Mark Audio CHP 70 Gen2

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I was browsing Madisound after a period of finding many things out of stock.

Today they are showing the 4 in CHR 70 Gen2. No reviews yet or indications from old threads that they are in use.

Here is what they show:

Markaudio CHP-70 Gen2 Natural Paper: Madisound Speaker Store

This inexpensive driver I'd like to try in my BIB and modify to fit.

BIB was built for Fostex FE127e.

Any remarks or reviews on the Gen2?
 
I was browsing Madisound after a period of finding many things out of stock.

Today they are showing the 4 in CHR 70 Gen2. No reviews yet or indications from old threads that they are in use.

Here is what they show:

Markaudio CHP-70 Gen2 Natural Paper: Madisound Speaker Store

This inexpensive driver I'd like to try in my BIB and modify to fit.

BIB was built for Fostex FE127e.

Any remarks or reviews on the Gen2?


Several DIYers in England have been very happy with them in FH3 and other designs.

audio-talk :: View topic - Frugal Horn Mk3 build for CHP70 and FE126En

Based on a couple of brief recent sessions with the smaller Alpair 6P paper driver, as well as extensive familiarity with the CSS EL70, I'd opine that the CHP70 will likely not disappoint folks familiar with the FE127E
 
frugal-phile™
Joined 2001
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The original CHP (called CHP70, but like EL70 were the 1st MA to incorporate Gen 2 tech) is the one mentioned by Chris (and i believe clk)

The new Gen 3 tech CHP (CHP70 gen 2 which i call CHP70.3) is an unknown. It should benefit from all the new refinements thrown at it. Nore that T/S wize it is very close to the CHR in character & the kinds of boxes & box volumes it works in.

20 on my break-in bench.

dave
 
Well no rush. I was getting the yen to get something new right away then the heat kicked in. That, and I started a new computer build. I like the look of these as opposed to metal dust caps.

I want to try my hand a MK3 sometime as well

I will watch for yours and other's notes as things progress.
 
I'd opine that the CHP70 will likely not disappoint folks familiar with the FE127E

I'm not sure how to interpret this. I'm familiar with my FE127E's and I don't like 'em at the high end - I'm designing them out of my current boxes. I was hoping to replace them with some MA drivers. First pair of boxes just got some EL-70's and I'm very happy with those. But the EL-70 is 4 Ohm and I'd prefer 8 Ohm in general. I like paper drivers. So the CHP70 looks very attractive (other than the strange coloured paper cone). I took a quick peak at the link posted above and the FR of the driver does have a bit of a small peak at 7kHz - please tell me it ain't an FE127 :eek:
 
I looked up a search on the Markaudio CHP-70 Gen2 and the search came back with one of my old threads.

Well they went on deal (enough to cancel shipping cost) so I sent for one. I'm in Wisconsin US so shipping is pretty reasonable. I'm going to try a mount of the new driver in a BIB that has an old FE127e. The one went through some experimentation which -- how to say --took the spark out of it and decreased perceived loudness. The Markaudio CHP-70 Gen2 was a minimal replacement.
 
My CHP arrived and I was surprised that it didn't have a data sheet or standardized packaging. A gasket is included plus four screws. Since I have read about the care in setting up a Mark Audio driver I was surprised that no data sheet or any sheets related to the CHP were included.

I decided to put the driver in a smaller box that I use for nearfield music listening to break it in. I'm using Audacity's feature of the ability to make white noise simply from a button on the program. Previous info on Mark Audio said that I should start at low volume doing the white noise break in so that's what I'm doing.
 
Ok,

There's no way for me to remember over time changes in technique. I play low music all the time anyway so I suppose it's a matter of time in any case. Though I've seen the various pdfs generated here I was surprised not to find any documentation with the speaker I got. I can hardly say if this is an MA problem or Madisound problem _or_ if this was the reason for the sale price. That last doesn't seem likely.
 
Ok,

There's no way for me to remember over time changes in technique. I play low music all the time anyway so I suppose it's a matter of time in any case. Though I've seen the various pdfs generated here I was surprised not to find any documentation with the speaker I got. I can hardly say if this is an MA problem or Madisound problem _or_ if this was the reason for the sale price. That last doesn't seem likely.


FWIW, Dave & I have been receiving MA drivers from Madisound, Bob at CSS and Mark directly for several years now, and none yet have included documentation - since the data has always been easily available on the 'net, that's never been a problem. I'm not sure what you mean by "standardized" packaging - except for some earlier models, they've all been in a simple plain brown wrapper with model ID labels - good enough for me, and as far as I'm concerned every dollar saved in production/packing cost serves all parties' interests.
 
I'm not sure I've received a sheet for any driver from any manufacturer, ever.


I always get 'em with Fostex purchases from Madisound of which I've done several. I like to support a WI company. I'm not a heavy spender though.

I'm thinking the shipping of these from the source prob'ly resembles the box of 16 NSB's I got when they were 50 cents each: a large egg crate style shipping box out of which they repack the singles like the one I got.
 
A while back DaveD (Planet10) sent me a pair the black coned gen2 CHP70’s to do some direct comparisons with the original cream coned gen1’s. Knowing I have and a few other UK users having raved on about the original CHP70 gen1 cream coned drivers in the FH3, he wanted to know how the gen2 shaped up in a direct A-B comparison listening test. To my knowledge the original CHP70’s were not available in USA where the CSS EL70 is the equivalent driver though modified in performance to CSS spec. I have no experience of the EL70.

However, back to the CHP70 gen2 drivers.

When the drivers arrived as I had no spare FH3 speakers to hand I ran them in for around a week in their boxes hooked up to Radio2. I then passed them on to my mate Chris (Stratmangler) who now owns my original build FH3 with the gen1 CHP70’s, to do the listening comparisons. He runs them with the help of a pair of Frugal Supertweeters I made for him (MA T#3 – CSS ERT26) to fill out the top end and simply loves them in this combination.

Due to work pressures and other personal issues he wasn’t able until this week to do the listening tests and they have proved very disappointing.

He did mention to me he had stored them rather badly and had damaged one of the driver cones. So the listening comparison was conducted in mono with just a single speaker.

Here is what he reported back to me:

Hi Colin, I've swapped over one of the drive units - I've managed to store them badly, and one of the drivers has been damaged as a result. However, all's not lost - I'm using The Beatles mono masters to listen, and it's quite useful to be able to switch from one speaker to the other................................Can't live with what I've heard so far. There's little recorded ambience on playback. The upper mids are shouty. The bass sounds semi detached and one note, with little integration into the midband.

I'm taking the driver out and putting the original back in tonight - it does all of the above mentioned with ease. It is a far better driver than its later generation stable mate.


I haven’t managed to get to listen to these drivers properly myself. I hope to do this over the coming weekend. So until then I’ll reserve some judgement. However, Chris has a very good musician’s ear for music and helps me with fine tuning my speakers from protracted listening sessions so I have no reason to disbelieve his findings. This is most disappointing indeed as I am a big fan of the MA drivers and I was expecting better from the new gen2 version of the driver.

Perhaps Mark Fenlon can comment?
 
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