Audio Nirvana drivers

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frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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A big fan of what the larger 12" stamped AN driver did in my system in the Dicks 2.8 box (and I'd love recommendations on how I could play around with the 2.8s I have to potentially improve the sound).

John (aka VictoriaGuy), was the local who modded his DD speakers. I think they were the stamped 12s (i think his 10s are still in the box, but i could have it backwards) in one of the big boxes with the 6" hole in the front. Working from measured parameters (pretty close on this pair) a new port length was calculated (considerable IIRC). I just happed to have some 6" PVC so he went ahead and installed it... hopefully he can chime in and give detail & imppressions.

dave
 
AN

I really like my Cast Frame Audio Nirvana Super 12's and they match up well with my 7 watt SET amp . They are in cabinets from Wyatt Woodworking.
I recently added the Zobel and Contour Circuits posted on this forum when Michael Chua of Amplabs.com measured the AN Super Cast 12 speaker parameters and made some recommendations.
They have worked out well . I used Mills Resistors and Jantzen P-Core Inductors for their low DCR .
I added the 2.5K notch circuit but noticed on vinyl it does remove some life from the drivers sound . Not too noticeable on CD formats though.
I'm going to cut that notch circuit resistor value in half and if I still notice the issue I'll pull that part of the circuit off the board and leave the Zobel and Contour Circuit in place which I like .
I was using a 31 band graphic EQ but there's some phase shifting there that is noticeable even though only minor cuts and boosts are involved.
 
I have Fostex 8" 206E and AN 10" castframe and AN 12" castframe.

They all sound different. The AN's have less shout than the Fostex. Maybe a little warmer sounding with extended low end ( I attribute that to the size more than anything else). The Fostex is higher resolving but can get you edgy after a while. To each his own I guess.
 
John (aka VictoriaGuy), was the local who modded his DD speakers. I think they were the stamped 12s (i think his 10s are still in the box, but i could have it backwards) in one of the big boxes with the 6" hole in the front. Working from measured parameters (pretty close on this pair) a new port length was calculated (considerable IIRC). I just happed to have some 6" PVC so he went ahead and installed it... hopefully he can chime in and give detail & imppressions.

dave

Hey-
I've been 'on the road' for a couple of days, so just dropping in now....

The ANs that Dave worked on for me were stamped frame 10s - I have a pair of 12s in the box on a shelf at home.
I'm really happy with the AN10s with the 6" port - I'd have to check at home on the length but it was in the 8-12" range IIRC...(?) . Once an amp project passes the test by not blowing up the cheap Technics speakers, it moves to the AN10s.
I've had a few visitors open eyes wide and give compliments when listening, but perhaps they are just polite? They sound good to me. I think they sounded 'OK' with the standard 2.8 but noticeably better with the 'DavePort' (Thanks again , Dave!)

My 'standard' system is a pair of Fonken 167s with woofer help (biamped), driven by MyRef amps for the Fonkens and chip amps for the woofers, usually through Behringer 2496DEQ. Sounds great but not much play value with new (and old) tube projects, due to the biamping requirement.

I think my AN10s were good value, but I did buy the cheaper option at the 10" level. I can't comment on the cast frame and other versions.

Lately I've been doing a lot more headphone listening (my 'bang-for-the-buck' inclination shows here), so I'm not listening to the speakers as much.

I do have a Troels project waiting at home....one of these days...

Cheers
John
 
I've been using AN super 6.5's for years now in a Madisound BK-16 cabinent, and are my favorites when paired with my Tubelab Simple SE. I also have Tannoy 15inch HPD's and small crossovered bookshelf speakers.

I'm not saying they're perfect, but they are a great value. I listen to everything and the midrange is addictive.
 
Just checked out the audio nirvanas. The 15 inch alnico is 92 and the normal is 96. thats insane. Paying double for a weaker magnet. Why don't they make a goto style neo instead
Hi,
I see the Super15CF as very suited to a small tube amp and the Super15Alnico proper to a small SolidState amp, as the integrated Bryston B60, B100 or similar.
As is know the sound of Alnico magnets are awesome, the best; unfortunately the Alnico price increased due the hi demand of cobalt in this atomic era, the military weapons and Electric energy companies buy all conalt in the market and the price took off.

Seems Nirvana will release a entire line of Neodimium magnets fullranges.
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Alnicos are the best for guitar speakers because the compress nicely and become saturated. I'm not so sure they are consistently the best for high end audio, but I'm happy to listen if anyone has an argument for them. I replaced the alnico Super 12s that came stock in my Wharfedale SFB/3s with Eminence Alphas, and plan to refoam the alnicos and use them in a guitar cabinet, but if I'm convinced they'll sound better in the open baffles than the Emis I'd put them back in.
 
Nice to see these specs. Any chance you've got the sheet for the 12" neos?
I do not had the Super12-Neo datasheet, sorry. But David surely may have it.
This Super15-Neo datasheet David send me may be preliminary.
The Alnico sound are special to me, due the harmonics it give to the music, more irresistible than a tube amp.
Gustavo
 
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ra7

Member
Joined 2009
Paid Member
I have just one pair of alnico driver, the tiny coral full rangers. They measured very flat from 200 Hz right up to 10k, almost ruler flat. They sound very lifelike.

Looking at the published graphs for AN drivers with alnico magnets, the impedance doesn't rise, like in the case of ceramic magnets.

Haven't heard neodyium magnets yet. Neodyium magnets are smaller and lighter, don't know what else they are known for.
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
Paid Member
How the magnets are used in the motor design is more important than the magnets themselves. Neo & Alnico usually allow the packing of more "juice" into the gap. That the AN AlNiCos are significantly less efficient instead of more sets off alarm bells.

And, at least in the 8", the drivers T/S are dramatically different between the 3 so any direct comparison is out the window.

dave
 
I have just one pair of alnico driver, the tiny coral full rangers. They measured very flat from 200 Hz right up to 10k, almost ruler flat. They sound very lifelike.

Looking at the published graphs for AN drivers with alnico magnets, the impedance doesn't rise, like in the case of ceramic magnets.

Haven't heard neodyium magnets yet. Neodyium magnets are smaller and lighter, don't know what else they are known for.
Hi,
In my experience with pro-audio Neos they are know to have a strong peaky response in the mid and treble.

The Alnicos FR need a special, different FR project than Ferrite/Neo drivers.
 
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