Question about Audio Nirvana versus Fostex.

marchel · 21st June 2010, 04:30 PM

Dear fellow Diyaudio members,

Have you heard Audio Nirvana speakers? Especially their 8" Drivers, How does it compare to the sound of Fostex 8" drivers.

And To be specific, Which do you think is better, The AN Super 8 cast frame or the Fostex Fe208en.

CommonSense Audio

https://www.madisound.com/store/prod...oducts_id=8769

pathdoc2 · 21st June 2010, 04:44 PM

I have the Super 8 cast frames and like them. I also have a pair of Fostex 207's. Both pairs are new and need to be fully broken it. I think I like the AN's slightly more than the Fostex speakers although the AN are somewhat looked down upon here.
I find both sets of speakers are mid-range forward and each does a reasonably good job on the bass end. The top end on the AN's sounds much brighter to me.

marchel · 21st June 2010, 04:58 PM

THanks ,

Yeah, I was wondering why very few talk about AN here lately.

Re: the top end, Do you mean to say that the Fostex sound dull and in need of tweeter?

Does the AN don't need tweeter?

Please excuse my questions, Because I haven't yet heard a good 8" fullrange in my entire life.

Thanks.

Scottmoose · 05:05 PM

To the best of my knowledge, there isn't an FE208En. However, there's the just-launched FE206En, and the old whizzerless wide-band FE208ESigma, which is still available, and a superb unit, though specifically designed to be partnered with one of their supertweeters (T90a, T900a or T500a) above ~12KHz.

How long's a piece of string? The AN's published specs. have regularly been shown to be way off from what people have measured from their own units, so until I see any evidence to suggest this has changed, I won't have anything to do with them. In fairness, Fostex's specs. are also sometimes questionable, although usually rather closer to the claims. FWIW, spec. aside, the AN's I've heard tend to have a more sharply upward-tilted response than the 206, which can give the impression of more HF extension, which in practice is actually similar.

The (defunct) FE207E is about done by 14KHz; it was primarily assumed to be used in HT systems so they backed the top end off compared to its 206E stablemate (now replaced by the similar 206En), giving it a slightly flatter balance.

marchel · 21st June 2010, 05:15 PM

Thanks Scottmoose,

Yes, I meant to say the new Fe206en.

trusound · 21st June 2010, 05:57 PM

As I totally understand the standpoint of specs.. but I also understand that regardless of specs, it has to sound good... and I have yet to hear a fostex that I wanted to listen to more then a song or 2 on and really enjoy what I have heard from the AN drivers..

now take what you want from my own personal opinion because that's all it is...

aptquark · 21st June 2010, 05:59 PM

I have the 8 inch cast frame AN speakers in their recommended enclosure (the one with the top mounted additional 8 inch (not cast frame) and they sound great. Deep bass response, clean highs. I don't have any experience with Fostex, but I do have quite many other speakers, and they perform well for what they are designed for.

InclinedPlane · 22nd June 2010, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trusound

As I totally understand the standpoint of specs.. but I also understand that regardless of specs, it has to sound good... and I have yet to hear a fostex that I wanted to listen to more then a song or 2 on and really enjoy what I have heard from the AN drivers..

now take what you want from my own personal opinion because that's all it is...

I'm on the same page. I hit the resale button on the 206/166 pretty quick. Just too darned harsh and irritating-sounding. Better in this regard than Lowther, but still not nearly good enough. The AN, while not perfect, is WAY better. I can actually listen to them. And the phase plug is quite the performer.

rjbond3rd · 22nd June 2010, 03:56 AM

Inclined Plane, I love your sigs

ra7 · 22nd June 2010, 04:38 AM

I am also firmly in the AN camp, although never having heard a proper fostex full ranger, i cannot comment on those.

The ANs are very very good for what they are worth. Who cares about specs, published or measured, as long as it sounds good. Even if you get a speaker to measure close to the published specs, its no fun if it sounds bad.

Also, please be aware that if you choose to go down the path of small aluminimum cone drivers with large xmax, they have a different sound from the light-paper cone-large-magnet-low Qts type drivers. I for one prefer the sound of the light, high sensitivity paper cones.

21st June 2010, 04:30 PM	#1
marchel diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2007	Question about Audio Nirvana versus Fostex. Dear fellow Diyaudio members, Have you heard Audio Nirvana speakers? Especially their 8" Drivers, How does it compare to the sound of Fostex 8" drivers. And To be specific, Which do you think is better, The AN Super 8 cast frame or the Fostex Fe208en. CommonSense Audio https://www.madisound.com/store/prod...oducts_id=8769

21st June 2010, 05:00 PM	#4
Scottmoose diyAudio Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: UK	To the best of my knowledge, there isn't an FE208En. However, there's the just-launched FE206En, and the old whizzerless wide-band FE208ESigma, which is still available, and a superb unit, though specifically designed to be partnered with one of their supertweeters (T90a, T900a or T500a) above ~12KHz. How long's a piece of string? The AN's published specs. have regularly been shown to be way off from what people have measured from their own units, so until I see any evidence to suggest this has changed, I won't have anything to do with them. In fairness, Fostex's specs. are also sometimes questionable, although usually rather closer to the claims. FWIW, spec. aside, the AN's I've heard tend to have a more sharply upward-tilted response than the 206, which can give the impression of more HF extension, which in practice is actually similar. The (defunct) FE207E is about done by 14KHz; it was primarily assumed to be used in HT systems so they backed the top end off compared to its 206E stablemate (now replaced by the similar 206En), giving it a slightly flatter balance. Last edited by Scottmoose; 21st June 2010 at 05:05 PM.

21st June 2010, 05:57 PM	#6
trusound diyAudio Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Missouri	As I totally understand the standpoint of specs.. but I also understand that regardless of specs, it has to sound good... and I have yet to hear a fostex that I wanted to listen to more then a song or 2 on and really enjoy what I have heard from the AN drivers.. now take what you want from my own personal opinion because that's all it is... __________________ Randy Kunin www.soundsbydesign.net

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21st June 2010, 04:44 PM	#2
pathdoc2 diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2010	I have the Super 8 cast frames and like them. I also have a pair of Fostex 207's. Both pairs are new and need to be fully broken it. I think I like the AN's slightly more than the Fostex speakers although the AN are somewhat looked down upon here. I find both sets of speakers are mid-range forward and each does a reasonably good job on the bass end. The top end on the AN's sounds much brighter to me.

21st June 2010, 04:58 PM	#3
marchel diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2007	THanks , Yeah, I was wondering why very few talk about AN here lately. Re: the top end, Do you mean to say that the Fostex sound dull and in need of tweeter? Does the AN don't need tweeter? Please excuse my questions, Because I haven't yet heard a good 8" fullrange in my entire life. Thanks.

21st June 2010, 05:15 PM	#5
marchel diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2007	Thanks Scottmoose, Yes, I meant to say the new Fe206en.

21st June 2010, 05:59 PM	#7
aptquark diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: MS Blog Entries: 1	I have the 8 inch cast frame AN speakers in their recommended enclosure (the one with the top mounted additional 8 inch (not cast frame) and they sound great. Deep bass response, clean highs. I don't have any experience with Fostex, but I do have quite many other speakers, and they perform well for what they are designed for.

22nd June 2010, 03:56 AM	#9
rjbond3rd diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2007	Inclined Plane, I love your sigs

22nd June 2010, 04:38 AM	#10
ra7 diyAudio Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Blog Entries: 1	I am also firmly in the AN camp, although never having heard a proper fostex full ranger, i cannot comment on those. The ANs are very very good for what they are worth. Who cares about specs, published or measured, as long as it sounds good. Even if you get a speaker to measure close to the published specs, its no fun if it sounds bad. Also, please be aware that if you choose to go down the path of small aluminimum cone drivers with large xmax, they have a different sound from the light-paper cone-large-magnet-low Qts type drivers. I for one prefer the sound of the light, high sensitivity paper cones.

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