Which Are Best Budget Compression (mid-h.f. range) Drivers?

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Hi all!
I know that I wasn't so active here on forum,but forgive me:eek:,at least I've read a lot....
I want to build an horn based system(tractrix round horn,midbass front horn and tapped horn as a sub) so please tell me wich would be the best budget(4,500Hz-18KHz)compresion driver do you know??
My budget is around 300$,including shipping....I wonder if I can afford an entry level but good quality pair of compression drivers,something to beat(I know that a good pair will blow away paper drivers,but I have an small budget!) an extremely good vintage full range Telefunken paper driver(I have an offer from someone)wich I was intended to use in a tractrix horn...
Plus,knowing the fact I'm at the beggining with my DIY horns,I would like also to buy a good pair wich can go high enough so I be able in my first period to not be forced to use tweeters,this way reducing the coplexity and cost level of my first horn project....
Thanks for your pacience,your collaboration it's highly anticipated!!

Happy Hollidays and God bless you!
 
Thank you so much all,for your kindness and pacience!
Cal Weldon,sorry,I was writing 4 or 5oo Hz(it's not "dot" after 4)so it's not only a tweeter,though going from 500 HZ to 18 K or something I've just read that maybe it's not possible to have a clean,linear response on a budget one,what do you think??I insist again on my target: I want something to have better sonics value(dynamics,soundstage,timbral acuracy,transparency,texture) than a wonderfull vintage paper driver,so I was thinking that a nice,entry level,decent compression driver(I have time for upgrades later to those TAD,JBL,VITAVOX or....with $$$$$)will do the job....
Panomaniac I will look for those drivers......
Brett thanks a lot but I'm not totaly familiarized with compression drivers's construction(I look at them for about few days)so i have to make my homeworks more serious.... the "screw on",it's the metalic part with the cilidric throat atached with screws on the front of the driver ?!?
It's a honour for me to talk with you guys,I respect you a lot....
Happy holldays and God bless you all(from an orthodox soul from Romania :) )
 
On a budget? Maybe the Selenium D220ti. Tho some prefer the B&C DE10-8 Both are about the same price in the USA.

Don't know what prices you can get in Romania or Ukraine.


I have both units, D220Ti can cross lower at around 1.6-1.7 Khz and DE10 above 2Khz, the has smoother perceived top end. Once D220Ti is burnt-in it is not that bad. I am using it now. Both needs compensation at freq. >8Khz.
 
Panomaniac thanks,but it was a confussion(forgive me)I was telling to Cal Weldon that i put 4,5oo in sens of 400 or 500 HZ so please if you think that is something to behave pretty good in this range.....?!?or maybe I would change my initial scheme and I will use some good budget mid compression drivers and add one of the tweeters that you've just sugested me....but again,i have to see if I'll have all the money necesary(because I've already bought an wonderfull tube amp-a 45 SET-2x4 W,and surprise.........my wife stiil loves me!!)
ttan98 please tell me what do you use under 1.6-1.7 Kz??
 
I really doubt any budget CD will go down to 500Hz without sounding harsh even at the low playback levels in a home environment.

For example, the selenium 220ti panomaniac mentioned has a recommended cross-over point of 2Khz at 12db/octave. Off-course this is a conservative rating, for PA use.

Then again, if using a CD from 1Khz and beyond, the idea is to select a very good one in order to have some decent performance in the very important 1Khz - 20Khz region.

Best luck with your project!
 
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Ditto above. No budget driver (or horn) is going to do that. But you can get close with some vintage gear such as the Altec 811 or 511 horns with the 1" drivers. I have both.
But even my big, heavy (14 Kilos) Altec 291 drivers won't really play down do 400Hz with authority. 500Hz, yes.

So to keep in a reasonable budget, you should rethink your system. What you want to do is possible, but not easy and not cheap.
 
I really doubt any budget CD will go down to 500Hz without sounding harsh even at the low playback levels in a home environment.

For example, the selenium 220ti panomaniac mentioned has a recommended cross-over point of 2Khz at 12db/octave. Off-course this is a conservative rating, for PA use.

Then again, if using a CD from 1Khz and beyond, the idea is to select a very good one in order to have some decent performance in the very important 1Khz - 20Khz region.

Best luck with your project!

At the moment the screamin' deal in compression drivers seems to be the Celestion CDX1-1425. $60 from QSC, for some reason they charged me only $45 when I ordered mine. Offers 75% of the performance of the BMS 4540ND for less than half the price.

Compression Driver, 1.4", Alum., Neodymium

Augerpro, from this forum, has posted measurements. I have some on diyaudio as well.

Besides that one, the Selenium mentioned in this thread looks good.

I personally prefer BMS over just about anything, and I've seen used ones on Ebay for under $30 each.

As far as getting "400hz to 18000hz" from a single compression driver, that's just crazy talk. Compression drivers are bandwidth limited - you can't achieve that with a compression driver at any cost, much less a budget driver.

It *is* possible to cover that bandwidth if you use a lot of equalization, but distortion will be a huge problem.* It certainly wouldn't sound good at all.

I wonder if one of the reasons that compression drivers are dismissed in the HiFi world is that people have unreasonable expectations when they use them? "400hz to 18khz" isn't unusual in the HiFi world, but from a compression driver, no way.

* You could do it on certain horn types also, but they're equalizing the frequency response physically instead of via electronic means.

 
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Just a notice
Patrick, your link to CDX1-1425 makes it look like a 1.4" driver
Voice coil is, but its still a 1" throat driver, and from specs its best crossed high

Fore budget
I wouldnt mind to have the BMS 1.5"/4555, small voice coil, big throat

Celestion, CDX1-1720 looks ok too, but is it available anywhere
 
Last edited:
Just a notice
Patrick, your link to CDX1-1425 makes it look like a 1.4" driver
Voice coil is, but its still a 1" throat driver, and from specs its best crossed high

Fore budget
I wouldnt mind to have the BMS 1.5"/4555, small voice coil, big throat

Celestion, CDX1-1720 looks ok too, but is it available anywhere

True.

If you're trying to get five or six octaves out of a horn, there seems to be two options.

  • Use a spendy large format compression driver. Tad or Altec will get you 500hz to 16khz with one driver, but it will set you back over $1000 per pair.
  • Use a coaxial. This could be one of the coax units from BMS, which run about $1200 per pair. Or you could build your own, aka a Unity horn.

I personally prefer the Unity horn, because you can make a decent one for $150 per side*. It's a lot more work than simply buying a BMS, but that's what DIY is all about right? Theoretically the distortion should be lower also, because a Unity has a lot more xmax at the low end than a BMS coax.

* If I were going to build a "budget unity horn", I would use the Celestion for $45, plus four of the Tang Band paper cone two inch woofers at $15 each. That's $105 per side, and leaves $45 for wood and crossover parts. I've posted the crossover and design details in other threads. The crossover is relatively easy, since the majority of the filtering is done by the horn, not the crossover itself. (This lowers distortion a great deal also.)

 
I understand....but what do you say about an first project(with my limited budget)using a full range driver in a tractrix horn(Fostex,vintage Telefunken,etc.)helping in high range with a tweeter and down from mid bass with a woofwer in a front horn(for equalizing senzitivity)??....something that has inspired me was an Horn/Dipole Hybrid from Hornloudspeaker Magazine site,except that I want to use a single woofer in a front horn not 3 woofers in OB configuration....
 
Here's a real budget driver from Selenium. I use it XO'd at 650 Hz on an Altec 511 horn. It's only a mid so you lose some high end but with the money you save you might afford a tweeter. It's a little hot in the middle so you'll probably want a notch filter and maybe some padding.

Parts-Express.com: Selenium D250-X 1" Phenolic Horn Driver 1-3/8"-18 TPI | compression driver tweeter horn driver high frequency 1" exit 1" throat midrange PA driver tweeter driver selenium083108

It's the driver on the lower horn on the right. You'll notice I had to make an adapter for it as I attached it to a bolt on flange.
 

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