enough for most types of music.
That said, it's time to concentrate on the other side of the coin. Bass sounds forced and clunky. Listening my favourite Jazz album (The Five Corners Quintet - Hot corner) gives me unmusical and dead baseline. Allthough bass control is fairly good, the sound of bass isn't that special. When switching to my favourite metal album (Tool - Lateralus) it's obvious that bass just doesn't have enough authority that it could be described as big. There's plenty of bass but it can only be descibed as liveless and forced. Also the sound in general definitely lacks proper Umph for metal recordings.
Tool also reveals other problem with these speakers, resolution is quite poor. Distiction of single instrument comes quite hard when soundstage is filled layers of instruments.
Last but not least these speakers aren't very dynamic. Most of the time it's not a problem at all (thank you loudness wars), but with properly recorded music (I used Sufjan Stevens, Yann Tiersen and Bon Iver as my guide) it becomes clear that they just can't get through that extra mile that distinct good loudspekers from excellent.
So after listening these speakers few days, can I say that they deserve all that rave that they are getting? Well yes and no. Before tangbands elements and mass loaded cabinets there were no way one could make a full range speaker with relatively flat and wide frequency response with very low budjet. On the other hand TABAQs stumbles with the same problems as the rest of the cheap speakers: bass, resolution and dynamics. At their best they sound amazing and beat loudspeakers five or even ten times more expensive. At their worst they're no better that the chepest hifi speakers in the market.
Pros
+ Compared to multi way speakers the soundstage is unbeliveable. They easily beat many multi way loudspeakers in 500+€ price range.
+ Bass control is decent at least
+ Tonal balance is excellent
Cons
- Bass sounds liveless and forced, even thick with certain music
- Resolution could be better
- Dynamics
Music used for reviewing:
The Five Corners Quintet - Hot corner (Finnish jazz band)
Scandinavian Music Group - Missä olet Laila (Finnish pop/folk rock band)
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Tool - Lateralus, 10 000 days
Ray LaMontagne - Trouble, Gossip in the grain
Dido - Safe trip home
Yann Tiersen - La Valse des Monstres, Le Phare
Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan, The Great Lake State
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
Eric Clapton - Reptile
But how do they really sound compared to something you can just buy from the shop. Hopefully next review will help some one to decide are they worth building.
TABAQ review
When I first hooked up my pair of TABAQs to amplifier, I wasn't very impressed of them. The amplifier was a Radiotechnik class A intgrated amp and just before hooking them up, I had listened some music with pair of very impressive fullrange speakers (Omega Super 5 XRS). About every aspect of the TABAQs sound was bad. After that I reminded my self that I was listening a pair of speakers that only costed 100€ to build and I was in a room that was far too big for these speakers. So I packed my new speakers in my car and headed home ( Speakers were constructed at my friends workshop). With a smaller room and different amplifier (Pioneer 5.1, not ideal, but got me far enough) I started listening them with various music.
The most positive thing about TABAQs is that they really capture the the best of fullrange speakers: the soundstage. Soundstage is unbeliveably wide and consistent. With nicely recorded material it's almost impossible to say where the speakers are actually located. Sound is spacious and the center stage is much better than any cheap 2-way or 3-way could ever deliver. This is usually the case with every hifi fullrange speaker but nevertheles it still sounds quite amazing if you haven't used to it. Other thing that's quite impressive is deepness of the bass. For a 3" element the bass goes low enough for most types of music.
That said, it's time to concentrate on the other side of the coin. Bass sounds forced and clunky. Listening my favourite Jazz album (The Five Corners Quintet - Hot corner) gives me unmusical and dead baseline. Allthough bass control is fairly good, the sound of bass isn't that special. When switching to my favourite metal album (Tool - Lateralus) it's obvious that bass just doesn't have enough authority that it could be described as big. There's plenty of bass but it can only be descibed as liveless and forced. Also the sound in general definitely lacks proper Umph for metal recordings.
Tool also reveals other problem with these speakers, resolution is quite poor. Distiction of single instrument comes quite hard when soundstage is filled layers of instruments.
Last but not least these speakers aren't very dynamic. Most of the time it's not a problem at all (thank you loudness wars), but with properly recorded music (I used Sufjan Stevens, Yann Tiersen and Bon Iver as my guide) it becomes clear that they just can't get through that extra mile that distinct good loudspekers from excellent.
So after listening these speakers few days, can I say that they deserve all that rave that they are getting? Well yes and no. Before tangbands elements and mass loaded cabinets there were no way one could make a full range speaker with relatively flat and wide frequency response with very low budjet. On the other hand TABAQs stumbles with the same problems as the rest of the cheap speakers: bass, resolution and dynamics. At their best they sound amazing and beat loudspeakers five or even ten times more expensive. At their worst they're no better that the chepest hifi speakers in the market.
Pros
+ Compared to multi way speakers the soundstage is unbeliveable. They easily beat many multi way loudspeakers in 500+€ price range.
+ Bass control is decent at least
+ Tonal balance is excellent
Cons
- Bass sounds liveless and forced, even thick with certain music
- Resolution could be better
- Dynamics
Music used for reviewing:
The Five Corners Quintet - Hot corner (Finnish jazz band)
Scandinavian Music Group - Missä olet Laila (Finnish pop/folk rock band)
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Tool - Lateralus, 10 000 days
Ray LaMontagne - Trouble, Gossip in the grain
Dido - Safe trip home
Yann Tiersen - La Valse des Monstres, Le Phare
Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan, The Great Lake State
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
U2 - No Line On The Horizon
Eric Clapton - Reptile
Request: TB 871 and TABAQ simualted in 'Hornresp'
I realize this thread may be considered 'stale', I would non the less like to put forward a request:
I will be very grateful if someone has the time to run through (input) the dimensions and settings for the TABAQ and TangBand 871 parameters in Hornresp and show the Input page here in the thread.
I am in the process of building a pair of TABAQs and have requested the same information in the 'Cyburg Needle' thread. I want to compare these two and be confident of the outcome.
Gratefully, arnakke
I realize this thread may be considered 'stale', I would non the less like to put forward a request:
I will be very grateful if someone has the time to run through (input) the dimensions and settings for the TABAQ and TangBand 871 parameters in Hornresp and show the Input page here in the thread.
I am in the process of building a pair of TABAQs and have requested the same information in the 'Cyburg Needle' thread. I want to compare these two and be confident of the outcome.
Gratefully, arnakke
I have build a pair of TABAQ with the new W3-1878
Tang Band W3-1878 3" Full Range Driver
It sounds amazing. Its only one drawback, it needs a lot of watt. A 2020 T-amp is to weak. But with 25 watt class-A it sounds fantastic.
I wonder if it is possible to get acceptable SPL with a T-amp together with other drivers, f ex W4-1320SJ?
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Hans Erik, Oslo
Tang Band W3-1878 3" Full Range Driver
It sounds amazing. Its only one drawback, it needs a lot of watt. A 2020 T-amp is to weak. But with 25 watt class-A it sounds fantastic.
I wonder if it is possible to get acceptable SPL with a T-amp together with other drivers, f ex W4-1320SJ?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Hans Erik, Oslo
Try a bigger T-amp! I picked up the 50w/ch DTA-100 from Parts Express. Sounds like most other T-amps and will drive most anything. You should be able to find somethng similar in your part of the world.
Bob
Hi Bob
I have tried a SURE 2050 T-amp board and it works well on this TABAQs.
My goal is to make a loudspeaker with good SPL only driven by a 2020 T-amp. Yesterday i made bigger holes in my Cyburgs in order to mount W4-1320SJ. I have also another TABAQ cabinet without holes i can test with other drivers. This is off topic but the MLTL drawings you made for me for the SEAS FA22 (i have 4 pcs) i will use for two purposes: one original pair to me and another pair with a downscaled footprint, 20*30 cm. The reason why i am so interested in high SPL with a 2020 is because i am making a solar batterty powered 12 volt system to my uncle. He loves music, high SPL, and have a holiday house in the mountains whitout water, power etc. Only 12 volt solar power. I suppose you folks in US know that it isnt that much sunlight in Norway during the wintertime
. A simple 2020 T-amp is only consuming 10-12 watt (i have measured) and that means that my uncle can play loud in his winter holiday. (the source will be ipod classic 160 gig with lossless files).Sorry for OT
Hans Erik
Hello everyone.
I have been following this thread keenly lately and I am very intrigued of the TABAQ design. This thread has been a joy to read as a lot of TABAQs have turned out to be real stunners visually. From Forsman's fabric-clad w3-871s to Hans Eriks classy w3-1878s.
Finally I'd like to give a special thanks to Bjorn for designing this and to Solve for the charts in the first pages.
I have been eyeing the TB W4-1337 for some time, and it is now available at nearly the same cost as the W4-1320 at a local dealer. Has anyone here had an opportunity to compare the two? Would it work as a replacement for the 1320 or does it need tweaking?
Reviewers online say it's more analytical with a better definition than the 1320 but it lacks a bit of the warmth. It does go a little deeper, almost the same specs:
1320 1337
Mat Paper Titanium
Z 8ohm 8ohm
Sens 89dB 87dB
Range 75-20k 70-20k
Z0 28ohm 28ohm
Qts 0.35 0.37
Xmax 3mm 3mm
Vas 6.41 l 4.86 l
Seems like twins to me. The Frequency-response graph shows the 1337 to have a ragged hump in the 10k-20k area which is probably why some reviewers find it "shouty" or "ringy". It would probably need a notch to soften it.
My third option is to go for the W3-1878 as my countryman Hans Erik has used. These three drivers are nearly identically priced here in Norway. Very interesting and appealing driver as well.
Any comments?
@ Bjørn:
Thanks for this great, easy built design. Have you had a look at the W5-1611? It' s also in the same price-range and it has gotten nice reviews online. Could the TABAQ be scaled to accomodate this or would it be an entirely different animal?
@ Hans Erik:
Great build! Great looking speakers! Did you use more padding to compensate for moving the speakers up to the top or did you just pack it tighter?
How is the low-end of that speaker? It sure has an amazing X-max (especially compared to my w3-871's 0.5mm).
Tom
Oslo
I have been following this thread keenly lately and I am very intrigued of the TABAQ design. This thread has been a joy to read as a lot of TABAQs have turned out to be real stunners visually. From Forsman's fabric-clad w3-871s to Hans Eriks classy w3-1878s.
Finally I'd like to give a special thanks to Bjorn for designing this and to Solve for the charts in the first pages.
I have been eyeing the TB W4-1337 for some time, and it is now available at nearly the same cost as the W4-1320 at a local dealer. Has anyone here had an opportunity to compare the two? Would it work as a replacement for the 1320 or does it need tweaking?
Reviewers online say it's more analytical with a better definition than the 1320 but it lacks a bit of the warmth. It does go a little deeper, almost the same specs:
1320 1337
Mat Paper Titanium
Z 8ohm 8ohm
Sens 89dB 87dB
Range 75-20k 70-20k
Z0 28ohm 28ohm
Qts 0.35 0.37
Xmax 3mm 3mm
Vas 6.41 l 4.86 l
Seems like twins to me. The Frequency-response graph shows the 1337 to have a ragged hump in the 10k-20k area which is probably why some reviewers find it "shouty" or "ringy". It would probably need a notch to soften it.
My third option is to go for the W3-1878 as my countryman Hans Erik has used. These three drivers are nearly identically priced here in Norway. Very interesting and appealing driver as well.
Any comments?
@ Bjørn:
Thanks for this great, easy built design. Have you had a look at the W5-1611? It' s also in the same price-range and it has gotten nice reviews online. Could the TABAQ be scaled to accomodate this or would it be an entirely different animal?
@ Hans Erik:
Great build! Great looking speakers! Did you use more padding to compensate for moving the speakers up to the top or did you just pack it tighter?
How is the low-end of that speaker? It sure has an amazing X-max (especially compared to my w3-871's 0.5mm).
Tom
Oslo
Hi
I have tried W4-1320SJ in Cyburgs Needle: cyburg nålene
I also have another TABAQ cabinett and a pair of W4-1320SJ drivers but i havent mounted it yet. I have big expectations.
My impressions is:
W4-1320SJ in Cyburgs Needle
* Little bit better punch & dynamics
* A lot better SPL
* Ca same bass extension that W3-1878
* A 2020 T-amp is enough
W3-1878 in TABAQ
* Much smaller footprint, more estetique both the driver and the cabinet
* More hifi sound, smoother, a little bit better resolution in the top end
* Impressing deep bass extension especially in small room, 10m2 placed
0,5 m from the wall
* Need a 25 watt class-a or tube amp or a 2050 T-amp
Hans Erik (live in Vestby)
I have tried W4-1320SJ in Cyburgs Needle: cyburg nålene
I also have another TABAQ cabinett and a pair of W4-1320SJ drivers but i havent mounted it yet. I have big expectations.
My impressions is:
W4-1320SJ in Cyburgs Needle
* Little bit better punch & dynamics
* A lot better SPL
* Ca same bass extension that W3-1878
* A 2020 T-amp is enough
W3-1878 in TABAQ
* Much smaller footprint, more estetique both the driver and the cabinet
* More hifi sound, smoother, a little bit better resolution in the top end
* Impressing deep bass extension especially in small room, 10m2 placed
0,5 m from the wall
* Need a 25 watt class-a or tube amp or a 2050 T-amp
Hans Erik (live in Vestby)
Hi Hans Erik.
I've seen your builds on a Norwegian forum and I am impressed.
I've ruled out the W4-1337 for the sole reason that it needs a notch filter in addition to the BSC. It adds complexity and cost, and for now I think the 1320's characteristics will suit me better.
As for the W4-1320 vs W3-1878 i really like the better sensitivity of the 1320 (I have a LOT of TA-2020's) and the fact that it has more headroom dB-wise.
The W5-1611 still intrigues me. Reviews have been rave. It's more ragged in the top but it does go a little lower. A scaled-up TABAQ might make them shine. I might be my next project once I finish the TABAQ W4-1320.
Thanks for the feedback.
I've seen your builds on a Norwegian forum and I am impressed.
I've ruled out the W4-1337 for the sole reason that it needs a notch filter in addition to the BSC. It adds complexity and cost, and for now I think the 1320's characteristics will suit me better.
As for the W4-1320 vs W3-1878 i really like the better sensitivity of the 1320 (I have a LOT of TA-2020's) and the fact that it has more headroom dB-wise.
The W5-1611 still intrigues me. Reviews have been rave. It's more ragged in the top but it does go a little lower. A scaled-up TABAQ might make them shine. I might be my next project once I finish the TABAQ W4-1320.
Thanks for the feedback.
Please let us know your impressions of the 1320SJ (?) when your complete the build. Thanks!
Will do!
Unfortunately I don't have quite enough space to do this in my appartment, but as soon as the weather warms up here in Norway I'll move out to the summer cabin and commute in to work. There I'll have lots of time, enough space and No TV or internet to distract me. Maybe I'll even get time to build the W3-1878s as well...
A week or two more...
Unfortunately I don't have quite enough space to do this in my appartment, but as soon as the weather warms up here in Norway I'll move out to the summer cabin and commute in to work. There I'll have lots of time, enough space and No TV or internet to distract me.
Maybe I'll even get time to build the W3-1878s as well... A week or two more...
Playing the TABAQ with W4-1320
I put together the cabinets over easter and hre are my initial impressions:
Speaker:
Cabinet: TABAQ (12mm MDF)
Driver: W4-1320SJ (15 cm down from top)
BSC: 3.9 ohm || 1.0 mH
Port: Shelf-type, bottom
Physically they are very small and light. Pictures dont do them justice. these are seriously small speakers. (Good for maxing the potential WAF).
Let me say that I am not an audiophile, but to my ears these are very pleasant speakers.
Sonically these are very nice sounding speakers.
Initially they sounded a little forward until after some burn-in. Now they are tonally more balanced. Placed up against a wall they play a nice taut bass. Obviously they do not lend themselves easily to Rock / Hip-hop, but with a +3dB below 50Hz they're really not bad at all. Place them 60 cm or more from the walls and you might consider bumping this to +6dB. Juicy!
My setup:
- PC with Analog Devices AD1981HD Codec
- Helder MKIII with Alps Pot and aditional 20 000 uF Bulk capacitance
- Silver 10AWG speaker cables (unknown origin, gift from friend)
I tested these speakers with the following albums:
Michael Jackson - Thriller (FLAC)
Madrugada - The Nightly Disease (MP3 192)
Hed Kandi - Winter Chill 0603 (MP3 320)
Jay Z - Blueprint (MP3 256)
Queen - Greatest hits 1 & 2 (MP3 320)
Gotan Project - La revancha de Tango (FLAC)
Bo Kaspers orkester - Hittils
The Madrugada album does sound a little muddy, but i guess that is the production. The vocals are a bit to the back, and Sivert's (vocals) "s" is somewhat sharp/shrill. Imaging is very good though.
Thriller is a very well produced album. The funky bass-lines Michael's vocal "antics" and the overall rhythm of this album come through very clearly. 3dB gain below 50 Hz helps a lot. Upping the Eq to +6dB below 50Hz brings the party factor. In buckets! However, my TA2020 soon runs out of breath as the overall level is effectively 6dB down. I'll try to get a hold of a 15v 3A laptop SMPS and see if that doesn't give me a little more dynamic headroom.
Blueprint features a great opening track, "The Ruler's Back". It features both heavy natural bass and synthetic LF bass. This is a real test as it does not contain as many harmonics as the "natural" variant. The harmonics of natural bass will let the brain "construct" the fundamental even if it is not reproduced. This lets small speakers sound "bigger" on "natural" music such as Jazz, classical, etc. With +6dB this was a very enjoyable track (Party factor 11).
Queen works very well. The multitrack of Freddie's vocals (in extremis on "Bohemian Rhapsody") shines on these speakers. The imaging is very good! +3dB under 50Hz brings the party factor. Same goes for Bo Kaspers.
I suspect Hed Kandi to apply some EQ to their compilations as i really never felt the need to boost the LF when playing "Winter Chill". At least in my room, it leaned towards sounding boomy with EQ. Great vocals and imaging.
"Warm" or "Cozy" souding (whatever that means).
Gotan Project is electronica-inspired tango music. It features a mix of classical instruments and electronic drums and bass-samples. A 3dB boost in the LF made this album very enjoyable.
Overall:
Compared to my W3-871 Zaph-spheres (Zaph minis housed in Ikea Blanda Matt wooden bowls - 2.8 liter sealed) I'd have to say the W4's are not quite as detailed. However they sound a little smoother and were not fatiguing to listen to at all. The sealed W3's clearly lack the Low end of the W4 TABAQs, but the rolloff is smoother. I did not experience listening fatigue at all. The W3 bowls get tiresome after a while (not much extension under 100Hz may be a reason), but the TABAQ is very nice. I'll definitely have a go at the W4-1879 in a scaled up version later on.
The increased Xmax of these speakers make them more versatile than the W3s. I have not tested them in the TABAQ, but with 0.5 vs 3mm the numbers speak for themselves. With the W4 you may sacrifice a little detail to gain a more versatile and "crowd pleasing" setup. I standard configuration these are beautifully resolved with a wide airy soundstage. Just add a little EQ below 60-50 Hz and you have a more "juicy" party-speaker (at the cost of efficiency, resolution).
I put together the cabinets over easter and hre are my initial impressions:
Speaker:
Cabinet: TABAQ (12mm MDF)
Driver: W4-1320SJ (15 cm down from top)
BSC: 3.9 ohm || 1.0 mH
Port: Shelf-type, bottom
Physically they are very small and light. Pictures dont do them justice. these are seriously small speakers. (Good for maxing the potential WAF).
Let me say that I am not an audiophile, but to my ears these are very pleasant speakers.
Sonically these are very nice sounding speakers.
Initially they sounded a little forward until after some burn-in. Now they are tonally more balanced. Placed up against a wall they play a nice taut bass. Obviously they do not lend themselves easily to Rock / Hip-hop, but with a +3dB below 50Hz they're really not bad at all. Place them 60 cm or more from the walls and you might consider bumping this to +6dB. Juicy!
My setup:
- PC with Analog Devices AD1981HD Codec
- Helder MKIII with Alps Pot and aditional 20 000 uF Bulk capacitance
- Silver 10AWG speaker cables (unknown origin, gift from friend)
I tested these speakers with the following albums:
Michael Jackson - Thriller (FLAC)
Madrugada - The Nightly Disease (MP3 192)
Hed Kandi - Winter Chill 0603 (MP3 320)
Jay Z - Blueprint (MP3 256)
Queen - Greatest hits 1 & 2 (MP3 320)
Gotan Project - La revancha de Tango (FLAC)
Bo Kaspers orkester - Hittils
The Madrugada album does sound a little muddy, but i guess that is the production. The vocals are a bit to the back, and Sivert's (vocals) "s" is somewhat sharp/shrill. Imaging is very good though.
Thriller is a very well produced album. The funky bass-lines Michael's vocal "antics" and the overall rhythm of this album come through very clearly. 3dB gain below 50 Hz helps a lot. Upping the Eq to +6dB below 50Hz brings the party factor. In buckets! However, my TA2020 soon runs out of breath as the overall level is effectively 6dB down. I'll try to get a hold of a 15v 3A laptop SMPS and see if that doesn't give me a little more dynamic headroom.
Blueprint features a great opening track, "The Ruler's Back". It features both heavy natural bass and synthetic LF bass. This is a real test as it does not contain as many harmonics as the "natural" variant. The harmonics of natural bass will let the brain "construct" the fundamental even if it is not reproduced. This lets small speakers sound "bigger" on "natural" music such as Jazz, classical, etc. With +6dB this was a very enjoyable track (Party factor 11).
Queen works very well. The multitrack of Freddie's vocals (in extremis on "Bohemian Rhapsody") shines on these speakers. The imaging is very good! +3dB under 50Hz brings the party factor. Same goes for Bo Kaspers.
I suspect Hed Kandi to apply some EQ to their compilations as i really never felt the need to boost the LF when playing "Winter Chill". At least in my room, it leaned towards sounding boomy with EQ. Great vocals and imaging.
"Warm" or "Cozy" souding (whatever that means).
Gotan Project is electronica-inspired tango music. It features a mix of classical instruments and electronic drums and bass-samples. A 3dB boost in the LF made this album very enjoyable.
Overall:
Compared to my W3-871 Zaph-spheres (Zaph minis housed in Ikea Blanda Matt wooden bowls - 2.8 liter sealed) I'd have to say the W4's are not quite as detailed. However they sound a little smoother and were not fatiguing to listen to at all. The sealed W3's clearly lack the Low end of the W4 TABAQs, but the rolloff is smoother. I did not experience listening fatigue at all. The W3 bowls get tiresome after a while (not much extension under 100Hz may be a reason), but the TABAQ is very nice. I'll definitely have a go at the W4-1879 in a scaled up version later on.
The increased Xmax of these speakers make them more versatile than the W3s. I have not tested them in the TABAQ, but with 0.5 vs 3mm the numbers speak for themselves. With the W4 you may sacrifice a little detail to gain a more versatile and "crowd pleasing" setup. I standard configuration these are beautifully resolved with a wide airy soundstage. Just add a little EQ below 60-50 Hz and you have a more "juicy" party-speaker (at the cost of efficiency, resolution).
Hi guys!
I'm happy to anounce that I'm on my second Tabaq build (still featuring W4-1320). I've also started sniffing out scaled-up versions for other drivers (such as W4-1879). I've seen sims of a Tabaq-clone at a Norwegian forum using this driver.
The W4-1879 has gotten praise on the forums for its overall sound, but some have critiqued it for being "beamy". I suspect most small-diameter/long-throw speakers will have this characteristic, but I started lookng at other drivers none the less.
The W5-1611 is a 5" PP-cone TangBand which is very similar to the W4-1879.
It is a little cheaper (comparable to W3-1878) and it's only got 3mm Xmax (6 total) compared to the Premium W4's 5mm (10 total). It's gotten great overall reviews so far.
Otherwise I think the look very similar. The W5-1611 rolls off at 60Hz (compared to 55Hz) but is rolls off smoother. Same Qts, little higer Vas similar power handling (but slightly higher sensitivity).
The top-end is a little more "ragged" and this is what concerns me the most. What do you guys think?
I'm thinking that it's got a lot of relatively sharp peaks (3dB@2k, 5dB@3.5k, 5dB@6-8k, 5dB@10k and 12k)
Will it be impossible/infeasible to smooth out?
Could it be fatiguing in the long run?
W4-1879
W5-1611SA
Here are some links to the datasheets:
W4-1879
W5-1611SA
All feedback appreciated!
I'm happy to anounce that I'm on my second Tabaq build (still featuring W4-1320). I've also started sniffing out scaled-up versions for other drivers (such as W4-1879). I've seen sims of a Tabaq-clone at a Norwegian forum using this driver.
The W4-1879 has gotten praise on the forums for its overall sound, but some have critiqued it for being "beamy". I suspect most small-diameter/long-throw speakers will have this characteristic, but I started lookng at other drivers none the less.
The W5-1611 is a 5" PP-cone TangBand which is very similar to the W4-1879.
It is a little cheaper (comparable to W3-1878) and it's only got 3mm Xmax (6 total) compared to the Premium W4's 5mm (10 total). It's gotten great overall reviews so far.
Otherwise I think the look very similar. The W5-1611 rolls off at 60Hz (compared to 55Hz) but is rolls off smoother. Same Qts, little higer Vas similar power handling (but slightly higher sensitivity).
The top-end is a little more "ragged" and this is what concerns me the most. What do you guys think?
I'm thinking that it's got a lot of relatively sharp peaks (3dB@2k, 5dB@3.5k, 5dB@6-8k, 5dB@10k and 12k)
Will it be impossible/infeasible to smooth out?
Could it be fatiguing in the long run?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
W4-1879
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
W5-1611SA
Here are some links to the datasheets:
W4-1879
W5-1611SA
All feedback appreciated!
Bjorn suggested in another thread that I could use my W4-930SF's with his TABAQ. So as I'm preparing the cutout sheet plans, I noticed that TABAQ's internal width is 100mm while W4-930SF needs 102mm cutout circular hole.
Should I just try to cram it in and ignore those 2mm difference (just cut 1mm pieces from the side panels)?
Any other ideas? I was wondering if some kind of supraBaffle like one shown bellow could be used (the one on right side)?
Should I just try to cram it in and ignore those 2mm difference (just cut 1mm pieces from the side panels)?
Any other ideas? I was wondering if some kind of supraBaffle like one shown bellow could be used (the one on right side)?
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
You could build the TABAQ with thicker material (keeping the inside diameters the same) and that would make trimming out the extra space easier. If you go with a proud baffle, then I would agree that the one on the right would fit better on a tall slim design like this.
The W5-1611 is great! I've build them in DIY Flat-5 cabinets (Blue Planet Acoustic - Frankfurt). Great bass & CinemaScope like stage width & rhythmic. It is a real good all rounder for a FR. I used a simple R-L-C filter for the mids and voila - it sounds unexpected linear and a big fun to listen. BTW, everybody coming along love them. Even some of them have quite expansive HighEnd LS & equipment - so do I. They are not utterly open like the W4-655 but as I said, they are amazingly neutral & bass is fairly deep. Long live TangBand - I love TangBand... well sorry guys I have to go back to my TangBands...
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