Suggestions on an 8" Fullrange needed

[tuxedocivic]

EL70 is a good choice. Performance / $ it's the best thing I've ever heard. I've heard plenty better, but cost much more. And I've heard worse, for less. But these have the best performance ratio of all I've heard. And if you don't like them, your can probably sell them pretty easy without losing much.

Like any speaker choice though, it's about application. (room, output requirements, bass support, no bass support, box size limitations, etc.)

[Bigun]

If the EL-70 is so popular, why is it obsoleted ?

[planet10]

I've not done any F200A. Bud has done a few pair.

dave

[planet10]

Originally Posted by Bigun

If the EL-70 is so popular, why is it obsoleted ?

It never sold as well as Bob hoped (it was the 1st Mark Audio driver here, and without the Mark Audio name so was destined for a gradual ramp-up) and he has moved into multiway drivers. By the time people realized how good it was he was almost out, but still a long ways behind original sales projections.

EL70 can be un-obseleted anytime someone can come up to the plate with an order for a 1,000 drivers. At this point we can only hope the CHP-70.3 recaptures much of the magic.

dave

[tuxedocivic]

Originally Posted by Bigun

If the EL-70 is so popular, why is it obsoleted ?

The problem I think is that it isn't popular. It was destined for failure for several reasons. Dave mentioned a couple. But from experience, I dismissed this driver years ago all because of the spec sheet. It looks like a poor performer. It wasn't until I heard a pair at Dave's, only by curiousity, did I realize how good it is. In fact, it is THE driver that made me realize there's something to this whole full range thing.

Without that opportunity I would never have bought a pair and would still never know any better. If it seems popular, it's only several guys on Vancouver Island waving frantically about how good it is, without anyone really believing it.

Ya, maybe people are starting to wonder about it, but that ship has sailed Especially sad for me cause the dust caps on mine got crushed by my 2 year old (darn, thought I had her trained).

Don't get me wrong, there are better, or speaker that do different things for different applications. But dollar for dollar...

[chrisb]

Originally Posted by planet10

It never sold as well as Bob hoped (it was the 1st Mark Audio driver here, and without the Mark Audio name so was destined for a gradual ramp-up) and he has moved into multiway drivers. By the time people realized how good it was he was almost out, but still a long ways behind original sales projections.

well, some of us are on record for realizing how special it was from the beginning,
edit: in honor of Ryan's comment "spec sheet be damned, I say"

EL70 can be un-obseleted anytime someone can come up to the plate with an order for a 1,000 drivers. At this point we can only hope the CHP-70.3 recaptures much of the magic.

dave

indeed, it'd be hard to imagine that Mark doesn't have a few tricks up his sleeve - whether the (so far still) mythical replacement matches or surpasses the original is yet to be heard - I wouldn't bet against it, but certainly not hold my breath either

.

[vinylkid58]

Originally Posted by tuxedocivic

Especially sad for me cause the dust caps on mine got crushed by my 2 year old (darn, thought I had her trained).

It's either going to be the kids or the dogs.

jeff

[planet10]

Originally Posted by tuxedocivic

Especially sad for me cause the dust caps on mine got crushed by my 2 year old (darn, thought I had her trained).

We'll take care of you.

dave

[zman01]

Originally Posted by tuxedocivic

I've heard plenty better, but cost much more.

As in multiway or single driver FR?

[tuxedocivic]

Originally Posted by zman01

As in multiway or single driver FR?

Both. The answer is easy for multi way. For full blown reference speakers, there are quite a few multi-ways that are better, imo. But they also cost about 5x as much to build. The cross overs are usually more expensive than the EL70 along. And if the speaker costs less than the EL70, well they just suck. Maybe a 2 -way built out of close out drivers with parts someone has on hand could do it, but that's not being fair.

For full range it's tougher to say. Most of the FR I've heard are from Dave's inventory. The ones I think are better, aren't necessarily better in all areas. In fact, possibly there is none better at being full range than the EL70. The alpair 7 is, imo, a more refined driver. It's better. But I personally wouldn't be satisfied without a sub. I just used the FE83En (or eN, I don't know, it had enable) and it had to be crossed to helper woofers. The EL70 would eat it for lunch if it didn't have help. I've heard some larger FR drivers, which I can't remember which, and they suck imo. Even the smallish alpair10 didn't do it for me. And that's coming from a guy that has a 10" pro woofer and CD horn 2-way with 4 12" subwoofers in his living room right now.

If I could only have 1 driver (well, a pair) to do it all, from all the drivers I've ever heard, it would be the EL70.