Lowther PM6C

[Puffin]

I have just picked up a pair of these as they were such a bargain, I couldn't resist. I have installed them in a Fostex 208 cab. The blurb sheet that comes with them says that they need at least 30 hours running in time (presumably until they start to sound even remotely good)

At the moment the bass is a little curtailed and the sound is very bright (previously using Fostex FE206 with the phase plug mod and over a year of use, and sounding fantastic I might add)

What I was wondering was :-

1. As the cabinet is not built for this driver, am I wasting my time.

2. How many hours will it take to loosen them up (am I right in saying that the voice coil excursion is only 1mm ? If so I suspect they will need many hours.

3. Have any of you had experience of this driver and if so I would be interested to hear your views and findings.

[MJK]

Originally posted by Puffin
What I was wondering was :-

1. As the cabinet is not built for this driver, am I wasting my time.

2. How many hours will it take to loosen them up (am I right in saying that the voice coil excursion is only 1mm ? If so I suspect they will need many hours.

3. Have any of you had experience of this driver and if so I would be interested to hear your views and findings.

1. Probably. It would be better to design an enclosure specifically for the driver. I have a pair of PM6C drivers and they are a Lowther bargain. Very nice in a TL of reflex loaded enclosure. You can find measured T/S parameters for the PM6C on my site under the General Speaker Related Articles link.

2. Probably less than 100 hrs. You should have all of the bass potential right now. Don't get too fixated on the Xmax value, it is really not that important unless the 1812 Overture at high volumes is a requirement for the system.

3. I used them in my Lowther ML TL and with the exception of the PM6A these produced the most bass. In a TL or reflex loaded enclosure you will definitely need a BSC circuit to even out the SPL response.

[Puffin]

MJK. Thanks for your reply. The 208 cab is a back loaded horn whcih works very well with the Fostex unit. The Lowther' s have less than 5 hours on them at the moment and so it will be a few months to see how they mature.

[cangur4242]

Originally Posted by Puffin

I have just picked up a pair of these as they were such a bargain, I couldn't resist. I have installed them in a Fostex 208 cab. The blurb sheet that comes with them says that they need at least 30 hours running in time (presumably until they start to sound even remotely good)

At the moment the bass is a little curtailed and the sound is very bright (previously using Fostex FE206 with the phase plug mod and over a year of use, and sounding fantastic I might add)

What I was wondering was :-

1. As the cabinet is not built for this driver, am I wasting my time.

2. How many hours will it take to loosen them up (am I right in saying that the voice coil excursion is only 1mm ? If so I suspect they will need many hours.

3. Have any of you had experience of this driver and if so I would be interested to hear your views and findings.

Hi there
I never liked Lowthers ,they are very bright and harsh.I don't know what to sugest...I don't want to be rude..My advice is don't waste to much money,if you don't like them...let them go.But before,make sure you have the correct cabinets built for them,that's very important.Regards Daniel

[hm]

Hi Puffin,
i made a few horn with the Lowther, look Fagott, Trumpet and Horn-Sat with measurements at my HP.

[Godzilla]

>>> Fagott

Look for cabinets specifically made for this driver. I've seen them in back horns and on open baffle with helper woofers for bass.

[ultrakaz]

Originally Posted by Puffin

I have just picked up a pair of these as they were such a bargain, I couldn't resist. I have installed them in a Fostex 208 cab. The blurb sheet that comes with them says that they need at least 30 hours running in time (presumably until they start to sound even remotely good)

At the moment the bass is a little curtailed and the sound is very bright (previously using Fostex FE206 with the phase plug mod and over a year of use, and sounding fantastic I might add)

What I was wondering was :-

1. As the cabinet is not built for this driver, am I wasting my time.

2. How many hours will it take to loosen them up (am I right in saying that the voice coil excursion is only 1mm ? If so I suspect they will need many hours.

3. Have any of you had experience of this driver and if so I would be interested to hear your views and findings.

I reckon that some bass is coming out of the 208 cabinet, but not enough to equalize the sound with the upper response. And even in a cabinet designed to optimize the PM6C it most likely will not be enough. Lowther driver break-in is subtle at best. Don't expect big changes in the driver, perhaps, more in your perception/ears. No experience with that particular Lowther but I have DX4 and DX55, and have heard a few others.

Having said the above, I would try a LCR on the Lowther and or notch the peak (7 to 10kHz or so) and see if that helps. If you are more ambitous, you can try the Lowther (with 1000kHz highpass + L-pad) on an open baffle atop the 208 cabinet loaded with a 208E Sigma run wide open.

[adason]

Originally Posted by hm

... look Fagott, Trumpet and Horn-Sat with measurements at my HP.

I see no measurements on that page...

[talaerts]

If you have the place, look for the Big Fun horn design which was made for a PM6C; it gives real bass.

[Jon Ver Halen]

I have to 2nd what MJK says. This is especially true if the cabinets are bass reflex, there is no real chance they will ever work.

When breaking in drivers, I find that about 30 hours at moderately loud (you have to raise your voice slightly to talk over the music), creates 90 to 95 % of the break in.

The 6C's tend to be the most bass heavy, and least bright, of the Lowthers. My guess is your cabinets are just all wrong for these.