FAST stands for Fullrange And Subwoofer Technology. Recently some people have been using the term WAW which stands for Woofer Assisted WideRange to mean the same thing.
Basically it means adding a woofer to a full range driver and crossing over fairly low. To many people it’s just another variation of a 2-way speaker and doesn’t really deserve a separate category. But to full range purists the distinction is important.
Basically it means adding a woofer to a full range driver and crossing over fairly low. To many people it’s just another variation of a 2-way speaker and doesn’t really deserve a separate category. But to full range purists the distinction is important.
I’ve never thought they were any good. It’s a very uneven sound with little bass they make, but they still got their fans who still love them.
There is a very similar speaker on the market now that look better made and attracting the same kind of people, the Lii F15. That looks like a much better one if you ask me...
There is a very similar speaker on the market now that look better made and attracting the same kind of people, the Lii F15. That looks like a much better one if you ask me...
That would be on the assumption that Lii's published data is a trifle more accurate now that it seems to have been in the past.
A friend of mine had a pair of Lii 10in units in for evaluation which had an FR that didn't even remotely resemble what was claimed (ditto for the T/S data); moreover he thought the 'impressive build' others mention was rough as old ropes; cheap casting, dodgy glue-lines. From what he said, Scan Speak build quality it ain't. I wish it were: it would be nice to have some quality large widebands, but given this, and others who have found their units wildly different to advertised, I'd follow the caveat emptor approach at present.
A friend of mine had a pair of Lii 10in units in for evaluation which had an FR that didn't even remotely resemble what was claimed (ditto for the T/S data); moreover he thought the 'impressive build' others mention was rough as old ropes; cheap casting, dodgy glue-lines. From what he said, Scan Speak build quality it ain't. I wish it were: it would be nice to have some quality large widebands, but given this, and others who have found their units wildly different to advertised, I'd follow the caveat emptor approach at present.
The question posed was if the AN15's are still good in 2021 and are there good alternatives. I'd say the answer is yes and yes, but none of the good alternatives are a 15 inch driver. It all depends on where your goals lie. (And experience has taught me that should include the listening room and set up too). In my opinion the AN15's offer good value for those seeking a big driver.
Well, just before the lockdown in March last year i saw/heared an OB with the F15 and the W15 woofer, and in the short time i could inspect them they looked rather decent build, but the sound was very uneven. And i did not measure them. But i think even the cheap Fane Sovereign 15-300 TC is better on 15" fullrange drivers to be honest, and i would not go bigger than 12" for a fullrange driver anyway. 4 to 8" fullrange drivers are in general much better for me.
AN Ferrite 15's are not that decent build neighter, at least not the pair i've seen about 5 years ago. And their specs were also (as far as they are published) far of the reality. QTS and FS is much higher than advertised, and the efficiency lower. And with that 1mm xmax you won't have much bass.
The Lii drivers are getting a lot of attention and some good reviews over at Steve Deckert’s Decware website and Randy Rash’s Caintuck website where they are selling them in various OB configurations. Here are the links:
DECWARE Loudspeakers
Caintuck Audio Loudspeakers
Nevertheless I am still somewhat skeptical that these drivers are really as good as the people selling them say they are. And your comments seem to reinforce my concerns.
Lii is a fairly new small company and I would not be surprised if their quality control is inconsistent. It takes time and experience to develop a very good quality control system.
A seller that when queried about disparities responds with something better than 'we don't care' would be a start. And you're still out international shipping. As I say, I'd like to think they're good, there aren't many large wideband offerings, so the more the merrier. I would simply advise caution (which is a good policy generally, without specific reference).
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