A Subjective Blind Comparison of 3in to 5in drivers - Round 2

Which file do you think sounds best.

  • A-Clip

    Votes: 10 20.0%
  • B-Clip

    Votes: 5 10.0%
  • C-Clip

    Votes: 3 6.0%
  • D-Clip

    Votes: 7 14.0%
  • E-Clip

    Votes: 13 26.0%
  • F-Clip

    Votes: 5 10.0%
  • G-Clip

    Votes: 7 14.0%
  • H-Clip

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    50
  • Poll closed .
Happy to say that I followed the tournament template and ended up in agreement, at least for now, with the other votes.

Can we make a rule not to post any opinions which name specific driver letters until the poll is over? I hate to admit that I was actually swayed by the one post that mentioned which driver that person preferred. I kept thinking "well, this one should be the better one" when listening to the samples.

Thanks again for all the effort that went into this driver audition.
 
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Level adjustments between the bass and full range was the one adjustable variable - but that was done with aid of measurement to ensure baseline SPL is flat from bass to mids/treble.

Are you saying that we are listening to 2 drivers instead of 1? 😕

There are a lot of going on in a crossover, as every drivers have different roll-off response characteristics... :scratch:
 
Are you saying that we are listening to 2 drivers instead of 1? 😕

There are a lot of going on in a crossover, as every drivers have different roll-off response characteristics... :scratch:
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/atta...n-5in-full-range-drivers-blind-fast-setup.png

Yes, it is a FAST implementation done in order to remove the effects of bass generation by a driver/enclosure combination. The XO is set at a low 225Hz with a steep LR 24dB/octave cutoff in order to ensure the mids and treble - which is what we really are comparing here is strictly provided by the driver under test.

Read the Round 1 thread linked in post 1 for more details. Without doing this you would have to build and optimize a different box for each driver and that would then make the comparison not just about the driver but also the box.

Here is a photo of the test setup if you haven't seen the earlier thread.

469027d1425249579-subjective-blind-comparison-3in-5in-full-range-drivers-blind-fast-setup.png
 
How did you listen the tracks? Good headphones are probably the best method...and yes on headphones A&G are closest of all drivers.

Through my speaker. Good speakers are supposed to be better than average headphone. I have only listened A and G but I doubt that they are closest of all (but I will check later) because G is unique. It's like an "advanced" driver that doesn't sound right (if you know what I mean).
 
Thank you, Byrtt. I did not realize how much work it would be to collect this much data and to make sure the conditions were identical but with more care on the recording process and post production to get into MP3 for listening. This was months in the making and that is with experience from first round on how to do things more efficiently.
 
Subjectively what do you mean it's a driver that doesn't sound right? Why would this make it an advanced driver?

Advanced in that the cone is responsive, and it seems low (non linear) distortion. Doesn't sound right because it doesn't sound like it has to.

Later I will listen all files and select based on 2 criteria:

(1) It must be low (non-linear) distortion, acceptable breakup, such that it is not fatiguing (like A)

(2) It must sound natural (like A). Paper, with smooth response will be closer to this. But a little bit of details from lighter and rigid cone will be considered also.