Which Fostex driver for me?

[kin0kin]

Hi folks, I've been reading a lot about the Fostex, and different cabinet design. I'm looking to replace my modest bookshelf (PSB Alpha B) with a pair of Fostex.

I have very specific requirements when it comes to tonality. I absolutely HATE shouty/honky/nasal mid range. A slightly recessed mid range is ok as I prefer for the speaker to have expansive soundstage and depth. The last thing I want is to have voices in the face where I have to turn the volume down, hence drowning all the micro details.

What'd be the best driver for me? I've been looking at 166e ad 206e. I'd contemplated BLH but was reading that most horn designs are generally shouty but great with sound stage. I'm leaning towards MLTL since it is easier to construct.

For reference, I much prefer the Sennheiser HD600 (headphones) kind of tonal quality. Am I at the right track with Fostex?

[planet10]

Originally posted by kin0kin
I have very specific requirements when it comes to tonality. I absolutely HATE shouty/honky/nasal mid range. A slightly recessed mid range is ok as I prefer for the speaker to have expansive soundstage and depth.

Not many stock Fostex that fit your criterion (modified ones are another matter entirely)

Budget?

FE103/83/87, FX120, F120A, F200A. None of the ones you've mentioned unless modified considerably (and all those mentioned can be made better too)

I'll let others talk about modded drivers since that is what i make & sell.

dave

[chrisb]

Originally posted by kin0kin
Hi folks, I've been reading a lot about the Fostex, and different cabinet design. I'm looking to replace my modest bookshelf (PSB Alpha B) with a pair of Fostex.

I have very specific requirements when it comes to tonality. I absolutely HATE shouty/honky/nasal mid range. A slightly recessed mid range is ok as I prefer for the speaker to have expansive soundstage and depth. The last thing I want is to have voices in the face where I have to turn the volume down, hence drowning all the micro details.

What'd be the best driver for me? I've been looking at 166e ad 206e. I'd contemplated BLH but was reading that most horn designs are generally shouty but great with sound stage. I'm leaning towards MLTL since it is easier to construct.

For reference, I much prefer the Sennheiser HD600 (headphones) kind of tonal quality. Am I at the right track with Fostex?

I'd opine that if you plan on switching between back and forth between the Senns and any Full-range driver, you've set yourself an interesting goal.

Recommending a driver or enclosure type without knowing a bit more about your room/associated equipment/listening tastes and habits is risky business.


Having said that, my first suggestion would be the F120A, in either an MLTL, or if you're up to the challenge, the Planet10 "Fonkensteen" resistively ported design. During a few weeks of living with a pair of these drivers in a custom commissioned design, the only downside I could find is the sensitivity and limited maximum SPL - not for head-bangers.

Second to that would be either the FF165K in BIB or FE167E in Scottmoose's Half Chili or the Planet10 floorstanding Fonken . In a smaller room, the FE127E in any of several designs is my favorite.

I'd imagine it very likely that any of the "xx6" series of Fostex drivers would not be your cup of tea

[LilMik]

hallo all,

i think it's no problem to tame the shout of almost each fostex: use a notch-filter and bsc.

what do you think?

regards
mike

[planet10]

Originally posted by LilMik
use a notch-filter

Notch filter is a band-aid. It doesn't get rid of the real problem, it just paints over it. Not that is doesn't help, just that it is much better to deal with it at the source of the problem.

dave

[bassrogue]

I'm sensitive to the midrange shout too but I've found the FF165 with a tweeter crossed in at around 10,000hz or so really easy to live with. Pioneer B20 might be one other "non shouty" choice.

[kin0kin]

I'm currently renting and the speakers will be put in the living room. The room is not treated by any means and distance from my TV/speaker would be approximately 8ft away. (fairly nearfield) The room is about 40 ft long. So it's really not an ideal listening area. I have no problems building bass traps, absorption panels, and etc, if need to.

My equipment is very modest for home setup due to the fact that I am currently renting and do not intend to disturb my neighbors. For the same reason, I've been a head-fi for many many years. After testing over 70 headphones, I've decided that the Senns/AKG701 have the tonality that I prefer. That is what I go for when I listen to speakers.a

My source is fed from my htpc, powered by an EMU1212m sound card to my Yamaha HTR6160 receiver (previously to a Benchmark DAC-1). Medias are mostly redbooks and FLACs.

I do plan on picking up the DAC-1 again very soon and it'd be toned down a little with a tube amp of some sort. (recommendation is greatly welcome! *diy please*)

I'm leaning towards the MLTL design, due to the simplicity, small foot print enclosure. But a small footprint BLH can also be considered. I don't listen to music at loud volume at home. It all comes down to tonality, and detail. Wide soundstage and great depth is probably very hard to achieve with my listening area and with small cabinet.

I listen to a wide variety of music. RnB and bass heavy stuff are usually played in the car. High res recordings are usually through my senns. Everything else would go through the speakers. In general I mostly listen to stuff from the 90's *that's when all the good recordings + music were made!* (dire straits, eagles, M.J, Eric clapton, and etc)

As far as budget is concerned, most of them Fostex don't cost too much anyway. I'd say $100 per driver more or less. But since I've never actually listened to any of the Fostex, it'd be best to keep the $$ low, just to get my my toe in the water. Sound, unfortunately, isn't something that's universally agreeable, just like taste in woman.

Most of the fostex have a faily flat curve. My reference curve looks like the attached - recessed midrange.

[chrisb]

- FE167E with phase plugs / or FF165K *
- Chili/ Half Chili or BIB
- Glow EL84 SEP or DIY Bottlehead S.E.X. amp

*ask around about what the EnABL treatment does for these drivers

[planet10]

Originally posted by kin0kin
Wide soundstage and great depth is probably very hard to achieve with my listening area and with small cabinet.

Actually the small cabinets often have the best soundstage. Given your other criteria, FE127 might well do the trick. Brynn is notmuch harder to make than an ML-TL (and has better control than in the bottom than any ML-TL i've heard).

dave

[planet10]

Originally posted by kin0kin
it'd be toned down a little with a tube amp of some sort. (recommendation is greatly welcome! *diy please*)

RH84 is hard to beat for sonics at a low entry (cost & ease of build)

dave