FE126e Horn/Hybrid compared

[greenie512]

Guy’s – a while back I got the Fostex FE126e’s and popped them into the recommended BR box as a quick job. Well I have just built the recommended “Back Loaded Horn + Bass Reflex Hybrid Enclosure”. This was basically a technical exercise in trenching, rebates, templates and pattern bits, see for further pics - http://www.greenie512.net/greenie512...t_project.html

On a grand total of 30 minutes listening I’m not sure there is much of a difference between the two cabinet type i.e. I can only here a nominal increase in lower end from the horns. Now don’t tell me that 4” drivers aren’t going to rattle the windows, I know there is only so much air these things can possibly move. Overall, I really like these units.

Has anyone else compared the Horn and BR boxes and heard much of a difference?

Cheers - Phil

[Jeb-D.]

That's cool I've been considering building those plans for a while. They stand about two feet tall, right? They look taller in the picture. Overall what's your impression on the sound?

[Will]

Originally posted by greenie512


Has anyone else compared the Horn and BR boxes and heard much of a difference?

Cheers - Phil

Hi,
Yeah, I have gone from BR, to Horn and I'm back to BR again. For me, I still think BR is the way to go for accurate with less coloration bass. Horns are great, just that they have a certain kind of coloration that I deem them as inaccurate bass reproduction. But that's just me.


regards,
Will.

[greenie512]

Jeb – yes cabinets are 2 ft (600mm) tall the picture was my initial dump-wire-and listen. I think placing them on the floor robed the horn extension and it just disappeared into the carpet??

I placed them on the old BR boxes to bring the drivers up to ear level and that certainly helped. I really like the “clear” presentation of the Fostex drivers great on voice and simpler forms of music – no good for electo stuff but – hey – who listens to that stuff anyway! Not really hall filling speakers. I don’t have a valve amp but my electronics are pretty warm, wouldn’t want them in a hard/sharp??? system.

In the next few days I’ll try swapping them back into the BR’s for a comparison – with only a couple of hours listening I don’t think the horns add coloration. I’m going to play with a bit of acoustic filling into the compression chamber to see that effects that has on the horn out put?

If I stay with the horns I’ll make stands to raise them, I’m thinking of putting a subwoofer with a 6.5" Tang Band W6-1139SC driver and a Dayton SA70 70 watt subwoofer plate amp into one of them??

Cheers - Phil

[greenie512]

Originally posted by Will


Hi,
Yeah, I have gone from BR, to Horn and I'm back to BR again. For me, I still think BR is the way to go for accurate with less coloration bass. Horns are great, just that they have a certain kind of coloration that I deem them as inaccurate bass reproduction. But that's just me.


regards,
Will.

Will, opps have come to opposite conclusion. Have just flipped the FE126e’s back into their BR box and sound to me sound a bit thin/tiny and no more lower end. Back in the BLH the sound is more “natural” – I think this might be the small amount of extended sound from the horn? So I’m going to stay with the new BLH cabinets.

I currently use a Lasing (computer) subwoofer to augment things and with this kicked in the overall sound is 75% better as it adds depth and fills around the 126’s. – definitely going to build that sub into the new stands

Cheers - Phil