Best full range designs suited to rock music?

[wixy]

Can anyone offer suggestions on full range speaker designs that will do rock music well?

I think my FE206E's in the FE208E sigma cabinet are doing a pretty damn good job of it. Although if there are any other full range speaker designs that will do substantially better with rock, i might like to try!

And as a side question, are there any full range designs that will do rock music well in a small room? I am compromised by room size, but I believe speakers have to be big in order to make music the most enjoyable. I'm worried that if I build smaller speakers in order to suit my room size, I would be unhappy. Although I would be happy for someone to convince me otherwise!

[blumenco]

this thing, with some good pentode power, and a decent tweeter is my personal ticket for in home rock concerts IMO. not necessarily the volume, but the presentation. very easy on the ears.

I also like the 206E for rock. it is a surprisingly chill sound, well broken in.

Clark

[MPM]

Possibly consider a sub to aleviate the main speaker from doing all the work. I'm going to use a Kiega 2.1 amp from madisound for my new computer speaker system that will double as my primary listening system in my office. Not ideal but will work pretty well and free up some space. Haven't made up my mind about my primary speaker but my sub is a Tuba 18 from billfitzmaurice.com. Great sounding and very efficient.

http://www.madisound.com/kgamps.html

[sfreak]

Also, depends on how low and loud you want them really. I listen to my fair share of rock and metal, and using CSS FR125S', in a 7L vented box. Room size is 3.5m x 3.5m, just hooked up to my Yamaha amp and connected to my PC.

Could always also try planet 10s miniOnken boxes as well. Heard nothing but good from people who have given them a try.

Dan

[Timn8ter]

I tested a pair of EnABLed Planet10 Fonkens in my home crossed to a 10" sealed sub. They handled everything I fed to them, including Alice In Chains.

[bigwill]

How about the "Afterburner" http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell...terburner.html

[Scottmoose]

Nothing, bluntly. Unless supported at the extremes, especially the LF to improve transient handling. That's the extreme take of course. They can do better than a lot of mediocre multiways if loaded right though, and when you get some decent subs & supertweeters on them (or use them above their mass-corner & a dedicated bass-section below) things just get better. It isn't really until you're in the realms of proper HE setups with dedicated multiple woofers per channel & compression drivers above (preferably horn-loaded) that you're likely to get much better.

[wixy]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

The fonkens crossed to a sub idea sounds great, i will give it some thought.

Scottmoose, when you say "or use them above their mass-corner & a dedicated bass-section below", could you please explain what this means?

[Brett]

Originally posted by wixy
Can anyone offer suggestions on full range speaker designs that will do rock music well?

I'm worried that if I build smaller speakers in order to suit my room size, I would be unhappy. Although I would be happy for someone to convince me otherwise!

I work on the principle that if it sounds good loud, it will sound better lower. My personal experince backs this. So I design big and never run out of headroom or have it constipated sounding.

What about adapting or indded using one of the Dick Olher designs?

Originally posted by Scottmoose
Nothing, bluntly. Unless supported at the extremes, especially the LF to improve transient handling. That's the extreme take of course. They can do better than a lot of mediocre multiways if loaded right though, and when you get some decent subs & supertweeters on them (or use them above their mass-corner & a dedicated bass-section below) things just get better. It isn't really until you're in the realms of proper HE setups with dedicated multiple woofers per channel & compression drivers above (preferably horn-loaded) that you're likely to get much better.

Agreed.

[Scottmoose]

Originally posted by wixy
Thanks everyone for the advice.

The fonkens crossed to a sub idea sounds great, i will give it some thought.

Scottmoose, when you say "or use them above their mass-corner & a dedicated bass-section below", could you please explain what this means?

You could do a whole lot worse.

The mass-corner of a driver is defined by Qt and Fs, and is the point at which the driver's LF response starts to roll off. Assuming for sake of example that we hold Fs constant, then the higher the Q, the lower the mass-corner frequency (i.e. it will start to roll off at a lower frequency, because the driver isn't as well damped). As you'll have figured out from that, it's generally (although not invariably) the frequencies below this point that we tend to use cabinets to boost. Alternatively, you can either mildly boost it, or not bother at all, let it roll off, & use dedicated woofers below this point. The Fonkens with LF support would fall under the popular & generally very effective 'mildly extend / boost the bass below the mass-corner & then support below this point with bass drivers' catagory.

Hope that helps
Scott