Which Driver?

[onform]

Hello, I'm after some advice from some of you very knowledgeable fellows..

As a long time lurker I am looking to build a set of speakers using full range drivers. My reasoning behind wanting full range is that I am all about lovely mid range and holographic sound stage as these will be used for easy listening and relaxing too.. Too much top end usually tiers my ear pretty quickly and value quality rather than quantity in the lower octaves...

I'm open to cabinet designs but the above criteria will take precedence when deciding which route to take. I may also go the stereo bass route a little down the line but not yet.

My budget will be £150, (UK), for the drivers themselves. And my listening room is roughly 4/5 meter rectangle with a wide chimney breast and two alcoves which will sit directly behind the speakers.

I have done a lot of reading on the forum to give me a good grounding but the options are numerous and everyone loves their creations so I'm finding it difficult too get started..

Any help guy's would be greatly appreciated..

[planet10]

Yes we all have our favorites and there are lots of choices. My listening preferences are much along the same lines as you describe.

Choice will be amplifier dependent, but my 1st choice would be Alpair7.

dave

[planet10]

In England, with VAT & post should just squeak in under budget

Distributors Of Quality Hi-Fi

dave

[Rullknufs]

I haven't heard the Alpair7 but i love my CSS EL70

[hm]

Hello,
what enclosure typ and size you prefer,
one of my smallest and best solution would be the Kornett.

[onform]

Dave, I have just been looking there at those...

I was also looking at these and keeping an eye on the thread!

And these..

But I think the Alpair7's are looking the best bet.

I am going to do a forum search for them in particular.

Another question if I may? using the alpair7's and my sonic goals what cabinets would you be looking at???

[onform]

hm, they look very nice.. but judging by the photo they are a bi-pole arrangement?

[planet10]

The SEAS is interesting, i'll likely try it out at some point even if just to fit phase plugs -- i have found that whizzer cone drivers are the biggest benificary of plugs. I am currently working on some FE166En, these sound good, but need a horn and i am finding that the consistency of the new En range is much wider than the earlier range (possibly due to the Fostex production facility being closed down and manufacturing shifted over to one of the general purpose Foster facilities). It also needs a horn, but can get away with a smaller amplifier. I still prefer FE126 to the larger driver.

The smaller, whizzerless Alpair 7 gives up efficiency for extention at the bottom (vrs say a similar size Fostex) and at the top (it does reach beyond 20k). And the larger drivers can't touch it for midrange finese and downward dynamic range.

I am partial to the miniOnken for these, Scott's horns are good (if at the other end of the spectrum sizewize), and they work well in Frugel-Horn (for those with limited wood-working capability, it looks like there could be flat-pak suppliers in the north & in the south,

Big drivers, in general, exchange top end & midrange finesse for bass extension, greater efficiency, and the ability to move more air (dynamic slam). I feel that 2 of 3 of those are best supplied by active helper woofers (not subs per se) and the 3rd (efficiency) is just a fallout of the physics of cone area.

dave

[LineSource]

Hi onform,

I'll cast one owner vote for the Tang Band W8-1808. Great vocals, good bass below 40Hz, the highs above 6Khz are clean but do have some SPL wizzer wiggle. ~$190, I paid $144 during a sale.

A tall Bob Brines MLTL design provides a good listening height. The cabinet is a 100 liter MLTL – 48” x 10” x 12”. The speaker is mounted 12” below the top edge with a 4" diameter 2" long port 5" up from the bottom. Very easy construction.

[planet10]

Originally Posted by LineSource

Tang Band W8-1808.

I've had a couple pair of those thru here. I prefer it to the 1772, but, with the exception of the quantity of bass it can produce, wouldn't put it over the Alpair 7 or 10.2.

Besides being way over the OP's budget the difference between it and Alpair 7 could buy some nice midwoofers to fill in where A7 lacks vis-a-vis the TB.

dave