fe167 harsh

[planet10]

Originally posted by SCD
Then one morning I decide to put in a phase plug.

... one morning after months of poking

Got my newBic razor dustcap tool... gonna do me some dustcapectomies...

dave

[Nelson Pass]

Originally posted by tenderland
Thanks for all the help I wish I had something to offer , however I just have questions (I know nothing ) .Any TV or consumer electronic repair questions, I could answer .

The FE167 is not what I would consider to be an intrincsically
harsh driver. I happen to prefer the 166, which probably a little
more so, since the magnetic field is a little stronger, but I find
it generally very listenable, and there's no reason you should
assume that you can't tune it to what you want.

The key is in the willingness to fool around with it until you get
the sound you want. This is a big component of DIY, and the
primary reason we don't just run out and spend our way to
nirvana (not typically achievable with big money anyway).

The 166/167 are really nice - I'm listening to a set of Abby's
at this very moment, driven by a high source impedance and
equalized with some RC loading. This is one of many approaches,
and if you're willing to put the effort in, I think you'll get what
you want.

[tenderland]

Thank you Mr Pass for the advice , I am "slowly "
digesting youre article on Current Source Amplifiers and full range drivers. I plan on letting them break in while I construct a suitable amp and then try the equalization. I am a little behind the learming curve but I am a studious pupil.



Jeff

[MarkMcK]

You might want to pick a piano recording with a glisando. Listen to how the sound changes as the artist runs the scales. Then decide if you want to endure that sound for 200 hours or more to see if it gets better.

If you do endure the conditioning period, go back to the same recording and check to see if the loudspeaker sound has changed at all.

Alternately, you might want to buy Linkwitz Lab's tone burst CD. This will provide reference sounds that you will not listen to over and over again and therefore you will be less likely to habituate to the sound.

For myself, I would prefer a loudspeaker that sounded wonderful right from the start and did not change over its lifetime.

Mark

[apassgear]

Originally posted by MarkMcK

For myself, I would prefer a loudspeaker that sounded wonderful right from the start and did not change over its lifetime.

Mark,

And what would that driver be?

Any suggestion?

[weidok]

Hi

I am playing with the FE 167 E in a ml tl for a few months now
with a BSC 1,8 mH coil and 10 ohm resistor..

First they sounded harsh but the bas was exelent

I have tried 3 amps

1 Harman Kardon 6565 they sounded harsh after 200 hours

2 Nait Niam 2 they sounded still a little harsh

3 Mission cyrus 2 they sound very very good realy

So the amp you are using could course the harsh trouble
at least i think..

Most fullrange users play with tubes amps ....

[SCD]

I had a similar experience to weidok.
I normally use a Cambridge Audio Amp. I thought my speakers sounded pretty good, just a little thin on the bass. It was there but not rib shaking. A friend brought over his YBA integra DT amp one night and we did a bit of an A, B test while consuming some nice barley beverages I had brewed up. Hmmmmmmmm
The test was incredibly overwhelming. We listen to a selection of Jazz, blues and instrumental and others through my set up and talked about how I made the speakers and such. We then hooked up the YBA and played the same selection of tunes. As soon as the the first tune started up Holy **** we thought there must have been a bad conection or something with the Cambridge so we hooked up the Cambridge again, no there was no bad conection just thin music coming out. My heart sank, now I was going to have to get a new amp.
The difference was absolutely incredible, full rich mid range, bass drum kicks that made you blink, acoustic bass that was smooth and deep. The intro on Lorena Mckenitt's Mask and Mirror album had the windows vibrating.
Since that experience I have been reading and learning. These drivers like Tubes. I think Nelson Pass has done a nice job of explaining things as noted by others. He also indicates ways of helping a voltage source system act like a current source.

I fell in love with the DIY audio concept and have decided to go and make my own amp. I am doing the studying and learning right now and I am leaning toward an EL34 amp.
Nuff said for now good luck with your journey.

[coredump]

Weidok,

weidok wrote
[...]
2 Nait Niam 2 they sounded still a little harsh
[...]

IME the Nait needs some pretty sweet-sounding speakers not to sound harsh. Distortion is part of the concept here. ;-)

FWIW, I currently have a pair of FE167E to play with and they sound quite nice with my GC.

Best regards,

Oliver

[weidok]

Here is a link about the article from Nelson Pass

http://www.firstwatt.com/current_source_amps_1.htm

[kenev]

What is this "duct seal" product?
Can someone make a brief description of it?
I too own a pair of FE167 in a TQWT and would like to try managing back reflections to the chassis legs.