dayton dome vs hi-vi

[bruce ferrara]

Hi anyone compare the Dayton dc 50 f dome mid with the hi-vi dmn-a mid?
Thanks

[Willitwork]

Hi-Vi domes are used as drop-in replacements for Dynaudio domes so I guess it's a safe choice. They're pretty impressive to look at in any case.

[Zarathu]

The dayton dome you want is the Dayton RS52AN-8 2" Dome Midrange.

Its an incredibly low distortion component(see http://www.zaphaudio.com/smalltest/), and has been used in a number of designs.

Zarathu

[bruce ferrara]

Hey Thanks for the replies. It will make my choice easier..

[Willitwork]

Originally posted by bruce ferrara
Hey Thanks for the replies. It will make my choice easier..

Are you sure?

[bruce ferrara]

Hi ,
No I am not sure...I do have a hi-vi mid that I bought before I started reading and learning some. I got it cheaply.. So I would like tro try it just because I have it but the band with seems short and it might be worth just buying another unit..we'll see
b

[Willitwork]

A friend of mine (also a speaker builder) had built a very fine sounding Dynaudio 3-way kit some years ago but 2 years or so back his cat clawed through the diaphragm of one of his mid domes (D-54). Replacement domes from Dynaudio weren't available anymore and Solen suggested he replace the busted D-54 with the Hi-Vi DMB-A. Considering the very low price of the Hi-Vi my friend was very skeptical about it being up to the task but he didn't have mucj of a choice so he bought a pair of DMB-A's but in the end he only used one because he found no difference in sound between the speaker fitted with the DMB-A and the one that still has the original D-54. This doesn't prove that the Hi-Vi is better than the Dayton of course, but is an indication that the unit performs as decent as it looks, at least when used with a crossover designed for a Dynaudio D-54 dome.

I think Hi-Vi is a victim of its low price. While they do have a line of products that is aimed at the mainstream OEM market for low-cost general-application drivers such as those used in computer speakers and boomboxes they also build very decent quality drivers that are used in high-end commercial speakers such as Totem. The D and F series from Hi-Vi are of a much higher quality than their price would lead one to assume, mainly because we are still used to European-made drivers prices. Chinese manufacturers are very good at making exactly what is asked from them. They do make a lot of cheap goods because there is a substantial demand for cheap stuff, they also make a lot of high-quality goods such as computer parts that actually work dang good and yet cost very little compared with what they would cost if they were made in Europe or North America. I believe that as many European driver designers are transferring production to China we will become accustomed to the idea that a $30.00 driver may actually be a high-end product in its own right.