So I have just got the FR89EX on the go in a sealed 1.8l box. It's the first time I've heard a repetitively expensive full range driver and I have to say the highs are dreadful on it. I'm pushing it pretty hard getting around 100dB peak playing 100Hz upward through a miniDSP. I've had the attenuate the HF by about -8dB 6KHz upward as it was truly unlistenable, it was fatiguing and hurt my ears - I think it needs a tweeter to help IMHO.
While a certain amount of familiarization is at play, you might not find consensus on the first point and not just at the Full Range forum.
Mechanical suspension (spider and surround ) will definitely loosen up with usage, resulting in change of overall tonal balance and dynamic response - things that can certainly affect all aspects of the system's performance
that's not to say that even when fully "broken in" these particular drivers would be satisfying to all listeners - we don't all listen for, or can hear, exactly the same things
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Break-in definitely occurs.
My Fostex drivers, as an example: I'd have a listen, then put them face-to-face wired out of phase playing things like Bass I Love You, 15 Step, etc, etc. Anything to get the cones wobbling around. I'd leave them cooking for a while, then listen again.
There were definite changes each time: the sound set off very forward with little to no bass. In their current cabinets, there still isn't much bass, but the lower mids filled out nicely, giving a warmer sound.
Try something similar with yours - set off at fairly small excursions, leave a few hours, try again. Turn it up to 3-4mm p/p, leave for a few more hours, listen.
Take them up to rated Xmax (or turn it up til the sound goes bad, then back off a little, whichever is first), keep on blasting away at them.
I'd also suspect that 100dB is pushing it a little for a small driver: you've hit the traditional limitation of FR drivers - turn them up, and the sound turns shrill and piercing as you get cone break-up becoming more prominent.
Bandwidth limiting (300Hz seems common) helps here.
Chris
Hmm yes I still don't think break in as bigger deal as people believe but whatever. WinISD predicted ~98dB in 2pi space (I believe that's WinISDs default?). I was using them in 0.5pi but quite out of the corner so the affect may not of been as great.
I want to sell these speakers and I don't think these Fountek drivers are cutting the mustard. They are fairly expensive considering the build quality and I have fallen out with the sales person I have been in talks with about them at Fountek. But for extension SPL and box size there's nothing better out there for numbers on paper wise.
Chris how do the Fostex's react to be being pushed over their smaller than minuscule xmax?
I want to sell these speakers and I don't think these Fountek drivers are cutting the mustard. They are fairly expensive considering the build quality and I have fallen out with the sales person I have been in talks with about them at Fountek. But for extension SPL and box size there's nothing better out there for numbers on paper wise.
Chris how do the Fostex's react to be being pushed over their smaller than minuscule xmax?
Fostex are known for high efficiency drivers: they have next to no overhang on the voice coil, and therefore little Xmax.
They're good to maybe 4mm p/p, but turn shrill before you get there (unless you're way below box tuning). Mechanically, they're very forgiving.
The new Fostex line are better in this respect: more Xmax, lower sensitivity, but acceptable cabinet sizes.
Also look at the Mark Audio range - some good stuff there.
They're good to maybe 4mm p/p, but turn shrill before you get there (unless you're way below box tuning). Mechanically, they're very forgiving.
The new Fostex line are better in this respect: more Xmax, lower sensitivity, but acceptable cabinet sizes.
Also look at the Mark Audio range - some good stuff there.
Pretty easy to demonstrate that that is a fallacious statement.
Set two otherwise identical speakers side-by-side and listen to them.
dave
We decided much the same thing ref the FR88ex. When we got them they were $27 retail, but now at $40 they have, IMO, priced themselves out of contention.
dave
as Dave and others have hinted - easy enough to verify
in addition to the underwhelming sonics I've experienced with them so far, the smaller drivers that we've played with ( FR88EX) have some rather annoying design issues that make installation a royal pain in the mounting hole: to save a few pennies worth of material per unit, the cast basket has a woefully undersize outer flange; the terminal strip gets in the way unless rears side of cutout is chamfered (always a good idea on drivers this size), and they're poorly countersunk for screws larger than #4
and that tells the whole story?
there are certainly many excellent value drivers in this price range, from the usual suspects (too many?
)Member
Joined 2009
I saw a study somewhere which confirmed that a break-in moved the resonance frequency F0 lower for that particular test driver. Brand new drivers in that study had F0 higher than the specs and the break-in helped it settle where it had to be.
I don't know of any effect that break-in might have for the mid and high frequencies.
I don't know of any effect that break-in might have for the mid and high frequencies.
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