Fostex FE206E or audio nirvana super 8 cast?

[soundbadger]

right ive got some lowther horn cabs and cant possible afford to fit them with lowther drivers .
so the question is do i fit Fostex FE206e (i would actually be using the Decware modified versions) or the audio nirvana super 8 cast chassis's. i have heard good things about both and was just wondering what you lot thought. my music taste varies to much to tell you exactly what i will be playing through them, i do however understand their limitations. i'm currently thinking the Fostex drivers due their slightly better response at the lower end.

P.S i want the opinions of people who have used these drivers not people who have just looked at the datasheets and made their minds up that way i can do that myself.

as always thanks in advance
soundbadger

[DaveCan]

Usually isn't a great idea to stuff drivers in a cab that wasn't specifically designed for them... I'd take the Decware modded 206 over the AN driver even without hearing them.
All I can offer is that at the recent DecFest that was put online for all to see, all the cabs that used the modded 206 driver seemed to be highly favored by the comments and expressions of the listeners at the fest.. I'd sell the Lowther cabs and build a new set of 206 specific cabs if it were me, but as always ymmv..
Dave

[soundbadger]

i shall proberbly get the decware 206's and stick with the lowther cabs until ive got the time to either build some cabs designed for them or design my own (ive been reading and trying to understand J.E Bensons "theory and design of loudspeaker enclosures"). i dont have time at the mo to build anything other than my new amps
anyhow cheers dave

[brsanko]

Rear loaded horn designs don't change much with different drivers. and the Lowther, Fostex, and Audio Nirvana drivers are close enough to the same specs that they probably wouldn't model any differently in a given horn design anyway. As for choosing between them I haven't yet heard the ANs but have been lusting after them for a few months and will get them eventually, as for the Fostexes I have heard them and was blown away! They are Awesome! Sorry if I wasn't much help.

[InclinedPlane]

Let me ask you this: do you listen at low volume or high? Lowther is unlistenable (painful) at all but low volume. These are the worst speakers I've used, period.

Fostex drivers allow louder playback but still suffer from the same kind of harshness that bleeds your ears at volumes that other speakers show no trace of (like the utterly boring yet smooth and comfortable B&W speakers)

The ANs are my pick so far. Their high frequency extension beats Fostex by miles. The detail they resolve is probably 85-90% of the $2500 AER drivers (also harsh sounding) I have yet cost a small fraction. Indeed, they offer much better high frequency extension as well. I can play them loud without losing blood through my eardrums for the most part (no they aren't free of this problem but not bad)

However, if the Enable process works, it should fix any of these drivers. Although Lowther will still be twice as loud at 8khz than it is at 1khz so still an expensive paperweight.)

I don't offer any advice on which driver offers better bass because none of them (or any widerange driver) offer realistic levels of bass without large helper bass drivers, regardless of enclosure type IMO.

[brsanko]

I love it when people say things like that. The speakers that many highly respected audiophiles revere as the unquestionably best drivers in the world, and you say they are harsh and unlistenable! Did you ever consider that maybe it's your amplifier that is harsh and unlistenable. when you finally hear it through some good speakers. I have B&Ws at home and I like them but your right they are a little boring, but when I heard Fostex drivers in rear loaded horns they were hands down the best sounding speaker I have ever encountered( and I have heard alot of speakers). There was absolutely no sign of harshness whatsoever through my Marantz PM300 integrated amp. Listening to MP3s on a computer. When we put in a CD it was unbelievable and LPs were earth shattering. If by harsh you mean fast, dynamic, unclouded, undistorted, uncompressed and downright real then you might have something, but I don't think so.

[brsanko]

Oh yeah and they play crazy loud and the larger ones actually have a bit too much low bass (down below 40hz) The gentleman above is obviously making sweep generalities based on very limited experience. Because I have admittedly fairly limited experience as well but I experienced none of the affects he is so quick to assign to all such designs. The fostex drivers in RLD designs that I have listened to at great lengths and helped build, were extreemly smooth detailed and balanced the smaller speakers lacked somewhat in the low bass in our humongous commercial cabinet shop but had excellent bass (down to 50-60hz) in a normal room. The only complaint I have about the big ones is that they had a little too much bass. These speakers lack nothing!!!

[DaveCan]

I'd just like to add still, that putting the Decware modded drivers into cabs designed for Lowthers, will most likely not let you experience the true potential of your new drivers.. Horns differ enough to merit the effort to design for the drivers in question when time allows etc..

The comment above re the AER and Lowthers and the AN wins out in your opinion.. I'd say that's great for you that you have found your audio bliss, and at quite a savings I might add, but hardly a statement that should be taken seriously, and I won't
Dave

[brsanko]

True but if he has the cabs already and can't spring for the lowthers, the ANs or Fostexes are still gonna sound great. He can always modify them to better suit the drivers if he desires. It makes a whole lot more sense to me than starting from scratch when he already has something really good.

[InclinedPlane]

If a loudspeaker causes pain in my ears in the upper midrange in a variety of enclosures and amplifiers how could that be a 'sweeping generalization'? If a loudspeaker's (such as Lowther EX2) tested and confirmed response has a +/- 15-20 db deviation between 300 and 8khz then it's just another Bose 901 that requires heavy equalization; passive or active.

Any speaker that requires an elaborate enclosure or other modification to make up for its shortcomings is a poorly designed unit, not user 'limited experience'. Keep buying them, though. I know it's thrilling to spend oodles of hours and dollars trying to improve something that's fundamentally screwed up.

I used the Fostex F200A for a little while but soon discovered that despite its high price, it's 'screwed up'. The hard metal center cap produces some truly nasty highs. The FE series are nice units, but not at high volume.

My amp is an upgraded Denon PMA S1; one of the best integrateds ever to hit the market. Bummer, can't blame the amp!