Fostex FX-120 : the pure Full Range

[youyoung21147]

I have my FX-120 for one week in their TQWT now, and I begin to make them work at a correct level.

It is simply the best fullrange driver and even the best speaker I have ever heard.

The TQWT plan was given me by a sound engineer who told me it was a pure music reproducer he could hear in a speaker shop in France. I built it for a friend with Fe127e speakers and the result was already very good.

I begun to make them work last week at very low SPL in order to break them in progressively. The first thing I thought when I made them work for the first time is that they were natural. Nothing was shocking in the reproduction. I just felt the bass response was a little bit weak, because the suspension was new, so it was hard.

And today, I listened my favorite musics after 12hours of break-in... Simply wonderful ! The sound is perfectly clear, the voice is pure but the most impressive is the details level : the voices are definetely "breathing", and you can hear in the treble every little things that go away with normal speakers : the nails of the guitarist, the irregularities on the drums and cymbals. Like the guy who said it, "it reminds us of piano is a percussion instrument" because you simply hear everything, the music flows in your ears like water. Bass extension is correct and the bass delivered by the TQWT really gives another dimension of the sound, considering the small size of the driver.

The imaging is perfect as the driver is a real full range.
Bass are not really deep, the response is flat from 70 to 19000Hz, but 40Hz is clearly audible. This TQWT provides a fast and natural bass, not suffering of "slow effects" and flow noises like a bass reflex.

One thing concerning the driver : the chassis is impressively thick (6mm), and even beautiful. The magnet is not shielded but almost as large as the speaker itself. It's surrounded by rubber, I suppose it damps out vibrations and treble backwaves. The weight is enormous : 1.32kg !
There is something I really don't like on it : the suspension is made of foam. Even if this is a quality foam, soft, with close and wide bubbles, it remains foam and I'm afraid it could become dust in ten years

Last thing : Fostex has unfortunately stopped the production of the F and FX series since August 2004 (the guy from the shop where I bought them told it me) and these series won't be replaced as far. I had chance to get them in Germany for a correct price (220€, in france they cost 260€ the pair) as it was the guy's last pair.


So I hope it will help people choose between different drivers, as very few persons own these jowels.

I will probably change this small TQWT for another that goes down to 40Hz.



Here are some photos : http://youyoung21147.site.voila.fr/DSCF1501.JPG
http://youyoung21147.site.voila.fr/DSCF1508.JPG
http://youyoung21147.site.voila.fr/DSCF1727.JPG

[james_b]

Congratulations, they look very well made. You should try listening to them with a tube amplifier, you might like them even more.

[planet10]

I've yet to hear anyone who didn't like their FX120s or FX200s -- be really interesting to get some F120As to play with. With Fostex sales growing, i wonder what they will follow these up with.

dave

[weidok]

Nice work YOUYUONG

Do have drawing from the cabinet ..
Which fullrange speakers did you compare with the Fostex
FX 120 ?

I am playing with the FE 167 E and the sound realy great !!!

Planning to build a TL with the FE 207 E ...

[Tweeker]

Anyone know where to find FX 200 drivers?. F 200A looks nice, but its rather more than Id like to spend.

Madisound site says F 120A is discontinued limited quantity availible. No such comments on FX 120 and F200A. They dont seem to carry FX200, already all sold out?

[planet10]

Originally posted by Tweeker
They dont seem to carry FX200, already all sold out?

The FX200 was by far the most popular of the 4 so that makes sense...

Michael you are going to need a showroom as opposed to a living room for all your projects

dave

[youyoung21147]

i4M UNFORTUNATELY NOT ALLOWED to give you the plan because it belongs to the shop

If I build another TQWT, I'll put it on my website.

I compare these drivers with Fe127 and some old Celestion speakers which sound really good. I'm at school now so I'll post further details later

[youyoung21147]

Originally posted by james_b
Congratulations, they look very well made. You should try listening to them with a tube amplifier, you might like them even more.

I almost spent all my pocket money in these speakers so I think a new amplifier is not for tomorrow. I have an old Pioneer SX-626 which works with discrete components so, according to my uncle it's a good amp (27W R.M.S).

Originally posted by Tweeker
Anyone know where to find FX 200 drivers?. F 200A looks nice, but its rather more than Id like to spend.


Madisound site says F 120A is discontinued limited quantity availible. No such comments on FX 120 and F200A. They dont seem to carry FX200, already all sold out?

On Fostex's website, the FX200 is already in the "discontinued" section so you can be sure not to find it anymore unless a shop has it.

The F200A is a speaker I dream I had. You can get 27Hz in a TQWT. But the problem is the price, 400€ each !

I finalized my install this week end and put some home-made twisted cable although I don't feel a big difference, as I need very small lengthes from the amp to the speakers.

I ran the speakers a little louder and they sound really amazing
It's the first time in my life I feel being "inside" the music, and not facing somehow a "veil" between the speakers and my ears. As I told it, imaging is perfect and the bass provided by the TQWT is fast and natural after adjusting internal damping. I cannot describe how wonderful it is. No passive filtering, no mutliple drivers out of phase, good home-made connectors and drivers that are almost perfect. S.P.L is not a limitation, as the Fostex can deliver 100dB.
Another impressive thing, underlining it's a good driver, is the displacement in the bass : you feel deep bass but the membrane almost doesn't move ! We are far from the 2mm Xmax ! It's very different from the Fe127 which goes forth and back dangerousely !

To conclude I suppose the FX120 is the best 12cm speaker, and I'd also like trying the Supravox 135LB which looks perfect too. I hesitated very much between them and I choosed the Fostex because I were sure to get something very good, as I had a point of view on it.

[planet10]

Originally posted by youyoung21147
old Pioneer SX-626.... It's the first time in my life I feel being "inside" the music, and not facing somehow a "veil" between the speakers and my ears

You have something to look forward to then... it is pretty easy to get/diy a better amp than the Pioneer.

dave

[youyoung21147]

I suppose the Pioneer is outdated, and it has a quite high 1% THD @ 25W but I don't need such a power.

I'm building a small MOSFET 25W amp for a friend so I'll test it on my speakers. If I begin to change all the electronics, then I also have to buy a good CD player as I use my laptop computer as media player. It has a correct soundcard that delivers a strong output voltage, likely to a line output, and that sounds much better than my Sony walkman.

I plan to build a new amp based on MOSFETs that would deliver 50W and would pass continous current, but it's not for tomorrow, because transformers are quite exxpensive.

I go on a schooltrip this afternoon so I won't be back before one week