Newbie, new Fostex drivers, challenge with cabinets

[zman01]

I am helping a friend do a first time full-range build (being a noob myself ) and can only locate Fostex FE103en, FE166en, FE206en drivers. It looks like the older tried and tested FE126e, FE127e, FE167e, FE206, drivers have truly disappeared from the face of the earth BTW, have found FE207E albeit at a steep price.

My friend's listening space is modest (11' x 13') - probably too small for somthing like a FH MK3? I saw some very nice builds using FE166EN...

Listening tastes - jazz, acoustic, instrumentals, soft rock. Amp will be Miniwatt N3 SET. I was thinking Fonken but alas no drivers...

Any suggestions on cabinets appreciated.

[planet10]

If you can get theose En drivers you should be able to get FE126En. Even with the small room FH Mk3 should work. The only issue might be its depth. FH Mk 1 Level 0 is shallower, (expanded) Buschhorn Mk1 (last page of FH1 document) smaller yet. Both a step up in complexity a step down in performance.

dave

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by zman01

I am helping a friend do a first time full-range build (being a noob myself ) and can only locate Fostex FE103en, FE166en, FE206en drivers. It looks like the older tried and tested FE126e, FE127e, FE167e, FE206, drivers have truly disappeared from the face of the earth BTW, have found FE207E albeit at a steep price.

My friend's listening space is modest (11' x 13') - probably too small for somthing like a FH MK3? I saw some very nice builds using FE166EN...

Listening tastes - jazz, acoustic, instrumentals, soft rock. Amp will be Miniwatt N3 SET. I was thinking Fonken but alas no drivers...

Any suggestions on cabinets appreciated.

Without going into the whole story, Fostex is partway through manufacturing and distribution streaming of their revamped 2011 product line. The new FE126, 166 and 206 En series have been available through most distributors for many months now, and all new models of FF should be theoretically later this spring.

Based on the described room, power levels and listening tastes, Id suggest that the FE126En would be quite suitable, but without bass support it wouldn't deliver its best performance in a Fonken or any type of BR enclosure. There are several formats of small BLH that are known to work well, including some that require less floor space than the FH3 (more of a question here would be - could enough space be available for a rear exit mouth?):

downward or forward facing mouth:
(inverted) BIB, Metronome, Mikasa, Saburo

rearward facing mouth - these require some breathing room behind, the first 2 models like corners;
Buschhorn Mk I (not II) - plans for stretched version to fit 126 on P10 site, this is the smallest footprint rear mouth BLH for this driver that I've heard, but not to be overlooked - it's essentially the same form factor as a very popular commercial product
FH3
Woden Valiant

No doubt you'll get other recommendations, but of all that I've heard, my only caution would be to avoid the Fostex "hybrid - BLH" - not one their stellar accomplishments.

Of course if you don't mind holding your breath, it could be many months before any builders get their hands on any of the new FFxxxWK series to validate by real world builds designs based on modeling with published / measured TSP.

[zman01]

Thanks Dave and Chris. Alternately I have already started looking at other drivers like smaller Mark Audio models. However I see that those are mostly ~85dB SPL while Fostex ones are >90dB. The Miniwatt N3 is 3.5 watt/channel - will that be a mismatch with MA 85dB drivers?

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by zman01

Thanks Dave and Chris. Alternately I have already started looking at other drivers like smaller Mark Audio models. However I see that those are mostly ~85dB SPL while Fostex ones are >90dB. The Miniwatt N3 is 3.5 watt/channel - will that be a mismatch with MA 85dB drivers?

not really, they just won't play very loud or with much dynamic headroom

The Alpair 7 in Pensil or pair of CHP/ EL70 in Castle micro-tower would be my suggestions.


edit: as Dave says below, "conventional wisdom would say" - but stranger things have happened

and FWIW if the Singapore shop is an authorized Fostex reseller, it shouldn't take long for them to restock the 126

[zman01]

Sorry, I forgot to mention earlier Dave, the shop where I have found the drivers in Singapore do not have the FE126En .

[planet10]

Originally Posted by zman01

...Mark Audio models. However I see that those are mostly ~85dB SPL while Fostex ones are >90dB. The Miniwatt N3 is 3.5 watt/channel - will that be a mismatch with MA 85dB drivers?

Convential wisdom would say 3.5w is not enuff... But check out some of Don Austin's (aka doorman) posts. He is using the least efficient MA (CHR70en gen 1) with 3.5 w. Happily, in a room MUCH larger than yours.

dave

[doorman]

Originally Posted by planet10

Convential wisdom would say 3.5w is not enuff... But check out some of Don Austin's (aka doorman) posts. He is using the least efficient MA (CHR70en gen 1) with 3.5 w. Happily, in a room MUCH larger than yours.

dave

Yup. I find that my low powered amp driving a pair of eNA chr-70's provides more than enough volume for me.
I also have a "Virtue-1" T-amp at around 30 something wpc, but swapping back & forth, while of course noticing the increased spl's at the same settings, never leave me feeling I'm missing anything with the lower powerd amp.
Don

[zman01]

Don, What cabinets are you using? Sorry if I couldn't pick that up in your post (could not decode eNA..).
-Zia

[doorman]

Hi Zia: These IMG_1103.jpg
They're a Onken style cab, designed by Dave (Planet-10)
(Chr-Ken's to be exact)
Lovely, full (for me) well controlled bass too!
Best, Don