Most ultimate 4'' Fullrange Speakers (100mm and below)

[tiefbassuebertr]

The best known transducers in this diameter sizes are the FOSTEX FE87E, FE83EN and FE103EN.
http://www.fostex.jp/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/FE83En.pdf
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/fe83erev2.pdf
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/fe83rev.pdf
http://nanno.dip.jp/audio/data/FE87E.pdf
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/fe87.pdf
http://www.marutsu.co.jp/contents/shop/marutsu/datasheet/544090.pdf
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/fe103erev2.pdf
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/fe103rev.pdf
Are there models available, that are able to outperform this mentioned models clearly?
Thanks for advices.

Under certainly conditions I prefer this model:JX92S (Jordan)
Jordan Eikona - E J Jordan Designs
Unfortunately by listening it is me in the long run too crispy.at most amps.

 

[Dansk]

Zaph|Audio

 

[jimbro]

While the Zaph page may be useful, it's 9 yrs old and some drivers have been upgraded and there are new choices available.

 

[xrk971]

There are the drivers in the "Subjective Blind" series of threads (5 in all). About 3 dozen drivers tested.

The drivers from Fostex may be sensitive and pleasing to some ears with their enhanced forward presentation, they are not by any means the best.

Best drivers in under 4in category are:

Scanspeak 10F/8414 or 8424
Visaton B80
Vifa TG9FD10-8 or TC9FD
Faital Pro 3FE22-8 or 3FE25-8 or 3FE22-16
Dayton PS95-8
Dayton RS100O-8 or RS100-8
SB Acoustics SB65WBAC25-4
Radio Shack 40-1197
Peerless P830986
FF85WK (if 5w max is not an issue)

 

[planet10]

The best known transducers in this diameter sizes are the FOSTEX FE87E, FE83EN and FE103EN.

None of those are the best Fostex IMO. I prefer the FF85wk & FF105wk (even better once i am thru will them).

Ignoring price our favorite drivers of this size are the FF85wKeN, Alpair 5.2eN/6.2eN/7.3eN.

Of the drivers XRK has listed, we have the Scan 10F, Vifa TC9, and went thru a whole lot of 40-1197 (literally 100+), None are as good as the above mentioned, and despite its high reputation we find the TC9 to be quite dissappointing (it is good for the $12 it costs, but no more than that).

dave

 

[xrk971]

TC9FD is accurate and without peaky fan fare. Some may call it lifeless but when used correctly it is reference quality.

 

[planet10]

My opinion on the TC9 is quite different. If anyone wants a free pair to find out themselves i'm not going any further with mine.

dave

 

[knarfor]

You need to hear the Jordan Eikona 2. It is leaps and bounds above the JX92S. There is no comparison.

 

[sreten]

Hi,

Ir seems to me anyone who slags off the TC9 every chance they
get simply doesn't get it. They want character they can choose
from in comparing drivers, and any accurate driver is going to
be "bland" in that company. Can't see the wood for the trees.

rgds, sreten.

 

[planet10]

You don't get it sreten. The TC9 does not do detail… ie it has a very high "noise" floor. Or maybe a mush floor. Everything is so overdamped a considerable amount of important information is buried.

Have you listened to the driver? If you have not you have no basis for any comments on its quality.

dave

 

[chrisb]

Most ultimate super good, make 4" great again? Give me a freakin' break

At any size class / price range this is a loaded question, and I'd wager my left testicle that there will never be a consensus. Well, since I'm not really using them anymore, that's not much of a bet.

That said, the "best" I've ever heard in this size range is the Mark Audio MAOP7.
Unfortunately, not many of these in circulation, and thanks to the high mortality rate for the special production processes and Mark and company's stringent QC, the cost of over $500 / pr, probably not a huge demand.

 

[ra7]

So, Dave and Chris peddle their products (Mark Audio drivers) and the rest of us peddle the poor little Vifa TC9. What else is new?

Some of the drivers that get recommended have a very peaky response in the HF, as XRK was mentioning. Couple this with Dave's comment about the TC9 sounding like it can't retrieve details, it appears that what we might be experiencing is the effect of hearing loss. The extra dbs in the HF help counter the effect of hearing loss.

Almost all of us probably have some hearing loss, given that we listen to music for quite long and at probably unsafe levels . Toole sums it perfectly! See below.

 

[planet10]

So, Dave and Chris peddle their products (Mark Audio drivers) and the rest of us peddle the poor little Vifa TC9.

While true that we sell drivers we like, the TC9s we had were spread far & wide with pretty much the same comments. Cal managed to get a hold of a pair and his sentiments strongly echo mine. So you can't say it is just me.

dave

 

[planet10]

Cal's post http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full...in-5in-full-range-drivers-66.html#post4684826

dave

 

[ra7]

The TC9s and ScanSpeak 10Fs of the world are exactly the kind of speakers that are likely produce high subjective ratings across a variety of listeners, at least according to Toole and the rest of the body of research. Why then the difference of opinion here? There must be some other reasons. Quoting from the posted picture above, Toole:
"One obvious reason for variability in opinions expressed by these listeners is that they simply were not hearing all of the music: the good—small details and timbral subtleties—and the bad—distortions. Also apparent is the reduction in effective dynamic range experienced by these listeners."

 

[vinylkid58]

The TC9's would sound just fine in a Bose.

jeff

 

[freddi]

9-TC9 would still have PWK's modulation distortion problem - they might be a bit bright with some factory EQ settings - the two lower treble boost settings look doable.

here's my old Series I 901 EQ curve from some years back

 

[tiefbassuebertr]

Thank you for the first advices.
My favorites have always been following models
1) Fane Studio 5M (unfortunately no longer available and never available below 6,5'')
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full...io-5m-5fr-use-commercial-studio-monitors.html (first pdf post #1)
http://www.hifi-studio.de/hifi-klassiker/Fane/Fane_Lautsprecher/Studio-5M.pdf
2) Monacor SP-40 (already very old - but still available since the 70s)
https://www.monacor.com/de-de/monac...hertechnik/hi-fi-breitbandlautsprecher/sp-40/
3) Monacor SPH-60X (already very old - but still available since the 70s)
https://www.monacor.com/de-de/monac...rtechnik/hi-fi-breitbandlautsprecher/sph-60x/
4) Auratone 5C (reintroduced)
Auratone 5C Super Sound Cube | Sound On Sound
http://static.wixstatic.com/media/1....png_srz_526_510_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_png_srz
Auratone
5) Radio Shack 40-1197 (Fostex FE103 vintage)
http://diyaudioprojects.com/Drivers/40-1197/40-1197.htm
http://myhifisite.50megs.com/1197back.jpg

Here an small overview from several newer devices, currently available:

Monacor sph-30x-8sw (new)
https://www.monacor.com/de-de/monac...hnik/hi-fi-breitbandlautsprecher/sph-30x-8sw/
Monacor AN3510 (new)
https://www.monacor.com/de-de/monac...rtechnik/hi-fi-breitbandlautsprecher/an-3510/
Monacor AN-3510 (new)
https://www.monacor.com/de-de/monac...rtechnik/hi-fi-breitbandlautsprecher/an-2775/
Monacor SPX-32M (new)
https://www.monacor.com/de-de/monac...rtechnik/hi-fi-breitbandlautsprecher/spx-32m/

SB-Acoustics 2½" SB65WBAC25-4
2½" SB65WBAC25-4 :: SB Acoustics

Scan Speak 10F
http://www.scan-speak.dk/datasheet/pdf/10f-8424g00.pdf
http://www.scan-speak.dk/datasheet/pdf/10f-8414g10.pdf

Vifa 10BGS119/8
http://www.einklang-audio.com/treiber/vifa/10bgs.pdf
Vifa 9BG119/8 = Peerless TG9FD-10-08
Peerless (Vifa) Breitbandlautsprecher TG9FD-14-08
Tymphany/Peerless Fullrane Overview
Driver Search Results | Tymphany
Peerless TG9FD10-04
Driver Detail | Tymphany
TPY04W04O0016ES
Driver Detail | Tymphany
TC9FD00-04 Peerless TC9FD 18 08 = Vifa 9 BN 119/8)
Driver Detail | Tymphany
Peerless P830986
https://www.lautsprechershop.de/pdf/peerless/peerlees_3zoll_fullrange_830986.pdf

Visaton FRS 8 M
FRS 8 M - 8 Ohm
Visaton B80
http://www.visaton.de/pdfexport/de/servicestr.form?pid=/pdfexport/pdf/b80_8.html

Jordan Eikona 2
Jordan Eikona - E J Jordan Designs
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full-range/229391-experience-jordan-eikona.html

Markaudio Alpair line up
Raw Drivers | Markaudio
Fostex FF85wk vs. Markaudio Alpair 6P
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/full...udio-alpair-6p-tested-against-each-other.html
http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/speaker_components/pdf/ffwk.pdf
https://www.madisoundspeakerstore.c...dio-alpair-6p-paper-cone-3.5-fullrange-gen-2/

From this brands I miss fullrange drivers in the mentioned diameter range:
Products
Supravox drive units
http://www.lamaisonduhautparleur.com/hp/Davis/Photos/165MRP.jpg

 

[BYRTT]

You don't get it sreten. The TC9 does not do detail… ie it has a very high "noise" floor. Or maybe a mush floor. Everything is so overdamped a considerable amount of important information is buried.

Have you listened to the driver? If you have not you have no basis for any comments on its quality.

dave

Can you show some prove for claims that TC9 has very high noise flor and everything is so overdamped that a considerable amount of important information is buried.

Speculate over time it looks clear you prefer a acoustic frq response signature with relative high Q peak and dip variations verse smoother drivers as the ones listed on top in xrk971 post, and its okay have taste that prefer non smooth output but its a easy to document IRR-domain distortion/coloring compared to electric signal that speaker is feed and probably the reason you get more detail and maybe pleasing sound. The ones listed in top of xrk971 post will out of box not be perfect but some of the best to reproduce electric input signal in acoustic domain with whatever the scientific impulse test signal.

 

[Godzilla]

They are all flawed to some degree. I enjoy the Dayton ps95, Vifa pc9, various Fostex and TB but they all sound different. Never heard Jordan or MA.

In my experience more expensive drivers don't always sound better.

Nice to see so many good options available.